Linda, As in the Linda Murder

67

When Jan Lewin read the Småland Post the next morning the front page was dominated by a large picture of head of purchasing, Roy Edvardsson, forty-eight years old. Judging by the picture, he was a rather fat man in the prime of life, dressed in classic male attire for the Swedish summer: sandals with socks, knee-length shorts, a striped, short-sleeved shirt, and a check cap of the lighter variety out of consideration for the time of year. Edvardsson was leaning comfortably against his car, a Mercedes, radiating both confidence and material success. And he was born, raised and lived in Småland.

The reason for his appearance in the Post was a lengthy report about the fact that the National Food Administration had conducted an extensive investigation which had found that Smålanders were less likely than other Swedes to buy organic and environmentally friendly products when they bought their groceries. And this in spite of the notable efforts of the world’s most famous Smålander, the author Astrid Lindgren, to liberate hens from their cages and give pigs a happy life all the way to Christmas.

The paper’s reporter had gone out on to the streets of the town and conducted a rather smaller study in which she had asked people about their views on organic and environmentally friendly groceries and other products. The answers she received from a majority of those questioned appeared to support the National Food Administration’s findings, and the reason for their negative opinion was unambiguous. Organic and environmentally friendly food was more expensive than ordinary food, even though it tasted pretty much the same as all food did these days.

But none of this covered Roy Edvardsson, 48, who, in spite of his job, was entirely unfamiliar with the question.

‘Don’t ask me about that,’ Edvardsson said. ‘I never do the shopping. I mean, I’ve been married for years now.’

I didn’t think men like that still existed, Lewin thought, astonished, as he reached for the scissors so that he could add this little insight into Roy Edvardsson’s life to his scrapbook of memories from Växjö.