“iwanttoknohathappenedtoharrietvanger,anita.it’stieforthetruth.”
“harriet？idon’tknohatyouean.”
blokvistsiledatherfeignedsurprise.
“youwereharriet’sclosestfriendinthefaily.youweretheonesheturnedtowithherhorriblestory.”
“ican’tthinkwhatyou’retalkingabout,”anitasaid.
“anita,youwereinharriet’sroothatday.ihavephotographicproofofit,inspiteofwhatyousaidtoinspectormorell.inafewdaysi’goingtoreporttohenrik,andhe’lltakeitfrothere.itwouldbebettertotellewhathappened.”
anitavangerstoodup.
“getoutofyhousethisinute.”
blokvistgotup.
“soonerorlateryou’regoingtohavetotalktoe.”
“ihavenothingnow,noreverwillhave,anythingtosaytoyou.”
“martinisdead,”blokvistsaid.“youneverlikedmartin.ithinkthatyouovedtolondonnotonlytoavoidseeingyourfatherbutalsosothatyouwouldn’thavetoseemartin.thateansthatyoualsoknewaboutmartin,andtheonlyonewhocouldhavetoldyouwasharriet.thequestionis:whatdidyoudowiththatknowledge？”
anitavangerslaedherfrontdoorinhisface.
salandersiledwithsatisfactionassheunfastenedtheicrophonefrounderhisshirt.
“shepickedupthetelephoneabouttwentysecondsaftershenearlytookthedooroffitshinges,”shesaid.
“thecountrycodeisaustralia,”trinitysaid,puttingdowntheearphonesonthelittledeskinthevan.“ineedtochecktheareacode.”heswitchedonhisla. com.“ok,shecalledthefollowingnuber,whichisatelephoneinatowncalledtennantcreek,northofalicespringsinthenorthernterritory.doyouwanttoheartheconversation？”
blokvistnodded.“whattieisitinaustraliarightnow？”
“about5:00intheorning.”trinitystartedthedigitalplayerandattachedaspeaker.mikaelcountedeightringsbeforesoeonepickedupthetelephone.theconversationtookplaceinenglish.
“hi.it’se.”
“h,iknowi’aorningpersonbut…”
“ithoughtofcallingyouyesterday…martinisdead.heseestohavedrivenhiscarintoatruckthedaybeforeyesterday.”
silence.thenwhatsoundedlikesoeoneclearingtheirthroat,butitighthavebeen:“good.”
“butwehavegotaproble.adisgustingjournalistthathenrikdugupfrosoewherehasjustknockedonydoor,hereinst.albans.he’saskingquestionsaboutwhathappenedin1966.heknowssoething.”
againsilence.thenaandingvoice.
“anita.putdownthetelephonerightnow.wecan’thaveanycontactforawhile.”
“but…”
“writealetter.tellewhat’sgoingon.”thentheconversationwasover.
“sharpchick,”salandersaid.
theyreturnedtotheirhoteljustbefore11:00.thefrontdeskanagerhelpedthetoreserveseatsonthenextavailableflighttoaustralia.soontheyhadreservationsonaplaneleavingat7:05thefollowingevening,destinationmelbourne,changinginsingapore.
thiswassalander’sfirstvisittolondon.theyspenttheorningwalkingfrocoventgardenthroughsoho.they. compedtohaveacaffelatteonoldptonstreet.around3:00theywerebackatthehoteltocollecttheirluggage.whileblokvistpaidthebill,salanderturnedonherobile.shehadatextessage.
“aranskysaystocallatonce.”
sheusedatelephoneinthelobby.blokvist,whowasstandingashortdistanceaway,noticedsalanderturntohiwithafrozenexpressiononherface.hewasathersideatonce.
“whatisit？”
“myotherdied.ihavetogohoe.”
salanderlookedsounhappythatheputhisarsaroundher.shepushedhiaway.
theysatinthehotelbar.whenblokvistsaidthathewouldcancelthereservationstoaustraliaandgobacktostockholwithher,sheshookherhead.
