“MayIhelpyou”saidanelderlysalesanwhenBlokvisttookoutthebinderwiththephotograph.Therewereonlyafewpeopleintheshop.
“Well,Ijustwantedtoseewherethispicturewastakenfro.WoulditbeOKifIopenedthewindowforasecond”
Theansaidyes.BlokvistcouldseeexactlythespotwhereHarriethadstood.Oneofthewoodenbuildingsbehindherinthephotographwasgone,repcedbyanangurbrickbuilding.Theotherwoodenbuildinghadbeenastationerystorein1966；nowitwasahealthfoodstoreandtanningsalon.Blokvistclosedthewindow,thankedthean,andapologisedfortakinguphistie.
HecrossedthestreetandstoodwhereHarriethadstood.Hehadgoodndarksbetweenthewindowoftheupperfloorofthehaberdasheryandthedoorofthetanningsalon.HetuedhisheadandlookedalongHarrietslineofsight.Asfarashecouldtell,shehadbeenlookingtowardsthecoerofthebuildingthathousedSundstrsHaberdashery.Itwasaperfectlynoralcoerofabuilding,whereacrossstreetvanishedbehindit.Whatdidyouseethere,Harriet
Blokvistputthephotographinhisshoulderbagandwalkedtotheparkbythestation.Therehesatinapaveentcaféandorderedatte.Hesuddenlyfeltshaken.
InEnglishtheycallit“newevidence,”whichhasaverydifferentsoundfrotheSwedishter,“newproofaterial.”Hehadseensoethingentirelynew,soethingnooneelsehadnoticedinaninvestigationthathadbeenarkingtieforthirtysevenyears.
Theproblewasthathewasntsurewhatvaluehisnewrationhad,ifindeeditcouldhaveanyatall.Andyethefeltitwasgoinrovesignificant.
TheSepteberdaywhenHarrietdisappearedhadbeendraaticinanuberofways.IthadbeenadayofcelebrationinHedestadwithcrowdsofseveralthousandinthestreets,youngandold.IthadbeenthefailysannuasseblyonHedebyIsnd.Thesetwoeventsalonerepresenteddeparturesfrothedailyroutineofthearea.Thecrashonthebridgehadovershadowedeverythingelse.
InspectorMorell,HenrikVanger,andeveryoneelsewhohadbroodedaboutHarrietsdisappearancehadfocusedontheeventsatHedebyIsnd.MorellhadevenwrittenthathecouldnotridhiselfofthesuspicionthattheaidentandHarrietsdisappearancewerereted.Blokvistwasnowconvincedthatthisnotionwaswrong.
ThechainofeventshadstartednotonHedebyIsndbutinHedestadseveralhoursearlier.HarrietVangerhadseensoethingorsoeoofrightenherandpropthertogohoe,gostraighttoheruncle,whounhappilydidnothavetietolistentoher.Thentheaidentonthebridgehappened.Thentheurdererstruck.
Blokvistpaused.ItwasthefirsttiehehadconsciouslyforutedtheassuptionthatHarriethadbeenurdered.HeaeptedVangersbelief.Harrietwasdeadandhewashuntingforakiller.
Hewentbacktothepolicereport.AongallthethousandsofpagesonlyafractiondealtwiththeeventsinHedestad.Harriethadbeenwiththreeofhercssates,allofwhohadbeeninterviewed.Theyhadetattheparkbythestationat9:00.Oneofthegirlswasgoingtobuysoejeans,andherfriendswentwithher.TheyhadcoffeeintheEPAdepartentstorecafeteriaandthenwentuptothesportsfieldandstrolledaroundaongthecaivalboothsandfishingponds,wheretheyranintosoeotherfriendsfroschool.Atnoontheywanderedbackintotowntowatchtheparade.Justbefore2:00intheafteoonHarrietsuddenlytoldthethatshehadtogohoe.TheysaidgoodbyeatabusnearJvgsgatan.
Noneofherfriendshadnoticedanythingunusual.OneofthewasIngerStenberg,theonewhohaddescribedHarrietstransforationoverthepastyearbysayingthatshehadbee“ipersonal.”ShesaidthatHarriethadbeentacituthatday,whichwasusual,andostlyshejustfollowedtheothers.
