船说 “Itwasahorrificevent.”
“Morethanthat.Itruinedylife.ThatssoethingIvebeeoreawareofastiehaspassed.Doyouhaveagoodsenseofyourself”
“Ithinkso,yes.”
“Idotoo.Icantfetwhathappened.Butyotiveshavechangedovertheyears.Atfirstitwasprobablygrief.Iwantedtofindherandatleasthaveachancetoburyher.ItwasaboutgettingjusticeforHarriet.”
“Inwhatwayhasthatchanged”
“Nowitsoreaboutfindingthebastardwhodidit.Butthefunnythingis,theolderIget,theoreofanalbsorbinghobbyithasbee.”
“Hobby”
“Yes,Iwouldusethatword.WhenthepoliceinvestigationpeteredoutIkeptgoing.Ivetrieroceedsysteaticallyandscientifically.Ivegatheredalltherationthatcouldpossiblybefoundthephotographs,thepolicereport,Ivewrittendowneverythingpeopletoldeaboutwhattheyweredoingthatday.SoineffectIvespentalosthalfylifecollectingrationaboutasingleday.”
“Yourealise,Isuppose,thatafterthirtysixyearsthekillerhiselfightbedeadandburied”
“Idontbelievethat.”
Blokvistraisedhiseyebrowsattheconvictioninhisvoice.
“Letsfinishdinnerandgobackupstairs.Theresoneoredetailbeforeystoryisdone.Anditstheostperplexingofall.”
SanderparkedtheCorolwiththeautoatictransissionbytheuterrailwaystationinSundbyberg.ShehadborrowedtheToyotafroMiltonSecuritysotorpool.Shehadnotexactlyaskedperission,butAranskyhadneverexpresslyforbiddenherfrousingMiltonscars.Soonerorter,shethought,Ihavetogetavehicleofyown.ShedidownasecondhandKawasaki125,whichsheusedinthesuertie.Duringthewinterthebikewaslockedinhercelr.
ShewalkedtoHgklintavgenandrangthebelt6:00onthedot.SecondsterthelockonthestreetdoorclickedandshewentuptwoflightsandrangthedoorbellnexttothenaeofSvensson.ShehadnoideawhoSvenssonightbeorifanysuchpersonevenlivedinthatapartent.
“Hi,Pgue,”shesaid.
“Wasp.Youonlypopinwhenyouneedsoething.”
Asusual,itwasdarkintheapartent；thelightfroasinglepseepedoutintothehallfrothebedrooheusedasanoffice.Thean,whowasthreeyearsolderthanSander,wassixfoottwoandweighed330pounds.Sheherselfwasfourfeetelevenandweighed90poundsandhadalwaysfeltlikeaidgetnexttoPgue.Thepceselledstuffyandstale.
“Itsbecauseyounevertakeabath,Pgue.Itsellslikeaonkeyhouseinhere.IfyoueverwentoutIcouldgiveyousoetipsonsoap.TheyhaveitattheKonsu.”
Hegaveherawansile,butsaidnothing.Heotionedhertofollowhiintothekitchen.Heploppeddownonachairbythekitchentablewithouttuingonalight.Theonlyilluinationcaefrothestreetlightbeyondthewindow.
“Iean,Iaynotholdtherecordincleaninghouseeither,butifIvegotoldilkcartonsthatselllikeaggotsIbundletheupandputtheout.”
“Ionadisabilitypension,”hesaid.“Isociallyinpetent.”
“Sothatswhythegoveentgaveyouapcetoliveandfotaboutyou.ArentyoueverafraidthatyoueighboursaregoinintotheinspectorsThenyouightfetchupinthefunnyfar.”
“Haveyousoethingfore”
Sanderunzippedherjacketpocketandhandedhifivethousandkronor.
“ItsallIcanspare.Itsyownoney,andIcantreallydeductyouasadependant.”
“Whatdoyouwant”
“Theelectroniuffyoutalkedabouttwoonthsago.Didyougetit”
Hesiledandidaboxonthetable.
“Showehowitworks.”
Forthenextfewinutesshelistenedintently.Thenshetestedthecuff.Pgueightbeasocialinpetent,buthewasunquestionablyagenius.
VangerwaiteduntilheonceorehadBlokvistsattention.Blokvistlookedathiswatchandsaid,“Oneperplexingdetail.”
Vangersaid:“IwasboonNoveber1.WhenHarrietwaseightshegaveeabirthdaypresent,apressedflower,fraed.”
Vangerwalkedaroundthedeskandpointedtothefirstflower.Bluebell.Ithadanaateurishounting.
“Thatwasthefirst.Igotitin1958.”Hepointedtothenextone.“1959.”Buttercup.“1960.”Daisy.“Itbecaeatradition.Shewouldakethefraesoetieduringthesuerandsaveituntilybirthday.Ialwayshungtheonthewallinthisroo.In1966shedisappearedandthetraditionwasbroken.”
Vangerpointedtoagapintherowoffraes.Blokvistfeltthehairsriseonthebackofhisneck.Thewallwasfilledwithpressedflowers.
