“iwon’tbegoingbacktomillenniu’seditorialboardbeforei’finishedwiththeassignentthathenrikgavee.i’ringyouofthisnowsothatyouwon’tcountonebeingontheboardbeforenewyear’s.”
martinvangerteeteredbackandforthforabit.
“isee.youthinkiwanttogetridofyou.”hepaused.“mikael,we’llhavetotalkaboutthislater.idon’treallyhavetietodevotetoyhobbyonmillenniu’sboard,andiwishi’dneveragreedtohenrik’sproposal.butbelievee—i’goingtodoybesttoakesurethatmillenniusurvives.”
“i’veneverhadanydoubtaboutthat,”blokvistsaid.
“ifweakeanappointentforsoetienextweekwecangooverthefinancesandicangiveyouyviewsontheatter.butybasicattitudeisthatmillenniucannotactuallyaffordtohaveoneofitskeypeoplesittinguphereonhedebyislandtwiddlinghisthubs.iliketheagazineandithinkwecanakeitstrongertogether,butyou’recrucialtothattask.i’vewoundupinaconflictofloyaltieshere.eitherifollowhenrik’swishesorcarryoutyjobonmillenniu’sboard.”
blokvistchangedintohistracksuitandwentforarunouttothefortressanddowntogottfried’scabinbeforeheheadedhoeataslowerpacealongthewater.frodewassittingatthegardentable.hewaitedpatientlyasmikaeldrankabottleofwaterandtowelledthesweatfrohisface.
“thatdoesn’tlooksohealthyinthisheat.”
“oh,eon,”blokvistsaid.
“iwaswrong.ceciliaisn’ttheainpersonwho’saftermartin.it’sisabella.she’sbusyobilisingthevangerclantotarandfeatheryouandpossiblyburnyouatthestaketoo.she’sbeingbackedupbybirger.”
“isabella？”
“she’saalicious,pettywoanwhodoesn’tlikeotherpeopleingeneral.rightnowitseesthatshedetestsyouinparticular.she’sspreadingstoriesthatyou’reaswindlerwhodupedhenrikintohiringyou,andthatyougothisoworkedupthathehadaheartattack.”
“ihopeno-onebelievesthat？”
“there’salwayssoeonewillingtobelievealiciousruours.”
“i’tryingtoworkoutwhathappenedtoherdaughter—andshehatese.ifharrietwereydaughter,iwouldhavereactedabitdifferently.”
at2:00intheafternoon,hisobilerang.
“hello,ynaeisconnytorssonandiworkatthehedestadcourier.doyouhavetietoanswerafewquestions？wegotatipthatyou’relivinghereinhedeby.”
“well,herrtorsson,yourtipachineisalittleslow.i’vebeenlivingheresincethefirstoftheyear.”
“ididn’tknowthat.whatareyoudoinginhedestad？”
“writing.andtakingasortofsabbatical.”
“whatareyouworkingon？”
“you’llfindoutwhenipublishit.”
“youwerejustreleasedfroprison…”
“yes？”
“doyouhaveaviewonjournalistswhofalsifyaterial？”
“journalistswhofalsifyaterialareidiots.”
“soinyouropinionyou’reanidiot？”
“whyshouldithinkthat？i’veneverfalsifiedaterial.”
“butyouwereconvictedoflibel.”
“so？”
torssonhesitatedlongenoughthatblokvisthadtogivehiapush.
“iwasconvictedoflibel,notoffalsifyingaterial.”
“butyoupublishedtheaterial.”
“ifyou’recallingtodiscussthejudgeentagainste,ihavenoent.”
“i’dliketoeoutanddoanintervieithyou.”
“ihavenothingtosaytoyouonthi. comic.”
“soyoudon’twanttodiscussthetrial？”
“that’scorrect,”hesaid,andhungup.hesatthinkingforalongtiebeforehewentbacktohisputer.
salanderfollowedtheinstructionsshehadreceivedanddroveherkawasakiacrossthebridgetohedebyisland.she. compedatthefirstlittlehouseontheleft.shewasreallyoutinthesticks.butaslongashereployerwaspaying,shedidnotindifshewenttothenorthpole.besides,itwasgreattogiveherbikeitsheadonalongrideupthee4.sheputthebikeonitsstandandloosenedthestrapthatheldherovernightduffelbaginplace.
blokvi. comenedthedoorandwavedtoher.hecaeoutandinspectedherotorcyclewithobviousastonishent.
hewhistled.“you’reridingaotorbike！”
salandersaidnothing,butshewatchedhiintentlyashetouchedthehandlebarsandtriedtheaelerator.shedidnotlikeanyoouchingherstuff.thenshesawhischildlike,boyishsile,whichshetookforaredeeingfeature.mostpeoplewhowereintootorcyclesusuallylaughedatherlightweightbike.
“ihadaotorbikewheniwasnieen,”hesaid,turningtoher.“thanksforingup.einandlet’sgetyousettled.”
hehadborrowedacapbedfrothenilssons.salandertookatouraroundthecabin,lookingsuspicious,butsheseeedtorelaxwhenshecouldfindnoiediatesignsofanyinsidioustrap.heshowedherwherethebathroowas.
“incaseyouwanttotakeashowerandfreshenup.”
“ihavetochange.ianotgoingtowanderaroundinyleathers.”
“ok,whileyouchangei’llakedinner.”
hesautéedlabchopsinredwinesauceandsetthetableoutdoorsintheafternoonsunwhilesalandershoweredandchanged.shecaeoutbarefootwearingablackcaisoleandashort,worndeniskirt.thefoodselledgood,andsheputawaytwostouthelpings.fascinated,blokvistsneakedalookatthetattoosonherback.
“fiveplusthree,”salandersaid.“fivecasesfroyourharriet’slistandthreecasesthatithinkshouldhavebeenonthelist.”
“telle.”
“i’veonlybeenonthisforelevendays,andihaven’thadachancetodigupallthereports.insoecasesthepolicereportshadbeenputinthenationalarchive,andinothersthey’restillstoredinthelocalpolicedistrict.iadethreedaytripstodifferentpolicedistricts,butididn’thavetietogettoallofthe.thefiveareidentified.”
salanderputasolidheapofpaperonthekitchentable,around500pages.shequicklysortedtheaterialintodifferentstacks.
“let’staketheinchronologicalorder.”shehandedblokvistalist.
1949—rebeckajacobsson,hedestad
1954—mariholmberg,kalar
1957—rakellunde,landskrona
1960—
1960—livgustavsson,stockhol
1962—leapersson,uddevalla
1964—sarawitt,ronneby
1966—lenaandersson,uppsala
“thefirstcaseinthisseriesisrebeckajacobsson,1949,thedetailsofwhichyoualreadyknow.thenextcaseifoundwasmariholberg,athirty-two-year-oldprostituteinkalarwhowasurderedinherapartentinoctober1954.it’snotclearexactlywhenshewaskilled,sinceherbodywasn’tfoundrightaway,probablynineortendayslater.”
“andhowdoyouconnecthertoharriet’slist？”
“shewastiedupandbadlyabused,butthecauseofdeathwasstrangulation.shehadasanitarytoweldownherthroat.”
blokvistsatinsilenceforaoentbeforehelookeduptheversethatwasleviticus20:18.
