theanintroducedhiselfasjeffandsaidthathewasthe“studsanager”atthestation.blokvistaskedhitoexplainwhatthateant.jeffgavehiasidelonglookandconcludedthatblokvistwasnotfrotheseparts.heexplainedthatastudsanagerwasrathertheequivalentofafinancialanagerinabank,althoughheadinisteredsheep,andthata“station”wastheaustralianwordforranch.
theycontinuedtoconverseasjeffcheerfullysteeredthejeepatabouttenkiloetresanhourdownintoaravinewith0°slope.blokvistthankedhisluckystarsthathehadnotatteptedthedriveinhisrentalcar.heaskedwhatwasdownintheravineandwastoldthatitwasthepasturelandfor700headofsheep.
“asiunderstandit,cochranfarisoneofthebiggerranches.”
“we’reoneofthelargestinallofaustralia,”jeffsaidwithacertainprideinhisvoice.“werunabout9,000sheephereinthemakawakadistrict,butwehavestationsinbothnewsouthwalesandwesternaustralia.wehave60,000plushead.”
theycaeoutfrotheravineintoahillybutgentlerlandscape.blokvistsuddenlyheardshots.hesawsheepcadavers,bigbonfires,andadozenranchhands.severalenseeedtobecarryingrifles.theywereapparentlyslaughteringsheep.
involuntarily,hethoughtofthebiblicalsacrificiallabs.
thenhesawawoanwithshortblondehairwearingjeansandared-and-whitecheckedshirt.jeff. compedafewyardsawayfroher.
“hi,boss.we’vegotatourist,”hesaid.
blokvistgotoutofthejeepandlookedather.shelookedbackwithaninquisitiveexpression.
“hi,harriet.it’sbeenalongtie,”hesaidinswedish.
noneoftheenwhoworkedforanitacochranunderstoodwhathesaid,buttheyallsawherreaction.shetookastepback,lookingshocked.theensawherresponse,. compedtheirjoking,andstraightenedup,readytointerveneagainstthisoddstranger.jeff’sfriendlinesssuddenlyevaporatedandheadvancedtowardblokvist.
blokvistwaskeenlyawarehowvulnerablehewas.awordfroanitacochranandhewouldbedonefor.
thentheoentpassed.harrietvangerwavedherhandinapeacefulgestureandtheenovedback.shecaeovertoblokvistandethisgaze.herfacewassweatyanddirty.herblondehairhaddarkerroots.herfacewasolderandthinner,butshehadgrownintothebeautifulwoanthatherconfirationportraithadproised.
“haveweetbefore？”shesaid.
“yes,wehave.iamikaelblokvist.youwereybabysitteronesuerwheniwasthreeyearsold.youweretwelveorthirteenatthetie.”
ittookafewsecondsforherpuzzledexpressiontoclear,andthenhesawthatshereebered.shelookedsurprised.
“whatdoyouwant？”
“harriet,i’notyoureney.i’notheretoaketroubleforyou.butineedtotalkwithyou.”
sheturnedtojeffandtoldhitotakeover,thensignalledtoblokvisttofollowher.theywalkedafewhundredfeetovertoagroupofwhitecanvastentsinagroveoftrees.sheotionedhitoacapstoolataricketytableandpouredwaterintoabasin.sherinsedherface,driedit,andwentinsidethetenttochangehershirt.shegottwobeersoutofacooler.
“so.talk.”
“whyareyoushootingthesheep？”
“wehaveacontagiousepideic.mostofthesesheepareprobablyhealthy,butwecan’triskitspreading.we’regoingtohavetoslaughterorethansixhundredintheingweek.soi’notinaverygoodood.”
blokvistsaid:“yourbrothercrashedhiscarintoatruckafewdaysago.heusthavediedinstantaneously.”
“iheardthat.”
“froanita,whocalledyou.”
shescrutinisedhiforalongoent.thenshenodded.sheknewthatitwaspointlesstodenythefact.
