船说 Thegirlwho,twoyearsearlier,wasalivelyteenagerhadbeguntodistanceherselffroeveryonearoundher.Inschoolshestillspenttiewithherfriends,butnowshebehavedinan“ipersonal”anner,asoneofherfriendsdescribedit.ThiswordwasunusualenoughforMorelltohaveadeanoteofitandthenaskorequestions.TheexpnationhegotwasthatHarriethadpedtalkingaboutherself,pedgossiping,andpedconfidinginherfriends.
HarrietVangerhadbeenaChristian,inachildssenseofthewordattendingSundayschool,sayingeveningprayers,andbeingconfired.Inherstyearsheseeedtohavebeeyetorereligious.ShereadtheBibleandwentregurlytochurch.ButshehadnottuedtoHedebyIsndspastor,OttoFalk,whowasafriendoftheVangerfaily.Instead,duringthespringshehadsoughtoutaPentecostalcongregationinHedestad.YetherinvolveentinthePentecostalchurchdidnotstlong.AfteronlytwoonthssheleftthecongregationandinsteadbeganreadingsabouttheCatholicfaith.
ThereligiousinfatuationofateenagerPerhaps,butnooneelseintheVangerfailyhadeverbeennoticeablyreligious,anditwasdifficulttodiscewhatipulsesayhaveguidedher.OneexpnationforherinterestinGodcould,ofcourse,havebeenthatherfatherhaddrownedthepreviousyear.MorellcaetotheconclusionthatsoethinghadhappenedinHarrietslifethatwastroublingheroraffectingher.Morell,likeVanger,haddevotedagreatdealoftietotalkingtoHarrietsfriends,tryingtofindsoeoneinwhosheighthaveconfided.
SoeeasureofhopewaspinnedonAnitaVanger,twoyearsolderthanHarrietandthedaughterofHarald.Shehadspentthesuerof1966onHedebyIsndandtheywerethoughttobeclosefriends.ButAnitahadnosolidrationtooffer.Theyhadhungouttogetherthatsuer,swiing,takingwalks,talkingaboutovies,popbands,ands.HarriethadsoetiesgonewithAnitawhenshetookdrivinglessons.Oncetheyhadgothappilydrunkonabottleofwiheystolefrothehouse.ForseveralweeksthetwoofthehadalsostayedatGottfriedscabinontheverytipoftheisnd.
ThequestionsaboutHarrietsprivatethoughtsandfeelingsreainedunanswered.ButBlokvistdidakeanoteofadiscrepancyinthereport:therationaboutherununicativefraeofindcaechieflyfrohercssates,andtoacertainextentfrothefaily.AnitaVangerhadnotthoughtofherasbeingintrovertedatall.HeadeanotetodiscussthisatterwithVangeratsoepoint.
Aoreconcretequestion,towhichMorellhaddevoteduchoreattention,wasasurprisingpageinHarrietsdate,abeautifulboundshehadbeengivenasaChristaspresenttheyearbeforeshedisappeared.ThefirsthalfofthedatewasadaybydaycalendarinwhichHarriethadlistedeetings,thedatesofexasatschool,herhoework,andsoon.Thedatealsohadargesectionforadiary,butHarrietusedthediaryonlysporadically.ShebeganabitiouslyenoughinJanuarywithanybriefentriesaboutpeopleshehadetovertheChristasholidaysandseveraboutfilsshehadseen.Afterthatshewrotenothingpersonaluntiltheendoftheschoolyearwhensheapparentlydependingonhowtheentrieswereinterpretedbecaeinterestedfroadistanceinsoeneveaedboy.
Thepagesthatlistedtelephonenubersweretheonesthatheldtherealystery.Neatly,inalphabeticalorder,werethenaesandnubersoffailyebers,cssates,certainteachers,severalebersofthePentecostalcongregation,andothereasilyidentifiableindividualsinhercircleofacquaintances.Ontheverystpageoftheaddress,whichwasbnkandnotreallypartofthealphabeticalsection,therewerefivenaesandtelephonenubers.Threefealenaesandtwosetsofinitials:
Magda32016
Sara32109
R.J.30112
R.L.32027
Mari32018
Thetelephonenubersthatbeganwith32wereHedestadnubersinthesixties.Theonebeginningwith30wasaNorrbynnuber,notfarfroHedestad.TheproblewasthatwhenMorellcontactedeveryoneofHarrietsfriendsandacquaintances,noonehadanyideawhosenuberstheywere.
