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Chapter no 35

Anxious People

Witness Interview Date: December 3o Name of witness: Roger

5ACC:ย Are you okayแนข

ROGER:ย What sort of question is thatแนข

5ACC:ย Your nose looks like itโ€™s been bleeding.

ROGER:ย Yes, well, it does that sometimes, the quack says itโ€™s โ€œstress.โ€ Never mind that, just ask your questions.

5ACC:ย Okay, then. You went to the apartment viewing with your wife, Anna-Lenaแนข

ROGER:ย How do you know thatแนข

5ACC:ย Itโ€™s in my notes.

ROGER:ย Why have you got notes about my wifeแนข

5ACC:ย Weโ€™re interviewing all the witnesses.ย ROGER:ย You shouldnโ€™t have notes about my wife.ย 5ACC:ย 5ust stay calm now.

ROGER:ย Iโ€™m perfectly freaking calm.

5ACC:ย In my experience, thatโ€™s what people who are anything but calm say.

ROGER:ย Iโ€™m not going to answer any questions about my wife!

5ACC:ย No, okay, ๏ฌne. Can you answer some questions about the perpetrator, thenแนข

ROGER:ย How can I answer that until youโ€™ve asked themแนข

5ACC:ย To start with: Where do you think heโ€™s hidingแนข

ROGER:ย Whoแนข

5ACC:ย Who do you thinkแนขย ROGER:ย The bank robberแนขย 5ACC:ย No, Waldo.

ROGER:ย Whoโ€™s thatแนข

5ACC:ย You donโ€™t know who Waldo isแนข Itโ€™s the title of an old kidsโ€™ book,

Whereโ€™s Waldo?. Forget it, I was being sarcastic.

ROGER:ย I have no reason to read kidsโ€™ books.

5ACC:ย Iโ€™m sorry. Can you tell me where you think theย perpetratorย is hidingแนข

ROGER:ย How should I knowแนข

5ACC:ย I hope youโ€™ll forgive me pressing you for an answer, but we have reason to believe that the perpetrator is still in the apartment. I thought perhaps you might be able to help, because your wife says you do exhaustive research before each viewing. And that you check all the measurements on the plans.

ROGER:ย You canโ€™t trust real estate agents. Some of them couldnโ€™t even measure a ruler using another ruler.

5ACC:ย Thatโ€™s exactly what I mean. Did you discover anything special about this particular apartmentแนข

ROGER:ย Yes. The real estate agent is an idiot.

5ACC:ย Whyแนข

ROGER:ย There were three feet missing from the measurements, between the walls.

5ACC:ย Reallyแนข Between which wallsแนข Can you show me on the planแนข

ROGER:ย There. You can hear it if you knock. The gap.

5ACC:ย Why would it be thereแนข

ROGER:ย Probably because this apartment and the one next door used to be one single larger apartment once upon a time, when people around here had more money and apartments were cheaper. Now

the whole housing marketโ€™s being manipulated to screw ordinary people. Itโ€™s the real estate agentsโ€™ fault. And the banksโ€™. And people from Stockholm. Driving the prices up and everything. What the hell are you rolling your eyes forแนข

5ACC:ย Sorry. I donโ€™t want to get involved. But havenโ€™t you and your wife bought and sold a number of apartments as speculative investments in recent yearsแนข Surely that must push prices up as wellแนข

ROGER:ย So now thereโ€™s something wrong with making a bit of money, tooแนข

5ACC:ย I didnโ€™t say that.

ROGER:ย Iโ€™m a good negotiator, and that isnโ€™t a crime, you know!

5ACC:ย No, no, of course not.

ROGER:ย At least I thought I was a good negotiator.

5ACC:ย I donโ€™t follow youแนข

ROGER:ย I used to be an engineer. Before I retired. Does it say that in your notesแนข

5ACC:ย Whatแนข No.

ROGER:ย So thatโ€™s not relevant, thenแนข A whole life spent doing a job, and it isnโ€™t relevant enough to be included in your notesแนข Do you know what my colleagues did in those last yearsแนข

5ACC:ย No.

ROGER:ย They were faking it. 5ust like her.

5ACC:ย Your wifeแนขย ROGER:ย No, Waldo.ย 5ACC:ย Whatแนข

ROGER:ย You think people in your generation are the only ones who can be sarcastic, boyแนข

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