The Laughing Policeman

Q: It was a doubledecker bus, wasn't it?

A: Yes.

Q: Where were the bodies found? On the upper or lower deck?

A: On the lower one.

Q: All eight?

A: Yes.

Q: Have the victims been identified?

A: No.

Q: Has any of them been identified?

A: Yes.

Q: Who? The driver?

A: NO. A policeman.

Q: A policeman? Can we have his name?

A: Yes. Detective Sub-inspector Ake Stenstrom.

Q: Stenstrom? From the homicide squad? A: Yes.

A couple of the reporters tried to push towards the door, but Gunvald Larsson again put up his hand.

'No running back and forth, if you don't mind,' he said. 'Any more questions?'

Q: Was Inspector Strenstrom one of the passengers in the bus?

A: He wasn't driving at any rate.

Q: DO you consider he was there just by chance?

A: Don't know.

Q: The question was put to you personally. Do you consider it a mere chance that one of the victims is a man from the CID?

A: I have not come here to answer personal questions.

Q: Was Inspector Stenstrom working on any special investigation when this happened?

A: Don't know.

Q: Was he on duty last night?

A: NO.

Q: He was off duty?

A: Yes.

Q: Then he must have been there by chance. Can you name any of the other victims? A: NO.

Q: This is the first time a real mass murder has occurred in Sweden. On the other hand there have been several similar crimes abroad in recent years. Do you think that this maniacal act was inspired by what happened in America, for instance? '

A: Don't know.

Q: IS it the opinion of the police that the murderer is a madman who wants to draw sensational attention to himself?

A: That is one theory.

Q: Yes, but it doesn't answer my question. Are the police working on the lines of that theory?

A: All dues and suggestions are being followed.

Q: HOW many of the victims are women?

A: TWO.

Q: SO six of the victims are men?

A: Yes.

Q: Including the bus driver and Inspector Stenstrom?

A: Yes.

Q: Just a minute, now. We've been told that one of the people in the bus survived and was taken away in an ambulance that arrived on the scene before the police had had time to cordon off the area.

A: Oh?

Q: Is this true?

A: Next question.

Q: Apparently you were one of the first policemen to arrive on the scene?

A: Yes.

Q: What time did you get there?

A: At eleven twenty-five.

Q: What did it look like inside the bus just then?

A: What do you think?

Q: Can you say it was the most ghastly sight you've ever seen in your life?

Gunvald Larsson stared vacantly at the questioner, who was quite a young man with round, steel-rimmed glasses and a somewhat unkempt red beard. At last he said, 'No. I can't'

The reply caused some bewilderment. One of the woman journalists frowned and said lamely and incredulously, 'What do you mean by that?'

'Exactly what I say.'

Before joining the police force Gunvald Larsson had been a regular seaman in the navy. In August 1943, he had been one of those to go through the submarine Ulven, which had struck a mine and had been salvaged after having lain on the seabed for three months. Several of the thirty-three killed had been on the same courses with him. After the war, one of his duties had been to help with the extradition of the Baltic collaborators from the camp at Ranneslatt. He had also seen the arrival of thousands of victims who had been repatriated from the German concentration camps. Most of these had been women and many of them had not survived.

However, he saw no reason to explain himself to this youthful assembly but said laconically, 'Any more questions?'

'Have the police been in touch with any witnesses of the actual event?'

'No.'

'In other words, a mass murder has been committed in the middle of Stockholm. Eight people have been killed, and that's all the police have to say?'

'Yes.'

With that, the press conference was concluded.

₉

It was some time before anyone noticed that Ronn had come in with the list. Martin Beck, Kollberg, Melander and Gunvald Larsson stood leaning over one of the tables, which was littered with photographs from the scene of the crime, when Ronn suddenly stood next to them and said, 'It's ready now, the list.'

He was born and raised in Arjeplog and although he had lived in Stockholm for more than twenty years he had still kept his north-Swedish dialect

He laid the list on a corner of the table, drew up a chair and sat down.

'Don't go around frightening people,' Kollberg said.

It had been silent in the room for so long that he had started at the sound of Ronn's voice.

'Well, let's see,' Gunvald Larsson said impatiently, reaching for the list

He looked at it for a while. Then he handed it back to Ronn.

'That's about the most cramped writing I've ever seen. Can you really read that yourself? Haven't you typed out any copies?'

'Yes,' Ronn replied. 'I have. You'll get them in a minute.' 'OK,' said Kollberg. 'Let's hear.'

Ronn put on his glasses and cleared his throat He glanced through his notes.

'Of the eight dead, four lived in the vicinity of the terminus,' he began. 'The survivor also lived there.'

'Take them in order if you can,' Martin Beck said.

‘Well, first of all there's the driver. He was hit by two shots in the back of the neck and one in the back of the head and must have been killed outright'

Martin Beck had no need to look at the photograph that Ronn extracted from the pile on the table. He remembered all too well how the man in the driver's seat had looked.