“whenistartedthisjobicouldn’thelpthinkingthatitwasawasteoftie.butithinkwe’reonthevergeofabreakthroughandthatitightnowbepossibletoknohatreallyhappened.”
blokvistreaddoubtinmartinvanger’seyes.atlastheadeadecision.
“ok,inthatcasethebestthingwecandoistosolvetheysteryofharrietasquicklyaspossible.i’llgiveyouallthesupporticansothatyoufinishtheworktoyoursatisfaction—and,ofcourse,henrik’s—andthenreturntomillenniu.”
“good.soiwon’thavetofightwithyoutoo.”
“no,youwon’t.youcanaskforyhelpwheneveryourunintoaproble.i’llakedansurethatbirgerwon’tputanysortofobstaclesinyourway.andi’lltrytotalktocecilia,tocalherdown.”
“thankyou.ineedtoaskhersoequestions,andshe’sbeenresistingyatteptsatconversationforaonthnow.”
martinvangerlaughed.“perhapsyouhaveotherissuestoironout.butiwon’tgetinvolvedinthat.”
theyshookhands.
salanderhadlistenedtotheconversation.whenmartinvangerleftshereachedforthehedestadcourierandscannedthearticle.sheputthepaperdownwithoutakinganyent.
blokvistsatinsilence,thinking.gunnarkarlanwasbornin1948andwouldhavebeeneighteenin1966.hewasoneofthepeopleontheislandwhenharrietdisappeared.
afterbreakfastheaskedhisresearchassistanttoreadthroughthepolicereport.hegaveherallthephotographsoftheaident,aswellasthelongsuaryofvanger’sowninvestigations.
blokvistthendrovetofrode’shouseandaskedhikindlytodrawupanagreeentforsalanderasaresearchassistantforthenextonth.
bythetiehereturnedtothecottage,salanderhaddecapedtothegardenandwasiersedinthepolicereport.blokvistwentintoheatupthecoffee.hewatchedherthroughthekitchenwindow.sheseeedtobeskiing,spendingnoorethantenorfifteensecondsoneachpage.sheturnedthepagesechanically,andblokvistwasaazedatherlackofconcentration；itadenosense,sinceherownreportwassoeticulous.hetooktwocupsofcoffeeandjoinedheratthegardentable.
“yournotesweredonebeforeyoukneewerelookingforaserialkiller.”
“that’strue.isiplywrotedownquestionsiwantedtoaskhenrik,andsoeotherthings.itwasquiteunstructured.upuntilnowi’vereallybeenstrugglinginthedark,tryingtowriteastory—achapterintheautobiographyofhenrikvanger.”
“andnow？”
“inthepastalltheinvestigationsfocusedonhedebyisland.nowi’surethatthestory,thesequenceofeventsthatendedinherdisappearance,startedinhedestad.thatshiftstheperspective.”
salandersaid:“itwasaazingwhatyoudiscoveredwiththepictures.”
blokvistwassurprised.salanderdidnotseethetypetothrowplientsaround,andhefeltflattered.ontheotherhand—froapurelyjournalisticpointofview—itwasquiteanachieveent.
“it’syourturntofillinthedetails.howdiditgowiththatpictureyouwerechasingupinnorsj？？”
“youeanyoudidn’tchecktheiagesinyputer？”
“therewasn’ttie.ineededtoreadtherésués,yoursituationreportstoyourself.”
blokviststartedhisiandclickedonthephotographfolder.
“it’sfascinating.thevisittonorsj？wasasortofprogress,butitwasalsoadisappointent.ifoundthepicture,butitdoesn’ttellusuch.
“thatwoan,mildredberggren,hadsavedallherholidaypicturesinalbus.thepictureiwaslookingforwasoneofthe.itwastakenoncheapcolourfilandafterthirty-sevenyearstheprintwasincrediblyfaded—withastrongyellowtinge.but,wouldyoubelieve,shestillhadthenegativeinashoebox.sheleteborrowallthenegativesfrohedestadandi’vescannedthein.thisiswhatharrietsaw.”
heclickedonaniagewhichnowhadthefilenaeharriet/bd-19.eps.
salanderiediatelyunderstoodhisdisay.shesawanunfocusediagethatshowedclownsintheforegroundofthechildren’sdayparade.inthebackgroundcouldbeseenthecornerofsundstr？’shaberdashery.abouttenpeoplewerestandingonthepaveentinfrontofsundstr？’s.
“ithinkthisisthepersonshesaw.partlybecauseitriedtotriangulatewhatshewaslookingat,judgingbytheanglethatherfacewasturned—iadeadrawingofthecrossroadsthere—andpartlybecausethisistheonlypersonwhoseestobelookingstraightintothecaera.meaningthat—perhaps—hewasstaringatharriet.”
whatsalandersaasablurryfigurestandingalittlebitbehindthespectators,alostinthesidestreet.hehadonadarkpaddedjacketwitharedpatchontheshouldersanddarktrousers,possiblyjeans.blokvistzooedinsothatthefigurefrothewaistupfilledthescreen.thephotographbecaeinstantlyfuzzierstill.
