Free Cop Killer by Maj Sjöwall, Per Wahlöö

bathrobe that seemed to be part of the ensemble.
    'The wife will be here in a little while,' he said. 'Usually shows up around three o'clock.'
    Månsson had apparently gone back to his life as five-sevenths bachelor, in that he spent five days of the week alone and the weekends with his wife.
    They had separate apartments.
    'It's a good system,' he said. 'It's true, I did have a girlfriend in Copenhagen for a year or so. And she was terrific, but it got to be too much of a good thing. I'm not as young as I used to be.'
    Martin Beck thought for a moment about what the other man had said.
    True, Månsson was older than he was, but not by more than a couple of years.
    'But she was damned good for me as long as it lasted. Her name was Nadja. I don't know if you ever met her.'
    'No,' Martin Beck said.
    He suddenly wanted to change the subject
    'By the way, how's Benny Skacke doing?'
    'Not bad. He's an inspector now, and married to his physiotherapist. They had a little girl last spring. She was born on a Sunday, a little ahead of schedule, and he was in Minnesberg playing football when it happened. He claims all the important things in his life happen while he's playing football. God knows what he means.'
    Martin Beck knew quite well what Skacke was referring to, but he didn't say anything.
    'In any case, he's a good policeman,' Månsson said. 'And there's getting to be a shortage of those. Unfortunately, I get the feeling he's not happy here. He can't get used to this city, somehow. He's been here almost five years, but I think he's still homesick for Stockholm.
    'Of all godforsaken places,' he added philosophically and emptied his glass.
    Then he looked demonstratively at his watch.
    'I suppose I'd better be going now,' said Martin Beck.
    'Yes,' Månsson said. 'I was about to say that was a good idea if you wanted to catch Mård sober. But that's not the real reason.'
    'Oh?'
    'No. If you stay another fifteen minutes you'll meet my wife. And in that case, I'd have to get dressed. She's sort of conventional, and she'd never stand for the idea of my sitting around with prominent police chiefs in this getup. Shall I call you a cab?'
    'I'd rather walk'
    He'd been in Malmö many times before, and he knew his way around, at least in the inner city.
    Besides, it was a pretty day, and he wanted to organize his thoughts before he talked to Bertil Mård.
    He was conscious of the fact that Månsson had furnished him with a presupposition.
    This was clearly going to be a case where presuppositions played an important part
    Presuppositions were never good. Letting them affect your judgement was as dangerous as ignoring them. You always had to remember that a supposition could be right even if it was preconceived.
    Martin Beck was eager to form his own opinion of Mård. He knew they would soon be face to face.
    The brewpub was closed for the holiday, and Månsson had gone to the trouble of assigning a police recruit to watch the house on Master Johansgatan and had instructed him to raise the alarm if Mård left home.

7
    The police recruit would have been a great success on TV doing a parody of someone trying not to look as if he were watching a house. In addition, the house was very small, and the buildings on either side had been torn down. He was standing across the street with his hands behind his back, gazing out into empty space but casting continuous sidelong glances at the door behind which the object of his attentions was supposed to lurk.
    Martin Beck stopped some distance off and watched. A minute or so went by and then the recruit walked slowly across the street and inspected the door in detail. And poked at the name-plate. Then he ambled, back to his post with studied nonchalance and then spun around to be sure nothing improper had occurred behind his back. Like so many other policemen out on confidential or delicate assignments, he was wearing black shoes, dark blue socks, the trousers to his uniform, a light blue shirt, and a