“hownicetoseeyou,”hesaid.“i’vebeenfeelingguiltythatineverproperlyexpressedygratitudefortheextraordinaryworkyoudidforus.bothlastwinterandnow,thissuer.”
salandergavehiasuspiciousglare.
“iwaspaid,”shesaid.
“that’snotit.iadesoeassuptionsaboutyouwhenifirstsawyou.youwouldbekin. comardoneinretrospect.”
blokvistwassurprised.frodewascapableofaskingatwenty-five-year-oldpiercedandtattooedgirltofivehiforsoethingforwhichhehadnoneedtoapologise！thelawyerclibedafewnotchesinblokvist’seyes.salanderstaredstraightahead,ignoringhi.
frodelookedatblokvist.
“whatdidyoudotoyourhead？”
theysatdown.blokvistsuedupthedevelopentsofthepasttwenty-fourhours.ashedescribedhowsoeonehadshotathioutnearthefortress,frodeleapedtohisfeet.
“thisisbarkingad.”hepausedandfixedhiseyesonblokvist.“i’sorry,butthishasto. com.ican’thaveit.iagoingtotalktohenrikandbreakthecontract.”
“sitdown,”saidblokvist.
“youdon’tunderstand…”
“whatiunderstandisthatlisbethandihavegotsoclosethatwhoeverisbehindallofthisisreactinginaderangedanner,inpanic.we’vegotsoequestions.firstofall:howanykeysaretheretothevangerfailycryptandwhohasone？”
“it’snotyprovince,andihavenoidea,”frodesaid.“iwouldsupposethatseveralfailyeberswouldhaveaesstothecrypt.iknowthathenrikhasakey,andthatisabellasoetiesgoesthere,butican’ttellyouwhethershehasherownkeyorwhethersheborrowshenrik’s.”
“ok.you’restillontheainboard.arethereanycorporatearchives？alibraryorsoethinglikethat,wherethey’vecollectedpressclippingsandrationaboutthefirovertheyears？”
“yes,thereis.atthehedestadainoffice.”
“weneedaesstoit.arethereanyoldstaffnewslettersoranythinglikethat？”
“againihavetoconcedethatidon’tknow.ihaven’tbeentothearchivesyselfinthirtyyears.youneedtotalktoawoannaedbodillindgren.”
“couldyoucallherandarrangethatlisbethhasaesstothearchivesthisafternoon？sheneedsalltheoldpressclippingsaboutthevangercorporation.”
“that’snoproble.anythingelse？”
“yes.gregervangerwasholdingahasselbladinhishandonthedaythebridgeaidentourred.thateansthathealsoighthavetakensoepictures.wherewouldthepictureshaveendedupafterhisdeath？”
“withhiswidoworhisson,logically.letecallalexanderandaskhi.”
“whatailookingfor？”salandersaidwhentheywereontheirwaybacktotheisland.
“pressclippingsandstaffnewsletters.iwantyoutoreadthrougheverythingaroundthedateswhentheurdersinthefiftiesandsixtieswereitted.makeanoteofanythingthatstrikesyou.betterifyoudothispartofthejob.itseesthatyoureory…”
shepunchedhiintheside.
fiveinuteslaterherkawasakiwasclatteringacrossthebridge.
blokvistshookhandswithalexandervanger.hehadbeenawayforostofthetiethatblokvisthadbeeninhedeby.hewastwentywhenharrietdisappeared.
“dirchsaidthatyouwantedtolookatoldphotographs.”
“yourfatherhadahasselblad,ibelieve.”
“that’sright.it’sstillhere,butno-oneusesit.”
“iexpectyouknowthathenrikhasaskedetostudyagainwhathappenedtoharriet.”
“that’swhatiunderstand.andthereareplentyofpeoplewhoaren’thappyaboutthat.”
“apparentlyso,andofcourseyoudon’thavetoshoweanything.”
“please…whatwouldyouliketosee？”
“ifyourfathertookanypicturesonthedayoftheaident,thedaythatharrietdisappeared.”
theywentuptotheattic.ittookseveralinutesbeforealexanderwasabletoidentifyaboxofunsortedphotographs.
“takehoethewholebox,”hesaid.“ifthereareanyatall,they’llbeinthere.”
asillustrationsforthefailychronicle,gregervanger’sboxheldsoerealges,includinganuberofgregertogetherwithsvenoloflindhol,thebigswedishnazileaderintheforties.thosehesetaside.
hefoundenvelopesofpicturesthatgregerhadtakenoffailygatheringsaswellasanytypicalholidayphotographs—fishingintheountainsandajourneyinitaly.
hefoundfourpicturesofthebridgeaident.inspiteofhisexceptionalcaera,gregerwasawretchedphotographer.twopictureswereclose-upsofthetankertruckitself,twowereofspectators,takenfrobehind.hefoundonlyoneinwhichceciliavangerwasvisibleinsei-profile.
hescannedinthepictures,eventhoughheknewthattheywouldtellhinothingnew.heputeverythingbackintheboxandhadasandwichlunchashethoughtthingsover.thenhewenttoseeanna.
“doyouthinkhenrikhadanyphotographalbusotherthantheonesheassebledforhisinvestigationaboutharriet？”