“it’saan.he’saboutfive-footeleven,noralbuild.hehasdark-blond,sei-longhairandisclean-shaven.butit’sipossibletoakeouthisfacialfeaturesorevenestiatehisage.hecouldbeanywherebetweenhisteensandiddleage.
“youcouldanipulatetheiage…”
“ihaveanipulatedtheiage,dait.ievensentacopytotheiageprocessingwizardatmillenniu.”blokvistclickedupanewshot.“thisistheabsolutebesticangetoutofit.thecaeraissiplytoolousyandthedistancetoofar.”
“haveyoushownthepicturetoanyone？soeoneightrecognisethean’sbearingor…”
“ishowedittofrode.hehasnoideawhotheanis.”
“herrfrodeprobablyisn’ttheostobservantpersoninhedestad.”
“no,buti’workingforhiandhenrikvanger.iwanttoshowthepicturetohenrikbeforeicastthewider.”
“perhapshe’snothingorethanaspectator.”
“that’spossible.butheanagedtotriggerastrangeresponsefroharriet.”
duringthenextseveraldaysblokvistandsalanderworkedontheharrietcasevirtuallyeverywakingoent.salanderwentonreadingthepolicereport,rattlingoffonequestionafteranother.therecouldonlybeoruth,andeachvagueansweroruncertaintyledtooreintenseinterrogation.theyspentonewholedayexainingtietablesforthecastofcharactersatthesceneoftheaidentonthebridge.
salanderbecaeoreandoreofanenigatohi.despitethefactthatsheonlyskiedthedocuentsinthereport,shealwaysseeedtosettleontheostobscureandcontradictorydetails.
theytookabreakintheafternoons,whentheheatadeitunbearableoutinthegarden.theywouldswiinthechannelorwalkuptotheterraceatsusanne’sbridgecafé.susannenowtreatedblokvistwithanundisguisedcoolness.herealisedthatsalanderlookedbarelylegalandshewasobviouslylivingathiscottage,andthat—insusanne’seyes—adehiadirtyoldiddle-agedan.itwasnotpleasant.
blokvistwentouteveryeveningforarun.salanderadenoentwhenhereturnedoutofbreathtothecottage.runningwasobviouslynotherthing.
“i’overforty,”hesaid.“ihavetoexercisetokeepfrogettingtoofataroundtheiddle.”
“isee.”
“don’tyoueverexercise？”
“iboxonceinawhile.”
“youbox？”
“yeah,youknow,withgloves.”
“whatweightdoyouboxin？”hesaid,whenheeergedfrotheshower.
“noneatall.isparalittlenowandthenagainsttheguysinaclubins？der.”
whyisthatnosurprise？hethought.butatleastshehadtoldhisoethingaboutherself.heknewnobasicfactsabouther.howdidsheetobeworkingforaransky？whatsortofeducationdidshehave？whatdidherparentsdo？assoonasblokvisttriedtoaskaboutherlifesheshutuplikeacla,answeredinsinglesyllablesorignoredhi.
oneafternoonsalandersuddenlyputdownabinder,frowning.
“whatdoyouknowaboutottofalk？thepastor.”
“notuch.ietthepresentincubentafewtiesearlierintheyear,andshetoldethatfalklivesinsoegeriatrichoeinhedestad.alzheier’s.”
“wheredidheefro？”
“frohedestad.hestudiedinuppsala.”
“hewasunarried.andharriethungoutwithhi.”
“whydoyouask？”
“i’justsayingthatmorellwentprettyeasyonhiintheinterview.”
“inthesixtiespastorsenjoyedaconsiderablydifferentstatusinsociety.itwasnaturalforhitoliveouthereontheisland,closetothepowerbrokers,sotospeak.”
“iwonderhowcarefullythepolicesearchedtheparsonage.inthephotographsitlookslikeitwasabigwoodenhouse,andthereusthavebeenplentyofplacestohideabodyforawhile.”
“that’strue,butthere’snothingintheaterialtoindicatethathewouldhaveanyconnectiontotheserialurdersortoharriet’sdisappearance.”
“actually,thereis,”salandersaid,withawrysile.“firstofallhewasapastor,andpastorsorethananyoneelsehaveaspecialrelationshiptothebible.second,hewasthelastpersonknowntohaveseenandtalkedwithharriet.”
“buthewentdowntothesceneoftheaidentandstayedthereforseveralhours.he’sinlotsofthepictures,especiallyduringthetiewhenharrietusthavevanished.”
“allright,ican’tcrackhisalibi.butiwasactuallythinkingaboutsoethin
