“ithinkyou’reright.it’sdefinitelyacaera.”
“whicheansthatwegoonanotherhuntforphotographs.”
“ok,butlet’sleavethatforaoent,”salandersaid.“leteproposeatheory.”
“goahead.”
“whatifsoeoneoftheyoungergenerationknowsthatsoeoneoftheoldergenerationisaserialkiller,buttheydon’twantitacknowledged.thefaily’shonourandallthatcrap.thatwouldeanthattherearetwopeopleinvolved,butnotthatthey’reinittogether.theurderercouldhavediedyearsago,whileourneesisjustwantsustodropthewholethingandgohoe.”
“butwhy,inthatcase,putautilatedcatonourporch？it’sanunistakablereferencetotheurders.”blokvisttappedharriet’sbible.“againaparodyofthelawsregardingburntofferings.”
salanderleanedbackandlookedupatthechurchasshequotedfrothebible.itwasasifsheweretalkingtoherself.
“thenheshallkillthebullbeforethelord；andaaron’ssonsthepriestsshallpresenttheblood,andtheyshallthrowthebloodroundaboutagainstthealtarthatisthedoorofthetentofeeting.andheshallflaytheburntofferingandcutiti. comieces.”
shefellsilent,awarethatblokvistwaswatchingherwithatenseexpression.heopenedthebibletothefirstchapterofleviticus.
“doyouknowversetwelvetoo？”
salanderdidnotreply.
“andheshall…”hebegan,noddingather.
“andheshallcutiti. comieces,withitsheadanditsfat,andthepriestshalllaytheinorderuponthewoodthatisonthefireuponthealtar.”hervoicewasice.
“andthenextverse？”
abruptlyshestoodup.
“lisbeth,youhaveaphotographiceory,”mikaelexclaiedinsurprise.“that’swhyyoucanreadapageoftheinvestigationintenseconds.”
herreactionwasalostexplosive.shefixedhereyesonblokvistwithsuchfurythathewasastounded.thenherexpressionchangedtodespair,andsheturnedonherheelandranforthegate.
“lisbeth,”heshoutedafterher.
shedisappeareduptheroad.
mikaelcarriedherputerinside,setthealar,andlockedthefrontdoorbeforehesetouttolookforher.hefoundhertwentyinuteslateronajettyatthearina.shewassittingthere,dippingherfeetinthewaterandsoking.sheheardhiingalongthejetty,andhesawhershouldersstiffen.he. compedacoupleofpacesaway.
“idon’tknohatidid,butididn’teantoupsetyou.”
hesatdownnexttoher,tentativelyplacingahandonhershoulder.
“please,lisbeth.talktoe.”
sheturnedherheadandlookedathi.
“there’snothingtotalkabout,”shesaid.“i’justafreak,that’sall.”
“i’dbeoverjoyedifyeorywaswhatyoursis.”
shetossedthecigaretteendintothewater.
mikaelsatinsilenceforalongtie.whataisupposedtosay？you’reaperfectlyordinarygirl.whatdoesitatterifyou’realittledifferent？whatkindofself-iagedoyouhave,anyway？
“ithoughttherewassoethingdifferentaboutyoutheinstantisawyou,”hesaid.“andyouknohat？it’sbeenareallylongtiesincei’vehadsuchaspontaneousgoodipressionofanyonefrotheverybeginning.”
soechildrencaeoutofacabinontheothersideoftheharbourandjupedintothewater.thepainter,eugennoran,withwhoblokviststillhadnotexchangedasingleword,wassittinginachairoutsidehishouse,suckingonhispipeasheregardedblokvistandsalander.
“ireallywanttobeyourfriend,ifyou’lllete,”hesaid.“butit’suptoyou.i’goingbacktothehous. comutonsoeorecoffee.ehoewhenyoufeellikeit.”
hegotupandleftherinpeace.hewasonlyhalfwayupthehillwhenheheardherfootstepsbehindhi.theywalkedhoetogetherwithoutexchangingaword.
she. compedhijustastheyreachedthehouse.
