One Step Behind (1997) kw-7

by Henning Mankell

  Now the moon emerged from behind the clouds. Wallander crouched down, smelling the earth and clay. He saw Larstam's car. It was parked just a little way in from the main highway. There was no movement around it. Wallander scoured the area, but the clouds came back and darkness returned.

  Larstam must have left the car, he thought. But what is he planning? He knows that I'm still pursuing him. He probably still thinks I'm armed, but he must also know by now that I've failed to establish contact, and that we're completely alone out here in Fyledalen. Two armed men.

  Wallander tried to work out what his options were, while straining to hear any sound. Several times he felt an unpleasant puff of chilly air on the back of his neck that made him think Larstam was right next to him, the gun pointed at his head. The gun that had already been fired once at his forehead. Wallander never heard the gun go off - all he had felt was the pain and something cutting open his cheek. Larstam had used a silencer.

  How was his mind working right now? He couldn't have anticipated this chase, and so he couldn't have planned his escape route. Wallander sensed that Larstam was as confused as he was. He couldn't remain in the car, he didn't know whether he was staying close to it or whether he was proceeding deeper into the nature reserve. He can hardly see in this darkness either, Wallander thought. We're in the same boat.

  Wallander decided to cross the street and approach the car from the side. The moon was still completely covered, so he ran in a crouched position across the road and plunged into some bushes on the other side. Larstam's car was now only 20 metres away. He listened, but there were no sounds. He held the plank firmly in his hands. That's when he heard it. A twig snapped somewhere in front of him. Wallander pressed closer into the bushes, then heard the sound again, fainter this time. Larstam was moving away from the car in the direction of the valley. Larstam must have been biding his time, just like Wallander. But now he had started moving. If Wallander hadn't crossed the road when he did, he would never have heard the faint sounds.

  I finally have the advantage, he thought. I can hear you, but you have no idea I'm close by. There was another crunching noise. Larstam must have brushed up against a tree. The sounds were getting further and further away. Wallander slid out from behind the bushes and started walking along the road. He stayed in a crouch the whole time, and kept close to the undergrowth along the side of the road. After every fifth step he stopped and listened. When he had gone about 50 metres he stopped for 5 minutes or so. An owl hooted nearby. There was no further sound of Larstam moving. Had he stopped as well, or was he somewhere up ahead, out of earshot? Wallander's fear returned. Was he walking into a trap? Had Larstam snapped those branches knowingly, to attract Wallander's attention? His heart thudded loudly in his chest. Larstam and his gun must be somewhere close by.

  Wallander glanced up at the sky. A break in the clouds was approaching. Soon the moon would be out, and he couldn't stay where he was when that happened. If Larstam was springing a trap, he had to be somewhere just up ahead. Wallander crossed to the other side of the road and moved up a small incline. There he positioned himself behind a tree and waited.

  The moon came out. Suddenly the landscape was awash in blue. Wallander stared at the road in front of him, but saw nothing. The bushes were thinning ahead, and he was approaching a rolling hillside. At the top of the hill was a single tree.

  The moon was swallowed up by the clouds. Wallander thought about the tree at the crime scene in the nature reserve. He was sure Larstam had used it as his hiding place. He's like a cat, Wallander thought. He seeks out lofty and secluded places in order to maintain his sense of control.

  He was convinced that Larstam was hidden behind that tree on the hill. There was no reason for him not to keep going until he killed Wallander, both to secure his escape and because he had singled him out as an intended victim. This was Wallander's only opportunity. Larstam's attention would be on the road. That's where he thought Wallander would be coming from.

  Wallander knew what he had to do. He had to make a long detour down along the road, across to the left side of the hill and then up to some point right behind the tree from the back. What he would do then he didn't know, nor did he care to think about it just now.

  He proceeded in three phases. First he walked back down along the road. Then he crept up the hillside, very slowly so he wouldn't attract any attention. Then he walked up, parallel to the road. He stopped. The clouds blocking the moon became thicker, and he had trouble seeing where he was. It was 2.06 a.m.

