The killer's art

48

The theft at Waldemarsudde was of course the top story on all the TV news programmes, and Johan received much praise for his efforts at the morning meeting the following day. Regional News had been the first to report that the perpetrator had entered the museum and then made his escape across the ice. Of course, the other news editors at Swedish TV got their hands on some of Johan’s material and used it in their own reports. As soon as a reporter returned to television headquarters, he was supposed to share his material with everyone there. That way all of the reporters could make use of the interviews and pictures that were available. But Johan had begun to resist this way of operating. He didn’t want to run the risk of not being able to edit his own story just because he had to spend all his time providing material and information for everybody else. He also thought it was wrong that he and the cameraman, who worked hard to obtain unique images and exclusive interviews, should have to dole these out like free sweets to children and then see them be chopped into pieces for different broadcasts. That was no fun, nor did it do anything for his professional pride. Both he and the cameraman suffered. So he had started objecting to this procedure, and that in turn had provoked reactions from both management and his colleagues. It was certainly not a good strategy for anyone angling for a rise in salary, or who had ambitions about climbing the career ladder. On the other hand, he thought it might make it easier for him to be transferred to Gotland, if a permanent position was ever established on the island. Then the Stockholm office would be rid of a difficult reporter.

Even though he was now back in Stockholm, he couldn’t help wondering what was happening with the murder investigation on Gotland. When the morning meeting was over, he spent a few hours trying to get information. He tried ringing both Knutas and Jacobsson, but without any luck. Pia Lilja was at home in bed with the flu, so she had nothing useful to tell him. Finally he had to settle for talking to Lars Norrby. Johan asked him if anything new had happened in the investigation.

‘Well, nothing that I can really discuss at the moment.’

‘But there must be something you can tell me. We have to keep the viewers interested in the story, and that’s to your benefit too. So that anyone who happens to have information will contact the police.’

‘Don’t try any of your tricks on me. I’ve been in this job too long.’

Johan could hear that Norrby was smiling. He was still in the good graces of Visby’s police force after the drama of the previous year, so he decided to keep trying to get more information. After making various attempts to prise something out of the police spokesman for a good fifteen minutes, he finally had the man where he wanted him. When Johan asked if Jacobsson was away, since he hadn’t been able to get hold of her on the phone, Norrby replied that she’d gone to Stockholm on police business.

‘Why’s that?’ asked Johan.

‘Because of the robbery, of course.’

That stopped Johan short, and he wasn’t quite sure how to continue. ‘What do you mean?’ he asked.

‘The robbery at Waldemarsudde. We’re investigating a connection to the murder of Egon Wallin.’

Johan gave a start. What on earth was the man talking about? He waited for a few seconds, hoping that Norrby would let slip something more.

The police spokesman apparently found the silence bothersome because he then went on. ‘All right, let’s keep this between us, but the sculpture that was left behind at the crime scene at Waldemarsudde was the same one that was stolen from Egon Wallin’s gallery.’

Johan hadn’t known that a sculpture had been stolen from the gallery in Visby, but he decided to play along.

‘Oh, I see. Hmm. Well, thanks for the info.’