“Youdid”
“Ohyes.Rebeckawasonourclericalstaff,apopurgirndveryattractive.Butwhyareyouasking”
“Inotsure,Henrik,butIaybeontosoething.Igoingtohavetothinkthisthrough.”
“AreyousuggestingthattheresaconnectionbetweenHarrietandRebeckaTherewerealostseventeenyearsseparatingthetwo.”
“LetedoythinkingandIllebackandseeyoutoorrowifyourefeelingbetter.”
BlokvistdidnotseeVangerthefollowingday.Justbefore1:00a..hewasstiltthekitchentable,readingHarrietsBible,whenheheardthesoundofacarakingitswayathighspeedacrossthebridge.Helookedoutthewindowandsawthefshingbluelightsofanabunce.
Filledwithforeboding,heranoutside.TheabunceparkedbyVangershouse.Onthegroundfloorallthelightswereon.HedasheduptheporchstepsintwoboundsandfoundashakenAnnainthehall.
“Itshisheart,”shesaid.“Hewokeealittlewhileago,piningofpainsinhischest.Thenhecolpsed.”
Blokvistputhisarsaroundthehousekeeper,andhewasstilltherewhentheedicscaeoutwithanunconsciousVangeronastretcher.MartinVanger,lookingdecidedlystressed,walkedbehind.HehadbeeninbedwhenAnnacalled.Hisbarefeetwerestuckinapairofslippers,andhehadntzippedhisfly.HegaveMikaebriefgreetingandthentuedtoAnna.
“Illgowithhitothehospital.CallBirgerandseeifyoucanreachCeciliainLondonintheoing,”hesaid.“AndtellDirch.”
“IcangotoFrodeshouse,”Blokvistsaid.Annanoddedgratefully.
IttookseveralinutesbeforeasleepyFrodeansweredBlokvistsringathisdoor.
“Ihavebadnews,Dirch.Henrikhasbeentakentothehospital.Itseestobeaheartattack.Martinwantedetotellyou.”
“GoodLord,”Frodesaid.Hegncedathiswatch.“ItsFridaythethirteenth,”hesaid.
Notuntilthenextoing,afterhedhadabrieftalkwithDirchFrodeonhisobileandbeenassuredthatVangerwasstillive,didhecallBergerwiththenewsthatMillenniusnewpartnerhadbeentakentothehospitalwithaheartattack.Inevitably,thenewswasreceivedwithglooandanxiety.
LateintheeveningFrodecaetoseehiandgivehithedetailsaboutHenrikVangerscondition.
“Hesalive,buthesnotdoingwell.Hehadaseriousheartattack,andhesalsosufferingfroaninfection.”
“Haveyouseenhi”
“No.Hesinintensivecare.MartinandBirgeraresittingwithhi.”
“Whatarehischances”
Frodewavedahandbackandforth.
“Hesurvivedtheattack,andthatsagoodsign.Henrikisinexcellentcondition,buthesold.Welljusthavetowait.”
Theysatinsilence,deepinthought.Blokvistadecoffee.Frodelookedwretchedlyunhappy.
“Ineedtoaskyouaboutwhatsgoingtohappennow,”Blokvistsaid.
Frodelookedup.
“Theconditionsofyoureployentdontchange.Theyrestiputedinacontractthatrunsuntiltheendofthisyear,whetherHenriklivesordies.Youdonthavetoworry.”
“No,thatsnotwhatIeant.IwonderingwhoIreporttoinhisabsence.”
Frodesighed.
“Mikael,youknowaswelsIdothatthiswholestoryaboutHarrietisjustapastieforHenrik.”
“Dontsaythat,Dirch.”
“Whatdoyouean”
“Ivefoundnewevidence,”Blokvistsaid.“ItoldHenrikaboutsoeofityesterday.Iveryuchafraidthatitayhavehelpedtobringonhisheartattack.”
Frodelookedathiwithastrangeexpression.
“Yourejoking,youustbe”
Blokvistshookhishead.
“OverthepastfewdaysIvefoundsignificantateriaboutHarrietsdisappearance.WhatIworriedaboutisthatweneverdiscussedwhoIshouldreporttoifHenrikisnolongerhere.”
“Youreporttoe.”
“OK.Ihavetogoonwiththis.CanIputyouinthepicturerightnow”
Blokvistdescribedwhathehadfoundasconciselyaspossible,andheshowedFrodetheseriesofpicturesfroJvgsgatan.Thenheexpinedhowhisowndaughterhadunlockedtheysteryofthenaesinthedate.Finally,heproposedtheconnection,ashehadforVangerthedaybefore,withtheurderofRebeckaJacobssonin1949,R.J.
TheonlythinghekepttohiselfwasCeciliaVangersfaceinHarrietswindow.Hehadtotalktoherbeforeheputherinapositionwheresheightbesuspectedofsoething.
Frodesbroascreasedwithconce.
