The Man In The Window [Mannen i vinduet - no]

'Iwas about to open the door here – I had been dropped off and Folke went on. Ihad the key in my bag and was rummaging around for it when Richard drove past,following Folke's taxi.'

'Areyou sure he was following?'

'Yes.'

'Didyou report it?'

'Report?'

'Himharassing you in the car?'

'Nothingto report. The incident showed him up for what he was.'

Heput his hand in his inside pocket, took out a biro and asked: 'Have you got anypaper?'

Shelooked around.

'Nevermind,' he mumbled and took the newspaper from the table. In the margin he wrotethe code that had been scribbled on the chest of the dead man and showed it toher. 'Does this mean anything to you?'

'Areyou sure that's the letter?' she asked.

Heflinched. 'Why?'

'Ithink the number of Richard's taxi is 195,' she said. 'But there's an A infront – not a J.'

Chapter 30

The Missing Uniform

WhenInspector Gunnarstranda came home that evening, he stood contemplating thegoldfish swimming around in a bowl that was more green than transparent.However, he managed to withstand the baleful eyes of the fish. He went to thekitchen and fried two eggs and half a packet of bacon, which he devoured alongwith two slices of toast and a glass of milk. Thereafter he took a hot shower beforesitting down in front of his desk and reading through the case reports. Finallyhe went to the old seaman's trunk from which he took one of the bottles ofwhisky. He poured himself a glass which he emptied while writing the report onhis visit to Gro Hege Wyller. Only when he had read it through did he go to thetelephone.

FrankFrølich answered with a yawn.

'It'sme.'

'Doyou know how late it is,' Frølich said.

'Doyou remember one of the people in Thomas Heftyes gate talking about a taxibeing parked outside with the engine running?' Gunnarstranda asked.

'Yes,'Frølich yawned. 'She works for Egmont, publishers of children's books.'

'Ithink the driver's name is Richard Ekholt.'

'Uhuh.''I'm going to call him in for questioning. But it would be good if you couldcheck the man's record and ask around the central taxi switchboard or use somereliable informers with good contacts in that sort of area.'

'Informers?'

'Ekholtdoes night shifts. He's bound to know several of our regular customers. On topof that, his taxi number is 195. Were you asleep?'

'Whatdid you say just now?'

'Iasked if you had been asleep.'

'Yousaid something about a number.'

'RichardEkholt's taxi is number A195.'

'Bloodyhell!'

'A195,Frølich, not J. An A is not the same as a J.'

'Butthat can't be chance.'

'Everyday you and I survive is chance. The fact that one of your father's cells wonthe fight for your mother's egg and created you is chance. It's chance that peoplelive on earth and not on Mars. Were you asleep?'

'Howcan you ask? Do you know how late it is?'

'No,but I can hear music in the background.'

'Ididn't say I was in bed.'

'Anythingelse?'

'GlennMoseng rang in.'

'Andwho is Glenn Moseng?'

'Heruns a coffee and waffle place in Jacob Aalls gate. And the best bit is thatthe café faces the building where Ingrid's lover – Strømsted – lives. ThisGlenn Moseng recognized Folke Jespersen's picture in the paper. Our dead manwas sitting in the café from about nine to some time between eleven and twelveon 13th January.'

Gunnarstrandalet out a whistle.

'Stokmois telling the truth,' Frølich went on. 'Reidar Jespersen didn't go straight towork; he went to this café to wait for his wife.'

'Buthe didn't stop her when she appeared,' Gunnarstranda answered, flopping into achair with the telephone in his hand. 'What did our man do there – at thewaffle café?'

'Hedrank coffee and read newspapers – for two hours, at least.'

Gunnarstrandaconsidered this information in silence.

Frølich,more animated: 'He quarrels with his brothers and then calls his wife while sheis with the lover. We always come back to the wife and the lover,' Frølich continued,with enthusiasm. 'Motive and the opportunity.'

'Anythingelse?' Gunnarstranda asked, stifling a yawn.

'Igot hold of Jonny Stokmo's girlfriend. Carina. She's a prostituteoperating from a flat in Thereses gate. She confirmed that he had been therethat night. But she can't remember the exact time he left.'

'Notthe exact time?'

'No,Stokmo had dropped by without warning. But she had an appointment with some TVceleb at midnight and she got shot of Stokmo early, as she put it. She had timeto take a shower and clear up before this celeb rang the bell. So it is notimpossible that Stokmo went to bed at eleven as he claims.'

Gunnarstrandayawned. 'Looks like we have something to work on tomorrow.' He noticed theaccusatory gaze from Kalfatrus the goldfish and felt his conscience prick.

Assoon as he had finished the conversation, he set about draining the goldfishbowl. He had to go through a number of cupboards before he found Edel's winesiphon. Equipped with this and a bucket, he put the tube into the bowl. Hesucked up some water and pulled a face of disgust, then spat it into thebucket. He let the water run until there was five centimetres left in the bowl.Then he took hold of a jug and a thermometer. Kalfatrus was swimming round thebottom of the bowl with an accusatory expression on his face. 'It's old FolkeJespersen's fault,' Gunnarstranda apologized.

Atthat moment the telephone rang.

Heseized the receiver and yelled: 'Yes!'

'Thisis Karsten Jespersen speaking.'

'Ohyes?'

'Sorryto ring so late. But I've been through the inventory of registered items – fromthe shop.'

'And?'

'Nothingof any value seems to be missing.'

'Whatdo you mean?'

'There'sonly one thing missing in fact. A uniform.'

'Auniform?'

'Yes,it was in a brown cardboard box in my office.'

'Whatsort of uniform was it?'

'I'mnot sure. It hadn't been unpacked. The box was addressed to my father. Imentioned it to him on the last evening. It was one of the things we talkedabout.'

Gunnarstranda'seyes swept the table, hunting for a cigarette. He patted his pockets. 'Iremember,' he mumbled. 'You've mentioned it before, the uniform, and it's noton the inventory we gave you?'

'No.'

'Noteven expressed in vague terms? A box of clothes or military paraphernalia orsomething like that?'

'No.There's nothing.'

'Andyou hadn't unpacked it? How do you know there was a uniform in the box?'

'Ididn't have time to do anything, but I did cut open the box. There was auniform inside, you know, woollen material, a military colour, bluish.'

'Bluish?Navy blue? Grey-blue?' Gunnarstranda asked, locating a cigarette end in theashtray on the edge of the desk and lighting it.

'Grey-blue.'

'Moreair force than navy then?'

'Ihave no idea.'

'Itwasn't a tram conductor's uniform? Even the officers in parliament wearuniforms.'

'Itwas military; there were stripes and decorations. But I didn't give it morethan a cursory glance. I mentioned to my father that it had arrived, and thetwo glasses from Nostetangen too – they are on the list – but he didn't seemvery interested.'

'Sodo you think he went down to the shop that evening to have a look at theuniform?'

'Can'timagine him doing that.'

Gunnarstrandainhaled greedily and said: 'You don't know if the uniform had any particularvalue?'

'As Isaid, I didn't get a chance to see,' Karsten Jespersen said.

'Whosent the box?'

'Ihave no idea. Don't remember. Don't think there was a sender's address.'

'Butwouldn't it be very odd if someone sent a uniform to your father anonymously?'

'Mm…'

'Itwas anonymous, wasn't it?'

'Idon't remember. I didn't pay any attention to it.'

'Didyou tell your father?'

'Tellmy father what?'

'Thatthere was no sender's address.'

'Yes,I think I did. Or I may have said a uniform had arrived, but I hadn't checked itover. It seemed to be complete with trousers and jacket…'