After fifteen minutes he called his mobile again. It had been turned off. He slammed the phone down in a fury and left the police station. It was still dark outside. He was tired and hungry and his head still ached. He was worried about what Törnblom’s reporter was going to write. When he walked past the Gothenburg football stadium he suddenly had the feeling that someone was following him. He turned around but there was no one there. He continued on towards the Central station. It was windy and icy cold. He thought he felt a sore throat coming on. When he reached the station someone appeared at his side. He jumped. It was Tanya. Or Inez/Natalia/Tatyana.
‘What are you doing here?’
‘I wanted to see how things went.’
‘Neither of us is accused of any crime, but they did find something wrong with your licence. Is your name really Tatyana Nilsson?’
‘Of course not. It’s a fake ID.’
Humlin looked around nervously. He felt additional problems growing up around him. First Tea-Bag had disappeared. Now Tanya had escaped from the police station. He pulled her over to a cafe that had just opened.
She looked curiously at him.
‘Why are you so worried?’
‘I’m not worried. Do you by any chance have a mobile phone I could borrow? I left mine on the train and now someone has stolen it. Probably one of the cleaners. Who then sold it.’
‘Is there any particular brand you want?’
‘What?’
Tanya got up. Some businessmen in expensive winter coats were leaving a table nearby. She walked past them, then returned. When the men had left she handed him a phone. Humlin realised she had somehow managed to steal it from one of the men.
‘I don’t want it.’
‘They can afford to buy new ones.’
‘I can’t understand how you managed to take it. Was it lying on the table? Didn’t he notice that you took it?’
‘He had it in his pocket.’
‘His pocket?’
‘Is that so strange?’
‘I don’t understand how you could get it.’
She leaned forward and patted his arm.
‘What do you have in your pocket?’ she asked.
‘Some change. My keys. Why do you ask?’
‘Can you show me your keys?’
Humlin reached for his keys but couldn’t find them. Then she opened her hand and showed them to him.
‘When did you take them?’
‘Just now.’
Humlin stared at her.
‘Who are you?
The door to the cafe opened and one of the businessmen hurried in. He looked at the table he had been sitting at, then went up to the counter and asked if anyone had found his phone. The server behind the counter shook her head. Humlin crouched down. The man shook his head and walked out again.
‘Didn’t you have to make a call?’ Tanya asked.
‘I don’t think I’m quite up to it.’
Tanya got up again.
‘I have to do something. I’ll be back.’
‘How do I know that?’
‘I will be back. An hour at the latest.’
‘I might be gone by then.’
‘No,’ she said, ‘you can’t go until I’ve answered your question.’
‘Which one?’
‘The one about if I’m a thief or a pickpocket.’
Tanya left. Humlin had another cup of coffee, then tried to gather his thoughts. The phone felt heavy in his pocket. He forced himself to take it out and call Andrea.
‘Why are you calling so early?’ she said.
‘I haven’t slept all night.’
‘I can hear that.’
‘How can you hear it?’
‘You sound like you always do when you’ve been up drinking all night. Have you had a good time?’
‘I’ve been holed up in a Gothenburg police station accused of breaking and entering.’
‘Did you do it?’
‘Of course not. It has not been an enjoyable evening. I just wanted to tell you I’ll be home later today.’
‘Good,’ she said. ‘Because I want us to have made a decision about our future together in exactly forty-eight hours.’
‘I promise.’
‘What do you promise?’
‘That we’ll talk about this.’
‘It’s for real this time. Also, you should call Olof Lundin.’
‘What did he want? When did he ring?’
‘He called last night. He said you could call back any time. I also should tell you that your mother called.’
‘What did she want?’
‘She said you had attacked her.’
‘I never laid a finger on her!’
‘She said you hit her so hard she ended up lying on the floor in the hallway for several hours.’
‘It’s not true. She’s losing her mind.’
‘She always sounds coherent and clear when I talk to her.’
‘She’s senile. She just puts on a good act.’
‘I have to go. But I’m counting on the fact that we’re going to have a serious discussion tonight.’
‘I’ll be there. I miss you.’
Andrea hung up without commenting on the last thing he said. Humlin sighed and wondered if Andrea was plotting to leave him. He also wondered what new dramas his mother had up her sleeve. In order to distract himself from these concerns he called Lundin.
‘Lundin here.’
‘It’s Jesper Humlin. I hope I didn’t wake you up.’
‘I’ve been up since four. Where are you?’
Humlin decided to make something up on the spot.
‘In Helsinki.’
‘What are you doing there?’
‘Preparatory research.’
‘So you’ve decided to go ahead with the crime novel. Excellent. Then we can market your book alongside your mother’s.’
‘There will be no team marketing strategy. And my mother is never going to write a book.’