Thefirstnuberbelongingto“Magda”initiallyseeedproising.ItledtoahaberdasheryatParkgatan12.ThetelephonewasinthenaeofoneMargotLundark,whoseothersnaewasactuallyMagda；shesoetieshelpedoutinthestore.ButMagdawassixtynineyearsoldandhadnoideawhoHarrietVangerwas.NorwasthereanyevidencethatHarriethadevervisitedtheshoporboughtanythingthere.Shewasntinterestedinsewing.
Thesecondnuberfor“Sara”belongedtoafailybythenaeofToresson,wholivedinVststan,ontheothersideofthetracks.ThefailyincludedAndersandMonicaandtheirchildren,JonasandPeter,whoatthetiewerepreschooge.TherewasnoSarainthefaily,nordidtheyknowofHarrietVanger,otherthanthatshehadbeenreportedintheediaasissing.TheonlyvagueconnectionbetweenHarrietandtheToressonfailywasthatAnders,whowasaroofer,hadseveralweeksearlierputatiledroofontheschoolwhichHarrietattended.Sotheoreticallytherewasachancethattheyhadet,althoughitightbeconsideredextreelyunlikely.
Thereainingthreenubersledtosiirdeadends.Thenuber32027for“R.L.”hadactuallybelongedtooneRosarieLarsson.Unfortunately,shehaddiedseveralyearsearlier.
InspectorMorellconcentratedagreatdealofhisattentionduringthewinterof1966–67ontryingtoexpinwhyHarriethadwrittendownthesenaesandnubers.
OnepossibilitywasthatthetelephonenuberswerewritteninsoepersonalcodesoMorelltriedtoguesshowateenagegirlwouldthink.SincethethirtytwoseriesobviouslypointedtoHedestad,hesetaboutrearrangingthereainingthreedigits.Neither32601or32160ledtoaMagda.AsMorellcontinuedhisnuerology,herealisedthatifhepyedaroundwithenoughofthenubers,soonerorterhewouldfindsoelinktoHarriet.Forexaple,ifheaddedooeachofthethreereainingdigitsin32016,hegot32127whichwasthenubertoFrodesofficeinHedestad.Butonelinklikethateantnothing.Besides,heneverdiscoveredacodethatadesenseofallfiveofthenubers.
Morellbroadenedhisinquiry.Couldthedigitsean,forexaple,cauberptes,whichinthesixtiescontainedthetwolettercountyregistrationcodeandfivedigitsAnotherdeadend.
Theinspectorthenconcentratedonthenaes.HeobtainedalistofeveryoneinHedestadnaedMari,Magda,orSaraorwhohadtheinitialsR.L.orR.J.Hehadalistof307people.Aongthese,29actuallyhadsoeconnectiontoHarriet.Forinstance,aboyfrohercsswasnaedRondJacobssonR.J.TheyscarcelykneweachotherandhadhadnocontactsinceHarrietstartedpreparatoryschool.Andtherewasnolinktothetelephonenuber.
Theysteryofthenubersinthedatereainedunsolved.
HerfourthencounterwithAdvokatBjuranwasnotoneoftheirscheduledeetings.Shewasforcedtoakecontactwithhi.
InthesecondweekofFebruarySandersfellvictitoanaidentthatwassouncalledforthatshefeltanurgentdesiretokillsoeone.ShehadriddenherbiketoaeetingatMiltonSecurityandparkeditbehindapilrinthegarage.Asshesetherrucksackonthegrounutonthebikelock,adarkredSaabbeganreversingout.Shehadherbacktuedbutheardthecrackingsoundfroherrucksack.Thedriverdidntnoticeathingand,unwitting,droveoffuptheexitrap.
TherucksackcontainedherwhiteApplei600with5gigharddriveand420egsofRAM,anufacturedinJanuary2002andequippedwith4inchscreen.Atthetiesheboughtit,itwasApplesstateoftheart.Sandersputerswereupgradedwiththeverytestandsoetiesostexpensiveconfigurationsputerequipentwastheonlyextravagantentryonherlistofexpenses.
Whensheopenedtherucksack,shecouldseethatthelidofherputerwascracked.Shepluggedinthepoweradapterandtriedtobootuptheputer；notevenadeathrattle.ShetookitovertoTiysMacJesusShoponBnkyrkagatan,hopingthatatleastsoethingontheharddrivecouldbesaved.Afterfiddlingwithitforashorttie,Tiyshookhishead.
“Sorry.Nohope,”hesaid.“Youllhavetoarrangeanicefuneral.”