  The moon didn't shine again until 2.27 a.m. It was enough to show Wallander that he was positioned some distance below the tree. He couldn't tell if there was a person behind it or not. He was too far away, and there was thick brush in the way. But he tried to memorise the terrain between him and the tree.

  The moon disappeared. The owl hooted more distantly. Wallander tried to reason with himself. Larstam doesn't think I'll be creeping up on him from behind, he thought. But I can't underestimate him, either. Larstam will be ready for me wherever I come from.

  Wallander started making his approach. He went very slowly, like a blind person fumbling in the darkness. Sweat poured from his body and his heart was beating so hard he thought it was loud enough for Larstam to hear. At last he reached an area of thick brush that he knew was 20 or 30 metres away from the tree.

  It took almost 20 minutes for the moon to come out again, but when it did he finally saw him. Larstam. He was leaning up against the tree trunk, and seemed completely absorbed in watching the road. Wallander could see both his hands. The gun must be tucked in his pocket. It would take him a few seconds to get it out and turn around. That's all the time Wallander had. He tried to estimate the exact distance to the tree, searching out every possible obstacle in his path. He couldn't see one. He looked up at the sky and saw that the moon was about to go behind a cloud again. If he was to have any hope of reaching Larstam he would have to make his approach at the very moment the moon disappeared. He clenched the plank in his hands.

  This is insanity, he thought. I'm doing something I know I shouldn't do. But I have to do it.

  The moonlight was fading now. He slowly rose to his feet. Larstam hadn't moved. At the moment the light disappeared, he sprang up. Somewhere deep inside he felt the desire to utter a war cry. It would maybe give him a couple of extra seconds, if it scared Larstam. But no one knew how that man was likely to react. No one.

  Wallander leaped forward and dashed at the tree. He was nearly there and Larstam hadn't turned around. There was almost no light. Then his foot hit a rock or root. He lost his balance and pitched forward at Larstam's feet just as he turned around. Wallander grabbed his leg, but Larstam grunted and pulled away. As he tried to get his gun out, Wallander rushed him again. With the first swing of his plank, he hit only the tree behind Larstam. There was a splintering sound. He aimed what remained of the plank at Larstam's chest, then threw a punch. He didn't even know where the sudden surge of strength came from, but with sheer luck he hit Larstam right on the jaw. It gave way with a wet, unpleasant sound and Larstam slumped down. Wallander threw himself on top of him and hit him again and again, before he realised that the man under him was unconscious. Then he reached for Larstam's gun, the one that had killed so many people. For a split second he wanted to place it against Larstam's forehead and pull the trigger. But he restrained himself.

  He dragged Larstam down along the road. He was still unconscious, and it was only once they had reached Wallander's car that he started making low moans. Wallander got a length of rope out of the back of the car and tied his arms together behind his back, then tied him securely to the front seat. Wallander got in behind the wheel and looked over at Larstam.

  Suddenly it seemed to him that the person in the other seat was Louise.

  Wallander arrived at the station at 3.45 a.m. When he got out of the car, it was starting to rain. He let the drops run down his face before he went in to speak to the officer on duty. To his surprise he
saw that it was Edmundsson. He was drinking a cup of coffee and eating a sandwich. Edmundsson flinched at the sight of Wallander's face. His clothes were muddy and covered with twigs and leaves.

  "What's wrong?"

  "No questions," Wallander said firmly. "There's a man tied to the front seat of my car. Get someone to go with you and bring him in. Make sure he's handcuffed."

  "Who is it?"

  "Ake Larstam."

  Edmundsson stood up, his sandwich still in his hand. It looked like ham and cheese. Without thinking twice, Wallander took it out of his hand and started eating it. It made his cheek hurt, but his hunger won out.

  "You mean to say the killer is tied up in your car?"

