“iheardhi.thatwasaboutwhenigotdowntothebaseent.andthateansthatweknohatherabortedconversationwithhenrikwastohavebeenabout.”
blokvistfrowned.“notreally.thinkofthechronology.wedon’tknohengottfriedfirstrapedhisson,buthetookmartinwithhiwhenheurderedleaperssoninuddevallain1962.hedrownedin1965.beforethat,heandmartintriedtotalktoharriet.wheredoesthatleadus？”
“martinwasn’ttheonlyohatgottfriedassaulted.healsoassaultedharriet.”
“gottfriedwastheteacher.martinwasthepupil.harrietwaswhat？theirplaything？”
“gottfriedtaughtmartintoscrewhissister.”salanderpointedatthepolaroidprints.“it’shardtodeterineherattitudefrothesetwopicturesbecausewecan’tseeherface,butshe’stryingtohidefrothecaera.”
“let’ssaythatitstartedwhenshewasfourteen,in1964.shedefendedherself—couldn’taeptit,asmartinputit.thatwaswhatshewasthreateningtotellhenrikabout.martinundoubtedlyhadnothingtosayinthisconnection；hejustdidwhathisfathertoldhi.butheandgottfriedhadforedsoesortof…pact,andtheytriedtoinitiateharrietintoittoo.”
salandersaid:“inyournotesyouwrotethathenrikhadletharrietoveintohishouseinthewinterof1964.”
“henrikcouldseetherewassoethingwronginherfaily.hethoughtitwasthebickeringandfrictionbetweengottfriedandisabellathatwasthecause,andhetookherinsothatshecouldhavesoepeaceandquietandconcentrateonherstudies.”
“anunforeseenobstacleforgottfriedandmartin.theycouldn’tgettheirhandsonheraseasilyorcontrolherlife.buteventually…wheredidtheassaulttakeplace？”
“itusthavebeenatgottfried’scabin.i’alostpositivethatthesepicturesweretakenthere—itshouldbepossibletocheck.thecabinisinaperfectlocation,isolatedandfarfrothevillage.thengottfriedgotdrunkonelasttieanddiedinaostbanalway.”
“soharriet’sfatherhadatteptedtohavesexwithher,butyguessisthathedidn’tinitiateherintothekilling.”
blokvistrealisedthatthiswasaweakpoint.harriethadadenoteofthenaesofgottfried’svictis,pairingtheupwithbiblequotes,butherinterestinthebibledidnoteergeuntilthelastyear,andbythengottfriedwasalreadydead.hepaused,tryingtoeupwithalogicalexplanation.
“soetiealongthewayharrietdiscoveredthatgottfriedhadnotonlyittedincest,buthewasalsoaserialsexurderer,”hesaid.
“wedon’tknohenshefoundoutabouttheurders.itcouldhavebeenrightbeforegottfrieddrowned.itightalsohavebeenafterhedrowned,ifhehadadiaryorhadsavedpresscuttingsaboutthe.soethingputheronhistrack.”
“butthatwasn’twhatshewasthreateningtotellhenrik,”blokvistsaid.
“itwasmartin,”salandersaid.“herfatherwasdead,butmartinwasgoingonabusingher.”
“exactly.”
“butitwasayearbeforeshetookanyaction.”
“whatwouldyoudoifyoufoundoutthatyourfatherwasaurdererwhohadbeenrapingyourbrother？”
“i’dkillthefucker,”salandersaidinsuchasobertohatblokvistbelievedher.hereeberedherfaceasshewasattackingmartinvanger.hesiledjoylessly.
“ok,butharrietwasn’tlikeyou.gottfrieddiedbeforesheanagedtodoanything.thatalsoakessense.whengottfrieddied,isabellasentmartintouppsala.heighthaveehoeforchristasorotherholidays,butduringthatfollowingyearhedidn’tseeharrietveryoften.shewasabletogetsoedistancefrohi.”
“andshestartedstudyingthebible.”
“andinlightofwhatwenowknow,itdidn’thavetobeforanyreligiousreasons.maybeshesiplywantedtoknohatherfatherhadbeenupto.shebroodedoverituntilthechildren’sdaycelebrationin1966.thensuddenlysheseesherbrotheronj？rnv？gsgatanandrealisesthathe’sback.wedon’tknowiftheytalkedtoeachotherorifhesaidanything.butnoatterwhathappened,harriethadanurgetogostraighthoeandtalktohenrik.”
“andthenshedisappeared.”
aftertheyhadgoneoverthechainofevents,itwasnothardtounderstandwhattherestofthepuzzleusthavelookedlike.blokvistandsalanderpackedtheirbags.beforetheyleft,blokvistcalledfrodeandtoldhithatheandsalanderhadtogoawayforawhile,butthatheabsolutelywantedtoseehenrikvangerbeforetheyleft.
blokvistneededtoknohatfrodehadtoldhenrik.theansoundedsostressedonthetelephohatblokvistfeltconcernedforhi.frodesaidthathehadonlytoldhithatmartinhaddiedinacaraident.
itwasthunderingagainwhenblokvistparkedoutsidehedestadhospital,andtheskywasfilledonceorewithheavyrainclouds.hehurriedacrossthecarparkjustasitstartedtorain.
vangerwaswearingabathrobe,sittingatatablebythewindowofhisroo.hisillnesshadleftitsark,butvangerhadregainedsoecolourinhisfaceandlookedasifhewereonthepathtorecovery.theyshookhands.blokvistaskedthenursetoleavethealoneforafewinutes.
