06. The man who smiled

2 parts of 60 minutes each - First broadcast: 03.01.2004 

Part 1: Lawyer Sten Torstensson asks his friend Inspector Kurt Wallander for help after his father is killed in a car accident at night. Torstensson doesn't believe it was an accident: his father Gustaf would never have driven too fast in the fog without wearing his seatbelt, and he had often seemed agitated and worried recently. Wallander tries to reassure his friend, but doesn't believe Sten's murder theory. Two weeks later, Sten Torstensson is also dead: clearly murder. He is found riddled with bullets in his lawyer's office. Wallander is plagued by doubts that he didn't listen to his friend enough, especially as the autopsy report supports Sten's suspicion that his father was also the victim of a crime. The Office for Economic Crime comes up with the red-hot tip that the murdered lawyer had dubious business connections with two criminal Lithuanians. Wallander does everything he can to track down these two men. Otherwise he is confronted with a wall of silence. Neither Mrs. Duner, secretary and personal confidante of Sten and Gustaf Torstensson, nor the well-known prostitute Annika are prepared to give evidence. The interrogation of Annika is also an unfortunate chain of events from Wallander's recent past: The prostitute outed Wallander as a former client in front of the entire police force. Wallander tries to explain the precarious situation, but is unable to prevent the affair from becoming public. His friend and closest colleague Maja reacts with understandable defensiveness. And then the situation comes to a dramatic head. An explosive device detonates in Mrs. Duner's garden. She is now ready to testify, and a lead leads to the industrial magnate Alfred Harderberg and his daughter Kristina. And another attack occurs: This time the perpetrators are targeting Wallander and Maja.

Part 2: Wallander seems to have coped well with the consequences of the assassination attempt on him and Maja. His recovery in hospital is progressing and he is looking forward to a visit from Maja. But then the unexpected happens: two men storm the hospital room and immediately open fire. At the very last minute, Maja and Wallander are able to escape into the bathroom and put the attackers to flight. Even their colleague Svedberg, who rushes to the scene, is unable to catch the men. However, he is certain that they are the Lithuanians he is looking for. Wallander wonders whether the Lithuanians are the real perpetrators or whether they are acting on behalf of someone in the background. Wallander and the prostitute Annika have a frank discussion. She is now prepared to divulge background information that she has been holding back and incriminates Alfred and Kristina Hardenberg, the most important clients of the murdered Torstensson lawyers, with her statement. The Hardenberg family is one of the wealthiest and most influential families in Sweden, which Wallander realizes when he suddenly finds his investigation hampered by his superiors. What secret are the Hardenbergs hiding and what relationship unites and separates the father from his daughter? Despite the overwhelming pressure from the public, Wallander does not let up, and the Hardenbergs' caretaker, Kurt Ström, becomes his most important witness. A race against time begins when explosive file material emerges and the Hardenbergs announce their intention to move their company headquarters abroad.

© Photo: Nille Leander