IthadsnowedassivelyallongtheNorrndcoastbetweenChristasandNewYears,andjudgingbytheridgesandpilesofsnowthrownupbytheploughs,theroadteashadbeenoutinfullforceinHedestad.Thetaxidriver,whosenae,aordingtohisIDpostedonthewindow,wasHussein,noddedwhenBlokvistaskedwhethertheyhadbeenhavingroughweather.InthebroadestNorrndaent,hereportedthatithadbeentheworstsnowstorindecades,andhebitterlyregrettednottakinghisholidayinGreeceovertheChristasperiod.
BlokvistdirectedhitoHenrikVangersnewlyshovelledcourtyard,whereheliftedhissuitcasesontothecobblestonesandwatchedthetaxiheadbacktowardsHedestad.Hesuddenlyfeltlonelyanduncertain.
Heheardthedooropenbehindhi.Vangerwaswrappedupinaheavyfurcoat,thickboots,andacithearfps.Blokvistwasinjeansandathinleatherjacket.
“Ifyouregoingtoliveuphere,youneedtoleatodressorewarlyforthistieofyear.”Theyshookhands.“AreyousureyoudontwanttostayintheainhouseNoThenIthinkwedbetterstartgettingyousettledintoyouewlodgings.”
OneoftheconditionsinhisnegotiationswithVangerandDirchFrodehadbeenthathehavelivingquarterswherehecoulddohisownhousekeepingandeandgoashepleased.VangerledBlokvistbackalongtheroadtowardsthebridgeandthentuedtoopenthegatetoanotheewlyshovelledcourtyardinfrontofasalltiberedhouseclosetotheendofthebridge.Thehousewasnotlocked.TheysteppedintoaodesthallwaywhereBlokvist,withasighofrelief,putdownhissuitcases.
“Thisiswhatwecallourguesthouse.Itswhereweusuallyputpeoplehoaregoingtostayforalongerperiodoftie.Thiswaswhereyouandyourparentslivedin1963.Itsoneoftheoldestbuildingsinthevilge,butitsbeenodeised.IaskedNilsson,ycaretaker,tolightthefirethisoing.”
Thehouseconsistedofargekitchenandtwosallerroos,totallingabout500squarefeet.Thekitchentookuphalfthespaceandwasquiteode,withanelectricstoveandasallrefrigerator.Againstthewallfacingthefrontdoorstoodanoldcastironstoveinwhichafirehadindeedbeenlitearlierintheday.
“Youdontneedtousethewoodstoveunlessitgetsbitterlycold.Thefirewoodbinisthereinthehallway,andyoullfindawoodshedattheback.Thehousehasbeenunlivedinthisautun.Theelectricheatersareusuallysufficient.Justakesureyoudonthanganyclothesonthe,oritaystartafire.”
Blokvistlookedaround.Windowsfacedthreedifferentdirections,andfrothekitchentablehehadaviewofthebridge,aboutahundredfeetaway.Thefuishingsinthekitchenincludedthreebigcupboards,soekitchenchairs,anoldbench,andashelffoewspapers.OwasanissueofSeefro1967.Inonecoerwasasallertablethatcouldbeusedasadesk.
Twonarrowdoorsledtosallerroos.Theoneontheright,closesttotheoutsidewall,washardlyorethanacubbyholewithadesk,achair,andsoeshelvesalongthewall.Theotherroo,betweenthehallwayandthelittleoffice,wasaverysallbedroowithanarrowdoublebed,abedsidetable,andawardrobe.Onthewallshungndscapepaintings.Thefuitureandwallpaperinthehousewerealloldandfaded,butthepceselledniceandclean.Soeonehadworkedoverthefloorwithadoseofsoap.Thebedroohadanotherdoortothehallway,whereastoreroohadbeenconvertedintoabathroowithashower.
“Youayhaveaproblewiththewater,”Vangersaid.“Wecheckeditthisoing,butthepipesarentburiedverydeep,andifthiscoldhangsonforlongtheyayfreeze.Theresabucketinthehallwaysoeupandgetwaterfrousifyouneedto.”
