only empty rooms. They had just concluded there was nothing else to see when Martinsson and Svedberg turned into the drive.
"Nothing," Wallander said. At the same time, he put his finger to his lips, discreetly, so that Akerblom couldn't see. He didn't want Svedberg and Martinsson to start asking questions. He didn't want to have to say Louise Akerblom probably never got as far as the house.
"We have nothing to report either," Martinsson said. "No car, nothing."
Wallander looked at his watch. It was 6.10 p.m. He turned to Akerblom and tried to smile. "I think the most useful thing you can do now is to go back home to the girls," he said. "Svedberg here will drive you home. We'll make a systematic search. Try not to worry. We'll find her all right."
"She's dead," Akerblom said, in a low voice. "She's dead, and she'll never come back."
The three policemen stood in silence.
"No," Wallander said, eventually. "There's no reason to think it's as bad as that. Svedberg will drive you home now. I'll get in touch later on."
Svedberg drove away.
"Now we can start searching in earnest," Wallander said, resolutely. He could feel the unease mounting in him all the time.
They sat in his car. Wallander called Bjork and asked for all available personnel with cars to be sent to the split oak. At the same time Martinsson began planning how best to examine all the roads in a circle around the house as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Wallander asked Bjork to make sure they got suitable maps.
"We'll keep looking until it gets dark," Wallander said. "We start again at dawn tomorrow if we don't find anything tonight. You can get in touch with the army as well. Then we'll have to consider a line search."
"Dogs," Martinsson said. "We need dogs tonight, right now."
Bjork promised to come along in person and take charge of the operation.
Martinsson and Wallander looked at each other.
"Summarise," Wallander said. "What do you think?"
"She never came here," Martinsson said. "She could have been close to here, or a long way away. I don't know what can have happened, but we have to find the car. We're doing the right thing, starting the search here. Somebody will have seen it, surely. We'll have to start knocking on doors. And Bjork will have to hold a press conference tomorrow. We have to let it be known we take the disappearance very seriously."
"What can have happened?" Wallander said.
"Something we'd rather not think about," Martinsson said.
The rain started drumming against the car windows and roof.
"Hell," Wallander said.
"Yes," Martinsson said. "Exactly so."
Shortly before midnight the policemen, tired and drenched, reassembled on the gravel in front of the house Mrs Akerblom had possibly never seen. They had found no trace of the dark blue car, still less of Louise Akerblom. The most noteworthy thing they found was a pair of elk carcasses. And a police car almost crashed with a Mercedes travelling along one of the dirt roads at high speed.
Bjork thanked all of them for their efforts. He had agreed with Wallander that they could be sent home. The search would begin again at 6 a.m.
Wallander was the last to leave. He had called Akerblom on his car phone, and told him that he was sorry to have nothing new to report. Although it was late, Akerblom expressed the wish that Wallander should come and see him at their house, where he was with the daughters.
Before Wallander started the engine he called his sister in Stockholm. He knew she stayed up late. He told her their father was planning to marry his home help. To Wallander's astonishment, she burst out laughing, but to his relief, she promised to come down to Skane at the beginning of May.
Wallander replaced the telephone in its holder and set off for Ystad. Rain squalls hammered the windscreen.
He found his way to the Akerblom home. It was a terrace house like hundreds of other houses. The light was still on downstairs. Before getting out of the car he leaned back in
"Nothing," Wallander said. At the same time, he put his finger to his lips, discreetly, so that Akerblom couldn't see. He didn't want Svedberg and Martinsson to start asking questions. He didn't want to have to say Louise Akerblom probably never got as far as the house.
"We have nothing to report either," Martinsson said. "No car, nothing."
Wallander looked at his watch. It was 6.10 p.m. He turned to Akerblom and tried to smile. "I think the most useful thing you can do now is to go back home to the girls," he said. "Svedberg here will drive you home. We'll make a systematic search. Try not to worry. We'll find her all right."
"She's dead," Akerblom said, in a low voice. "She's dead, and she'll never come back."
The three policemen stood in silence.
"No," Wallander said, eventually. "There's no reason to think it's as bad as that. Svedberg will drive you home now. I'll get in touch later on."
Svedberg drove away.
"Now we can start searching in earnest," Wallander said, resolutely. He could feel the unease mounting in him all the time.
They sat in his car. Wallander called Bjork and asked for all available personnel with cars to be sent to the split oak. At the same time Martinsson began planning how best to examine all the roads in a circle around the house as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Wallander asked Bjork to make sure they got suitable maps.
"We'll keep looking until it gets dark," Wallander said. "We start again at dawn tomorrow if we don't find anything tonight. You can get in touch with the army as well. Then we'll have to consider a line search."
"Dogs," Martinsson said. "We need dogs tonight, right now."
Bjork promised to come along in person and take charge of the operation.
Martinsson and Wallander looked at each other.
"Summarise," Wallander said. "What do you think?"
"She never came here," Martinsson said. "She could have been close to here, or a long way away. I don't know what can have happened, but we have to find the car. We're doing the right thing, starting the search here. Somebody will have seen it, surely. We'll have to start knocking on doors. And Bjork will have to hold a press conference tomorrow. We have to let it be known we take the disappearance very seriously."
"What can have happened?" Wallander said.
"Something we'd rather not think about," Martinsson said.
The rain started drumming against the car windows and roof.
"Hell," Wallander said.
"Yes," Martinsson said. "Exactly so."
Shortly before midnight the policemen, tired and drenched, reassembled on the gravel in front of the house Mrs Akerblom had possibly never seen. They had found no trace of the dark blue car, still less of Louise Akerblom. The most noteworthy thing they found was a pair of elk carcasses. And a police car almost crashed with a Mercedes travelling along one of the dirt roads at high speed.
Bjork thanked all of them for their efforts. He had agreed with Wallander that they could be sent home. The search would begin again at 6 a.m.
Wallander was the last to leave. He had called Akerblom on his car phone, and told him that he was sorry to have nothing new to report. Although it was late, Akerblom expressed the wish that Wallander should come and see him at their house, where he was with the daughters.
Before Wallander started the engine he called his sister in Stockholm. He knew she stayed up late. He told her their father was planning to marry his home help. To Wallander's astonishment, she burst out laughing, but to his relief, she promised to come down to Skane at the beginning of May.
Wallander replaced the telephone in its holder and set off for Ystad. Rain squalls hammered the windscreen.
He found his way to the Akerblom home. It was a terrace house like hundreds of other houses. The light was still on downstairs. Before getting out of the car he leaned back in
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