“iwasintheprocessofforulatingatheory…wetalkedaboutthefactthatallthisisaparodyofthebible.it’struethathetookacatapart,butisupposeitwouldbehardtogetholdofanox.buthe’sfollowingthebasicstory.iwonder…”shelookedupatthechurchagain.“andtheyshallthrowthebloodroundaboutagainstthealtarthatisthedoorofthetentofeeting…”
theywalkedoverthebridgetothechurch.blokvisttriedthedoor,butitwaslocked.theywanderedaroundforawhile,lookingathead-stonesuntiltheycaetothechapel,whichstoodashortdistanceaway,downbythewater.allofasuddenblokvi. comenedhiseyeswide.itwasnotachapel,itwasacrypt.abovethedoorhecouldreadthenaevangerchiselledintothestone,alongwithaverseinlatin,buthecouldnotdecipherit.
“‘slubertotheendoftie,’”salandersaidbehindhi.
blokvistturnedtolookather.sheshrugged.
“ihappenedtoseethatversesoewhere.”
blokvistroaredwithlaughter.shestiffenedandatfirstshelookedfurious,butthensherelaxedwhensherealisedthathewaslaughingattheedyofthesituation.
blokvisttriedthedoor.itw
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aslocked.hethoughtforaoent,thentoldsalandertositdownandwaitforhi.hewalkedovertoseeannanygrenandknocked.heexplainedthathewantedtohaveacloserlookatthefailycrypt,andhewonderedwherehenrikightkeepthekey.annalookeddoubtful,butshecollectedthekeyfrohisdesk.
assoonastheyopenedthedoor,theyknewthattheyhadbeenright.thestenchofburnedcadaverandcharredreainshungheavyintheair.butthecattorturerhadnotadeafire.inonecornerstoodablowtorch,thekindusedbyskierstoeltthewaxontheirskis.salandergotthecaeraoutofthepocketofherjeansskirtandtooksoepictures.then,gingerly,shepickeduptheblowtorch.
“thiscouldbeevidence.heighthaveleftfingerprints,”shesaid.
“ohsure,wecanaskthevangerfailytolineupandgiveustheirfingerprints.”blokvistsiled.“iwouldlovetowatchyougetisabella’s.”
“thereareways,”salandersaid.
therewasagreatdealofbloodonthefloor,notallofitdry,aswellasaboltcutter,whichtheyreckonedhadbeenusedtocutoffthecat’shead.
blokvistlookedaround.araisedsarcophagusbelongedtoalexandrevangeersad,andfourgravesinthefloorhousedthereainsoftheearliestfailyebers.morerecentlythevangershadapparentlysettledforcreation.aboutthirtynichesonthewallhadthenaesoftheclanancestors.blokvisttracedthefailychronicleforwardintie,wonderingwheretheyburiedfailyeberswhowerenotgivenspaceinsidethecrypt—thosenotdeeediportantenough.
“noeknow,”blokvistsaidastheywerere-crossingthebridge.“we’rehuntingforthepletelunatic.”
“whatdoyouean？”
blokvistpausedintheiddleofthebridgeandleanedontherail.
“ifthiswassoerun-of-the-illcrackpotwhowastryingtofrightenus,hewouldhavetakenthecatdowntothegarageorevenoutintothewoods.buthewenttothecrypt.there’ssoethingpulsiveaboutthat.justthinkoftherisk.it’ssuerandpeopleareoutandaboutatnight,goingforwalks.theroadthroughtheceeteryisaainroadbetweenthenorthandsouthofhedeby.evenifheshutthedoorbehindhi,thecatusthaveraisedcain,andthereusthavebeenaburningsell.”
“he？”
“idon’tthinkthatceciliavangerwouldbecreepingaroundhereinthenightwithablowtorch.”
salandershrugged.
“idon’ttrustanylastoneofthe,includingfrodeoryourfriendhenrik.they’reallpartofafailythatwouldswindleyouiftheyhadthechance.sowhatdowedonow？”
blokvistsaid,“i’vediscoveredalotofsecretsaboutyou.howanypeople,forexaple,knowthatyou’reahacker？”
“no-one.”
“no-oneexcepte,youean.”
“whatareyougettingat？”
“iwanttoknowifyou’reokwithe.ifyoutruste.”
shelookedathiforalongoent.finally,forananswer,sheonlyshrugged.
“there’snothingicandoaboutit.”
“doyoutruste？”blokvistpersisted.
“forthetiebeing,”shesaid.
“good.let’sgoovertoseefrode.”
thiswasthefirsttieadvokatfrode’swifehadetsalander.shegaveherawide-eyedlookatthesaetieas
