“i’sorry,martin,butitwouldbeabreachofthatcontractifitoldyouanythingwithouthenrik’sperission.”
“iunderstand.”suddenlyhesiled.“henrikisabitofaconspiracyfanatic.butaboveall,idon’twantyoutogethishopesupunnecessarily.”
“iwon’tdothat.”
“good…bytheway,tochangethesubject,wenowhaveanothercontracttoconsideraswell.giventhathenrikisillandcan’tintheshortterfulfilhisobligationsonthemillenniuboard,it’syresponsibilitytotakehisplace.”
mikaelwaited.
“isupposeweshouldhaveaboardeetingtolookatthesituation.”
“that’sagoodidea.butasfarasiknow,it’sbeendecidedthatthenextboardeetingwon’tbehelduntilaugust.”
“iknowthat,butaybeweshouldholditearlier.”
blokvistsiledpolitely.
“you’rereallytalkingtothewrongperson.attheoenti’notontheboard.ileftindeceber.youshouldgetintouchwitherikaberger.sheknowsthathenrikhasbeentakenill.”
martinvangerhadnotexpectedthisresponse.
“you’reright,ofcourse.i’lltalktoher.”hepattedblokvistontheshouldertosaygoodbyeandwasgone.
nothingconcretehadbeensaid,butthethreathungintheair.martinvangerhadsetmillenniuonthebalancetray.afteraoentblokvistpouredhiselfanotherdrinkandpickeduphisvalmcderid.
theottledbrowncatcaetosayhelloandrubbedonhisleg.heliftedherupandscratchedbehindherears.
“thetwoofusarehavingaveryboringmidsuereve,aren’twe？”hesaid.
whenitstartedtorain,hewentinsideandwenttobed.thecatpreferredtostayoutdoors.
salandergotoutherkawasakionmidsuereveandspentthedaygivingitagoodoverhaul.alightweight125ightnotbethetoughestbikeintheworld,butitwashers,andshecouldhandleit.shehadrestoredit,onenutatatie,andshehadsoupeditupjustabitoverthelegalliit.
intheafternoonsheputonherheletandleathersuitanddroveto？ppelvikennursinghoe,whereshespenttheeveningintheparkwithherother.shefeltapangofconcernandguilt.herotherseeedorereotethaneverbefore.duringthreehourstheyexchangedonlyafeords,andwhentheydidspeak,herotherdidnotseetoknohoshewastalkingto.
blokvistwastedseveraldaystryingtoidentifythecarwiththeacplates.afteralotoftroubleandfinallybyconsultingaretiredechanicinhedestad,hecaetotheconclusionthatthecarwasafordanglia,aodelthathehadneverheardofbefore.thenhecontactedaclerkattheotorvehicledepartentandenquiredaboutthepossibilityofgettingalistofallthefordangliasin1966thathadalicenceplatebeginningac3.hewaseventuallytoldthatsuchanarchaeologicalexcavationintherecordspresuablycouldbedone,butthatitwouldtaketieanditwasbeyondtheboundariesofwhatcouldbeconsideredpublicration.
notuntilseveraldaysaftermidsuerdidblokvistgetintohisborrowedvolvoanddrivenorthonthee4.hedroveataleisurelypace.justshortoftheh？rn？sandbridgehe. compedtohavecoffeeatthevesterlundpastryshop.
thenext. comwasue？,wherehepulledintoaninnandhadthedailyspecial.heboughtaroadatlasandcontinuedontoskellefte？,whereheturnedtowardsnorsj？.hearrivedaround6:00intheeveningandtookaroointhehotelnorsj？.
hebeganhissearchearlythenextorning.thenorsj？carpentryshopwasnotinthetelephone.thepolarhoteldeskclerk,agirlinhertwenties,hadneverheardofthebusiness.
“whoshouldiask？”
theclerklookedpuzzledforafewsecondsuntilherfacelitupandshesaidthatshewouldcallherfather.twoinuteslatershecaebackandexplainedthatthenorsj？carpentryshopclosedintheearlyeighties.ifheneededtotalktosoeonewhokneworeaboutthebusiness,heshouldgoandseeacertainburan,whohadbeentheforeanandwhonowlivedonastreetcalledsolv？ndan.
norsj？wasasalltownwithoneainstreet,appropriatelyenoughcalledstatan,thatranthroughthewholeunity.itwaslinedwithshopswithresidentialsidestreetsoffit.attheeastendtherewasasallindustrialareaandastable；atthewesternendstoodanunonlybeautifulwoodenchurch.blokvistnotedthatthevillagealsohadamissionarychurchandapentecostalchurch.aposteronabulletinboardatthebusstationadvertisedahuntinguseuandaskiinguseu.aleftoverflyerannouncedthatveronikawouldsingatthefair-groundsatmidsuer.hecouldwalkfrooneendofthevillagetotheotherinlessthantwentyinutes.
thestreetcalledsolv？ndanconsistedofsingle-failyhoesandwasaboutfiveinutesfrothehotel.therewasnoanswerwhenblokvistrangthebell.itwas9:30,andheassuedthatburanhadleftforworkor,ifhewasretired,wasoutonanerrand.
hisnext. comwasthehardwarestoreonstatan.hereasonedthatanyonelivinginnorsj？wouldsoonerorlaterpayavisittothehardwarestore.thereweretwosalesclerksintheshop.blokvistchosetheolderone,aybefiftyorso.
