One Step Behind

Martinsson was right. Wallander made a call from the car and ordered helmets to go with the vests. They parked outside the main entrance to the hotel.

"The manager of the restaurant is called Orlovsky," Martinsson said.

"I've met him before," Wallander said.

Orlovsky had been notified of their visit and was waiting for them in the lobby. He was a tall, trim man in his 50s. Wallander decided to tell him exactly what was going on. Together they walked into the room where preparations for the evening's festivities were under way.

"We need to be as efficient as possible," Wallander said. "Could someone show Martinsson around while you and I talk?"

Orlovsky beckoned to a waiter who was setting the table. "He's been here for 20 years."

The waiter's name was Emilsson. He looked surprised at the request but obediently accompanied Martinsson out of the room. Wallander told Orlovsky enough to let him know what was going on.

"Wouldn't it be best to cancel the event altogether?" Orlovsky asked when Wallander had finished.

"Perhaps. But we won't do that unless we decide that the security of the guests will be compromised, and we're not quite there yet."

Wallander wanted to know how the guests would be seated and asked to see the seating arrangement. They were expecting 34 people. Wallander paced around the room and tried to imagine Larstam's preparations. He doesn't want to be caught, Wallander thought. He'll have his avenue of escape well prepared. I doubt he's pla

A thought struck him. "How many waiters will be working tonight?" he asked.

"Six altogether."

"Do you know them all personally?"

"All except one who's been hired for this evening."

"What's his name?"

Orlovsky pointed to a small, pudgy man of around 65 who was setting out the glasses.

"His name is Leijde and he's often called in to help with larger di

Wallander shook his head. "What about the kitchen staff? The bartender? Who's working the coat check?"

"They're all permanent employees."

"Do you have any guests staying at the hotel?"

"A couple of German families."

"Will anyone else be here tonight?"

"No, the whole dining area has been reserved for the party, although we have room for more. That leaves only the receptionist."

"Is it still Hallgren?" Wallander said. "I've met him before."

Orlovsky confirmed that Hallgren still worked there. Martinsson and the waiter Emilsson returned from the kitchen. Emilsson went back to setting the table, while Martinsson sat down to sketch an approximation of the dining area, lavatories, and kitchen with Orlovsky's help. Wallander wondered briefly if the staff should be given protective gear as well, but decided against it. It would tip Larstam off. All of a sudden Wallander had the distinct impression that he was somewhere close by, that he was surveying the comings and goings at the hotel.

Time was ru

Martinsson's sketch was put onto a transparency. "Here's what we're going to do," Wallander said. "At some point Larstam will try to enter the hotel. Meanwhile we have to surround the entire building, although I want our men to be invisible, hard as I know that is. Otherwise we'll scare him off."

He looked around, but no one had any comments. He continued. "If he somehow manages to break through our outer ring of officers, we'll have a team placed inside the dining room. I suggest Martinsson and Höglund dress up as members of the waiting staff."

"With a bulletproof vest and helmet?" Martinsson said.

"No. If he enters the dining room, we have to get him at once. All exits from the dining room have to be blocked. I'm going to be circulating the entire area, since I'm the only person who can actually identify him."

Wallander paused. Before the meeting broke up he had one more thing to add.

"We can't overlook the fact that he may be dressed up as a woman. Not Louise, but someone else. We can't even know he's going to turn up for sure."

"What if he doesn't?"

"Then we go home and get a good night's sleep. That's what we need most, after all."

They took up their positions at the hotel a little after 7 p.m. Martinsson and Höglund put on waiters' uniforms, and Wallander positioned himself behind the reception desk. He was in radio contact with eight other officers outside the building, as well as one stationed in the kitchen. He had his gun in his pocket. The guests started arriving. Höglund was right. Many of them were quite young, as young as Isa Edengren. They were dressed up and the atmosphere was joyful. Laughter filled the lobby and dining room. Åke Larstam would have hated this display of happiness.

It was now 8 p.m. Wallander checked continually with the other officers, but no one saw anything suspicious. At 8.23 p.m. there was an alarm from Supgränd, just south of the hotel. A man had stopped on the footpath and was looking up at the hotel windows. Wallander rushed to the spot but the man was gone before he arrived. One of the police officers identified him as the owner of an Ystad shoe shop. Wallander returned to the lobby, where he heard drinking songs coming from the dining room. Someone got up and made a toast.

Still nothing happened. Martinsson showed up at the entrance to the dining room. Wallander felt the constant grip of tension. It showed no sign of letting up. There were more drinking songs, more toasts. At 10.40 p.m., the party was begi

He felt a mixture of disappointment and relief. The ninth person, whoever he was, was still alive. Tomorrow they would go through the evening's guest list one by one and try to identify the intended victim. But Larstam was still on the loose somewhere.

At 11.30 p.m. the streets were deserted once more. The guests had gone home, all the officers were back at the station. Wallander made sure that the marina and the flat on Harmonigatan would be kept under surveillance all night. He returned to the station along with Martinsson and Höglund, but none of them had the energy to discuss what had happened. They decided to meet at 8 a.m. the next morning. Thurnberg and Holgersson agreed. They would have to figure out why Larstam hadn't shown up the next day.

"We've gained some time," Thurnberg said. "If nothing else, this manoeuvre gave us that."

Wallander went back to his office and locked his gun in one of the drawers. Then he drove back to Mariagatan. It was just before midnight when he started up the stairs to his flat.