船说 HepausedirresolutelyoutsideMartinVangershouse,tookouthisobile,andpunchedinSandersnuber.Stillnoanswer.Hetuedoffhisobilesothatitwouldnotstartringing.
Therewerelightsondownstairs.Blokvistwalkedacrossthewnandpedafewyardsfrothekitchenwindow,buthecouldseenoone.Hecontinuedonaroundthehouse,pausingateachwindow,buttherewasnosignofMartin.Ontheotherhand,hediddiscoverthatthesallsidedoorintothegaragewasslightlyopen.Dontbeadanfool.Buthecouldnotresisttheteptationtolook.
Thefirstthinghesawonthecarpentersbenchwasanopenboxofaunitionforaooserifle.Thenhesawtwogasolinecansonthefloorunderthebench.Preparationsforanotheoctualvisit,Martin
“ein,Mikael.Isawyouontheroad.”
Blokvistsheartskippedabeat.SlowlyhetuedhisheadandsawMartinVangerstandinginthedarkbyadoorleadingintothehouse.
“Yousiplycouldntstayaway,couldyou”
Hisvoicewascal,alostfriendly.
“Hi,Martin,”Blokvistsaid.
“ein,”Martinrepeated.“Thisway.”
Hetookastepforwardandtotheside,holdingouthislefthandinaninvitinggesture.Heraisedhisrighthand,andBlokvistsawthereflectionofdulletal.
“IhaveaGlockinyhand.Dontdoanythingstupid.AtthisdistanceIwontiss.”
Blokvistslowlyovedcloser.WhenhereachedMartin,hepedandlookedhiintheeye.
“Ihadtoehere.Therearesoanyquestions.”
“Iunderstand.Throughthedoor.”
Blokvistenteredthehouse.Thepassageledtothehallnearthekitchen,butbeforehegotthatfar,MartinVangerpedhibyputtingahandlightlyonBlokvistsshoulder.
“No,notthatway.Toyourright.Openthedoor.”
Thebaseent.WhenBlokvistwashalfwaydownthesteps,MartinVangertuedaswitchandthelightswenton.Totherightofhiwastheboilerroo.Aheadhecouldsellthescentsofundry.Martinguidedhitotheleft,intoastorageroowitholdfuitureandboxes,atthebackofwhichwasasteelsecuritydoorwithadeadboltlock.
“Here,”Martinsaid,tossingakeyringtoBlokvist.“Openit.”
Heopenedthedoor.
“Theswitchisontheleft.”
Blokvisthadopenedthedoortohell.
Around9:00Sanderwenttogetsoecoffeeandapsticwrappedsandwichfrothevendingachineinthecorridoroutsidethearchives.Shekeptonpagingthrougholddocuents,lookingforanytraceofGottfriedVangerinKarin1954.Shefoundnothing.
ShethoughtaboutcallingBlokvist,butdecidedtogothroughthestaffnewslettersbeforeshecalleditaday.
Thespacewasapproxiatelytenbytwentyfeet.Blokvistassuedthatitwassituatedalongthenorthsideofthehouse.
MartinVangerhadcontrivedhisprivatetorturechaberwithgreatcare.Ontheleftwerechains,etaleyeletsintheceilingandfloor,atablewithleatherstrapswherehecouldrestrainhisvictis.Andthenthevideoequipent.Atapingstudio.Inthebackoftheroowasasteelcageforhisguests.Totherightofthedoorwasabench,abed,andaTVcoerwithvideosonashelf.
Assoonastheyenteredtheroo,MartinVangeraiedthepistotBlokvistandtoldhitolieonhisstoachonthefloor.Blokvistrefused.
“Verywell,”Martinsaid.“ThenIllshootyouinthekneecap.”
Hetookai.Blokvistcapituted.Hehadnochoice.
HehadhopedthatMartinwouldrexhisguardjustatenthofasecondheknewhewouldwinanysortoffightwithhi.HehadhadhalfachanceinthepassageupstairswhenMartinputhishandonhisshoulder,buthehadhesitated.AfterthatMartinhadnoteclose.Withabulletinhiskneecaphewouldhavelosthischance.Heydownonthefloor.
Martinapproachedfrobehindandtoldhuthishandsonhisback.Hehandcuffedhi.ThenhekickedMikaelinthecrotchandpunchedhiviciouslyandrepeatedly.
Whathappenedafterthatseeedlikeanightare.Martinswungbetweenrationalityandpurelunacy.Foratiequitecal,thenextinstanthewouldbepacingbackandforthlikeananialinacage.HekickedBlokvistseveralties.AllBlokvistcoulddowastrrotecthisheadandtaketheblowsinthesoftpartsofhisbody.
