“Isorry,Martin,butitwouldbeabreachofthatcontractifItoldyouanythingwithoutHenriksperission.”
“Iunderstand.”Suddenlyhesiled.“Henrikisabitofaconspiracyfanatic.Butaboveall,Idontwantyoutogethishopesupunnecessarily.”
“Iwontdothat.”
“GoodBytheway,tochangethesubject,wenowhaveanothercontracttoconsideraswell.GiventhatHenrikisilndcantintheshortterfulfilhisobligationsontheMillenniuboard,itsyresponsibilitytotakehispce.”
Mikaelwaited.
“Isupposeweshouldhaveaboardeetingtolookatthesituation.”
“Thatsagoodidea.ButasfarasIknow,itsbeendecidedthatthenextboardeetingwontbehelduntilAugust.”
“Iknowthat,butaybeweshouldholditearlier.”
Blokvistsiledpolitely.
“Yourereallytalkingtothewrongperson.AttheoentInotontheboard.IleftinDeceber.YoushouldgetintouchwithErikaBerger.SheknowsthatHenrikhasbeentakenill.”
MartinVangerhadnotexpectedthisresponse.
“Youreright,ofcourse.Illtalktoher.”HepattedBlokvistontheshouldertosaygoodbyeandwasgone.
Nothingconcretehadbeensaid,butthethreathungintheair.MartinVangerhadsetMillenniuonthebancetray.AfteraoentBlokvistpouredhiselfanotherdrinkandpickeduphisValMcDerid.
Theottledbrowncatcaetosayhelloandrubbedonhisleg.Heliftedherupandscratchedbehindherears.
“ThetwoofusarehavingaveryboringMidsuerEve,arentwe”hesaid.
Whenitstartedtorain,hewentinsideandwenttobed.Thecatpreferredtostayoutdoors.
SandergotoutherKawasakionMidsuerEveandspentthedaygivingitagoodoverhaul.Alightweight125ightnotbethetoughestbikeintheworld,butitwashers,andshecouldhandleit.Shehadrestoredit,onenutatatie,andshehadsoupeditupjustabitoverthelegalliit.
IntheafteoonsheputonherheletandleathersuitanddrovpelvikenNursingHoe,whereshespenttheeveningintheparkwithherother.Shefeltapangofconceandguilt.Herotherseeedorereotethaneverbefore.Duringthreehourstheyexchangedonlyafeords,andwhentheydidspeak,herotherdidnotseetoknohoshewastalkingto.
BlokvistwastedseveraldaystryingtoidentifythecarwiththeACptes.AfteralotoftroubleandfinallybyconsultingaretiredechanicinHedestad,hecaetotheconclusionthatthecarwasaFordAnglia,aodelthathehadneverheardofbefore.ThenhecontactedaclerkattheotorvehicledepartentandenquiredaboutthepossibilityofgettingalistofalltheFordAngliasin1966thathadalicenceptebeginningAC3.Hewaseventuallytoldthatsuchanarchaeologicalexcavationintherecordspresuablycouldbedone,butthatitwouldtaketieanditwasbeyondtheboundariesofwhatcouldbeconsideredpublicration.
NotuntilseveraldaysafterMidsuerdidBlokvistgetintohisborrowedVolvoanddrivenorthontheE4.Hedroveataleisurelypace.JustshortoftheHsandBridgehepedtohavecoffeeattheVesterlundpastryshop.
ThenextwasUe,wherehepulledintoaninnandhadthedailyspecial.HeboughtaroadatsandcontinuedontoSkellefte,wherehetuedtowardsNorsj.Hearrivedaround6:00intheeveningandtookaroointheHotelNorsj.
Hebeganhissearchearlythenextoing.TheNorsjCarpentryShasnotinthetelephone.ThePorHoteldeskclerk,agirlinhertwenties,hadneverheardofthebusiness.
