Chapter 4 Summary

Rydberg meets with Wallander. Before Maria died, she regained consciousness, but she was incoherent. Rydberg only managed to clearly understand one word, which Maria repeated several times: "foreign." The killers are likely foreigners. Near to Lunnarp, there is a refugee camp that has been the target of hate crimes, and both Rydberg and Wallander are concerned about the possible consequences of the news that the police are looking for foreign suspects. While Wallander has doubts that refugees would commit murder, Rydberg thinks it makes sense with the unusual knot on the noose, which he believes is foreign. Wallander puts off making a public statement until the next day, wondering whether he should try to keep the clue about foreigners from the press.

Wallander gets in the car and drives to clear his head, listening to another opera and thinking about his wife. Her...