ForthefirsthalfhourMartindidnotsayaword,andheappearedtobeincapableofanysortofunication.Afterthatheseeedtorecovercontrol.HeputachainroundBlokvistsneck,fasteningitwithapadlocktoaetaleyeletonthefloor.HeleftBlokvistaloneforaboutfifteeninutes.Whenheretued,hewascarryingalitrebottleofwater.HesatonachairandlookedatBlokvistashedrank.
“CouldIhavesoewater”Blokvistsaid.
Martinleaneddownandlethitakeagoodlongdrinkfrothebottle.Blokvistswallowedgreedily.
“Thanks.”
“Stillsopolite,KalleBlokvist.”
“Whyallthepunchingandkicking”Blokvistsaid.
“Becauseyouakeeveryangryindeed.Youdeservetobepunished.WhydidntyoujustgohoeYouwereneededatMillenniu.Iwasseriouswecouldhaveadeitintoagreatagazine.Wecouldhaveworkedtogetherforyears.”
Blokvistgriacedandtriedtoshifthisbodyintoaorefortableposition.Hewasdefenceless.Allhehadwashisvoice.
“Iassueyoueanthattheopportunityhaspassed,”Blokvistsaid.
MartinVangerughed.
“Isorry,Mikael.But,ofcourse,youknowperfectlywellthatyouregoingtodiedownhere.”
Blokvistnodded.
“Howthehelldidyoufinde,youandthatanorexicspookthatyoudraggedintothis”
“YouliedaboutwhatyouweredoingonthedaythatHarrietdisappeared.YouwereinHedestadattheChildrensDayparade.Youwerephotographedthere,lookingatHarriet.”
“WasthatwhyyouwenttoNorsj”
“Togetthepicture,yes.ItwastakenbyahoneyooncouplewhohappenedtobeinHedestad.”
Heshookhishead.
“Thatsacrasslie,”Martinsaid.
Blokvistthoughthard:whattosareventorpostponehisexecution.
“Wheresthepicturenow”
“ThenegativeItsinasafedepositboxatHandelsbankenhereinHedestadYoudidntknowthatIhaveasafedepositbox”Heliedeasily.“Therearecopiesinvariouspces.Inyputerandinthegirls,ontheserveratMillenniu,andontheserveratMiltonSecurity,wherethegirlworks.”
Martinwaited,tryingtoworkoutwhetherootBlokvistwasbluffing.
“Howuchdoesthegirlknow”
Blokvisthesitated.Sanderwasrightnowhisonlyhopeofrescue.WhatwouldshethinkwhenshecaehoeandfoundhinotthereHehadputthephotographofMartinVangerwearingthepaddedjacketonthekitchentable.WouldsheaketheconnectionWouldshesoundthearSheisnotgoingtocallthepolice.ThenightarewasthatshewouldetoMartinVangershouseandringthebell,deandingtoknohereBlokvistwas.
“Answere,”Martinsaid,hisvoiceicecold.
“Ithinking.SheknowsalostasuchasIdo,aybeevenalittleore.Yes,IwouldreckonsheknowsorethanIdo.Shesbright.ShestheonewhoadethelinktoLenaAndersson.”
“LenaAndersson”Martinsoundedperplexed.
“ThegirlyoutorturedandkilledinUppsain1966.Donttelleyouvefotten”
“Idontknohatyouretalkingabout.”Butforthefirsttiehesoundedshaken.ItwasthefirsttiethatanyonehadadethatconnectionLenaAnderssonwasnotincludedinHarrietsdate.
“Martin,”Blokvistsaid,akinghisvoiceassteadyashecould.“Itsover.Youcankille,butitsfinished.Tooanypeopleknow.”
Martinstartedpacingbackandforthagain.
Ihavetoreeberthathesirrational.Thecat.Hecouldhavebroughtthecatdownhere,buthewenttothefailycrypt.Martinped.
“Ithinkyourelying.YouandSanderaretheonlyoneswhoknowanything.Youobviouslyhaventtalkedtoanyone,orthepolicewouldhavebeenherebynow.Anicelittlebzeintheguestcottageandtheproofwillbegone.”
“Andifyourewrong”
“IfIwrong,thenitreallyisover.ButIdontthinkitis.Illbetthatyourebluffing.AndwhatotherchoicedoIhaveIllgivethatsoethought.Itsthatanorexiclittlecuntwhostheweaklink.”
“ShewenttoStockhotlunchtie.”
Martinughed.