Asthenegativereportscaein,itbecaeincreasinglylikelythatHarrietVangerhadfallenvictitosoesortofisfortune.Thistheoryendedupdoinatingtheinvestigativeworkofthefollowingdays.
Thebigsearchpartytwodaysafterherdisappearancewasapparently,asfarasBlokvistcouldtell,carriedouteffectively.Policeandfirefighterswhohadexperiencewithsiiroperationshadanisedthesearch.HedebyIsnddidhavesoepartsthatwerealostinaessible,butitwasneverthelessasalrea,andtheisndwassearchedwithafoothbinoneday.ApoliceboatandtwovolunteerPetterssonboatsdidwhattheycouldtosearchthewatersaroundtheisnd.
Onthefollowingdaythesearchwascontinuedwithdecreasedanpower.Patrolsweresentouttoakeasecondsweepoftheparticurlyruggedterrain,aswelsanareaknownas“thefortress”anowabandonedbunkersystethatwasbuiltduringtheSecondWorldWar.Thatdaytheyalsosearchedcubbyholes,wells,vegetablecelrs,outhouses,andatticsinthevilge.
Acertainfrustrationcouldbereadintheofficialnoteswhenthesearchwascalledoffonthethirddayafterthegirlsdisappearance.Morellwas,ofcourse,notyetawareofit,butatthatoenthehadactuallyreachedasfarintheinvestigationashewouldeverget.Hewaspuzzledandstruggledtoidentifythenaturalnextsteporanypcewherethesearchoughttobepursued.HarrietVangerseeedtohavedissolvedintothinair,andHenrikVangersyearsoftorenthadbegun.
CHAPTER9
Monday,January6–Wednesday,January8
BlokvistkeptreadinguntilthesallhoursanddidnotgetupuntilteonEpiphanyDay.Anavyblue,teodelVolvowasparkedoutsideVangershouse.Evenashereachedforthedoorhandle,thedoorwasopenedbyaanonhiswayout.Theyalostcollided.Theanseeedtobeinahurry.
“YesCanIhelpyou”
“IheretoseeHenrikVanger,”Blokvistsaid.
Theanseyesbrightened.Hesiledandstuckouthishand.“YouustbeMikaelBlokvist,theonewhosgoingtohelpHenrikwiththefailychronicle,right”
Theyshookhands.VangerhadapparentlybegunspreadingBlokvistscoverstory.Theanwasoverweighttheresult,nodoubt,oftooanyyearsofnegotiatinginofficesandconferenceroosbutBlokvistnoticedatoncethelikeness,thesiiritybetweenhisfaceandHarrietVangers.
“IMartinVanger,”theansaid.“WeletoHedestad.”
“Thankyou.”
“IsawyouonTVawhileago.”
“EverybodyseestohaveseeneonTV.”
“Wennerstrisnotverypopurinthishouse.”
“Henrikentionedthat.Iwaitingtoheartherestofthestory.”
“Hetoldeafewdaysagothathedhiredyou.”MartinVangerughed.“HesaiditwasprobablybecauseofWennerstrthatyoutookthejobuphere.”
Blokvisthesitatedbeforedecidingtotellthetruth.“Thatwasoneiportantreason.Buttobehonest,IneededtogetawayfroStockhol,andHedestadcroppedupattherightoent.AtleastIthinkso.Icantpretendthatthecourtcaseneverhappened.Andanyway,Igoingtohavetogrison.”
MartinVangeodded,suddenlyserious.“Canyouappeal”
“Itwontdoanygood.”
Vangergncedathiswatch.
“IhavetobeinStockholtonight,soIusthurryaway.Illbebackinafewdays.eoverandhavedinner.Idreallyliketohearwhatactuallywentonduringthattrial.Henrikisupstairs.Gorightin.”
VangerwassittingonasofainhisofficewherehehadtheHedestadCourier,DagensIndustri,SvenskaDagbdet,andbothnationaleveningpapersonthecoffeetable.
“IranintoMartinoutside.”
“Rushingofftosavetheepire,”Vangersaid.“Coffee”
“Yes,please.”Blokvistsatdown,wonderingwhyVangerlookedsoaused.
“Youreentionedinthepaper.”
Vangershovedacrossoneoftheeveningpapers,openatapagewiththeheadline“MediaShortCircuit.”ThearticlewaswrittenbyacolunistwhohadpreviouslyworkedforMonopolyFinancialMagazine,akinganaeforhiselfasonewhocheerfullyridiculedeveryonewhofeltpassionateaboutanyissueorwhostucktheieckout.Feinists,antiracists,andenvironentactivistscouldallreckononreceivingtheirshare.Thewriterwasnotknownforespousingasingleconvictionofhisown.Now,severalweeksafterthetrialintheWennerstraffair,hewasbringinghisfiretobearonMikaelBlokvist,whohedescribedasapleteidiot.ErikaBergerwasportrayedasaninpetentediabibo:
AruouriscircutingthatMillenniuisonthevergeofcolpseinspiteofthefactthattheeditorinchiefisafeinistwhowearsiniskirtsandpoutsherlipsonTV.Forseveralyearstheagazinehassurvivedontheiagethathasbeensuessfullyarketedbytheeditorsyoungreporterswhoundertakeinvestigativejoualisandexposethescoundrelsofthebusinessworld.Thisadvertisingtrickayworkwithyounganarchistswhowanttohearjustsuchaessage,butitdoesntwashinthedistrictcourt.AsKalleBlokvistrecentlyfoundout.
BlokvistswitchedonhisobileandcheckedtoseeifhehadanycallsfroBerger.Therewerenoessages.Vangerwaitedwithoutsayinganything.Blokvistrealisedthattheoldanwasallowinghitobreakthesilence.
“Hesaoron,”Blokvistsaid.
Vangerughed,buthesaid:“Thataybe.Buthesnottheonewhowassentencedbythecourt.”
“Thatstrue.Andheneverwillbe.Heneversaysanythingoriginal；healwaysjustjupsonthebandwagonandcaststhefinalstoneintheostdaagingtershecangetawaywith.”
“Ivehadanyeneiesovertheyears.IftheresohingIveleaed,itsneverengageinafightyouresuretolose.Ontheotherhand,neverletanyonewhohasinsultedyougetawaywithit.Bideyourtieandstrikebackwhenyoureinapositionofstrengthevenifyounolongeeedtostrikeback.”
“Thankyouforyourwis船说