“Whateverthetruthisinthisstory,weveworriedsoebodyenoughforthatpersontodosoethingreallysick.Buttheresanotherprobletoo.”
“Iknow.Thisisananialsacrificeinthestyleof1954and1960anditdoesntseecrediblethatsoeoneactivefiftyyearsagowouldbeputtingtorturedanialcorpsesonyourdoorsteptoday.”
Blokvistagreed.
“TheonlyoneswhocouldbesuspectedinthatcaseareHaraldVangerandIsabelVanger.ThereareanuberofolderretivesonJohanVangersside,butnoneoftheliveinthearea.”
Blokvistsighed.
“Isabelisarepulsivebitchwhocouldcertainlykilcat,butIdoubtshewasrunningaroundkillingwoeninthefifties.HaraldVangerIdontknow,heseessodecrepithecanhardlywalk,andIcantseehisneakingoverherestnight,catchingacat,anddoingallthis.”
“Unlessitwastwopeople.Oneolder,oneyounger.”
BlokvistheardacargobyandlookedupandsawCeciliadrivingawayoverthebridge.HaraldandCecilia,hethought,buttheyhardlyspoke.DespiteMartinVangersproisetotalktoher,Ceciliahadstillnotansweredanyofhistelephoneessages.
“Itustbesoebodywhoknowsweredoingthisworkandthatwereakingprogress,”Sandersaid,gettinguptogoinside.Whenshecaebackoutshehadputonherleathers.
“IgoingtoStockhol.Illbebacktonight.”
“Whatareyougoingtodo”
“Pickupsoegadgets.Ifsoeoneiscrazyenoughtokilcatinthatdisgustingway,heorshecouldattackusnexttie.Orsetthecottageonfirewhilewereasleep.IwantyoutogointoHedestadandbuytwofireextinguishersandtwosokearstoday.Oneofthefireextinguishershastobehalon.”
Withoutanotherword,sheputonherhelet,kickstartedtheotorcycle,androaredoffacrossthebridge.
BlokvisthidthecorpseandtheheadandgutsintherubbishbinbesidethepetrolstationbeforehedroveintoHedestadtodohiserrands.Hedrovetothehospital.HehadadeanappointenttoeetFrodeinthecafeteria,andhetoldhiwhathadhappenedthatoing.Frodebnched.
“Mikael,Ineveriaginedthatthisstorycouldtakethistu.”
“WhynotThejobwastofindaurderer,afterall.”
“Butthisisdisgustingandinhuan.IftheresadangertoyourlifeortoFrkenSanderslife,wearegoingtocallitoff.LetetalktoHenrik.”
“No.Absolutelynot.Idontwanttoriskhishavinganotherattack.”
“Heaskseallthetiehowthingsaregoingwithyou.”
“Sayhellofroe,please,andtellhiIovingforward.”
“Whatisnext,then”
“Ihaveafewquestions.ThefirstincidentourredjustafterHenrikhadhisheartattackandIwasdowninStockholfortheday.Soebodywentthroughyoffice.IhadprintedouttheBibleverses,andthephotographsfroJvgsgatanwereonydesk.YouknewandHenrikknew.MartinknewapartofitsinceheanisedforetogetintotheCourieroffices.Howanyotherpeopleknew”
“Well,IdontknohoMartintalkedto.ButbothBirgerandCeciliaknewaboutit.Theydiscussedyourhuntinginthepicturesarchivebetweentheselves.Alexanderknewaboutittoo.And,bytheway,GunnarandHelenaNilssondidtoo.TheywereuptosayhellotoHenrikandgotdraggedintotheconversation.AndAnitaVanger.”
“AnitaTheoneinLondon”
“Ceciliassister.ShecaebackwithCeciliawhenHenrikhadhisheartattackbutstayedatahotel；asfarasIknow,shehasntbeenouttotheisnd.LikeCecilia,shedoesntwanttoseeherfather.ButsheflewbackwhenHenrikcaeoutofintensivecare.”
“WheresCecilialivingIsawherthisoingasshedroveacrossthebridge,butherhouseisalwaysdark.”
“Shesnotcapableofdoingsuchathing,isshe”
“No,Ijustwonderwhereshesstaying.”
“Shesstayingwithherbrother,Birger.ItswithinwalkingdistancetovisitHenrik.”
“Doyouknoheresheisrightnow”
“No.ShesnotvisitingHenrik,atanyrate.”
“Thanks,”Blokvistsaid,gettingup.
