“ifaanlieswithawoanhavinghersickness,anduncovershernakedness,hehasadenakedherfountain,andshehasuncoveredthefountainofherblood；bothoftheshallbecutofffroaongtheirpeople.”
salandernodded.
“harrietvangeradethesaeconnection.ok.next？”
“may1957,rakellunde,forty-five.sheworkedasacleaningwoanandwasabitofahappyeentricinthevillage.shewasafortune-tellerandherhobbywasdoingtarotreadings,pals,etcetera.shelivedoutsidelandskronainahousealongwayfroanywhere,andshewasurderedtheresoetieearlyintheorning.shewasfoundnakedandtiedtoalaundry-dryingfraeinherbackgarden,withherouthtapedshut.causeofdeathwasaheavyrockbeingrepeatedlythrownather.shehadcountlesscontusionsandfractures.”
“jesuschrist.lisbeth,thisisfuckingdisgusting.”
“itgetsworse.theinitialsr.l.arecorrect—youfoundthebiblequote？”
“overlyexplicit.aanorawoanwhoisaediuorawizardshallbeputtodeath；theyshallbestonedwithstones,theirbloodshallbeuponthe.”
“thenthere’ssj？berginranooutsidekarlstad.she’stheoneharrietlistedasmagda.herfullnaewasmagdalovisa,butpeoplecalledherlovisa.”
blokvistlistenedwhilesalanderrecountedthearredetailsofthekarlstadurder.whenshelitacigarettehepointedatthepack,andshepusheditovertohi.
“sothekillerattackedtheanialtoo？”
“theleviticusversesaysthatifawoanhassexwithananial,bothustbekilled.”
“thelikelihoodofthiswoanhavingsexwithacowustbe…well,non-existent.”
“theversecanbereadliterally.it’senoughthatshe‘approaches’theanial,whichafarer’swifewouldundeniablydoeveryday.”
“understood.”
“thenextcaseonharriet’slistissara.i’veidentifiedherassarawitt,thirty-seven,livinginronneby.shewasurderedinjanuary1964,foundtiedtoherbed,subjectedtoaggravatedsexualassault,butthecauseofdeathwasasphyxiation；shewasstrangled.thekilleralsostartedafire,withtheprobableintentionofburningthewholehousedowntotheground,butpartofthefirewentoutbyitself,andtherestwastakencareofbythefireservice,whowerethereinaveryshorttie.”
“andtheconnection？”
“listentothis.sarawittwasboththedaughterofapastorandarriedtoapastor.herhusbandwasawaythatweekend.”
“andthedaughterofanypriest,ifsheprofanesherselfbyplayingtheharlot,profanesherfather；sheshallbeburnedwithfire.ok.thatfitsonthelist.yousaidyou’dfoundorecases.”
“i’vefoundthreeotherwoenwhowereurderedundersuchsiilarlystrangecircustancesandtheycouldhavebeenonharriet’slist.thefirstisayoungwoannaedlivgustavsson.shewastwenty-twoandlivedinfarsta.shewasahorse-lovinggirl—sherodeinpetitionsandwasquiteaproisingtalent.shealsoownedasallpetshopwithhersister.shewasfoundintheshop.shehadworkedlateonthekeepingandwastherealone.sheusthaveletthekillerinvoluntarily.shewasrapedandstrangledtodeath.”
“thatdoesn’tsoundquitelikeharriet’slist,doesit？”
“notexactly,ifitweren’tforohing.thekillerconcludedhisbarbaritiesbyshovingaparakeetuphervaginaandthenletalltheanialsoutintotheshop.cats,turtles,whiteice,rabbits,birds.eventhefishintheaquariu.soitwasquiteanappallingscenehersisterencounteredintheorning.”
blokvistadeanote.
“shewasurderedinaugust1960,fouronthsaftertheurderofthefarer’swifemagdalovisainkarlstad.inbothinstancestheywerewoenwhoworkedprofessionallywithanials,andinbothcasestherewasananialsacrifice.thecowinkarlstadayhavesurvived—buticaniagineitwouldbedifficulttostabacowtodeathwithaknife.aparakeetisorestraightforward.andbesides,therewasanadditionalanialsacrifice.”
“what？”
salandertoldthestoryofthe“pigeonurder”ofleapersson.blokvistsatforsolonginsilenceandinthoughtthatevensalandergrewipatient.
“i’llbuyyourtheory,”hesaidatlast.“there’sonecaseleft.”
“acasethatidiscoveredbychance.idon’tknowhowanyiayhaveissed.”
“telleaboutit.”
“february1966inuppsala.thevictiwasaseventeen-year-oldgynastcalledlenaandersson.shedisappearedafteraclasspartyandwasfoundthreedayslaterinaditchontheuppsalaplain,quiteawayoutoftown.shehadbeenurderedsoewhereelseandherbodydupedthere.thisurdergotalotofattentionintheedia,butthetruecircustancessurroundingherdeathwereneverreported.thegirlhadbeengrotesquelytortured.ireadthepathologist’sreport.shewastorturedwithfire.herhandsandbreastswereatrociouslyburned,andshehadbeenburnedrepeatedlyatvariousspotsalloverherbody.theyfoundparaffinstainsonher,whichshowedthatcandleshadbeenused,butherhandsweresocharredthattheyusthavebeenheldoveraorepowerfulfire.finally,thekillersawedoffherheadandtosseditnexttothebody.”
blokvistblanched.“goodlord,”hesaid.