“YoureallythinkthattheurderofRebeckahassoethingtodowithHarrietsdisappearance”
“Itseesunlikely,Iagree,butthefactreainsthatHarrietwrotetheinitialsR.J.inherdatenexttothereferencetotheOldTestaentwaboutbutofferings.RebeckaJacobssonwasbuedtodeath.OneconnectionwiththeVangerfailyisinescapablesheworkedforthecorporation.”
“ButwhatistheconnectionwithHarriet”
“Idontknowyet.ButIwanttofindout.IwilltellyoueverythingIwouldhavetoldHenrik.Youhavetoakethedecisionsforhi.”
“Perhapsweoughttorthepolice.”
“No.AtleastnotwithoutHenriksblessing.ThestatuteofliitationshaslongsincerunoutinthecaseofRebecka,andthepoliceinvestigationwasclosed.Theyrenotgoingtoreopenaninvestigationfiftyfouryearster.”
“Allright.Whatareyougoingtodo”
Blokvistpacedaparoundthekitchen.
“First,Iwanttofollowupthephotographlead.IfwecouldseewhatitwasthatHarrietsawitightbethekey.IneedacartogotoNorsjandfollowthatlead,whereverittakese.Andalso,IwanttoresearcheachoftheLeviticusverses.Wehaveoneconnectiontooneurder.Wehavefourverses,possiblyfourotherclues.TodothisIneedsoehelp.”
“Whatkindofhelp”
“IreallyneedaresearchassistantwiththepatiencetogothrougholdnewspaperarchivestofindMagdaandSaraandtheotheaes.IfIrightinthinkingthatRebeckawasnttheonlyvicti.”
“Youeanyouwanttoletsoeoneelseinon”
“Theresalotofworkthathastobedoneandinahurry.IfIwereapoliceofficerinvolvedinanactiveinvestigation,Icoulddivideupthehoursandresourcesandgetpeopletodigfore.Ineedaprofessionalwhoknowsarchiveworkandwhocanbetrusted.”
“Iunderstand.ActuallyIbelieveIknowofanexpertresearcher,”saidFrode,andbeforehecouldhiself,headded,“Shewastheonewhodidthebackgroundinvestigationonyou.”
“Whodidwhat”Blokvistsaid.
“Iwasthinkingoutloud,”Frodesaid.“Itsnothing.”Igettingold,hethought.
“Youhadsoeonedoaninvestigationone”
“Itsnothingdraatic,Mikael.Wewantedtohireyou,andwejustdidacheckonwhatsortofpersonyouwere.”
“SothatswhyHenrikalwaysseestoknowexactlywherehehase.Howthoroughwasthisinvestigation”
“Itwasquitethorough.”
“DiditlookintoMillenniusprobles”
Frodeshrugged.“Ithadabearing.”
Blokvistlitacigarette.Itwashisfifthoftheday.
“Awrittenreport”
“Mikael,itsnothingtogetworkedupabout.”
“Iwanttoreadthereport,”hesaid.
“Oheon,theresnothingoutoftheordinaryaboutthis.Wewantedtocheckuponyoubeforewehiredyou.”
“Iwanttoreadthereport,”Mikaelrepeated.
“Icouldntauthorisethat.”
“ReallyThenhereswhatIsaytoyou:eitherIhavethatreportinyhandswithinthehour,orIquit.IlltaketheeveningtrainbacktoStockhol.Whereisthereport”
Thetwoeneyedeachotherforseveralseconds.ThenFrodesighedandlookedaway.
“Inyoffice,athoe.”
Frodehadputupaterriblefuss.Itwasnotuntil6:00thateveningthatBlokvisthadLisbethSandersreportinhishand.Itwasalosteightypageslong,plusdozensofphotocopiedarticles,certificates,andotherrecordsofthedetailsofhislifeandcareer.
Itwasastrangeexperiencetoreadabouthiselfinwhatwaspartbiographyandpartintelligencereport.Hewasincreasinglyastonishedathowdetailedthereportwas.Sanderhaddugupfactsthathethoughthadbeenlongburiedinthepostofhistory.ShehadduguphisyouthfulretionshithawoanwhohadbeenafingSyndicalistandwhowasnowapolitician.WhointheworldhadshetalkedtoShehadfoundhisrockbandBootstrap,whichsurelynooodaywouldreeber.Shehadscrutinisedhisfinancesdowntothestre.Howthehellhadshedoneit
Asajoualist,Blokvisthadspentanyyearshuntingdownrationaboutpeople,andhecouldjudgethequalityoftheworkfroapurelyprofessionalstandpoint.TherewasnodoubtthatthisSanderwasonehellofaninvestigator.Hedoubtedthatevenhecouldhaveproducedaparablereportonanyindividualpletelyunknowntohi.
ItalsodawnedonhithattherehadneverbeenanyreasonforhiandBergertokeeptheirdistanceinVangerspresence；healreadyknewoftheirlongstandingretionship.ThereportcaeithadisturbinglypreciseappraisalofMillenniusfinancialposition；VangerknewjusthowshakythingswerewhenhefirstcontactedBerger.Whatsortofgaewashepying
TheWennerstraffairwaserelysuarised,butwhoeverwrotethereporthadobviouslybeenaspectatorinco船说