“yes,hedestad.thisphotographwastakenatabout1:00intheafternoon.i’vebeentryingtofindyouforsoetienow,andithasn’tbeenasipletask.”
“youseeanoldphotographofeandthenactuallytrackedown.ican’tiaginehowyoudidit.”
blokvistputthephotographfrothecarparkonthetable.
“iwasabletofindyouthankstothispicture,whichwastakenalittlelaterintheday.”heexplainedhow,viathenorsj？carpentryshop,hehadfoundburan,whointurnhadledhitohenningforsaninnorsj？vallen.
“youusthaveagoodreasonforthislongsearch.”
“ido.thisgirlstandingclosetoyouinthisphotographiscalledharriet.thatdayshedisappeared,andshewasneverseenorheardofagain.thegeneralassuptionisthatshefellpreytoaurderer.canishowyousoeorephotographs？”
hetookouthisiandexplainedthecircustanceswhiletheputerbootedup.thenheplayedhertheseriesofiagesshowinghowharriet’sfacialexpressionchanged.
“itwaswheniwentthroughtheseoldiagesthatifoundyou,standingwithacaerarightbehindharriet,andyouseetobetakingapictureinthedirectionofwhateveritisshe’slookingat,whatevercausedhertoreactinthatway.iknowthatthisisareallylongshot,butthereasoni’vebeenlookingforyouistoaskyouifbyanyiracleyoustillhavethepicturesfrothatday.”
hewaspreparedformildredberggrentodisisstheideaandtellhithatthephotographshadlongsincevanished.insteadshelookedathiwithherclearblueeyesandsaid,asifitweretheostnaturalthingintheworld,thatofcourseshestillhadheroldhoneyoonpictures.
shewenttoanotherrooandcaebackafterseveralinuteswithaboxinwhichshehadstoredaquantityofpicturesinvariousalbus.ittookawhiletofindthehoneyoonones.shehadtakenthreephotographsinhedestad.onewasblurryandshowedtheainstreet.anothershowedherhusbandatthetie.thethirdshowedtheclownsintheparade.
blokvisteagerlyleanedforward.hecouldseeafigureontheothersideofthestreetbehindaclown.butthephotographtoldhiabsolutelynothing.
chapter20
tuesday,july1–wednesday,july2
thefirstthingblokvistdidtheorninghereturnedtohedestadwastogotofrode’shousetoaskaboutvanger’scondition.helearnedtohisdelightthattheoldanhadiprovedquiteabitduringthepastweek.hewasweakstill,andfragile,butnowhecouldsitupinbed.hisconditionwasnolongerregardedascritical.
“thankgod,”hesaid.“irealisedthatiactuallylikehi.”
frodesaid:“iknowthat.andhenriklikesyoutoo.hoasnorrland？”
“suessfulyetunsatisfying.i’llexplainalittlelater.rightnowihaveaquestion.”
“goahead.”
“whatrealisticallywillhappentoyourinterestinmillenniuifhenrikdies？”
“nothingatall.martinwilltakehisplaceontheboard.”
“isthereanyrisk,hypotheticallyspeaking,thatmartinightcreateproblesformillenniuifidon’tputa. comtotheinvestigationofharriet’sdisappearance？”
frodegavehiasharplook.
“what’shappened？”
“nothing,actually.”mikaeltoldhiabouttheconversationhehadhadwithmartinvangeronmidsuereve.“wheniwasinnorsj？erikatoldethatmartinhadcalledherandsaidthathethoughtiwasveryuchneededbackattheoffice.”
“iunderstand.myguessisthatceciliawasafterhi.butidon’tthinkthatmartinwouldputpressureonyoulikethatonhisown.he’suchtoosavvy.andreeber,i’alsoontheboardofthelittlesubsidiaryweforedwhenweboughtintomillenniu.”
“butwhatifaticklishsituationcaeup—hoouldyouactthen？”
“contractsexisttobehonoured.iworkforhenrik.henrikandihavebeenfriendsforforty-fiveyears,andweareinpleteagreeentinsuchatters.ifhenrikshoulddieitisinpointoffacti—notmartin—whowouldinherithenrik’sshareinthesubsidiary.wehaveacontractinwhichwehaveundertakentobackmillenniuforthreeyears.shouldmartinwishtostartanyischief—whichidon’tbelievehewill—thentheoreticallyhecouldputthebrakesonasallnuberofnewadvertisers.”
“thelifebloodofmillenniu’sexistence.”
“yes,butlookatitthisway—worryingaboutsuchtriviaisawasteoftie.martinispresentlyfightingforhisindustrialsurvivalandworkingfourteenhoursaday.hedoesn’thavetieforanythingelse.”
“mayiask—iknowit’snoneofybusiness—whatisthegeneralconditionofthecorporation？”
frodelookedgrave.
“wehaveprobles.”
“yes,evenaonfinancialreporterlikeyselfcanseethat.iean,howseriousisit？”
“offtherecord？”
“betweenus.”
“we’velosttwolargeordersintheelectronicsindustryinthepastfeeeksandareabouttobeejectedfrotherussianarket.insepteberwe’regoingtohavetolayoff1,600eployeesin？rebroandtrollh？ttan.notuchofarewardtogiv. comeoplewho’veworkedforthepanyforanyyears.eachtieweshutdownafactory,confidenceinthepanyisfurtherunderined.”
“martinisunderpressure.”
“he’spullingtheloadofanoxandwalkingoneggshells.”
blokvistwentbacktohiscottageandcalledberger.shewasnotattheoffice,sohespoketomal.
“here’sthedeal:erikacalledwheniwasinnorsj？.martinvangerhasbeenafterherandhas,howshalliputit,encouragedhe. comroposethatistarttotakeoneditorialresponsibility.”
“ithinkyoushouldtoo,”malsaid.
“iknowthat.butthethingis,ihaveacontractwithhenrikvangerthatican’tbreak,andmartinisactingonbehalfofsoeoneupherewhowantseto. comwhatiadoingandleavetown.sohisproposalaountstoanattepttogetridofe.”
“isee.”
“sayhitoerikaandtellheri’llebacktostockholwheni’finishedhere.notbefore.”
“iunderstand.you’restarkravingad,ofcourse,buti’llgivehertheessage.”
“christer.soethingisgoingonuphere,andihavenointentionofbackingout.”
blokvistknockedonmartinvanger’sdoor.evahasselopeneditandgreetedhiwarly.
“hi.ismartinhoe？”
asifinreplytothequestion,martinvangercaewalkingoutwithabriefcaseinhishand.hekissedevaonthecheekandsaidhellotomikael.
“i’onywaytotheoffice.doyouwanttotalktoe？”
“wecandoitlaterifyou’reinahurry.”