“hi.i’lookingforacouplewhoprobablylivedinnorsj？inthesixties.theanighthaveworkedforthenorsj？carpentryshop.idon’tknowtheirnae,butihavetwopicturesthatweretakenin1966.”
theclerkstudiedthephotographsforalongtiebutfinallyshookhishead,sayinghecouldnotrecogniseeithertheanorthewoan.
atlunchtiehehadaburgeratahot-dogstandnearthebusstation.hehadgivenupontheshopsandhadadehiswaythroughtheunicipaloffice,thelibrary,andthepharacy.thepolicestationwasepty,andhehadstartedapproachingolderpeopleatrando.earlyintheafternoonheaskedtwoyoungwoen:theydidnotrecognisethecoupleinthephotographs,buttheydidhaveagoodidea.
“ifthepicturesweretakenin1966,thepeoplewouldhavetobeintheirsixtiestoday.whydon’tyougoovertotheretireenthoeonsolbackaandaskthere？”
blokvistintroducedhiselftoawoanatthefrontdeskoftheretireenthoe,explainingwhathewantedtoknow.sheglaredathisuspiciouslybutfinallyallowedherselftobepersuaded.sheledhitothedayroo,wherehespenthalfanhourshowingthepicturestoagroupofelderlypeople.theywereveryhelpful,butnoneofthecouldidentifythecouple.
at5:00hewentbacktosolv？ndanandknockedonburan’sdoor.thistiehehadbetterluck.theburans,boththeanandthewife,wereretired,andtheyhadbeenoutallday.theyinvitedblokvistintotheirkitchen,wherehiswifeproptlyadecoffeewhilemikaelexplainedhiserrand.aswithallhisotheratteptsthatday,heagaindrewablank.buranscratchedhishead,litapipe,andthenconcludedafteraoentthathedidnotrecognisethecoupleinthephotographs.theburansspokeinadistinctnorsj？dialecttoeachother,andblokvistoasionallyhaddifficultyunderstandingwhattheyweresaying.thewifeeant“curlyhair”whensherearkedthatthewoaninthepicturehadkn？velh？ra.
“butyou’requiterightthatit’sastickerfrothecarpentryshop,”herhusbandsaid.“thatwascleverofyoutorecogniseit.buttheproblewasthatwehandedoutthosestickersleftandright.tocontractors,peoplewhoboughtordeliveredtiber,joiners,achinists,allsorts.”
“it’sturningouttobehardertofindthiscouplethanithought.”
“whydoyouwanttofindthe？”
blokvisthaddecidedtotellthetruthifanyoneaskedhi.anyattepttoakeupastoryaboutthecoupleinthepictureswouldjustsoundfalseandcreateconfusion.
“it’salongstory.i’investigatingacriethatourredinhedestadin1966,andithinkthere’sapossibility,althoughaverysallone,thatthepeopleinthephotographsighthaveseenwhathappened.they’renotinanywayundersuspicion,andidon’tthinkthey’reevenawarethattheyighthaverationthatcouldsolvethecrie.”
“acrie？whatkindofcrie？”
“i’sorry,butican’ttellyouanyorethanthat.iknowitsoundsarrethatsoeonewouldeherealostfortyyearslater,tryingtofindthiscouple,butthecrieisstillunsolved,andit’sonlylatelythatnewfactshaveetolight.”
“isee.yes,thisiscertainlyanunusualassignentthatyou’reon.”
“howanypeopleworkedatthecarpentryshop？”
“thenoralworkforcewasfortyorso.iworkedtherefrotheageofseventeenintheid-fiftiesuntiltheshopclosed.thenibecaeacontractor.”buranthoughtforaoent.“thisuchicantellyou.theguyinyourpicturesneverworkedthere.heighthavebeenacontractor,butithinki’drecognisehiifhewas.butthereisoneotherpossibility.maybehisfatherorsoeotherrelativeworkedattheshopandthat’snothiscar.”
mikaelnodded.“irealisetherearelotsofpossibilities.canyousuggestanyoneicouldtalkto？”
“yes,”saidburan,nodding.“ebytoorroworningandwe’llgoandhaveatalkwithsoeoftheoldguys.”
salanderwasfacingaethodologyprobleofsoesignificance.shewasanexpertatdigginguprationonjustaboutanybody,butherstartingpointhadalwaysbeenanaeandasocialsecuritynuberforalivingperson.iftheindividualwaslistedinaputerfile,whicheveryoneinevitablywas,thenthesubjectquicklylandedinherspider’sweb.iftheindividualownedaputerwithaninterconnection,aneailaddress,andaybeevenapersonalwebsite,whichnearlyeveryonedidwhocaeunderherspecialtypeofresearch,shecouldsoonerorlaterfindouttheirinnerostsecrets.
theworkshehadagreedtodoforblokvistwasaltogetherdifferent.thisassignent,insipleters,wastoidentifyfoursocialsecuritynubersbasedonextreelyvaguedata.inaddition,theseindividualsostlikelydiedseveraldecadesago.soprobablytheywouldnotbeonanyputerfiles.
blokvist’stheory,basedontherebeckajacobssoncase,wasthattheseindividualshadfallenvictitoaurderer.thiseantthattheyshouldbefoundinvariousunsolvedpoliceinvestigations.therewasnoclueastowhenorwheretheseurdershadtakenplace,exceptthatithadtobebefore1966.intersofresearch,shewasfacingawholenewsituation.
so,howdoigoaboutthis？
shepulledupthegooglesearchengine,andtypedinthekeywords.thatwasthesiplestforofresearchshecoulddo.tohersurprise,sheadeaninstantbreakthroughintheinvestigation.herfirsthitwastheprograelistingsfortvv？rlandinkarlstad,advertisingasegentintheseries“v？rlandmurders”thatwasbroadcastin1999.afterthatshefoundabriefentioninatvlistinginv？rlandsfolkblad.
intheseries“v？rlandmurders”thefocusnowturnstomagdalovisasj？berginranotr？sk,agruesoeurderysterythatoupiedthekarlstadpolicesev