TheVangerfailywashoveringaroundHedestadHospital.InthereceptionBirgerVangerpassedonhiswaytothelifts.Blokvistwaiteduntilhewasgonebeforehewentouttothereception.InsteadheranintoMartinVangerattheentrance,atexactlythesaespotwherehehadrunintoCeciliaonhispreviousvisit.Theysaidhelloandshookhands.
“HaveyoubeenuptoseeHenrik”
“No,IjusthappenedtoeetDirchFrode.”
Martinlookedtiredandholloweyed.ItourredtoMikaelthathehadagedappreciablyduringthesixonthssincehehadethi.
“Howarethingsgoingwithyou,Mikael”hesaid.
“Moreinterestingwitheverydaythatpasses.WhenHenrikisfeelingbetterIhopetobeabletosatisfyhiscuriosity.”
BirgerVangerswasawhitebrickterracehouseafiveinutewalkfrothehospital.HehadaviewoftheseaandtheHedestadarina.NooneansweredwhenBlokvistrangthedoorbell.HecalledCeciliasobilenuberbutgotnoanswerthereeither.Hesatinthecarforawhile,druinghisfingersonthesteeringwheel.BirgerVangerwasthewildcardinthedeck；boin1939andsotenyearsoldwhenRebeckaJacobssonwasurdered；twentysevenwhenHarrietdisappeared.
AordingtoHenrik,BirgerandHarriethardlyeversaweachother.HehadgrownithhisfailyinUppsaandonlyovedtoHedestadtoworkforthefir.Hejupedshipafteracoupleofyearsanddevotedhiselolitics.ButhehadbeeninUppsaatthetieLenaAnderssonwasurdered.
Theincidentwiththecatgavehianoinousfeeling,asifhewereabouttorunoutoftie.
OttoFalkwasthirtysixwhenHarrietvanished.Hewasnowseventytwo,youngerthanHenrikVangerbutinaconsiderablyworseentalstate.BlokvistsoughthioutattheSvanconvalescenthoe,ayellowbrickbuildingashortdistancefrotheHedeRiverattheotherendofthetown.BlokvistintroducedhiselftothereceptionistandaskedtobeallowedtospeakwithPastorFalk.Heknew,heexpined,thatthepastorsufferedfroAlzheiersandenquiredhowlucidhewasnow.AnurserepliedthatPastorFalkhadfirstbeendiagnosedthreeyearsearlierandthatasthediseasehadtakenanaggressivecourse.Falkcouldunicate,buthehadaveryfeebleshorttereory,anddidnotrecogniseallofhisretives.Hewasonthewholeslippingintotheshadows.Hewasalsoprooanxietyattacksifhewasconfrontedwithquestionshecouldnotanswer.
Falkwassittingonabenchinthegardenwiththreeotherpatientsandaalenurse.Blokvistspentanhourtryingtoengagehiinconversation.
HereeberedHarrietVangerquitewell.Hisfacelitup,andhedescribedherasacharinggirl.ButBlokvistwassoonawarethatthepastorhadfottenthatshehadbeenissingthesestthirtysevenyears.HetalkedaboutherasifhehadseenherrecentlyandaskedBlokvisttosayhellotoherandurgehertoeandseehi.Blokvistproisedtodoso.
Heobviouslydidnotreebertheaidentonthebridge.ItwasnotuntiltheendoftheirconversationthathesaidsoethingwhichadeBlokvistprickuphisears.
ItwaswhenBlokviststeeredthetalktoHarrietsinterestinreligionthatFalksuddenlyseeedhesitant.Itwasasthoughacloudpassedoverhisface.FalksatrockingbackandforthforawhileandthenlookedupatBlokvistandaskedwhohewas.Blokvistintroducedhiselfagainandtheoldanthoughtforawhile.Atlengthhesaid:“Shesstilseeker.Shehastotakecareofherselfandyouhavetowaher.”
“WhatshouldIwaherabout”
Falkgrewsuddenlyagitated.Heshookhisheadwithafrown.
“Shehastoreadsoscripturaandunderstandsufficientiascripturae.Thatstheonlywaythatshecanaintainsofide.Josefwillcertainlyexcludethe.Theywereneveraeptedintothecanon.”
Blokvistunderstoodnothingofthis,buttookassiduousnotes.ThenPastorFalkleanedtowardshiandwhispered,“IthinkshesaCatholic.ShelovesagicandhasnotyetfoundherGod.Sheneedsguidance.”
Theword“Catholic”obviouslyhadanegativeconnotationforPastorFalk.
“IthoughtshewasinterestedinthePentecostaloveent”
“No,no,no,n船说