“Ifaanlieswithawoanhavinghersickness,anduncoversheakedness,hehasadenakedherfountain,andshehasuncoveredthefountainofherblood；bothoftheshallbecutofffroaongtheirpeople.”
Sandeodded.
“HarrietVangeradethesaeconnection.OK.Next”
“May1957,RakelLunde,fortyfive.Sheworkedasacleaningwoanandwasabitofahappyeentricinthevilge.ShewasafortellerandherhobbywasdoingTarotreadings,pals,etcetera.ShelivedoutsideLandskronainahousealongwayfroanywhere,andshewasurderedtheresoetieearlyintheoing.Shewasfoundnakedandtiedtoaundrydryingfraeinherbackgarden,withherouthtapedshut.Causeofdeathwasaheavyrockbeingrepeatedlythrownather.Shehadcountlesscontusionsandfractures.”
“JesusChrist.Lisbeth,thisisfuckingdisgusting.”
“Itgetsworse.TheinitialsR.L.arecorrectyoufoundtheBiblequote”
“Overlyexplicit.Aanorawoanwhoisaediuorawizardshallbeputtodeath；theyshallbestonedwithstones,theirbloodshallbeuponthe.”
“ThentheresSjberginRanooutsideKarlstad.ShestheoneHarrietlistedasMagda.HerfullnaewasMagdaLovisa,butpeoplecalledherLovisa.”
BlokvistlistenedwhileSanderrecountedthearredetailsoftheKarlstadurder.Whenshelitacigarettehepointedatthepack,andshepusheditovertohi.
“Sothekillerattackedtheanialtoo”
“TheLeviticusversesaysthatifawoanhassexwithananial,bothustbekilled.”
“Thelikelihoodofthiswoanhavingsexwithacowustbewell,nonexistent.”
“Theversecanbereadliterally.Itsenoughthatsheapproachestheanial,whichafarerswifewouldundeniablydoeveryday.”
“Understood.”
“ThenextcaseonHarrietslistisSara.IveidentifiedherasSaraWitt,thirtyseven,livinginRonneby.ShewasurderedinJanuary1964,foundtiedtoherbed,subjectedtoaggravatedsexuassault,butthecauseofdeathwasasphyxiation；shewasstrangled.Thekilleralsostartedafire,withtheprobableintentionofbuingthewholehousedowntotheground,butpartofthefirewentoutbyitself,andtherestwastakencareofbythefireservice,whowerethereinaveryshorttie.”
“Andtheconnection”
“Listentothis.SaraWittwasboththedaughterofapastorandarriedtoapastor.Herhusbandwasawaythatweekend.”
“Andthedaughterofanypriest,ifsheprofanesherselfbypyingtheharlot,profanesherfather；sheshallbebuedwithfire.OK.Thatfitsonthelist.Yousaidyoudfoundorecases.”
“IvefoundthreeotherwoenwhowereurderedundersuchsiirlystrangecircustancesandtheycouldhavebeenonHarrietslist.ThefirstisayoungwoannaedLivGustavsson.ShewastwentytwoandlivedinFarsta.Shewasahorselovinggirlsherodeinpetitionsandwasquiteaproisingtalent.Shealsoownedasallpetshithhersister.Shewasfoundintheshop.Shehadworkedteonthekeepingandwastherealone.Sheusthaveletthekillerinvoluntarily.Shewasrapedandstrangledtodeath.”
“ThatdoesntsoundquitelikeHarrietslist,doesit”
“Notexactly,ifitwerentforohing.Thekillerconcludedhisbarbaritiesbyshovingaparakeetuphervaginaandthenletalltheanialsoutintotheshop.Cats,turtles,whiteice,rabbits,birds.Eventhefishintheaquariu.Soitwasquiteanappallingscenehersisterencounteredintheoing.”
Blokvistadeanote.
“ShewasurderedinAugust1960,fouronthsaftertheurderofthefarerswifeMagdaLovisainKarlstad.Inbothinstancestheywerewoenwhoworkedprofessionallywithanials,andinbothcasestherewasananialsacrifice.ThecowinKarlstadayhavesurvivedbutIcaniagineitwouldbedifficulttostabacowtodeathwithaknife.Aparakeetisorestraightforward.Andbesides,therewasanadditionanialsacrifice.”
“What”
Sandertoldthestoryofthe“pigeonurder”ofLeaPersson.BlokvistsatforsolonginsilenceandinthoughtthatevenSandergrewipatient.
“Illbuyyourtheory,”hesaidatst.“Theresonecaseleft.”
“AcasethatIdiscoveredbychance.IdontknowhowanyIayhaveissed.”
“Telleaboutit.”
“February1966inUppsa.ThevictiwasaseventeenyearoldgynastcalledLenaAndersson.ShedisappearedafteracsspartyandwasfoundthreedaysterinaditchontheUppsapin,quiteawayoutoftown.Shehadbeenurderedsoewhereelseandherbodydupedthere.Thisurdergotalotofattentionintheedia,butthetruecircustancessurroundingherdeathwereneverreported.Thegirlhadbeengrotesquelytortured.Ireadthepathologistsreport.Shewastorturedwithfire.Herhandsandbreastswereatrociouslybued,andshehadbeenbuedrepeatedlyatvariousspotsalloverherbody.Theyfoundparaffinstainsonher,whichshowedthatcandleshadbeenused,butherhandsweresocharredthattheyusthavebeenheldoveraorepowerfulfire.Finally,thekillersawedoffherheadandtosseditnexttothebody.”
Blokvistbnched.“GoodLord,”hesaid.
