martinvanger’sunexpecteddeisewasth. comstoryonthe9:00newsontheradiowhenblokvistwokeup.nothingwasreportedaboutthenight’seventsotherthantosaythattheindustrialisthadinexplicablyandathighspeedcrossedtothewrongsideofthee4,travellingsouth.hehadbeenaloneinthecar.
thelocalradioranastorythatdealtwithconcernforthefutureofthevangercorporationandtheconsequencesthatthisdeathwouldinevitablyhaveforthepany.
ahastilyposedlunchtieupdatefrothettwireservicehadtheheadlineatowninshock,anditsueduptheproblesofthevangercorporation.itescapedno-one’snoticethatinhedestadaloneorethan3,000ofthetown’s21,000inhabitantswereeployedbythevangercorporationorwereotherwisedependentontheprosperityofthepany.thefir’sceowasdead,andtheforerceowasseriouslyillafteraheartattack.therewasnonaturalheir.allthisatatieconsideredtobeaongtheostcriticalinthepany’shistory.
blokvisthadhadtheoptionofgoingtothepoliceinhedestadandtellingthewhathadhappenedthatnight,butsalanderhadalreadysetacertainprocessinotion.sincehehadnotiediatelycalledthepolice,itbecaehardertodosowitheachhourthatpassed.hespenttheorninginglooysilence,sittingonthekitchenbench,watchingtherainoutside.around10:00therewasanothercloudburst,butbylunchtietherainhad. compedandthewindhaddieddownabit.hewentoutandwipedoffthegardenfurnitureandthensattherewithaugofcoffee.hewaswearingashirtwiththecollarturnedup.
martin’sdeathcastashadow,ofcourse,overthedailylifeofhedeby.carsbeganparkingoutsideisabellavanger’shouseastheclangatheredtooffercondolences.salanderobservedtheprocessionwithouteotion.
“howareyoufeeling？”shesaidatlast.
“ithinki’stillinshock,”hesaid.“iwashelpless.forseveralhoursiwasconvincedthatiwasgoingtodie.ifeltthefearofdeathandtherewasn’tathingicoulddo.”
hestretchedouthishandandplaceditonherknee.
“thankyou,”hesaid.“butforyou,iwouldbedead.”
salandersiledhercrookedsile.
“allthesae…idon’tunderstandhowyoucouldbesuchanidiotastotacklehionyourown.iwaschainedtothefloordownthere,prayingthatyou’dseethepictureandputtwoandtwotogetherandcallthepolice.”
“ifi’dwaitedforthepolice,youwouldn’thavesurvived.iwasn’tgoingtoletthatotherfuckerkillyou.”
“whydon’tyouwanttotalktothepolice？”
“inevertalktotheauthorities.”
“whynot？”
“that’sybusiness.butinyourcase,idon’tthinkitwouldbeaterrifiareerovetobehungouttodryasthejournalistwhowasstrippednakedbymartinvanger,thefaousserialkiller.ifyoudon’tlike‘kalleblokvist,’youcanthinkupawholenewepithet.justdon’ttakeitoutofthischapterofyourheroiclife.”
blokvistgaveherasearchinglookanddroppedthesubject.
“wedostillhaveaproble,”shesaid.
blokvistnodded.“whathappenedtoharriet.yes.”
salanderlaidthetwopolaroidpicturesonthetableinfrontofhi.sheexplainedwhereshe’dfoundthe.mikaelstudiedthepicturesintentlyforawhilebeforehelookedup.
“itightbeher,”hesaidatlast.“iwouldn’tsweartoit,buttheshapeofherbodyandthehairreindeofthepicturesi’veseen.”
theysatinthegardenforanhour,piecingtogetherthedetails.theydiscoveredthateachofthe,independentlyandfrodifferentdirections,hadidentifiedmartinvangerastheissinglink.
salanderneverdidfindthephotographthatblokvisthadleftonthekitchentable.shehadetotheconclusionthatblokvisthaddonesoethingstupidafterstudyingthepicturesfrothesurveillancecaeras.shehadgoneovertomartinvanger’shousebywayoftheshoreandlookedinallthewindowsandseenno-one.shehadtriedallthedoorsandwindowsonthegroundfloor.finallyshehadclibedinthroughanopenbalconydoorupstairs.ithadtakenalongtie,andshehadovedextreelycautiouslyasshesearchedthehouse,roobyroo.eventuallyshefoundthestairsdowntothebaseent.martinhadbeencareless.heleftthedoortohischaberofhorrorsajar,andshewasabletoforaclearipressionofthesituation.
blokvistaskedherhowuchshehadheardofwhatmartinsaid.