Thelossofherputerwasdepressingbutnotdisastrous.Sanderhadhadanexcellentretionshithitduringtheyearshehadownedit.Shehadbackedupallherdocuents,andshehadanolderdesMacG3athoe,aswelsafiveyearoldToshibaPCthatshecoulduse.Butsheneededafast,odeachine.
Unsurprisinglyshesethersightsonthebestavaiblealteative:thenewApplePowerG41.0GHzinanaluiniucasewithaPowerPC7451processorwithanAltiVecVelocityEngine,960MBRAManda60GBharddrive.IthadBlueToothandbuiltinCDandDVDbuers.
Bestofall,ithadthefirst17inchscreenintheworldwithNVIDIAgraphicsandaresolutionof1440x900pixels,whichshookthePCadvocatesandoutrankedeverythingelseonthearket.
Intersofhardware,itwastheRollsRoyceofportableputers,butwhatreallytriggeredSandersneedtohaveitwasthesiplefeaturethatthekeyboardwasequippedwithbacklighting,sothatshecouldseethelettersevenifitwaspitchdark.Sosiple.Whyhadnoohoughtofthatbefore
Itwasloveatfirstsight.
Itcost38,000kronor,plustax.
Thatwastheproble.
ewhatay,sheputinherorderatMacJesus.Sheboughtallherputeraessoriesthere,sotheygaveherareasonablediscount.Shetalliedupherexpenses.Theinsuranceonherruinedputerwouldcoveragoodpartoftheprice,butwiththewarrantyandthehigherpriceofheewacquisition,shewasstill18,000kronorshort.Shehad10,000kronorhiddeninacoffeetinathoebutthatwasall.ShesentevilthoughtstoHerrBjuran,butthenshebitthebulletandcalledherguardiantoexpinthatsheneededoneyforanunexpectedexpense.Bjuranssecretarysaidthathehadnotietoseeherthatday.Sanderrepliedthatitwouldtaketheantwentysecondstowriteoutachequefor10,000kronor.Shewastoldtobeathisofficeat7:30thatevening.
Blokvistighthavenoexperienceofevaluatingcriinalinvestigations,buthereckonedthatInspectorMorellhadbeenexceptionallyconscientious.WhenBlokvisthadfinishedwiththepoliceinvestigation,MorellstillkepttuingupasapyerinVangersownnotes.Theyhadbeefriends,andBlokvistwonderedwhetherMorellhadbeenasobsessedasthecaptainofindustrybecae.
Itwasunlikely,inhisview,thatMorellhadissedanything.Thesolutiontotheysterywasnotgoingtobefoundinthepolicerecords.Everyiaginablequestionhadbeenasked,andallleadsfollowedup,evensoethatseeedabsurdlyfarfetched.Hehadnotreadeverywordofthereport,butthefurtherintotheinvestigationhegot,theoreobscurethesubsequentleadsandtipsbecae.Hewasnotgoingtofindanythingthathisprofessionalpredecessorandhisexperiencedteahadissed,andhewasundecidedwhatapproachheshouldadopttotheproble.Eventuallyitcaetohithattheonlyreasonablypracticalrouteforhitotakewastotrytofindoutthepsychologicalotivesoftheindividualsinvolved.
ThefirstquestionhadtodowithHarrietherself.Whowasshe
FrohiskitchenwindowBlokvisthadnoticedalightgoonupstairsinCeciliaVangershouseatalittleafter5:00intheafteoon.Heknockedonherdoorat7:30,justasthenewsbroadcastwasstartingonTV.Sheopenedthedoordressedinherbathrobe,herhairwetunderayellowtowel.Blokvistapologisedatoncefordisturbingherandadetoretreat,butshewavedhiintothelivingroo.Shetuedonthecoffeeakerandvanishedupstairsforafewinutes.Whenshecaebackdown,shehadputonjeansandacheckfnnelshirt.
“Iwasstartingtothinkyouwerenevergoingtocall.”
“Ishouldhaverungfirst,butIsawyourlightwasonandcaeoveronipulse.”
“Iveseenthelightsonallnightatyourpce.Andyoureoftenoutwalkingafteridnight.Youreanightowl”
Blokvistshrugged.“Itstuedoutthatway.”Helookedatseveraltextsstackedontheedgeofthekitchentable.“Doyoustillteach”
“No,asheadistressIdonthavetie.ButIusedtoteachhistory,religion,andsocialstudies.AndIhaveafewyearsleft.”