“IcantfindanyBiblequotethatfits,butthereareseveralpassagesthatdealwithafireofferingandasinoffering,andinsoepcesitsreendedthatthesacrificianialostoftenabullbecutupinsuchawaythattheheadisseveredfrothefat.Firealsoreindseofthefirsturder,ofRebeckahereinHedestad.”
Towardseveningwhentheosquitoesbegantoswartheyclearedoffthegardentableandovedtothekitchentogoonwiththeirtalk.
“ThefactthatyoudidntfindanexactBiblequotationdoesnteanuch.Itsnotaatterofquotations.ThisisagrotesqueparodyofwhatiswrittenintheBibleitsorelikeassociationstoquotationspulledoutofcontext.”
“Iagree.Itisntevenlogical.Takeforexaplethequotethatbothhavetobecutofffrotheirpeopleifsoeonehassexwithagirlwhoshavingherperiod.Ifthatsinterpretedliterally,thekillershouldhaveittedsuicide.”
“Sowheredoesallthislead”Blokvistwonderedaloud.
“YourHarrieteitherhadquiteastrangehobbyorelsesheusthaveknownthattherewasaconnectionbetweentheurders.”
“Between1949and1966,andaybebeforeandafteraswell.Theideathataninsanelysicksadisticserialkillerwassughteringwoenforatleastseventeenyearswithoutanyoneseeingaconnectionsoundsutterlyunbelievabletoe.”
Sanderpushedbackherchairandpouredorecoffeefrothepotonthestove.Shelitacigarette.Mikaelcursedhiselfandstoleanotherfroher.
“No,itsnotsounbelievable,”shesaid,holdinguponefinger.“WehaveseveraldozenunsolvedurdersofwoeninSwedenduringthetwentiethcentury.Thatprofessorofcriinology,Persson,saidonceonTVthatserialkillersareveryrareinSweden,butthatprobablywehavehadsoethatwerenevercaught.”
Sheheldupanotherfinger.
“Theseurderswereittedoveraverylongperiodoftieandalloverthecountry.Twoourredclosetogetherin1960,butthecircustanceswerequitedifferentafarerswifeinKarlstadandatwentytwoyearoldinStockhol.”
Threefingers.
“Thereisnoiediatelyapparentpatte.Theurderswerecarriedoutatdifferentpcesandthereisnorealsignature,buttherearecertainthingsthatdorecur.Anials.Fire.Aggravatedsexuassault.And,asyoupointedout,aparodyofBiblicalquotations.ButitseesthatnotoneoftheinvestigatingdetectivesinterpretedanyoftheurdersintersoftheBible.”
Blokvistwaswatchingher.Withherslenderbody,herbckcaisole,thetattoos,andtheringspiercingherface,Sanderlookedoutofpce,tosaytheleast,inaguestcottageinHedeby.Whenhetriedtobesociableoverdinner,shewastacitutothepointofrudeness.Butwhenshewasworkingshesoundedlikeaprofessionaltoherfingertips.HerapartentinStockholightlookasifabobhadgoneoffinit,butentallySanderwasextreelywelnised.
“ItshardtoseetheconnectionbetweenaprostituteinUddevalwhoskilledinanindustrialyardandapastorswifewhoisstrangledinRonnebyandhasherhousesetonfire.IfyoudonthavethekeythatHarrietgaveus,thatis.”
“Whichleadstothenextquestion,”Sandersaid.
“HowonearthdidHarrietgetixedupinallthisAsixteenyearoldgirlwholivedinareallyshelteredenvironent.”
“Theresonlyoneanswer,”Sandersaid.“ThereustbesoeconnectiontotheVangerfaily.”
By11:00thatnighttheyhadgoneovertheseriesofurdersanddiscussedtheconceivableconnectionsandthetinydetailsofsiirityanddifferencesooftenthatBlokvistsheadwasspinning.HerubbedhiseyesandstretchedandaskedSanderifshefeltlikeawalk.Herexpressionsuggestedthatshethoughtsuchpracticeswereawasteoftie,butsheagreed.Blokvistadvisedhertochangeintolongtrousersbecauseoftheosquitoes.
TheystrolledpastthesallboatharbourandthenunderthebridgeandouttowardsMartinVangerspoint.Blokvistpointedoutthevarioushousesandtoldheraboutthepeoplewholivedinthe.HehadsoedifficultywhentheycaetoCeciliaVangershouse.Sandergavehiacuriouslook.
TheypassedMartinVangersotoryachtandreachedthepoint,andtheretheysatonarockandsharedacigarette.
“Theresoneoreconnection,”Blokvistsaidsuddenly.“Maybeyouvealreadythoughtofit.”
“What”
“Theiaes.”
Sanderthoughtforaoentandshookherhead.
“TheyreallBiblicalnaes.”
“Nottrue,”shesaid.“WhereisthereaLivorLenaintheBible”
“Theyarethere.Liveanstolive,inotherwordsEva.AndeonwhatsLenashortfor”
Sandergriacedinannoyance.Hehadbeenquickerthanshewas.Shedidnotlikethat.
“Magdalena,”shesaid.
“Thewhore,thefirstwoan,theVirginMarytheyreallthereinthisgroup.Thisissofreakyitdakeapsychologistsheadspin.ButtheressoethingelseIthoughtofwithregardtothenaes.”
Sanderwaitedpatiently.
“TheyreobviouslyalltraditionalJewishnaes.TheVangerfailyhashadorethanitsshareoffanaticantiSeites,Nazis,andconspiracytheorists.TheonlytieIetHaraldVangerhewasstandingintheroadsnarlingthathisowndaughterwasawhore.Hecertainlyhasprobleswithwoen.”
Whentheygotbacktothecabintheyadeaidnight船说