“1967,ayearaftershedisappeared,Ireceivedthisfloweronybirthday.Itsaviolet.”
“Howdidthefloweretoyou”
“WrappedinwhattheycallgiftpaperandpostedinapaddedenvelopefroStockhol.Noretuaddress.Noessage.”
“Youeanthat”Blokvistadeasweepinggesture.
“Precisely.Onybirthdayeverydanyear.DoyouknowhowthatfeelsItsdirectedate,preciselyasiftheurdererwantstotorturee.IveworriedyselfsickoverwhetherHarrietighthavebeentakenawaybecausesoeonewantedtogetate.ItwasnosecretthatsheandIhadaspecialretionshipandthatIthoughtofherasyowndaughter.”
“Sowhatisityouwantetodo”Blokvistsaid.
WhenSanderretuedtheCoroltothegarageunderMiltonSecurity,sheadesuretogotothetoiletupstairsintheoffice.Sheusedhercardkeyinthedoorandtooktheliftstraightuptothethirdfloortoavoidgoinginthroughtheainentranceonthesecondfloor,wherethedutyofficerworked.SheusedthetoiletandgotacupofcoffeefrotheespressoachihatAranskyhadboughtwhenatlongstherecognisedthatSanderwouldneverakecoffeejustbecauseitwasexpectedofher.Thenshewenttoherofficeandhungherleatherjacketoverthebackofherchair.
Theofficewasa612by10footgsscubicle.TherewasadeskwithanoldodelDelldesPC,atelephone,oneofficechair,aetalwastepaperbasket,andashelf.Theshelfcontainedanassortentofdirectoriesandthreebnknotes.Thetwodeskdrawershousedsoeballpoints,paperclips,andanote.Onthewindowsillstoodapottedpntwithbrown,witheredleaves.Sanderlookedthoughtfullyatthepnt,asifitwerethefirsttieshehadseenit,thenshedepositeditfirlyinthewastepaperbasket.
Sheseldohadanythingtodoinherofficeandvisiteditnoorethanhalfadozentiesayear,ainlywhensheneededtositbyherselfandprepareareportjustbeforehandingitin.Aranskyhadinsistedthatshehaveherownspace.Hisreasoningwasthatshewouldthenfeellikepartofthepanyalthoughsheworkedasafreencer.ShesuspectedthatAranskyhopedthatthiswayhewouldhaveachancetokeepaneyeonherandeddleinheraffairs.Atfirstshehadbeengivenspacefartherdownthecorridor,inargerroothatshewasexpectedtosharewithacolleague.ButsinceshewasneverthereAranskyfinallyovedherintothecubbyholeattheendofthecorridor.
Sandertookoutthecuff.Shelookedatit,editativelybitingherlowerlip.
Itwaspast11:00andshewasaloneonthefloor.Shesuddenlyfeltexcruciatinglybored.
AfterawhileshegotupandwalkedtotheendofthehalndtriedthedoortoAranskysoffice.Locked.Shelookedaround.ThechancesofanyouingupinthecorridoraroundidnightonDeceber26werealostnonexistent.Sheopenedthedoorwithapiratecopyofthepanyscardkey,whichshehadtakenthetroubletoakeseveralyearsbefore.
Aranskysofficewasspacious:infrontofhisdeskwereguestchairs,andaconferencetablewithrooforeightpeoplewasinthecoer.Itwasipeablyneat.Shehadnotsnoopedinhisofficeforquitesoetie,butnowthatshewashereShespentawhileathisdesktobringherselfuptodateregardingthesearchforasuspectedoleinthepany,whichofhercolleagueshadbeenpntedundercoverinafirwhereatheftringwasoperating,andwhateasureshadbeentakeninallsecrecrotectaclientwhowasafraidherchildwasindangerofbeingkidnappedbythefather.
Atstsheputthepapersbackpreciselythewaytheywere,lockedAranskysdoor,andwalkedhoe.Shefeltsatisfiedwithherday.
“Idontknohetherwellfindoutthetruth,butIrefusetogotoygravewithoutgivingitonesttry,”theoldansaid.“Isiplywanttoissionyoutogothroughalltheevidenceonesttie.”
“Thisiscrazy,”Blokvistsaid.
“Whyisitcrazy”
“Iveheardenough.Henrik,Iunderstandyourgrief,butIhavetobehonestwithyou.Whatyoureaskingetodoisawasteofytieandyouroney.Youareaskingetoconjureupasolutiontoaysterythatthepoliceandexperiencedinvestigatorswithconsiderablygreaterresourceshavefailedtosolvealltheseyears.Youreaskingetosolveacriegettingonforfortyyearsafteritwasitted.HowcouldIpossiblydothat”
“Wehaventdiscussedyourfee,”Vangersaid.
“Thatwontbenecessary.”
“Icantforceyou,butlistentowhatIoffering.Frodehasalreadydrawnupacontract.Wecannegotiatethedetails,butthecontractissiple,andallitneedsisyoursignature.”
“Henrik,thisisabsurd.IreallydontbelieveIcansolvetheysteryofHarrietsdisappearance.”