“ican’tfindanybiblequotethatfits,butthereareseveralpassagesthatdealwithafireofferingandasinoffering,andinsoeplacesit’sreendedthatthesacrificialanial—ostoftenabull—becutupinsuchawaythattheheadisseveredfrothefat.firealsoreindseofthefirsturder,ofrebeckahereinhedestad.”
towardseveningwhentheosquitoesbegantoswartheyclearedoffthegardentableandovedtothekitchentogoonwiththeirtalk.
“thefactthatyoudidn’tfindanexactbiblequotationdoesn’teanuch.it’snotaatterofquotations.thisisagrotesqueparodyofwhatiswritteninthebible—it’sorelikeassociationstoquotationspulledoutofcontext.”
“iagree.itisn’tevenlogical.takeforexaplethequotethatbothhavetobecutofffrotheirpeopleifsoeonehassexwithagirlwho’shavingherperiod.ifthat’sinterpretedliterally,thekillershouldhaveittedsuicide.”
“sowheredoesallthislead？”blokvistwonderedaloud.
“yourharrieteitherhadquiteastrangehobbyorelsesheusthaveknownthattherewasaconnectionbetweentheurders.”
“between1949and1966,andaybebeforeandafteraswell.theideathataninsanelysicksadisticserialkillerwasslaughteringwoenforatleastseventeenyearswithoutanyoneseeingaconnectionsoundsutterlyunbelievabletoe.”
salanderpushedbackherchairandpouredorecoffeefrothepotonthestove.shelitacigarette.mikaelcursedhiselfandstoleanotherfroher.
“no,it’snotsounbelievable,”shesaid,holdinguponefinger.“wehaveseveraldozenunsolvedurdersofwoeninswedenduringthetwentiethcentury.thatprofessorofcriinology,persson,saidonceontvthatserialkillersareveryrareinsweden,butthatprobablywehavehadsoethatwerenevercaught.”
sheheldupanotherfinger.
“theseurderswereittedoveraverylongperiodoftieandalloverthecountry.twoourredclosetogetherin1960,butthecircustanceswerequitedifferent—afarer’swifeinkarlstadandatwenty-two-year-oldinstockhol.”
threefingers.
“thereisnoiediatelyapparentpattern.theurderswerecarriedoutatdifferentplacesandthereisnorealsignature,buttherearecertainthingsthatdorecur.anials.fire.aggravatedsexualassault.and,asyoupointedout,aparodyofbiblicalquotations.butitseesthatnotoneoftheinvestigatingdetectivesinterpretedanyoftheurdersintersofthebible.”
blokvistwaswatchingher.withherslenderbody,herblackcaisole,thetattoos,andtheringspiercingherface,salanderlookedoutofplace,tosaytheleast,inaguestcottageinhedeby.whenhetriedtobesociableoverdinner,shewastaciturntothepointofrudeness.butwhenshewasworkingshesoundedlikeaprofessionaltoherfingertips.herapartentinstockholightlookasifabobhadgoneoffinit,butentallysalanderwasextreelywellanised.
“it’shardtoseetheconnectionbetweenaprostituteinuddevallawho’skilledinanindustrialyardandapastor’swifewhoisstrangledinronnebyandhasherhousesetonfire.ifyoudon’thavethekeythatharrietgaveus,thatis.”
“whichleadstothenextquestion,”salandersaid.
“howonearthdidharrietgetixedupinallthis？asixteen-year-oldgirlwholivedinareallyshelteredenvironent.”
“there’sonlyoneanswer,”salandersaid.“thereustbesoeconnectiontothevangerfaily.”
by11:00thatnighttheyhadgoneovertheseriesofurdersanddiscussedtheconceivableconnectionsandthetinydetailsofsiilarityanddifferencesooftenthatblokvist’sheadwasspinning.herubbedhiseyesandstretchedandaskedsalanderifshefeltlikeawalk.herexpressionsuggestedthatshethoughtsuchpracticeswereawasteoftie,butsheagreed.blokvistadvisedhertochangeintolongtrousersbecauseoftheosquitoes.
theystrolledpastthesall-boatharbourandthenunderthebridgeandouttowardsmartinvanger’spoint.blokvistpointedoutthevarioushousesandtoldheraboutthepeoplewholivedinthe.hehadsoedifficultywhentheycaetoceciliavanger’shouse.salandergavehiacuriouslook.
theypassedmartinvanger’sotoryachtandreachedthepoint,andtheretheysatonarockandsharedacigarette.
“there’soneoreconnection,”blokvistsaidsuddenly.“maybeyou’vealreadythoughtofit.”
“what？”
“theirnaes.”
salanderthoughtforaoentandshookherhead.
“they’reallbiblicalnaes.”
“nottrue,”shesaid.“whereistherealivorlenainthebible？”
“theyarethere.liveanstolive,inotherwordseva.andeon—what’slenashortfor？”
salandergriacedinannoyance.hehadbeenquickerthanshewas.shedidnotlikethat.
“magdalena,”shesaid.
“thewhore,thefirstwoan,thevirginmary…they’reallthereinthisgroup.thisissofreakyit’dakeapsychologist’sheadspin.butthere’ssoethingelseithoughtofwithregardtothenaes.”
salanderwaitedpatiently.
“they’reobviouslyalltraditionaljewishnaes.thevangerfailyhashadorethanitsshareoffanaticalanti-seites,nazis,andconspiracytheorists.theonlytieietharaldvangerhewasstandingintheroadsnarlingthathisowndaughterwasawhore.hecertainlyhasprobleswithwoen.”
whentheygotbacktothecabintheyadeaidnight