“WhoshouldIask”
Theclerklookedpuzzledforafewsecondsuntilherfacelitupandshesaidthatshewouldcallherfather.TwoinutestershecaebackandexpinedthattheNorsjCarpentryShopclosedintheearlyeighties.Ifheneededtotalktosoeonewhokneworeaboutthebusiness,heshouldgoandseeacertainBuran,whohadbeentheforeanandwhonowlivedonastreetcalledSolvndan.
Norsjwasasalltownwithoneainstreet,appropriatelyenoughcalledStatan,thatranthroughthewholeunity.Itwaslinedwithshopswithresidentialsidestreetsoffit.Attheeastendtherewasasallindustriareaandastable；atthewesteendstoodanunonlybeautifulwoodenchurch.BlokvistnotedthatthevilgealsohadaMissionarychurchandaPentecostalchurch.Aposteronabulletinboardatthebusstationadvertisedahuntinguseuandaskiinguseu.AleftoverflyerannouncedthatVeronikawouldsingatthefairgroundsatMidsuer.Hecouldwalkfrooneendofthevilgetotheotherinlessthantwentyinutes.
ThestreetcalledSolvndanconsistedofsinglefailyhoesandwasaboutfiveinutesfrothehotel.TherewasnoanswerwhenBlokvistrangthebell.Itwas9:30,andheassuedthatBuranhadleftforworkor,ifhewasretired,wasoutonanerrand.
HisnextwasthehardwarestoreonStatan.HereasonedthatanyonelivinginNorsjwouldsoonerorterpayavisittothehardwarestore.Thereweretwosalesclerksintheshop.Blokvistchosetheolderone,aybefiftyorso.
“Hi.IlookingforacouplewhoprobablylivedinNorsjinthesixties.TheanighthaveworkedfortheNorsjCarpentryShop.Idontknowtheiae,butIhavetwopicturesthatweretakenin1966.”
Theclerkstudiedthephotographsforalongtiebutfinallyshookhishead,sayinghecouldnotrecogniseeithertheanorthewoan.
Atlunchtiehehadaburgeratahotdogstandnearthebusstation.Hehadgivenupontheshopsandhadadehiswaythroughtheunicipaloffice,thelibrary,andthepharacy.Thepolicestationwasepty,andhehadstartedapproachingolderpeopleatrando.Earlyintheafteoonheaskedtwoyoungwoen:theydidnotrecognisethecoupleinthephotographs,buttheydidhaveagoodidea.
“Ifthepicturesweretakenin1966,thepeoplewouldhavetobeintheirsixtiestoday.WhydontyougoovertotheretireenthoeonSolbackaandaskthere”
Blokvistintroducedhiselftoawoanatthefrontdeskoftheretireenthoe,expiningwhathewantedtoknow.Shegredathisuspiciouslybutfinallyallowedherselftobepersuaded.Sheledhitothedayroo,wherehespenthalfanhourshowingthepicturestoagroupofelderlypeople.Theywereveryhelpful,butnoneofthecouldidentifythecouple.
At5:00hewentbacktoSolvndanandknockedonBuransdoor.Thistiehehadbetterluck.TheBurans,boththeanandthewife,wereretired,andtheyhadbeenoutallday.TheyinvitedBlokvistintotheirkitchen,wherehiswifeproptlyadecoffeewhileMikaelexpinedhiserrand.Aswithallhisotheratteptsthatday,heagaindrewabnk.Buranscratchedhishead,litapipe,andthenconcludedafteraoentthathedidnotrecognisethecoupleinthephotographs.TheBuransspokeinadistinctNorsjdialecttoeachother,andBlokvistoasionallyhaddifficultyunderstandingwhattheyweresaying.Thewifeeant“curlyhair”whensherearkedthatthewoaninthepicturehadknvelhra.
“Butyourequiterightthatitsastickerfrothecarpentryshop,”herhusbandsaid.“Thatwascleverofyoutorecogniseit.Buttheproblewasthatwehandedoutthosestickersleftandright.Tocontractors,peoplewhoboughtordeliveredtiber,joiners,achinists,allsorts.”
