He Who Kills the Dragon

56.

Roughly the same time that Grislund was opening his heart to Honkamäki, Alm was down in the center of Solna doing some shopping. He had bumped into a very cross Roly Stålhammar outside the state-owned alcohol shop, and, in spite of the glare he received, he still ventured to ask a simple question.

‘How are things, Roly?’ Alm said.

‘How the fuck do you think?’ Stålhammar said.

‘Seppo,’ Alm said. ‘Seppo Laurén. You know, that lad who used to help Kalle Danielsson,’ he clarified.

‘Einstein,’ Stålhammar said.

‘Einstein?’ What’s he mean? Alm thought.

‘That’s what we called him,’ Stålhammar said. ‘Nice and kind, but a bit lost, not like normal people. Kalle used to take him to Valla sometimes when he was in the mood. He used to run and place bets for us so we could sit in peace and quiet and enjoy our beer.’

‘How did that work out?’ Alm asked.

‘No problems,’ Stålhammar said. ‘Never any problems. He’s a demon with numbers, that lad. He’s not so good at talking.’

‘He’s a demon with numbers,’ Alm repeated. He must be drunk, he thought.

‘I remember once, it was one of the races before the big Elitloppet race and Kalle had dragged Seppo along with him. He can’t have been very old. Before one of the races I happened to say that it was completely open. That any of them could win. Ten horses, one favorite and two second favorites. Odds of winning between two and five to one. The other seven would give you better than twenty to one. The one that would give the best return would have paid out more than a hundred to one.’

‘I see,’ Alm said. Definitely drunk, he thought.

‘The lad, he can’t have been more than ten, asked if he could borrow seven hundred off Kalle. Kalle was in a good mood, a bit drunk. He’d won on an outside bet in the previous race. He hands Seppo a thousand-kronor note. Seppo asks me to put one hundred and forty-two kronor and eighty-six ore on each of the seven horses with the longest odds. He was too young to bet then. He could hardly reach the counter in those days. I explained to him that you couldn’t bet with the two kronor and eighty-six ore.’

‘ “One hundred and forty, then,” Seppo says. Okay, I did as he said. One of the seven won. Night Runner, that was his name. Paid out eighty-six to one. Do you know what the lad says?’

‘No,’ Alm said. What does this have to do with anything? he thought.

‘ “Give me my twelve thousand and forty kronor,” he said.’

‘I don’t actually understand what you mean,’ Alm said.

‘That’s because you’re soft in the head. Seppo isn’t soft in the head. He’s different. He talks like a muppet and he looks like a muppet. But he’s not soft in the head. And why do I suddenly feel like punching you in the face?’ Stålhammar said.

‘You don’t think Kalle might have had something going on with his mother?’ Alm said, thinking it was high time to change the subject.

‘I’ve got no ideeeaa about that,’ Stålhammar said with a grin. ‘How about asking her? If she had something going on with Kalle, I’m sure she’d remember.’

So it’s like that, is it? Alm thought.

‘You don’t think Kalle could have been Seppo’s dad?’

‘Why don’t you ask him?’ Stålhammar said, grinning. ‘Not the lad, because he doesn’t say much. But maybe you and Bäckström could ask Kalle. Fix up one of those mediums they have on television. A real window licker who could help you get in touch with the other side. Ask Kalle, why don’t you? If you’re lucky, maybe you could squeeze him for some back payments of child support.’

So it’s like that? Alm thought, and before he had time to thank Stålhammar for the conversation, he had already turned on his heels and left.