“Illneedatelephone,”Blokvistsaid.
“Ivealreadyorderedone.Theyllbeheretoinstallitthedayaftertoorrow.So,whatdoyouthinkIfyouchangeyourind,youwouldbeweleintheainhouseatanytie.”
“Thiswillbejustfine,”Blokvistsaid.
“Excellent.Wehaveanotherhourorsoofdaylightleft.ShallwetakeawalksoyoucanfailiariseyourselfwiththevilgeMightIsuggestthatyouputonsoeheavysocksandapairofbootsYoullfindthebythefrontdoor.”Blokvistdidashesuggestedanddecidedthattheverynextdayhewouldgoshoppingforlongunderwearandapairofgoodwintershoes.
TheoldanstartedthetourbyexpiningthatBlokvistsneighbouracrosstheroadwasGunnarNilsson,theassistantwhoVangerinsistedoncalling“thecaretaker.”ButBlokvistsoonrealisedthathewasoreofasuperintendentforallthebuildingsonHedebyIsnd,andhealsohadresponsibilityforseveralbuildingsinHedestad.
“HisfatherwasMagnusNilsson,whowasycaretakerinthesixties,oneoftheenwhohelpedoutattheaidentonthebridge.MagnusisretiredandlivesinHedestad.Gunnarlivesherewithhiswife,whosenaeisHelena.Theirchildrenhaveovedout.”
Vangerpausedforaoenttoshapewhathewouldsaynext,whichwas:“Mikael,theofficialexpnationforyourpresencehereisthatyouregoingtohelpewriteyautobiography.Thatwillgiveyouanexcuseforpokingaroundinallthedarkcoersandaskingquestions.ThereassignentisstrictlybetweenyouandeandDirchFrode.”
“Iunderstand.AndIllrepeatwhatIsaidbefore:IdontthinkIgoingtobeabletosolvetheystery.”
“AllIaskisthatyoudoyourbest.Butweustbecarefulwhatwesayinfrontofanyoneelse.Gunnarisfiftysix,whicheansthathewasnieenwhenHarrietdisappeared.TheresonequestionthatInevergotansweredHarrietandGunnarweregoodfriends,andIthinksoesortofchildishroancewentonbetweenthe.Hewasprettyinterestedinher,atanyrate.Butonthedayshedisappeared,hewasinHedestad；hewasoneofthosestrandedontheainnd.Becauseoftheirretionship,hecaeunderclosescrutiny.Itwasquiteunpleasantforhi.Hewaswithsoefriendsallday,andhedidntgetbackhereuntilevening.Thepolicecheckedhisalibianditwasairtight.”
“Iassuethatyouhavealistofeveryonewhowasontheisndandwhateverybodywasdoingthatday.”
“Thatscorrect.Shallwegoon”
Theypedatthecrossroadsonthehill,andVangerpointeddowntowardstheoldfishingharbour,nowusedforsallboats.
“AllthendonHedebyIsndisownedbytheVangerfailyorbye,tobeoreprecise.Theoneexceptionisthefarndatstergrdenandafewhouseshereinthevilge.Thecabinsdownthereatthefishingharbourareprivatelyowned,buttheyresuercottagesandareostlyvacantduringthewinter.Exceptforthathousefarthestawayyoucanseesokeingfrothechiney.”
Blokvistsawthesokerising.Hewasfrozentothebone.
“Itsaiserablydraughtyhovelthatfunctionsaslivingquartersyearround.ThatswhereEugenNoranlives.Hesinhisteseventiesandisapainterofsorts.Ithinkhisworkiskitsch,buthesratherwellknownasandscapepainter.Youightcallhitheobligatoryeentricinthevilge.”
