“I think so.”
“Did you hear about the taxi murder?”
“A terrible thing — how can it happen? And such young people.” Istvan suddenly understood the connection.
“These two?”
“Yes. And they were here that evening. It’s very important that you tell me everything you remember. Where they sat, who they were with, that kind of thing.” Istvan clearly wanted to be of help. He strained to remember that evening, while Wallander waited. Istvan picked up the photographs and started walking around the restaurant. He walked slowly and searchingly. He’s looking for his guests, Wallander thought. He’s doing exactly what I would have done. The question is whether he’ll find them.
István stopped by a table close to the window. Wallander got up and walked over to it.
“I think they sat here,” he said.
“Are you sure?”
“Pretty sure.”
“Who sat in which seat?”
Istvan looked troubled. Wallander waited again while Istvan walked around the table a couple of times. Then, as if he were handing out menus, he put down the photographs of Sonja Hökberg and Eva Persson in front of their seats.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes.”
But Wallander saw him wrinkle his brow. He was still trying to remember something.
“There was something that happened that evening,” he said. “I remember them because I had doubts about one of them being eighteen years old.”
“She wasn’t,” Wallander said. “But forget it.”
Wallander waited. He saw how Istvan was struggling to remember. “Something happened that evening,” he repeated.
Then he suddenly remembered what it was. “They switched,” he said. “At one point that evening, they switched seats.”
Wallander sat down in the chair where Sonja Hökberg had spent the first part of the evening. From that seat, he could see a wall and the window facing out onto the street. But most of the restaurant was behind him. When he switched seats he saw the front door. Since a pillar and a booth hid most of the rest of the room, he only had a clear view of one table. It was a table for two.
“Did anyone sit there?” he asked and pointed to the table. “Did anyone sit down at the same time as the girls switched seats?”
Istvan thought back.
“Actually, yes,” he said. “Someone did come in and sit there, but I’m not sure if it was when they changed seats or not.”
Wallander realized he was holding his breath.
“Can you describe him? Did you know who he was?”
“I had never seen him before, but he’s easy to describe.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, he was Chinese. Or at least he looked Asian.”
Wallander was quiet. This could be important.
“Did he stay here after the girls left in the taxi?”
“Yes, at least an hour.”
“Did they have any kind of contact?”
Istvan shook his head.
“I don’t know. I didn’t notice anything, but it’s possible.”
“Do you remember how the man paid his bill?”
“I think it was by credit card, but I’m not sure.”
“Good,” Wallander said. “I want you to find that charge slip.”
“I’ve already sent it in. I think it was American Express.”
“Then we’ll find your copy,” Wallander said.
He felt a sense of urgency. Sonja Hökberg saw someone walking down the street, he thought. She changed places in order to see him. He was Asian.
“What is it you’re looking for?” Istvan asked.
“I’m just trying to understand what must have happened,” Wallander said. “I haven’t gotten any further than that.”
He said goodbye to Istvan and left the restaurant.
A man of Asian descent, he thought.
He sensed that he was close to something important. He sped up. He was in a hurry.
Chapter Eleven
When Wallander arrived at the station he was out of breath. He had walked quickly because he knew Höglund was in the process of interrogating Eva Persson. He had to tell her what he had learned at István’s restaurant so he could get her to ask the questions that now needed to be asked. Irene handed him a large heap of phone messages that he shoved unread into his pocket. He called the room where Höglund was questioning Eva Persson.
“I’m almost done here,” she said.
“Not so fast,” Wallander said. “I have a few more questions for you. Take a break. I’ll drop by.”
She seemed to sense that it was important and promised to do as he asked. Wallander was waiting impatiently for her in the hallway when she emerged from the room. He got right to the point, telling her about the seat changes and the man who had been sitting at the only table that Sonja Hökberg had a clear view of. When he finished, he saw that she was not convinced.
“An Asian man?”
“Yes.”
“Do you really think this is important?”
“Sonja Hökberg changed seats because she wanted to have eye contact with someone. That has to mean something.”
She shrugged.
“I’ll talk to her about it. But what is it exactly that you want an answer to?”
“Why they changed places, and when. Try to see if she’s lying. And did she notice the man who sat behind her?”
“It’s hard to see anything going on inside her.”
“Is she sticking to her new story?”
“Sonja Hökberg both hit and stabbed Lundberg. Eva Persson knew nothing in advance.”
“How did she react when you told her Sonja is dead?”
“She tried to act sad, but didn’t do a very good job. I think actually she was quite shocked.”
“So you don’t think she knew anything?”
“No.”
Höglund got up to continue her work. She turned around in the doorway.
“The mother has hired a lawyer. He’s already filed charges against you. His name is Klas Harrysson.”
Wallander didn’t recognize the name.
“He’s a young ambitious lawyer from Malmö. He seems very sure of himself.”
Wallander was overcome by a wave of tiredness. Then the anger came back, as well as the feeling of being treated unfairly.
“Did you get anything new out of her?”
“I honestly think Eva Persson is a little stupid, but she’s sticking to her story — the later version — and she’s not changing anything. She sounds like a recording.”
Wallander shook his head.
“There’s something deeper going on with Lundberg’s murder,” he said. “I’m convinced of it.”
Hoglund returned to continue questioning Eva Persson and Wallander went back to his room. He tried to find Martinsson without success. Hansson wasn’t in, either. Then he leafed through the telephone messages that Irene had handed to him. Most of the callers were reporters, but there was also a message from Tynnes Falk’s ex-wife. Wallander put the message aside, then called Irene and told her to hold all incoming calls for a while. He called information and was given the phone number for the American Express office. He started to explain what he wanted and was transferred to someone called Anita. She asked to return his call as a security check. Wallander put down the phone and waited. After a few minutes he remembered that he had asked Irene to hold all incoming calls. He swore and dialed the American Express number. This time they managed to arrange the security callback and Wallander was finally able to ask for the information he needed.
“I hope you realize it will take us some time to do this,” Anita said.
“As long as you understand how important it is.”
“I’ll do what I can.”