Part 20 (1/2)

Shortly after ten, Ronn telephoned, and after a great deal of to-ing and fro-ing managed to get hold of Gunvald Larsson. 'Hi, it's Einar.' 'Is everything ready now?' 'Yes, I think so.'

'Good, Einar. You must be exhausted.' 'Yes, I must admit I am. And what about you?' 'About as bright as a slaughtered pig,' said Gunvald Larsson. 'I never got to bed last night'

'I've had about two hours' sleep.'

'Better than nothing. Be careful as h.e.l.l now, won't you?'

'Yes. You too.'

Gunvald Larsson said nothing to Ronn about Heydt, partly because far too many outsiders were within earshot, but also because the information would only have served to make Ronn even more nervous than he was already.

Gunvald Larsson pushed his way over to the window, demonstratively turning his back on the others, and stared out All he could see was the new police super-headquarters under construction and a tiny sliver of a grey and dismal sky. The weather was about what could be expected: temperature about freezing point, a north-easterly wind and repeated showers of sleet Not especially encouraging for the gigantic number of police on duty out of doors, but hardly encouraging for demonstrators, either.

By half-past ten, Martin Beck had managed to extract his three remaining colleagues from the melee and pilot them into one of the nearby rooms, where Gunvald Larsson at once locked the door and took all the telephone receivers off their hooks.

Martin Beck made a very short statement: 'Only the four of us know that Reinhard Heydt is in town, and that in all likelihood a complete trained terrorist unit is also here.

Do any of you think that these facts should in any way alter our plans?'

No one replied, until Melander took his pipe out of his mouth and said, 'As far as I can see, this is the very situation we always reckoned on. So I can't see why we should revise our plan at this stage.'

'What sort of risk are Ronn and his men running?' asked Skacke. 'A pretty considerable one,' said Martin Beck. 'That's my personal view.'

Only Gunvald Larsson said something off the point 'If this d.a.m.ned Heydt or any of his gang get out of this country alive, I'll take it as a personal defeat Whether they blow this American to pieces or not' 'Or shoot him,' said Skacke.

'It should be impossible to shoot him,' said Melander placidly. 'All the long-range security is designed to prevent precisely that On the occasions when he appears outside the bulletproof car, he will have a strong protective guard of policemen with automatics and bulletproof protection. All the areas concerned have been searched continually according to the plan since midnight last night'

'And at the banquet this evening?' said Gunvald Larsson suddenly. 'Are they serving the b.a.s.t.a.r.d champagne in bulletproof gla.s.ses?'

Only Martin Beck laughed, not loudly, but heartily, and was himself surprised that he could laugh in such a situation.

Melander said patiently, 'The banquet is Moller's business. If I've got the plan right, then practically every person on duty at Stallmastaregrden this evening will be an armed security man.'

'And the food?' said Gunvald Larsson. 'Is Moller going to cook it himself?'

'The chef and cooks are reliable and will also be searched and carefully supervised.'

There was a moment's silence. Melander puffed on his pipe, Gunvald Larsson opened the window, letting in the icy wind plus a little rain and snow and the normal dose of oil s.m.u.ts and industrial fumes.

'I have one more question,' said Martin Beck. 'Do any of you think we ought to warn the chief of Security that Heydt, and probably also a ULAG unit, are in Stockholm?'

Gunvald Larsson spat contemptuously out of the window.

Again it was Melander who provided a logical summary.

'Getting that information at the last moment won't alter Eric Moller's or the close-range-security plans for the better, will it? Probably the other way around; there might be confusion and contradictory orders. The close-range-protection people are already organized and quite aware of their task.'

'Okay,' said Martin Beck. 'As you know, there are a few details - more than a few - that only we four and Ronn have the slightest idea about If things go wrong, we'll be the ones to bear the brunt'

'I've no objection to that,' said Skacke.

Gunvald Larsson again spat contemptuously out of the window.

Melander nodded to himself. He had been a policeman for thirty-four years and would soon be fifty-five. He had quite a lot to lose by suspension or possible dismissal.

'No,' he said finally. 'I can't say like Benny that I've no objection. But I'm prepared to take calculated risks. This is one.'

Gunvald Larsson looked at his watch. Martin Beck followed his glance and said, 'Yes, it'll soon be time.'

'Shall we stick strictly to the plan?' Gunvald Larsson asked.

'Yes, as long as the situation doesn't suddenly change in some dramatic way. I'll leave that to your own judgement'

Skacke nodded. Martin Beck said, 'Gunvald and I will take one of the really fast police cars, a Porsche, because we'll have to be able to pa.s.s along the motorcade quickly, and even swing back if necessary.'

There were no more than half a dozen of those black-and-white miracles of speed.

'You two, Benny and Fredrik, go in the radio vans. Place yourselves at the head of the motorcade, between the motorcycle escort and the bulletproof limousine. There you'll have a chance to follow both radio and television, and also to check with our own radio. Apart from the driver, you've also got a radio location expert who's supposed to be the best,'

'Good,' said Melander.

They returned to their own base, where there was now no one but the chief of the Stockholm Police. He was standing in front of the mirror combing his hair with great care. Then he eyed his tie, which as usual was of plain coloured silk. Today it was pale yellow.

The telephone rang. Skacke answered. After a brief, incomprehensible conversation, he put down the receiver and said, 'That was Sapo-Moller. He was expressing his surprise.'

'Get a move on, Benny,' said Martin Beck.

'He was astounded that one of his own men was on the commando section list'

'What the h.e.l.l's the commando section?' said Gunvald Larsson.

'The man's name is Victor Paulsson. It seems Moller was here this morning and s.n.a.t.c.hed the CS list He says he needed the group for an important close-range-security a.s.signment He simply placed his man Paulsson on the list, so from now on it's under his command.'

'By all the G.o.ds and saints in h.e.l.l!' cried Gunvald Larsson. 'No, it just d.a.m.ned well can't be true! He's pinched the idiot list! The clod squad. The noughts and crosses players! The ones who were to be confined to station duty!'

'Well, he's got them now,' said Skacke. 'And he didn't say where he was calling from.'

'You mean he thought your abbreviation for ”clod squad” stood for ”commando section''?' said Martin Beck.

'No!' said Gunvald Larsson, thumping his forehead with his fist 'It just can't be! Did he say what he wanted to use them for?'

'Just that it was an important a.s.signment' 'Like guarding the King?'

'If it concerns the King, then we've still got time to fix it' said Martin Beck. 'Otherwise...'

'Otherwise we can't do a d.a.m.ned thing,' said Gunvald Larsson, 'because now we must go. h.e.l.l's blasted bells! G.o.ddammit!'