船说 “IwontbegoingbacktoMillenniuseditorialboardbeforeIfinishedwiththeassignentthatHenrikgavee.IringyouofthisnowsothatyouwontcountonebeingontheboardbeforeNewYears.”
MartinVangerteeteredbackandforthforabit.
“Isee.YouthinkIwanttogetridofyou.”Hepaused.“Mikael,wellhavetotalkaboutthister.IdontreallyhavetietodevotetoyhobbyonMillenniusboard,andIwishIdneveragreedtoHenriksproposal.ButbelieveeIgoingtodoybesttoakesurethatMillenniusurvives.”
“Iveneverhadanydoubtaboutthat,”Blokvistsaid.
“IfweakeanappointentforsoetienextweekwecangooverthefinancesandIcangiveyouyviewsontheatter.ButybasicattitudeisthatMillenniucannotactuallyaffordtohaveoneofitskeypeoplesittinguphereonHedebyIsndtwiddlinghisthubs.IliketheagazineandIthinkwecanakeitstrongertogether,butyourecrucialtothattask.Ivewoundupinaconflictofloyaltieshere.EitherIfollowHenrikswishesorcarryoutyjobonMillenniusboard.”
BlokvistchangedintohistracksuitandwentforarunouttotheFortressanddowntoGottfriedscabinbeforeheheadedhoeataslowerpacealongthewater.Frodewassittingatthegardentable.HewaitedpatientlyasMikaeldrankabottleofwaterandtowelledthesweatfrohisface.
“Thatdoesntlooksohealthyinthisheat.”
“Oh,eon,”Blokvistsaid.
“Iwaswrong.CeciliaisnttheainpersonwhosafterMartin.ItsIsabel.ShesbusyobilisingtheVangercntotarandfeatheryouandpossiblybuyouatthestaketoo.ShesbeingbackedupbyBirger.”
“Isabel”
“Shesaalicious,pettywoanwhodoesntlikeotherpeopleingeneral.Rightnowitseesthatshedetestsyouinparticur.ShesspreadingstoriesthatyoureaswindlerwhodupedHenrikintohiringyou,andthatyougothisoworkedupthathehadaheartattack.”
“Ihopenoonebelievesthat”
“Theresalwayssoeonewillingtobelievealiciousruours.”
“Itryingtoworkoutwhathappenedtoherdaughterandshehatese.IfHarrietwereydaughter,Iwouldhavereactedabitdifferently.”
At2:00intheafteoon,hisobilerang.
“Hello,ynaeisConnyTorssonandIworkattheHedestadCourier.DoyouhavetietoanswerafewquestionsWegotatipthatyourelivinghereinHedeby.”
“Well,HerrTorsson,yourtipachineisalittleslow.Ivebeenlivingheresincethefirstoftheyear.”
“Ididntknowthat.WhatareyoudoinginHedestad”
“Writing.Andtakingasortofsabbatical.”
“Whatareyouworkingon”
“YoullfindoutwhenIpublishit.”
“Youwerejustreleasedfroprison”
“Yes”
“Doyouhaveaviewonjoualistswhofalsifyaterial”
“Joualistswhofalsifyateriareidiots.”
“Soinyouropinionyoureanidiot”
“WhyshouldIthinkthatIveneverfalsifiedaterial.”
“Butyouwereconvictedoflibel.”
“So”
TorssonhesitatedlongenoughthatBlokvisthadtogivehiapush.
“Iwasconvictedoflibel,notoffalsifyingaterial.”
“Butyoupublishedtheaterial.”
“Ifyourecallingtodiscussthejudgeentagainste,Ihavenoent.”
“Idliketoeoutanddoanintervieithyou.”
“Ihavenothingtosaytoyouonthiic.”
“Soyoudontwanttodiscussthetrial”
“Thatscorrect,”hesaid,andhungup.Hesatthinkingforalongtiebeforehewentbacktohisputer.
SanderfollowedtheinstructionsshehadreceivedanddroveherKawasakiacrossthebridgetoHedebyIsnd.Shepedatthefirstlittlehouseontheleft.Shewasreallyoutinthesticks.Butaslongashereployerwaspaying,shedidnotindifshewenttotheNorthPole.Besides,itwasgreattogiveherbikeitsheadonalongrideuptheE4.Sheputthebikeonitsstandandloosenedthestrapthatheldheroveightduffelbaginpce.
Blokvienedthedoorandwavedtoher.Hecaeoutandinspectedherotorcyclewithobviousastonishent.
Hewhistled.“Youreridingaotorbike”
Sandersaidnothing,butshewatchedhiintentlyashetouchedthehandlebarsandtriedtheaelerator.Shedidnotlikeanyoouchingherstuff.Thenshesawhischildlike,boyishsile,whichshetookforaredeeingfeature.Mostpeoplewhowereintootorcyclesusuallyughedatherlightweightbike.
“IhadaotorbikewhenIwasnieen,”hesaid,tuingtoher.“Thanksforingup.einandletsgetyousettled.”
HehadborrowedacapbedfrotheNilssons.Sandertookatouraroundthecabin,lookingsuspicious,butsheseeedtorexwhenshecouldfindnoiediatesignsofanyinsidioustrap.Heshowedherwherethebathroowas.
“Incaseyouwanttotakeashowerandfreshenup.”
“Ihavetochange.Ianotgoingtowanderaroundinyleathers.”
“OK,whileyouchangeIlkedinner.”
HesautéedbchopsinredwinesauceandsetthetableoutdoorsintheafteoonsunwhileSandershoweredandchanged.Shecaeoutbarefootwearingabckcaisoleandashort,wodeniskirt.Thefoodselledgood,andsheputawaytwostouthelpings.Fascinated,Blokvistsneakedalookatthetattoosonherback.
“Fiveplusthree,”Sandersaid.“FivecasesfroyourHarrietslistandthreecasesthatIthinkshouldhavebeenonthelist.”
“Telle.”
“Iveonlybeenonthisforelevendays,andIhaventhadachancetodigupallthereports.Insoecasesthepolicereportshadbeenputinthenationarchive,andinotherstheyrestillstoredinthelocalpolicedistrict.Iadethreedaytripstodifferentpolicedistricts,butIdidnthavetietogettoallofthe.Thefiveareidentified.”
Sanderputasolidheapofpaperonthekitchentable,around500pages.Shequicklysortedtheaterialintodifferentstacks.
“Letstaketheinchronologicalorder.”ShehandedBlokvistalist.
1949REBECKAJACOBSSON,Hedestad
1954MARIHOLMBERG,Kar
1957RAKELLUNDE,Landskrona
1960
1960LIVGUSTAVSSON,Stockhol
1962LEAPERSSON,Uddeval
1964SARAWITT,Ronneby
1966LENAANDERSSON,Uppsa
“ThefirstcaseinthisseriesisRebeckaJacobsson,1949,thedetailsofwhichyoualreadyknow.ThenextcaseIfoundwasMariHolberg,athirtytwoyearoldprostituteinKarwhowasurderedinherapartentinOctober1954.Itsnotclearexactlywhenshewaskilled,sinceherbodywasntfoundrightaway,probablynineortendayster.”
“AndhowdoyouconnecthertoHarrietslist”
“Shewastiedupandbadlyabused,butthecauseofdeathwasstrangution.Shehadasanitarytoweldownherthroat.”
BlokvistsatinsilenceforaoentbeforehelookeduptheversethatwasLeviticus20:18.