船说 “Itsbleedinglikehell,butitsnotdangerous,”Blokvistsaidbeforeshecouldask.
Shetuedandgotthefirstaidkitfrothecupboard；itcontainedtwopacketsofesticbandages,aosquitostick,andalittlerollofsurgicaltape.Hepulledoffhisclothesanddroppedtheonthefloor；thenhewenttothebathroo.
Thewoundonhisteplewasagashsodeepthathecouldliftupabigfpofflesh.Itwasstillbleedinganditneededstitches,buthethoughtitwouldprobablyhealifhetapeditclosed.Heranatowelunderthecoldtapandwipedhisface.
Heheldthetowegainsthisteplewhilehestoodundertheshowerandclosedhiseyes.Thenhesedhisfistagainstthetilesohardthathescrapedhisknuckles.Fuckyou,whoeveryouare,hethought.Igoingtofindyou,andIwillgetyou.
WhenSandertouchedhisarhejupedasifhehadhadanelectricshockandstaredatherwithsuchangerinhiseyesthatshetookastepback.Shehandedhithesoapandwentbacktothekitchenwithoutaword.
Heputonthreestripsofsurgicaltape.Hewentintothebedroo,pulledonacleanpairofjeansandanewTshirt,takingthefolderofprintedoutphotographswithhi.Hewassofurioushewasalostshaking.
“Stayhere,Lisbeth,”heshouted.
HewalkedovertoCeciliaVangershouseandrangthedoorbell.Itwashalfainutebeforesheopenedthedoor.
“Idontwanttoseeyou,”shesaid.Thenshesawhisface,wherebloodwasalreadyseepingthroughthetape.
“Letein.Wehavetotalk.”
Shehesitated.“Wehavenothingtotalkabout.”
“Wedonow,andyoucandiscussithereonthestepsorinthekitchen.”
BlokviststonewassodeterinedthatCeciliasteppedbackandlethiin.Hesatatherkitchentable.
“Whathaveyoudone”shesaid.
“YoucithatydiggingforthetruthaboutHarrietVangerissoefutileforofoupationaltherapyforHenrik.Thatspossible,butanhouragosoeonebloodynearlyshotyheadoff,andstnightsoeoneaybethesaehuouristleftahorriblydeadcatonyporch.”
Ceciliaopenedherouth,butBlokvistcutheroff.
“Cecilia,Idontgiveashitaboutyourhangupsorwhatyouworryaboutorthefactthatyousuddenlyhatethesightofe.Illneverenearyouagain,andyoudonthavetoworrythatIgoingtobotheryouorrunafteryou.RightthisinuteIwishIdneverheardofyouoranyoneelseintheVangerfaily.ButIrequireanswerstoyquestions.Thesooneryouanswerthe,thesooneryoullberidofe.”
“Whatdoyouwanttoknow”
“Nuberone:wherewereyouanhourago”
Ceciliasfacecloudedover.
“AnhouragoIwasinHedestad.”
“Cananyoneconfirwhereyouwere”
“NotthatIcanthinkof,andIdonthavetoaounttoyou.”
“Nubertwo:whydidyouopenthewindowinHarrietsroothedayshedisappeared”
“What”
“Youhearde.ForalltheseyearsHenrikhastriedtoworkoutwhoopenedthewindowinHarrietsrooduringthosecriticalinutes.Everybodyhasdenieddoingit.Soeoneislying.”
“Andwhatinhelkesyouthinkitwase”
“Thispicture,”Blokvistsaid,andflungtheblurryphotographontoherkitchentable.
Ceciliawalkedovertothetableandstudiedthepicture.Blokvistthoughthecouldreadshockonherface.Shelookedupathi.Hefeltatrickleofbloodrundownhischeekanddropontohisshirt.
“Thereweresixtypeopleontheisndthatday,”hesaid.“Andtwentyeightofthewerewoen.Fiveorsixofthehadshoulderlengthblondehair.Onlyoneofthosewaswearingalightcoloureddress.”
Shestaredintentlyatthephotograph.
“Andyouthinkthatssupposedtobee”
“Ifitisntyou,Idlikeyoutotellewhoyouthinkitis.Nobodyknewaboutthispicturebefore.Ivehaditforweeksandtriedtotalktoyouaboutit.Iaybeanidiot,butIhaventshowedittoHenrikoranyoneelsebecauseIdeathlyafraidofcastingsuspiciononyouordoingyouwrong.ButIdohavetohaveananswer.”
“Youllgetyouranswer.”Sheheldoutthephotographtohi.“IdidntgointoHarrietsroothatday.Itsnoteinthepicture.Ididnthavetheslightestthingtodowithherdisappearance.”
Shewenttothefrontdoor.
“Youhaveyouranswer.Nowpleasego.ButIthinkyoushouldhaveadoctorlookatthatwound.”
SanderdrovehitoHedestadHospital.Ittookonlytwostitchesandagooddressingtoclosethewound.Hewasgivencortisonesalvefortherashfrothestingingtlesonhisneckandhands.