“notuch.igottherewhenhewasaskingyouaboutwhathappenedtoharriet,justbeforehehungyouupbythenoose.ileftforafewinutestogobackandfindaweapon.”
“martinhadnoideawhathappenedtoharriet,”blokvistsaid.
“doyoubelievethat？”
“yes,”blokvistsaidwithouthesitation.“martinwasdafterthanasyphiliticpolecat—wheredoigettheseetaphorsfro？—butheconfessedtoallthecrieshehaditted.ithinkthathewantedtoipresse.butwhenitcaetoharriet,hewasasdesperateashenrikvangertofindoutwhathappened.”
“so…wheredoesthattakeus？”
“weknowthatgottfriedwasresponsibleforthefirstseriesofurders,between1949and1965.”
“ok.andhebroughtonlittlemartin.”
“talkaboutadysfunctionalfaily,”blokvistsaid.“martinreallydidn’thaveachance.”
salandergavehiastrangelook.
“whatmartintolde—eventhoughitwasrabling—wasthathisfatherstartedhisapprenticeshipafterhereachedpuberty.hewasthereattheurderofleainuddevallain1962.hewasfourteen,forgod’ssake.hewasthereattheurderofsarain1964andthattiehetookanactivepart.hewassixteen.”
“and？”
“hesaidthathehadnevertouchedanotheran—excepthisfather.thatadeethinkthat…well,theonlypossibleconclusionisthathisfatherrapedhi.martincalledit‘hisduty.’thesexualassaultsusthavegoneonforalongtie.hewasraisedbyhisfather,sotospeak.”
“bullshit,”salandersaid,hervoiceashardasflint.
blokviststaredatherinastonishent.shehadastubbornlookinhereyes.therewasnotanounceofsypathyinit.
“martinhadexactlythesaeopportunityasanyoneelsetostrikeback.hekilledandherapedbecausehelikeddoingit.”
“i’notsayingotherwise.butmartinwasarepressedboyandundertheinfluenceofhisfather,justasgottfriedwascowedbyhisfather,thenazi.”
“soyou’reassuingthatmartinhadnowillofhisownandthatpeoplebeewhateverthey’vebeenbroughtuptobe.”
blokvistsiledcautiously.“isthisasensitiveissue？”
salander’seyesblazedwithfury.blokvistquicklywenton.
“i’onlysayingthatithinkthataperson’supbringingdoesplayarole.gottfried’sfatherbeathiercilesslyforyears.thatleavesitsark.”
“bullshit,”salandersaidagain.“gottfriedisn’ttheonlykidwhowaseveristreated.thatdoesn’tgivehitherighttourderwoen.headethatchoicehiself.andthesaeistrueofmartin.”
blokvisthelduphishand.
“canwenotargue？”
“i’notarguing.ijustthinkthatit’spatheticthatcreepsalwayshavetohavesoeoneelsetoblae.”
“theyhaveapersonalresponsibility.we’llworkitalloutlater.whatattersisthatmartinwasseventeenwhengottfrieddied,andhedidn’thaveanyooguidehi.hetriedtocontinueinhisfather’sfootsteps.infebruary1966,inuppsala.”
blokvistreachedforoneofsalander’scigarettes.
“iwon’tspeculateaboutwhatipulsesgottfriedwastryingtosatisfyorhowhehiselfinterpretedwhathewasdoing.there’ssoesortofbiblicalgibberishthatapsychiatristightbeabletofigureout,soethingtodowithpunishentandpurificationinafigurativesense.itdoesn’tatterwhatitwas.hewasacutanddriedserialkiller.
“gottfriedwantedtokillwoenandclothehisactionsinsoesortofpseudo-religiousclap-trap.martindidn’tevenpretendtohaveanexcuse.hewasanisedanddidhiskillingsysteatically.healsohadone. comutintohishobby.andhewasshrewderthanhisfather.everytiegottfriedleftabodybehind,itledtoapoliceinvestigationandtheriskthatsoeoneighttrackhidown,oratleastlinktogetherthevariousurders.”
“martinvangerbuilthishouseintheseventies,”salandersaidpensively.
“ithinkhenrikentioneditwasin1978.presuablyheorderedasaferooputriportantfilesorsoesuchpurpose.hegotasoundproofed,windowlessroowithasteeldoor.”
“he’shadthatroofortwenty-fiveyears.”
theyfellsilentforawhileasblokvistthoughtaboutwhatatrocitiesusthavetakenplacethereforaquarterofacentury.salanderdidnotneedtothinkabouttheatter；shehadseenthevideotapes.shenoticedthatblokvistwasunconsciouslytouchinghisneck.
“gottfriedhatedwoenandtaughthissontohatewoenatthesaetieashewasrapinghi.butthere’salsosoesortofunder
