an.Imean—wedon’thavetheworld’sbiggesteditorialstaff.Therewerethreepeoplecheering,plustheintern,andonepersonwhogothisnoseoutofjointbecausewehadn’ttoldeverybodyearlier.”
“Hehadapoint…”
“Iknow.Butthethingis,hekeptonbitchingabouttheissuedayafterday,andmoraleintheofficewasaffected.AftertwoweeksofthisshitIcalledhimintomyofficeandtoldhimtohisfacethatmyreasonfornothavingrmedthestaffearlierwasthatIdidn’ttrusthimtokeepthenewssecret.”
“Howdidhetakeit?”
“Hewasterriblyupset,ofcourse.Istoodmygroundandgavehimanultimatum—eitherhehadtopullhimselftogetherorstartlookingforanotherjob.”
“And?”
“Hepulledhimselftogether.Buthekeepstohimself,andthere’satensionbetweenhimandtheothers.Christercan’tstandhim,andhedoesn’thideit.”
“WhatdoyoususpectDahlmanofdoing?”
“Idon’tknow.Wehiredhimayearago,whenwewerefirsttalkingabouttroublewithWennerstr?m.Ican’tproveathing,butIhaveanastyfeelingthathe’snotworkingforus.”
“Trustyourinstincts.”
“Maybehe’sjustasquarepeginaroundholewhojusthappenstobepoisoningtheatmosphere.”
“It’spossible.ButIagreethatwemadeamistakewhenwehiredhim.”
HalfanhourlaterhewasonhiswaynorthacrossthelocksatSlusseninthecarhehadborrowedfromFrode’swife.Itwasaten-year-oldVolvosheneverused.Blomkvisthadbeengivenleavetoborrowitwheneverheliked.
Itwasthetinydetailsthathecouldeasilyhavemissedifhehadnotbeenalert:somepapersnotasevenlystackedasheremembered;abindernotquiteflushontheshelf;hisdeskdrawerclosedalltheway—hewaspositivethatitwasaninchopenwhenheleft.
Someonehadbeeninsidehiscottage.
Hehadlockedthedoor,butitwasanordinaryoldlockthatalmostanyonecouldpickwithascrewdriver,andwhoknewhowmanykeyswereincirculation.Hesystematicallysearchedhisoffice,lookingforwhatmightbemissing.Afterawhilehedecidedthateverythingwasstillthere.
Neverthelesssomeonehadbeeninthecottageandgohroughhispapersandbinders.Hehadtakenhisputerwithhim,sotheyhadnotbeenabletoaessthat.Twoquestionsarose:whowasit?andhowmuchhadhisvisitor