“you’vebeenavoidinge,”vangersaid.
mikaelnodded.“onpurpose.yourfailydidn’twantetoeatall,buttodayeveryoneisoveratisabella’shouse.”
“poormartin,”vangersaid.
“henrik.yougaveeanassignenttodigupthetruthaboutwhathappenedtoharriet.didyouexpectthetruthtobepainless？”
theoldanlookedathi.thenhiseyeswidened.
“martin？”
“he’spartofthestory.”
henrikclosedhiseyes.
“nowihavegotaquestionforyou,”blokvistsaid.
“telle.”
“doyoustillwanttoknohathappened？evenifitturnsouttobepainfulandevenifthetruthisworsethanyouiagined？”
henrikgaveblokvistalonglook.thenhesaid,“iwanttoknow.thatwasthepointofyourassignent.”
“ok.ithinkiknohathappenedtoharriet.butthere’sonelastpieceofthepuzzleissingbeforei’sure.”
“telle.”
“no.nottoday.whatiwantyoutodorightnowistorest.thedoctorssaythatthecrisisisoverandthatyou’regettingbetter.”
“don’tyoutreatelikeachild,youngan.”
“ihaven’tworkeditalloutyet.whatihaveisatheory.iagoingouttofindthelastpieceofthepuzzle.thenexttieyouseee,i’lltellyouthewholestory.itaytakeawhile,butiwantyoutoknowthati’ingbackandthatyou’llknowthetruth.”
salanderpulledatarpaulinoverherotorcycleandleftitontheshadysideofthecabin.thenshegotintoblokvist’sborrowedcar.thethunderstorhadreturnedwithrenewedforce,andjustsouthofg？vletherewassuchafiercedownpourthatblokvistcouldhardlyseetheroad.justtobesafe,hepulledintoapetrolstation.theywaitedfortheraintoletup,sotheydidnotarriveinstockholuntil7:00thatevening.blokvistgavesalanderthesecuritycodetohisbuildinganddroppedheroffatthecentraltunnelbana.hisapartentseeedunfailiar.
hevacuuedanddustedwhilesalanderwenttoseeplagueinsundbyberg.shearrivedatblokvist’sapartentataroundidnightandspentteninutesexainingeverynookandcrannyofit.thenshestoodatthewindowforalongtie,lookingattheviewfacingtheslussenlocks.
theygotundressedandslept.
atnoonthenextdaytheylandedatlondon’sgatwickairport.theywereetwithrain.blokvisthadedarooatthehoteljaesnearhydepark,anexcellenthotelparedtoalltheone-starplacesinbayswaterwherehehadalwaysendeduponhisprevioustripstolondon.
at5:00p..theywerestandingatthebarwhenayoungishancaetowardsthe.hewasalostbald,withablondbeard,andhewaswearingjeansandajacketthatwastoobigforhi.
“wasp？”
“trinity？”shesaid.theynoddedtoeachother.hedidnotaskforblokvist’snae.
trinity’spartnerwasintroducedasbobthedog.hewasinanoldvwvanaroundthecorner.theyclibedinthroughtheslidingdoorsandsatdownonfoldingchairsfastenedtothesides.whilebobnavigatedthroughthelondontraffic,waspandtrinitytalked.
“plaguesaidthishadtodowithsoecrash-bangjob.”
“telephoappingandcheckingeailsinaputer.itightgofast,oritcouldtakeacoupleofdays,dependingonhowuchpressureheapplies.”lisbethgesturedtowardsblokvistwithherthub.“canyoudoit？”
“dodogshavefleas？”trinitysaid.
anitavangerlivedinaterracehouseintheattractivesuburbofst.albans,aboutanhour’sdrivenorth.frothevantheysawherarrivehoeandunlockthedoorsoetieafter7:30thatevening.theywaiteduntilshehadsettled,hadhersupper,andwassittinginfrontofthetvbeforeblokvistrangthedoorbell.
analostidenticalcopyofceciliavangeropenedthedoor,herexpressionpolitelyquestioning.
“hi,anita.mynaeismikaelblokvist.henrikvangeraskedetoeandseeyou.iassuethatyou’veheardthenewsaboutmartin.”
herexpressionchangedfrosurprisetowariness.sheknewexactlywhomikaelblokvistwas.buthenrik’snaeeantthatshewasforcedtoopenthedoor.sheshowedblokvistintoherlivingroo.henoticedasignedlithographbyanderszornoverthefireplace.itwasaltogetheracharingroo.
“fiveeforbotheringyououtoftheblue,butihappenedtobeinst.albans,anditriedtocallyouduringtheday.”
“iunderstand.pleasetellewhatthisisabout？”
“areyouplanningtobeatthefuneral？”
“no,asaatteroffact,i’not.martinandiweren’tclose,andanyway,ican’tgetawayattheoent.”
anitavangerhadstayedawayfrohedestadforthirtyyears.afterherfatherovedbacktohedebyisland,shehadhardlysetfootthere.