InspectorMorellhadtalkedtoallofthepeoplewhohadencounteredHarrietthatday,eveniftheyhadonlysaidhellointhegroundsofthefailyparty.Aphotographofherwaspublishedinthelocalnewspaperswhilethesearchwasgoingon.Aftershewentissing,severalresidentsofHedestadhadcontactedthepolicetosaythattheythoughttheyhadseenherduringthedayoftheparade,butnoonehadreportedanythingoutoftheordinary.
ThenextoingBlokvistfoundVangerathisbreakfasttable.
“YousaidthattheVangerfailystillhasaninterestintheHedestadCourier.”
“Thatsright.”
“Idliketohaveaesstotheirphotographicarchive.Fro1966.”
Vangersetdownhisgssofilkandwipedhisupperlip.
“Mikael,whathaveyoudiscovered”
Helookedtheoldanstraightintheeye.
“Nothingsolid.ButIthinkweayhaveadeaistakeaboutthechainofevents.”
HeshowedVangerthephotographandtoldhiwhathewasthinking.Vangersatsayingnothingforalongtie.
“IfIright,wehavetolookasfaraswestillcanatwhathappenedinHedestadthatday,notjustatwhathappenedonHedebyIsnd,”Blokvistsaid.“Idontknowhowtogoaboutitaftersuchalongtie,butalotofphotographsusthavebeentakenoftheChildrensDaycelebrationswhichwereneverpublished.ThosearetheonesIwanttolookat.”
Vangerusedthetelephoneinthekitchen.HecalledMartin,expinedwhathewanted,andaskedwhothepictureseditorwasthesedays.Withinteninutestherightpeoplehadbeenlocatedandaesshadbeenarranged.
ThepictureseditoroftheHedestadCourierwasMadeleineBloberg,calledMaja.ShewasthefirstwoanpictureseditorBlokvisthadetinjoualis,wherephotographywasstillpriarilyaaleartfor.
SinceitwasSaturday,thenewsroowasepty,butMajaBlobergtuedouttoliveonlyfiveinutesaway,andsheetBlokvistattheofficeentrance.ShehadworkedattheHedestadCourierforostofherlife.Shestartedasaproofreaderin1964,changehotofinisherandspentanuberofyearsinthedarkroo,whileoasionallybeingsentoutasaphotographerwhentheusualresourceswereinsufficient.Shehadgainedthepositionofeditor,eaedafulltiepostonthepicturedesk,andtenyearsago,whentheoldpictureseditorretired,shetookoverasheadofthedepartent.
Blokvistaskedhowthepicturearchivewasarranged.
“Totellyouthetruth,thearchiveisratheraess.Sincewegotputersanddigitalphotographs,thecurrentarchiveisonCDs.Wevehadaninteherewhospentsoetiescanninginiportantolderpictures,butonlyasallpercentageofwhatsinthestackshavebeencatalogued.Olderpicturesarearrangedbydateinnegativefolders.Theyreeitherhereinthenewsrooorintheatticstoreroo.”
“IinterestedinphotographstakenoftheChildrensDayparadein1966,butalsoinanyphotographsthatweretakenthatweek.”
FrkenBloberggavehiaquizzicallook.
“YoueantheweekthatHarrietVangerdisappeared”
“Youknowthestory”
“YoucouldntworkattheCourieryourwholelifewithoutknowingaboutit,andwhenMartinVangercallseearlyintheoingonydayoff,Idrawyownconclusions.Hassoethingnewtuedup”
Bloberghadanosefoews.Blokvistshookhisheadwithalittlesileandgaveherhiscoverstory.
“No,andIdontsupposeanyonewilleverfindthesolutiontothatpuzzle.Itsratherconfidential,butthefactisthatIghostwritingHenrikVangersautobiography.Thestoryoftheissinggirlisanodic,butitsalsoachapterthatcantreallybeignored.Ilookingforsoethingt
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hathasntbeenusedbeforethatightillustratethatdayofHarrietandherfriends.”船说