در ماریلا

chapter three

On the Mariella

Monika knocked on Blom’s door and went into his office.

‘I’m happy that Carlsson is OK,’ she began. ‘But I should have seen the danger.’

‘There was nothing you could do,’ Blom said in his low voice. ‘Tell me what you did see.’

She told Blom about the light from the boat, the metal noise and that she didn’t hear the noise of a gun.

‘And do we know who was on the SS Vaxholm?’ Blom asked.

‘An English football team called Millham United.’

‘Interesting!’ Blom said slowly. ‘I’ve just sent a fax to MI5 in London. I think right-wing terrorists in Britain and Sweden might be working together. Perhaps these terrorists have something to do with the shooting of Carlsson. Where are the football team staying?’

‘They were staying at the Strand Hotel,’ Monika replied. ‘But now they’re going to Finland.’

‘How are they travelling?’ Blom asked.

‘They’re leaving this evening by ferry, the Mariella,’ Monika replied.

‘Take the ferry with them,’ Blom said. ‘Watch them, and find out all you can. You can be back in Stockholm by tomorrow night.’

Monika left the SMI offices and walked quickly through the crowds towards Stadsgarden and the ferry to Finland.

The Mariella was a huge white and red ship. It was as big as a city building. Monika bought a ticket to Helsinki, and went on to the ferry. She watched cars and lorries drive on to the ferry. There were quite a few coaches as well. Monika smiled when she saw a coach with a sign saying ‘Millham United’.

An hour later the Mariella moved slowly away from Stadsgarden and out into Stockholm’s archipelago. It would take two hours to move slowly through the hundreds of small islands of the archipelago before reaching the sea. Then it would cross to Helsinki during the night while everyone slept. Monika enjoyed travelling by ship. It was relaxing.

Monika looked down as the Mariella passed close to a small island with a red and white house on it. The house seemed so small next to the huge ship. Two small blonde haired children ran out of the house. The children waved their hands at the ship. Monika waved back to the children. The Mariella passed sailing boats with yellow and blue Swedish flags, and a larger white passenger boat like the SS Vaxholm.

She thought about who had shot Carlsson. Why? Why hadn’t she heard a gun? What was the sudden, bright light on the SS Vaxholm? How can you shoot someone without a gun?

Monika went inside and had a meal. The restaurant was full of passengers, but she couldn’t see any who looked like English footballers.

The ship’s nightclub was open. Monika went in and sat on her own. A waiter brought her a drink. The nightclub was quite dark and a band was playing on a platform in one corner. Some people were dancing, men and women together and women in groups of women.

A group of young men stood by the bar with glasses in their hands. They were laughing and talking. Now and then they watched the women dancing. They looked like sportsmen. Monika couldn’t hear what language they were speaking. But their clothes didn’t look Swedish. She was sure they were the Millham United team.

The band stopped to have a twenty-minute break.

‘Does anyone want to play?’ the guitarist asked as the band left the room.

One of the men at the bar shouted ‘Yes, me!’ He walked over from the bar to the guitarist.

He was a tall man with long red hair. He sat down and picked up the guitar. He was very good. He played fast rock music, and then slow love songs. Monika watched him. She couldn’t help watching. She loved music. She let the music fill her.

The guitarist saw Monika watching him. He smiled at her. She smiled back.

When the band came back the red-haired man returned the guitar. He smiled, and then walked over to Monika.

‘Hi,’ the man said in English. ‘I’m Bruce.’

‘You play wonderfully,’ Monika said.

‘Thank you,’ Bruce replied with a smile. ‘Do you want to dance?’

Monika thought ‘Why not?’ She smiled and got up.

Bruce and Monika danced for half an hour. Bruce danced as well as he played the guitar.

‘Are you on holiday?’ she asked.

‘Yes,’ Bruce replied. ‘I’m travelling with Millham United. I go everywhere to see them play. Do you like football?’

‘Yes,’ Monika lied.

‘And are you on holiday?’ Bruce continued.

‘Yes,’ Monika lied again. ‘I’m going to visit some friends in Helsinki.’

After they had danced Bruce introduced Monika to some of the players in the football team. They all seemed very friendly. She asked questions and learnt a lot about Millham United.

They had finished their visit to Sweden and were now going to play one game in Helsinki. Then they would go back to London by coach and ferry. But they were coming back to Stockholm for a match in two weeks’ time.

‘Do you always travel by coach?’ Monika asked one of the players.

‘Yes,’ he said, ‘always. Although we did fly when we went to South Africa.’

Bruce asked Monika to dance again, but she said she had to get up early. Then she left the nightclub, went to her room and locked the door.

‘Millham United seem OK,’ she thought. It was strange, though, that they always travelled by coach.