The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared

would seem, of his own volition sought out Julius Jonsson, and 2) witness statements that Julius Jonsson and Allan Karlsson a) on the inspection trolley through the forest and b) on their walk outside the foundry seemed to be on good terms.
    Whatever the circumstances, the service station attendant had noticed that the silver-coloured Mercedes had left the main road and continued towards Tranås. Although twenty-four hours had passed, that fact remained of interest. Somebody heading south along the main road who turns off at Mjölby has immediately limited the number of likely final destinations. They might be going to Oskarshamn and then on to the island of Gotland but there was no sign of them on the ferry passenger lists. All that remained was northern Småland, in which case the Mercedes had hardly chosen the fastest route. But if the old men and the hot-dog-stand proprietor felt they were being chased, then it would be sensible to choose smaller roads.
    What spoke in favour of their still being in this area was firstly that the car contained two people without valid passports. They would hardly be going abroad. Secondly, Chief InspectorAronsson’s colleagues had phoned every imaginable service station in a southern, south-eastern and south-western direction between 300 and 500 kilometres from Mjölby. No one had seen a silver-coloured Mercedes with three conspicuous travellers. Of course, they could have got petrol at an unmanned station, but people usually went to full service stations because after having driven a certain distance they invariably required a bag of crisps, a bottle of fizzy drink or a hot dog. And what additionally spoke in favour of the full service stations was that they had chosen one before, that time in Mjölby.
    ‘Tranås, Eksjö, Nässjö, Vetlanda, Åseda… and thereabouts,’ said Chief Inspector Aronsson to himself in a congratulatory tone, before frowning.
    ‘And then where?’
     
    When the leader of The Violence in Braås woke after a terrible night, he immediately made his way to the service station to do something about his desperate need for a smoke. On the wall outside the entrance the newspaper headlines screamed down at him. The big picture in The Express showed… the same old guy he had seen in Rottne the previous night.
    In his haste he forgot to ask for cigarettes. But he did buy The Express , was astounded by what he read, and then phoned his big brother Bucket.
    The mystery of the vanished and presumably kidnapped centenarian caught the attention of the nation. More than 1.5 million viewers, including the centenarian himself and his new comrades at Lake Farm watched a report that didn’t actually reveal anything more than The Express .
    ‘If I hadn’t known it was me, I would have felt sorry for that old guy,’ said Allan.
    The Beauty was less easy going; she thought that Allan, Julius and Benny had better keep well out of sight for a long time.And from now on the Mercedes would remain parked behind the barn. And the next morning she would go off and buy the large bus she had had her eye on for a while. Since many of the seats had been cleared away and it had been fitted with an unusually wide side door, it was perfect for moving especially large cargo. They might have to make a quick getaway very soon, and in that case the whole family was going, including Sonya.

Chapter 9
    1939–45
    On 1st September 1939, Allan’s ship, sailing under the Spanish flag, arrived in New York. Allan had contemplated taking a quick look at the big country to the west of Europe, and then sailing back again, but on the same day one of the generalissimo’s dear friends marched into Poland and once again war was raging in Europe. On arrival, the Spanish-registered ship was impounded, confiscated, and then did service in the US Navy until war ended in 1945.
    Everyone on board was sent over to the immigration office on Ellis Island. There, every passenger was asked the same four questions: 1) Name? 2) Nationality? 3) Profession? 4) Purpose of visit to the United States of America?
    All of Allan’s comrades from the ship said, through a Spanish interpreter, that they were simple Spanish seamen who now had nowhere to go because their ship had been impounded. After which they were quickly admitted to the United States, where they had to manage as best they could.
    But Allan was different. He had a name that the Spanish interpreter couldn’t pronounce; he said he came from Suecia; and