“howdidyoufinde？”
“wetappedanita’stelephone.”blokvistdidnotthinktherewasanyreasontolie.“isawyourbrotherafewinutesbeforehedied.”
harrietvangerfrowned.heethergaze.thenhetookofftheridiculousscarfhewaswearing,turneddownhiscollar,andshowedherthestripeleftfrothenoose.itwasstillredandinflaed,andhewouldprobablyalwayshaveascartoreindhiofmartinvanger.
“yourbrotherhadhungefroahook,butbythegraceofgodypartne
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rarrivedintieto. comhikillinge.”
harriet’seyessuddenlyburned.
“ithinkyou’dbettertellethestoryfrothebeginning.”
ittookorethananhour.hetoldherwhohewasandwhathewasworkingon.hedescribedhowhecaetobegiventheassignentbyhenrikvanger.heexplainedhowthepolice’sinvestigationhadetoadeadend,andhetoldherofhenrik’slonginvestigation,andfinallyhetoldherhowaphotographofherwithfriendsinj？rnv？gsgataninhedestadhadledtotheuncoveringofthesorrowsbehindtheysteryofherdisappearanceanditsappallingsequel,whichhadendedwithmartinvanger’ssuicide.
ashetalked,dusksetin.theenquitworkfortheday,fireswerestarted,andpotsbegantosier.blokvistnoticedthatjeffstayedclosetohisbossandkeptawatchfuleyeonhi.thecookservedthedinner.theyeachhadanotherbeer.whenhewasfinishedharrietsatforalongtieinsilence.
atlengthshesaid:“iwassohappythatyfatherwasdeadandtheviolencewasover.itneverourredtoethatmartin…i’gladhe’sdead.”
“icanunderstandthat.”
“yourstorydoesn’texplainhowyouknewthatiwasalive.”
“afterwerealisedwhathadhappened,itwasn’tsodifficulttoworkouttherest.todisappear,youneededhelp.anitawasyourconfidanteandtheonlyoneyoucouldevenconsider.youwerefriends,andshehadspentthesuerwithyou.youstayedoutatyourfather’scabin.iftherewasanyoneyouhadconfidedin,ithadtobeher—andalsoshehadjustgotherdriver’slicence.”
harrietlookedathiwithanunreadableexpression.
“sonowthatyouknowi’alive,whatareyougoingtodo？”
“ihavetotellhenrik.hedeservestoknow.”
“andthen？you’reajournalist.”
“i’notthinkingofexposingyou.i’vealreadybreachedsoanyrulesofprofessionalconductinthiswholedisalessthatthejournalistsassociationwouldundoubtedlyexpeleiftheyknewaboutit.”hewastryingtoakelightofit.“oneorewon’takeanydifference,andidon’twanttoakeyoldbabysitterangry.”
shewasnotaused.
“howanypeopleknowthetruth？”
“thatyou’realive？rightnow,youandeandanitaandypartner.henrik’slawyerknowsabouttwo-thirdsofthestory,buthestillthinksyoudiedinthesixties.”
harrietvangerseeedtobethinkingsoethingover.shestaredoutatthedark.mikaelonceagainhadanuneasyfeelingthathewasinavulnerablesituation,andhereindedhiselfthatharrietvanger’sownriflewasonacapbedthreepacesaway.thenheshookhiselfand. compediaginingthings.hechangedthesubject.
“buthowdidyouetobeasheepfarerinaustralia？ialreadyknowthatanitasuggledyouoffhedebyisland,presuablyinthebootofhercarwhenthebridgere-openedthedayaftertheaident.”
“actually,ilayonthefloorofthebackseatwithablanketovere.butno-onewaslooking.iwenttoanitawhenshearrivedontheislandandtoldherthatihadtoescape.youguessedrightthaticonfidedinher.shehelpede,andshe’sbeenaloyalfriendalltheseyears.”
“whyaustralia？”