  "You heard what I said. Put some handcuffs on him, take him to a room, and lock the door. What's Thurnberg's number?"

  Edmundsson quickly brought it up on his computer and then left. Wallander finished the sandwich, chewing slowly. There was no reason to hurry any more. He dialled Thurnberg's number. After a long time a woman answered. Wallander told her who he was, and Thurnberg came on the line.

  "It's Wallander. I think you should come down here."

  "What for? What time is it?"

  "I don't care what time it is, you have to come down here and make the formal arrest of Ake Larstam."

  Wallander heard Thurnberg catch his breath. "Can you repeat that?"

  "I have Larstam."

  "How in God's name did you do that?"

  It was the first time Wallander had heard Thurnberg caught completely off guard.

  "I found him out in the woods."

  Thurnberg seemed finally to have understood that he was in earnest. "I'll be right there."

  Edmundsson and another officer walked by with Larstam between them. Wallander met his gaze. Neither of them spoke. Wallander walked to the conference room and laid Larstam's gun on the table.

  Thurnberg arrived quickly. He too flinched at the sight of Wallander, who still hadn't been to the men's room to check his appearance, although he had managed to find some painkillers in a desk drawer. He also found his mobile phone, which he threw into the rubbish in a sudden rage.

  Wallander told Thurnberg what had happened as succinctly as possible. He pointed to Larstam's gun. As if to mark the solemnity of the moment, Thurnberg fished a tie out of his pocket and put it on.

  "So you got him. Not bad."

  "Oh, it was bad all right," Wallander said. "But we can go into that another time."

  "Maybe we should call the others and let them know," Thurnberg said.

  "What for? Why not let them sleep for once?"

  Thurnberg dropped the suggestion. He left to go and see Larstam. Wallander got heavily to his feet and walked to the men's room. The cut in his cheek was deep and probably needed stitches, but the thought of dragging himself to the hospital made him weak. It would have to wait. It was now 5.30 a.m. He went to his office and closed the door behind him.

  Martinsson was the first to arrive the next morning. He had slept badly and anxiety had forced him to come into the station. Thurnberg was still there and told him the news. Martinsson then called Hoglund, Nyberg and Hansson in quick succession. Shortly afterwards Holgersson arrived. It was only when they had all gathered at the station that someone asked where Wallander was. Thurnberg told them he had disappeared. They assumed he had gone to the hospital to have his cheek looked at.

  At 8.30 a.m. Martinsson called Wallander at home but there was no answer. That was when Hoglund wondered whether he was in his office. They went there together. The door was closed. Martinsson knocked gently. When there was no answer, they pushed open the door. Wallander was stretched out on the floor, the phone book and his jacket tucked under his head for a pillow. He was snoring.

  Hoglund and Martinsson looked at each other. Then they pulled the door shut and let him rest.

  EPILOGUE

  On Friday, 25 October, rain fell steadily over Ystad. When Wallander stepped out onto the footpath on Mariagatan shortly after 8 a.m., it was 7degC. Although he was trying to walk to work as often as possible, this time he took the car. He had been on sick leave for two weeks, and Dr Goransson had just ordered him to remain off duty for one more. His blood-sugar levels were much lower, but his blood pressure remained high.

  He wasn't driving to the station this morning in order to work. He had an important meeting to attend, one that he had agreed to during those chaotic August days when they were still searching blindly for the man who had carried out the most appalling series of murders they had ever investigated.

  Wallander could still recall the particular moment quite clearly. Martinsson had come to his office, and at the end of their conversation he had told him that his 11-year-old son was thinking of becoming a police officer. Martinsson had complained that he didn't know what to say to his son, and Wallander promised to speak to him once the investigation was over. Now the time had finally come. He had even promised to let the boy, David, try on his his policeman's cap, and had spent the entire evening looking for it.

