The choir gang became the main topic of conversation at the retirement home in the days following their disappearance. Where had they gone? Nobody had seen the five of them and Katia had tried and tried to get hold of Nurse Barbara but without success. She had no more luck when she phoned the police. Inspector Lönnberg told her yet again how impossible it was for them to help.
‘The police don’t have the authority, you see,’ he said. ‘If the old people want to go off on their own, then let them do so. It is nothing we can interfere in. And remember that they do have each other. I am sure there is no need to worry.’
‘But I am worried,’ she exclaimed.
‘The law is as it is, you see,’ he went on, and finally Katia put the receiver down. It was a waste of time talking to him, but what else could she do? She didn’t even dare think what Nurse Barbara would say when she found out what had happened. Katia put her coffee cup down and went out into the lounge. As usual, calm and quiet reigned. A television was on in the corner but the sound was turned off, and the two men who usually played chess had dozed off. An elderly lady was reading, and her friend sat and looked out through the window. It wasn’t just quiet, it was boring. She was just about to get ready to go home when the door opened and one of the clients called out:
‘You’ve got a visitor.’
‘A visitor?’ Katia hadn’t booked any visit.
‘It’s somebody asking for Nurse Barbara and you are her replacement, aren’t you?’
Katia nodded, smoothed her skirt and went to the visiting room. There sat a middle-aged man with a crew cut and a beard. He had a ring in his ear and a leather jacket, and tattoos on his wrists. He stood up when she came in.
‘I am Nils Engström, I’m here to visit Dad.’
‘Dad?’
‘Yes, Bertil Engström, Rake, you know.’
‘Oh yes, Rake. Can I give him a message?’
‘No, I want to see him.’
‘His room is over there, but—’
‘I have promised to visit him every time we dock in Stockholm, and that’s a promise I intend to keep.’
Before she could stop him, he was on the way to his father’s room. She hurried after him but couldn’t stop him from opening the door.
‘Well? Where is he?’
‘I don’t know, but—’
‘So you don’t know where he is? What the hell do you do at this place?’
Katia blushed.
‘Rake and the others in the choir are probably out singing.’
‘Oh I see, that explains it,’ said the man, somewhat calmer, and he sank into a chair. ‘It’s a pity to miss him. I’m here so rarely, we don’t always get the chance to leave the ship.’
‘So you are a seaman?’
‘Yeah, like my dad. We lived fairly near the docks in Gothenburg. You could see the river from the hill and all the ships by the quays. Dad used to talk about when he was at sea, and he took me to the Maritime Museum.’
Katia sat down on the chair next to him. Rake’s son looked rather wild but nevertheless seemed quite a decent man.
‘And your mother?’
‘Usch, they weren’t married long. Dad had an eye for the ladies. It was tough for her, she deserved better. She never remarried. I think she loved Dad all her life.’
‘Rake is liked here too,’ said Katia.
‘Dad can be rather curt, but he’s a nice guy. We used to go fishing in the moat. He put out lines and we would sit there and talk about the sea. I ended up going to sea.’
Katia smiled.
‘We caught pike and eels, and even hooked the odd salmon. But then the water got dirty and that was the end of that. Bloody shame.’
He got up.
‘Anyway, best be on my way. We leave port tomorrow. But say hello from me.’
Katia got up and accompanied him to the door. There stood Henrik, ninety-three, leaning on his stick.
‘It’s really quiet here, you know,’ he said. ‘None of the choir gang has been seen since Sunday.’
‘What the hell are you saying?’ Nils turned to Katia. ‘Not since Sunday? You didn’t tell me that!’
‘I have tried speaking to the police but they won’t listen. I’m sorry. It’d probably be better if a relative phones them,’ said Katia.
‘Then that’s what I’ll bloody well do, and I’ll report him missing.’
Nils pulled out his mobile and keyed in 112 to the police.