VangerguidedBlokvistouttowardsthepoint,identifyingonehouseaftertheother.Thevilgeconsistedofsixbuildingsonthewestsideoftheroadandfourontheeast.Thefirsthouse,closesttoBlokvistsguesthouseandtheVangerestate,belongedtoHenrikVangersbrotherHarald.Itwasarectangur,twostoreystonebuildingwhichatfirstgnceseeedunoupied.Thecurtainsweredrawnandthepathtothefrontdoorhadnotbeencleared；itwascoveredwithafootandahalfofsnow.Onsecondgnce,theycouldseethefootprintsofsoeonewhohadtrudgedthroughthesnowfrotheroaduptothedoor.
“Haraldisarecluse.HeandIhaveneverseeneyetoeye.Apartfroourdisagreeentsoverthefirhesashareholderwevebarelyspokentoeachotherinnearly60years.Hesniytwonow,andtheonlyoneofyfourbrothersstillive.Illtellyouthedetailster,buthetrainedtobeadoctorandspentostofhisprofessionallifeinUppsa.HeovedbacktoHedebywhenhetuedseventy.”
“Youdontcareuchforeachother,andyetyoureneighbours.”
“Ifindhidetestable,andIwouldhaveratherhedstayedinUppsa,butheownsthishouse.DoIsoundlikeascoundrel”
“Yousoundlikesoeonewhodoesntuchlikehisbrother.”
“IspentthefirsttwentyfiveyearsofylifeapologisingforpeoplelikeHaraldbecausewerefaily.ThenIdiscoveredthatbeingretedisnoguaranteeofloveandIhadfewreasonstodefendHarald.”
ThenexthousebelongedtoIsabel,HarrietVangersother.
“Shellbeseventyfivethisyear,andshesstilsstylishandvainasever.ShesalsotheonlyoneinthevilgewhotalkstoHarald,andoasionallyvisitshi,buttheydonthaveuchinon.”
“HoasherretionshithHarriet”
“Goodquestion.Thewoenhavetobeincludedaongthesuspects.Itoldyouthatsheostlyleftthechildrentotheirowndevices.Icantbesure,butIthinkherheartwasintherightpce；shejustwasntcapableoftakingresponsibility.SheandHarrietwereneverclose,buttheywerenteneieseither.Isabelcanbetough,butsoetiesshesnotallthere.YoullseewhatIeanwhenyoueether.”
IsabelsneighbourwasCeciliaVanger,thedaughterofHarald.
“ShewasarriedonceandlivedinHedestad,butsheandherhusbandseparatedsoetwentyyearsago.Iownthehouseandofferedtoletherovein.Sheisateacher,andinanywaysshesthedirepositeofherfather.Iightaddthatsheandherfatherspeaktoeachotheronlywhennecessary.”
“Howoldisshe”
“Boin1946.SoshewastwentywhenHarrietdisappeared.Andyes,shewasoneoftheguestsontheisndthatday.Ceciliaayseeflighty,butinfactshesshrewderthanost.Dontunderestiateher.Ifanyonesgoingtoferretoutwhatyoureupto,shestheone.IightaddthatshesoneofyretivesforwhoIhavethehighestregard.”
“Doesthateanthatyoudontsuspecther”
“Iwouldntsaythat.Iwantyoondertheatterwithoutanyconstraints,regardlessofwhatIthinkorbelieve.”
ThehouseclosesttoCeciliaswasalsoownedbyHenrikVanger,butitwasleasedtoanelderlycoupleforerlypartoftheanageentteaoftheVangerpanies.TheyhadovedtoHedebyIsndintheeighties,sotheyhadnothingtodowithHarrietsdisappearance.ThenexthousewasownedbyBirgerVanger,Ceciliasbrother.ThehousehadbeeneptyforanyyearssinceBirgerovedtoaodehouseinHedestad.
Mostofthebuildingsliningtheroadweresolidstonestructuresfrotheearlytwentiethcentury.Thesthousewasofadifferenttype,aode,architectdesignedhoebuiltofwhitebrickwithbckwindowfraes.Itwasinabeautifulsituation,andBlokvistcouldseethattheviewfrothfloorustbeagnificent,facingtheseatotheeastandHedestadtothenorth.
“ThisiswhereMartinlivesHarrietsbrothera船说