Henning Mankell - Wallander's First Case

Wallander sat down at the table and asked how things were with her.

‘Good.’

‘Dad said you had met someone who works with kidneys.’

‘He’s an engineer and he works at developing a new kind of dialysis machine.’

‘I’m not sure I know what that is,’ Wallander said. ‘But it sounds very advanced.’

Then he realised that she had come for a particular reason. He could see it in her face.

‘I don’t know why,’ he said, ‘but I can tell that you want something in particular.’

‘I don’t understand how you can treat Dad this way.’

Wallander was taken aback.

‘What do you mean?’

‘What do you think? You don’t help him pack. You don’t even want to see his house in Loderup and when you bump into him on the street you pretend you don’t know him.’

Wallander shook his head.

‘Did he say that?’

‘Yes. And he’s very upset.’

‘None of this is true.’

‘I haven’t seen you since I got here. He’s moving today.’

‘Didn’t he tell you that I came by? And that he basically threw me out?’

‘He hasn’t said anything like that.’

‘You shouldn’t believe everything he says. At least not about me.’

‘So it isn’t true?’

‘Nothing is true. He didn’t even tell me he had bought the house. He hasn’t wanted to show it to me, hasn’t even told me what it cost. When I was helping him pack I dropped an old plate and all hell broke loose. And actually I do stop and talk to him when I see him on the street. Even though he often looks like a crazy person.’

Wallander could tell she wasn’t quite convinced. That irritated him. But even more upsetting was the fact that she was sitting here scolding him. That reminded him of his mother. Or Mona. Or Helena, for that matter. He couldn’t stand these meddling women who tried to tell him what to do.

‘You don’t believe me,’ Wallander said, ‘but you should. Don’t forget that you live in Stockholm and that I have the old man in my face all the time. That makes a big difference.’

The telephone rang. It was twenty minutes past seven. Wallander answered. It was Helena.

‘I called you last night,’ she said.

‘I worked all night.’

‘Since no one answered I thought I must have the wrong number, so I called Mona to check.’

Wallander almost dropped the receiver.

‘You did what?’

‘I called and asked Mona for your telephone number.’

Wallander had no illusions about what the consequences of this would be. If Helena had called Mona that meant Mona’s jealousy would flare up with full force. It would not improve their relationship.

‘Are you still there?’ she asked.

‘Yes,’ Wallander said, ‘but right now my sister is here.’

‘I’m at work. You can call me.’

Wallander hung up and went back to the kitchen. Kristina looked curiously at him.

‘Are you ill?’

‘No,’ he said. ‘But I probably should go in to work now.’

They said goodbye in the hall.

‘You should believe me,’ Wallander said. ‘You can’t always rely on what he tells you. Let him know I’ll be out to see him as soon as I have time. If I’m welcome, that is, and if someone can tell me where this house is.’

‘At the edge of Loderup,’ Kristina said. ‘First you go past a country stall, then down a road bordered with willows. When that ends the house is on the left, with a stone wall to the road. It has a black roof and is very nice.’

‘When did you go there?’

‘The first load went yesterday.’

‘Do you know what he paid for it?’

‘He won’t say.’

Kristina left. Wallander waved at her through the kitchen window. He forced away his anger over what his father had said about him. What Helena had said was more serious. Wallander called her. When he was told she was on the line with another caller he banged the receiver back on the hook. He rarely lost control, but now he noticed that he was close. He called again. Still busy. Mona is going to end our relationship, he thought. She thinks I’ve started courting Helena again. It won’t matter what I say. She’s not going to believe me anyway. He called again. This time he got an answer.

‘What did you want?’

Her voice was cold when she replied.

‘Do you have to sound so unpleasant? I was actually trying to help you.’

‘Was it really necessary to call Mona?’

‘She knows I’m not interested in you any more.’

‘She does? You don’t know Mona.’

‘I’m not going to apologise for trying to find your telephone number.’

‘What did you want?’

‘I’ve received some information from Captain Verke. Do you remember? I said that we had an old sea captain here.’

Wallander remembered.

‘I have some paper copies in front of me. Lists of sailors and engineers who have worked for Swedish shipping lines for the past ten years. As you can imagine, this includes quite a number of people. By the way, are you sure that the man you mentioned had only served on Swedish-registered vessels?’

‘I’m not sure of anything,’ Wallander said.

‘You can pick up the lists from here,’ she said. ‘When you have time. But I’ll be in meetings all afternoon.’

Wallander promised to come by in the morning. Then he hung up and thought that what he should do now was call Mona and explain the situation. But he let it be. He simply didn’t dare.

It was ten minutes to eight. He started to put on his coat.

The thought of patrolling for a whole day increased his despondence.

He was just about to leave the apartment when the telephone rang again. Mona, he thought. Now she’s calling to tell me to go to hell. He drew a deep breath and lifted the receiver.

It was Hemberg.

‘How are you doing with that stomach flu?’

‘I was just on my way in to the station.’

‘Good. But come up and report to me. I have talked with Lohman. You are after all a witness who we need to talk to more. That means no patrolling today. And to top it off, you won’t have to participate in raids on drug-infested neighbourhoods.’

‘I’m on my way,’ Wallander said.

‘Come by at ten o’clock. I thought you could sit in on a meeting we have scheduled about the murder in Arlov.’

The conversation was over. Wallander checked his watch. He would have time to pick up the papers waiting for him at the shipping office. On the kitchen wall he had a schedule for the buses to and from Rosengard. If he hurried, he wouldn’t have to wait.

When he walked out the front door, Mona was there. He had not expected that. As little as he expected what happened next. She walked right over to him and slapped him on the left cheek. Then she twirled round and walked away.

Wallander was so shocked he did not even manage to react. His cheek burned and a man who was unlocking his car door stared at him with curiosity.

Mona was already gone. Slowly he started walking to the bus stop. He had a knot in his stomach now. It had never occurred to him that she would react so violently.

The bus arrived. Wallander made his way down towards the Central Station. The fog had gone. But it was overcast. The morning drizzle continued unabated. He sat in the bus and his head was completely empty. The events of last night no longer existed. The woman who had been sitting dead in her chair was part of a dream. The only thing that was real was that Mona had hit him and then walked away. Without a word, without hesitation.

I have to talk to her, he thought. Not now, while she is still upset. But later, tonight.

He got off the bus. His cheek still stung. The slap had been forceful. He checked his reflection in a shop window. The redness on his cheek was noticeable.