“no,”shesaid.“wecan’tscrewupthejobnow.you’llhavetogobyyourself.”
theypartedoutsidethehotel,eachoftheakingforadifferentairport.
chapter26
tuesday,july15–thursday,july17
blokvistflewfromelbouroalicesprings.afterthathehadtochooseeithertocharteraplaneortorentacarforthereaining250-iletripnorth.hechosetogobycar.
anunknownpersonwiththebiblicalsignatureofjoshua,whowaspartofplague’sorpossiblytrinity’systeriousinternationalwork,hadleftanenvelopeforhiatthecentralrationdeskatmelbourneairport.
thenuberthatanitahadcalledbelongedtoaplacecalledcochranfar.itwasasheepstation.anarticlepulledofftheintergaveasnapshotguide.
australia:populationof18illion；sheepfarers,53,000；approx.120illionheadofsheep.theexportofwoolapprox.3.5billiondollarsannually.australiaexports700illiontonsofuttonandlab,plusskinsforclothing.binedeatandwoolproductiononeofthecountry’sostiportantindustries…
cochranfar,founded1891byjereycochran,australia’sfifthlargestagriculturalenterprise,approx60,000merinosheep.thestationalsoraisedcattle,pigs,andchickens.cochranfarhadipressiveannualexportstotheu.s.a.,japan,china,andeurope.
thepersonalbiographieswerefascinating.
in1972cochranfarpasseddownfrorayondcochrantospencercochran,educ.oxford.spencerd.in1994,andfarrunbywidow.blokvistfoundherinablurry,low-resolutionphotographdownloadedfrothecochranfarwebsite.itshowedawoanwithshortblondehair,herfacepartiallyhidden,shearingasheep.
aordingtojoshua’snote,thecouplehadarriedinitalyin1971.
hernaewasanitacochran.
blokvist. compedovernightinadried-upholeofatownwiththehopefulnaeofwannado.atthelocalpubheateroastuttonanddownedthreepintsalongwithsoelocalswhoallcalledhi“ate.”
lastthingbeforehewenttobedhecalledbergerinnewyork.
“i’sorry,ricky,buti’vebeensobusythatihaven’thadtietocall.”
“whatthehellisgoingon？”sheexploded.“christercalledandtoldethatmartinvangerhadbeenkilledinacaraident.”
“it’salongstory.”
“andwhydon’tyouansweryourtelephone？i’vebeencallinglikecrazyfortwodays.”
“itdoesn’tworkhere.”
“whereishere？”
“rightnowi’aboutonehundredtwenty-fiveilesnorthofalicesprings.inaustralia,thatis.”
mikaelhadrarelyanagedtosurpriseberger.thistieshewassilentfornearlytenseconds.
“andwhatareyoudoinginaustralia？ifiightask.”
“i’finishingupthejob.i’llbebackinafewdays.ijustcalledtotellyouthatyworkforhenrikvangerisalostdone.”
hearrivedatcochranfararoundnoonthefollowingday,tobetoldthatanitacochranwasatasheepstationnearaplacecalledmakawakaseventy-fiveilesfartherwest.
itwas4:00intheafternoonbythetiemikaelfoundhiswaythereondustybackroads.he. compedatagatewheresoesheepranchersweregatheredaroundthehoodofajeephavingcoffee.blokvistgotoutandexplainedthathewaslookingforanitacochran.theyallturnedtowardsauscularyoungan,clearlythedecision-akerofthegroup.hewasbarechestedandverybrownexceptforthepartsnorallycoveredbyhist-shirt.hewaswearingawide-briedhat.
“thebossisabouteighteenilesoffinthatdirection,”hesaid,pointingwithhisthub.
hecastascepticalglanceatblokvist’svehicleandsaidthatitightnotbesuchagoodideatogooninthatjapanesetoycar.finallythetannedathle