  Wallander parked the car and hurried into the building, hunching his shoulders against the rain and wind. Ebba had a cold. She warned him to keep his distance and blew her nose. Wallander thought about the fact that she wouldn't be working there in a little less than a year.

  David was due at 8.45 a.m. While he was waiting, Wallander cleaned up his desk. In a few hours he was leaving Ystad. He still wasn't sure if this was the right decision or not, but he looked forward to the prospect of driving his car through the autumn landscape, listening to opera.

  David was punctual. Ebba showed him to Wallander's office.

  "You have a visitor," she said smiling.

  "A VIP by the looks of it," Wallander said.

  He looked like his father. There was something introverted about him, something that Wallander noticed in Martinsson as well. Wallander put his policeman's cap on the table.

  "What should we start with?" he asked. "Your questions or the cap?"

  "The questions."

  David took a piece of paper out of his pocket. He was well prepared. "Why did you become a policeman?"

  The simple question threw Wallander. He was forced to think for a minute, since he had already decided to take the meeting seriously. He wanted to make his answers honest and thoughtful.

  "I think I believed I would make a good policeman."

  "Aren't all policemen good?"

  This was not a question written on the sheet.

  "Most of them, but not all. In the way that not all teachers are good."

  "What did your parents say about you becoming a policeman?"

  "My mother didn't say anything. She died before I had made up my mind."

  "What about your dad?"

  "He was against it. He was so much against it, in fact, that we almost stopped talking to each other."

  "Why?"

  "I don't even really know. That may sound strange, but it's the way it was."

  "You must have asked him why."

  "I never got a good answer."

  "Is he dead?"

  "He died not so long ago. So now I can't ask him any more, even if I wanted to."

  Wallander's answer seemed to worry David. He hesitated over his next question.

  "Have you ever regretted becoming a policeman?"

  "Many times. I think everyone does."

  "Why?"

  "Because you have to see so much suffering. You feel helpless, and you wonder how you're going to hold out until your retirement."

  "Don't you ever feel that you're helping people?"

  "Sometimes, but not always."

  "Do you think I should become a policeman?"

  "I think you should take your time to make a decision. I think you have to be 17 or 18 years old before you really know what you want to do."

  "I'm going to be either a policeman or a road construction worker."

  "Road construction?"

  "Helping people get around is also good."

/>   Wallander nodded. This was a thoughtful child.

  "I only have one question left," David said. "Are you ever scared?"

  "Yes."

  "What do you do then?"

  "I don't know. I end up sleeping badly. I try to think of other things, if I can."

  The boy put the piece of paper back in his pocket and looked at the cap. Wallander pushed it towards him and he tried it on. Wallander gave him a mirror. The cap was so large it fell down over his ears.

  Wallander accompanied him out to the reception area. "Feel free to come back and see me again if you have more questions."

  He watched the boy walk out into the blustery cold. Then he returned to his office in order to finish cleaning it out, although his desire to leave the station was growing. Hoglund appeared in the doorway.

  "I thought you were on sick leave."

  "I am."

  "How was your meeting? Martinsson told me about it."

  "David is a smart boy. I tried to answer his questions as honestly as possible, but I think his dad could have done as well."

  "Do you have time to talk?"

  "A little. I'm about to leave town for a couple of days."

  She closed the door and sat down in the chair across from his desk.

  "I don't know why I'm telling you this," she said. "I want you to keep it to yourself for the time being."

  She's quitting, Wallander thought. She can't take it any more.

  "Promise?"

  "I promise."

  "Sometimes it's such a relief just to tell one other person."

  "I'm the same."

  "I'm getting a divorce," she said. "We've finally agreed on it, if you can call it that when there are two young children involved."

  Wallander wasn't surprised. She had indicated that they were having serious problems early in the summer.

  "I don't know what to say."

  "You don't have to say anything. I just wanted you to know."

  "I've gone through a divorce myself," he said. "Or was divorced. I know what hell it can be."

  "But you've done so well."

  "Have I? I would tend to say the opposite."