“ItstuingouttobehardertofindthiscouplethanIthought.”
“Whydoyouwanttofindthe”
Blokvisthaddecidedtotellthetruthifanyoneaskedhi.Anyattepttoakeupastoryaboutthecoupleinthepictureswouldjustsoundfalseandcreateconfusion.
“Itsalongstory.IinvestigatingacriethatourredinHedestadin1966,andIthinktheresapossibility,althoughaverysallone,thatthepeopleinthephotographsighthaveseenwhathappened.Theyrenotinanywayundersuspicion,andIdontthinktheyreevenawarethattheyighthaverationthatcouldsolvethecrie.”
“AcrieWhatkindofcrie”
“Isorry,butIcanttellyouanyorethanthat.Iknowitsoundsarrethatsoeonewouldeherealostfortyyearster,tryingtofindthiscouple,butthecrieisstillunsolved,anditsonlytelythatnewfactshaveetolight.”
“Isee.Yes,thisiscertainlyanunusuassignentthatyoureon.”
“Howanypeopleworkedatthecarpentryshop”
“Thenoralworkforcewasfortyorso.Iworkedtherefrotheageofseventeenintheidfiftiesuntiltheshopclosed.ThenIbecaeacontractor.”Buranthoughtforaoent.“ThisuchIcantellyou.Theguyinyourpicturesneverworkedthere.Heighthavebeenacontractor,butIthinkIdrecognisehiifhewas.Butthereisoneotherpossibility.Maybehisfatherorsoeotherretiveworkedattheshopandthatsnothiscar.”
Mikaelnodded.“Irealisetherearelotsofpossibilities.CanyousuggestanyoneIcouldtalkto”
“Yes,”saidBuran,nodding.“ebytoorrowoingandwellgoandhaveatalkwithsoeoftheoldguys.”
Sanderwasfacingaethodologyprobleofsoesignificance.Shewasanexpertatdigginguprationonjustaboutanybody,butherstartingpointhadalwaysbeenanaeandasocialsecuritynuberforalivingperson.Iftheindividualwaslistedinaputerfile,whicheveryoneinevitablywas,thenthesubjectquicklyndedinherspidersweb.IftheindividualownedaputerwithanInterconnection,aneaiddress,andaybeevenapersonalwebsite,whichnearlyeveryonedidwhocaeunderherspecialtypeofresearch,shecouldsoonerorterfindouttheirinnerostsecrets.
TheworkshehadagreedtodoforBlokvistwasaltogetherdifferent.Thisassignent,insipleters,wastoidentifyfoursocialsecuritynubersbasedonextreelyvaguedata.Inaddition,theseindividualsostlikelydiedseveraldecadesago.Soprobablytheywouldnotbeonanyputerfiles.
Blokviststheory,basedontheRebeckaJacobssoncase,wasthattheseindividualshadfallenvictitoaurderer.Thiseantthattheyshouldbefoundinvariousunsolvedpoliceinvestigations.Therewasnoclueastowhenorwheretheseurdershadtakenpce,exceptthatithadtobebefore1966.Intersofresearch,shewasfacingawholenewsituation.
So,howdoIgoaboutthis
ShepulleduptheGooglesearchengine,andtypedinthekeywords.Thatwasthesiplestforofresearchshecoulddo.Tohersurprise,sheadeaninstantbreakthroughintheinvestigation.HerfirsthitwastheprograelistingsforTVVrndinKarlstad,advertisingasegentintheseries“VrndMurders”thatwasbroadcastin1999.AfterthatshefoundabriefentioninaTVlistinginVrndsFolkbd.
Intheseries“VrndMurders”thefocusnowtustoMagdaLovisaSjberginRanotrsk,agruesoeurderysterythatoupiedtheKarlstadpolicesev船说