AftertheyleftthehospitalBlokvistsatforalongtiewonderingwhetherheoughttogotothepolice.Hecouldseetheheadlinesnow.“LibelJoualistinShootingDraa.”Heshookhishead.“Letsgohoe,”hesaid.
ItwasdarkwhentheyarrivedbackatHedebyIsnd,andthatsuitedSanderfine.Sheliftedasportsbagontothekitchentable.
“IborrowedthisstufffroMiltonSecurity,anditstieweadeuseofit.”
Shepntedfourbatteryoperatedotiondetectorsaroundthehouseandexpinedthatifanyonecaecloserthantwentyfeet,aradiosignalwouldtriggerasallchirpingarthatshesetupinBlokvistsbedroo.Atthesaetie,twolightsensitivevideocaerasthatshehadputintreesatthefrontandbackofthecabinwouldsendsignalstoaPCthatshesetinthecupboardbythefrontdoor.Shecaoufgedthecaeraswithdarkcloth.
Sheputathirdcaerainabirdhouseabovethedoor.Shedrilledaholerightthroughthewallforthecable.Thelenswasaiedattheroadandthepathfrothegatetothefrontdoor.IttookalowresolutioniageeverysecondandstoredtheallontheharddriveofanotherPCinthewardrobe.
Thensheputapressuresensitivedooratintheentrance.Ifsoeoneanagedtoevadetheinfrareddetectorsandgotintothehouse,15decibelsirenwouldgooff.Sanderdeonstratedforhihowtoshutoffthedetectorswithakeytoaboxinthewardrobe.Shehadalsoborrowedanightvisionscope.
“Youdontleavealottochance,”Blokvistsaid,pouringcoffeeforher.
“Oneorething.Noorejogginguntilwecrackthis.”
“Believee,Ivelostallinterestinexercise.”
“Inotjoking.Thisayhavestartedoutasahistoricalystery,butwhatwithdeadcatsandpeopletryingtoblowyourheadoffwecanbesurewereonsoebodystrail.”
Theyatedinnerte.Blokvistwassuddenlydeadtiredandhadasplittingheadache.Hecouldhardlytalkanyore,sohewenttobed.
Sanderstayedupreadingthereportuntil2:00.
CHAPTER23
Friday,July11
Heawokeat6:00withthesunshiningthroughagapinthecurtainsrightinhisface.Hehadavagueheadache,andithurtwhenhetouchedthebandage.Sanderwasasleeponherstoachwithonearflungoverhi.Helookeddownatthedragononhershoulderbde.
Hecountedhertattoos.Aswelsawasponheeck,shehadalooparoundoneankle,anotherlooparoundthebicepsofherleftar,aChinesesybolonherhip,andaroseononecalf.
Hegotoutofbedandpulledthecurtainstight.Hewenttothebathrooandthenpaddedbacktobed,tryingtogetinwithoutwakingher.
AcoupleofhoursteroverbreakfastBlokvistsaid,“Howarewegoingtosolvethispuzzle”
“Wesuupthefactswehave.Wetrytofindore.”
“Fore,theonlyquestionis:whyIsitbecauseweretryingtosolvetheysteryaboutHarriet,orbecauseweveuncoveredahithertounknownserialkiller”
“Thereustbeaconnection,”Sandersaid.“IfHarrietrealisedthattherewasaserialkiller,itcanonlyhavebeensoeonesheknew.Ifwelookatthecastofcharactersinthesixties,therewereatleasttwodozenpossiblecandidates.TodayhardlyanyoftheareleftexceptHaraldVanger,whoisnotrunningaroundinthewoodsofFrskogenatalostniythreewithagun.Everybodyiseithertoooldtobeofanydangertoday,ortooyoungtohavebeenaroundinthefifties.Sowerebacktosquareone.”
“Unlesstherearetwopeoplewhoarecolborating.Oneolderandoneyounger.”
“HaraldandCeciliaIdontthinkso.Ithinkshewastellingthetruthwhenshesaidthatshewasntthepersoninthewindow.”
“Thenwhowasthat”
TheytuedonBlokvistsiandspentthenexthourstudyingindetailonceagainallthepeoplevisibleinthephotographsoftheaidentonthebridge.
“Icanonlyassuethateveryoneinthevilgeusthavebeendownthere,watchingalltheexciteent.ItwasSepteber.Mostofthearewearingjacketsorsweaters.Onlyonepersonhaslongblondehairandalightcoloureddress.”
“CeciliaVangerisinalotofthepictures.Sheseestobeeverywhere.Betweenthebuildingsandthepeoplewhoarelookingattheaident.HereshestalkingtoIsabel.HereshesstandingnexttoPastorFalk.HeresheswithGregerVanger,theiddlebrother.”
“Waitainute,”Blokvistsaid.“WhatdoesGregerhaveinhishand”
“Soethingsquareshaped.Itlookslikeaboxofsoekind.”
“ItsaHasselbd.Sohetoohadacaera.”
Theyscrolledthroughthephotographsoneoretie.Gregerwasinoreofthe,thoughoftenblurry.Inoneitcouldbeclearlyseenthathewasholdingasquareshapedbox.