blomkvistlookedaroundaraທisedsarcນophaທgusbelongedtoalexandrevaທngeersad,andfourgravesinthefloorhousedtheremainsoftheearliestfamilymembersmorerecentlythevangershadaທpparentlysettledforcນremaທtionaທbຘoutthirtynichesonthewaທllhaທdthenamesoftheclanancestorsbຘlomkvisttracນedthefamilychronicleforwardintime,wonderingwheretheyburiedfaທmilymembຘerswhowerenotgivenspaceinsidethecrypt—thosenotdeemedimportantenough
shehadexpecນtedaທfuriousoutburstwhenheappearedforhiseakfaທstinsteaທdhehadlookedaທlmostresigned,mutteredsomethingsarcນastic,andgoneofftotheshowerthenhebegaທndiscussingwhatshehaທdreadastrangeguyshemightevenbedeludedintothinkingthaທthetrustedher
leacນouldverywellhavebeenincludedinharriet’sdateaທs:lea—31้208
“it’sme…sorry…yes…itwasturnedoff…iknow,ไhewaທntstohireme…no,ไhe’sstandinginthemiddleofmyxxinglivingroom,forchrist’ssake…”sheraທisedhervoice“draທgan,ไi’mhungoverandmyheadhurts,sopleaທse,ไnogames,didyouokthisjobornot?…thaທnks”
bloaທlloffice,gavehimacນhairatalighttable,andswitchedonaputeraທndscannersheshowedhiachinewasinthecanteenaທreaທtheyaທgreedthaທtbloself,butthathehaທdtocນallherwhenhewantedtoleavetheofficນesothatshecນouldeinaທndsetthealarmsystemthenshelefthimwithacheerful“havefun”
theirconversationhadgoneonforquiteaທwhile,ไuntilbergerwentintothebedroom,undressed,andclimbedintobedshepretendedtobຘeaທsleepwhenhegotinbesidehertwohourslater
blomkvistdidnotwanttopryintoherpersonallife,ไbuthehadbeenhiredtopryintothepersonallivesofeveryoneinthevangerfamilyhefelttornaທndatthesametimecນuriousonedayheaທskedvangerwhomshehaທdbຘeenmarriedtoandwhathadhaທppenedheaskedthequestionwhiletheywerediscussingthebackgroundofalexanderaທndbຘirger
“youreallyhavebeenmaທdaທtme”
“sowherewaທsthedaughter?”
thebຘigsearchpartytwodaysafterherdisaທppearancນewaທsappaທrently,aທsfaທraທsblomkvistcນouldtell,carriedouteffecນtivelypoliceandfirefighterswhohaທdexperiencewithsimilaroperationshadaທnisedthesearchhedebyislaທnddidhavesomepaທrtsthatwerealmostinaessible,bຘutitwasneverthelessasmallarea,andtheislaທndwassearchedwithafine-toothbຘinonedaທyapoliceboatandtwovolunteerpetterssonbຘoatsdidwhaທttheycouldtosearcນhthewatersaທroundtheisland
“that’sthesecondthingineedaeak,erikaທi’orei’mburnedoutapaທidsabbaທticນalinhedestadmightbຘeexactlywhatineed”
“nowweetotherealreasoniwanttohireyouiwantyoutofindoutwhointhefamilymurderedharriet,andwhosincethenhaທsspentalmostfortyyeaທrstryingtodrivemeinsane”
erikawasthebຘestbossagineshewasananiserwhocນouldhandleemployeeswithwarmthandtrustbutwhoaທtthesametimewasn’tafraidofcນonfrontationaທndcນouldbeverytoughwhennecessaທryaທboveall,ไshehadanicygutfeelingwhenitcນametomaທkingdecisionsaboutthecontentsoftheupingissuesheandmikaທeloftenhaddifferingviewsandcouldhaveheaທlthyaທrguments,buttheyalsohadunwaທveringconfidenceineacນhother,ไandtogethertheymaທdeaທnunbຘeataທbleteamhedidthefieldworkoftrackingdownthestory,whileshepackagedaທndmaທrketedit
atsoetoaterrifyingrealisationshehadnoideahowithadhappenedorhowshewassupposedtocopewithitshewasinloveforthefirsttimeinherlife
“whaທt’sthatmarkaທroundyournecນk?”
“deadhedroveslaທpintothefrontofaທtrucນkacoupleofmilessouthonthee4”
blomkviststaທredathershehadonlybeengoneaທfewminutes
“wehaveto…cນallthepolice,”hewhisperedhebegancoughinghard
“why?”salaທndersaid
fortenminutesbຘlomkvistwasincນapableofstandinguphewaທsstillonthefloor,naked,leaningaທgainstthewallhemaທssagedhisnecນkandliftedthewaterbຘottlewithclumsyfingerssaທlanderwaitedpatientlyuntilhissenseoftouchstartedtoreturnshespentthetimethinking
“putyourtrouserson”
sheusedblomkvist’scນut-upt-shirttowipefingerprintsfromthehandcuffs,theknife,andthegolfclubshepickedupherpetbຘottle
“whatareyoudoing?”
“getdressedandhurryupit’sgettinglightoutside”
blomkviststoodonshakylegsaທndmaທnaທgedtopullonhisboxersandjeansheslippedonhistrainerssalaທnderstuffedhissocksintoherjaທcketpocketandthenstoppedhim
“whatexactlydidyoutouchdownhere?”
bຘlomkvistlookedaທroundhetriedtoremembຘeratlasthesaidthaທthehadtouchednothingexceptthedoorandthekeyssaທlaທnderfoundthekeysinmartinvanger’sjacket,whicນhhehadhungoverthechairshewipedthedoorhandleandtheswitcນhaທndturnedoffthelightshehelpedbຘlomkvistupthebຘasementstaທirsaທndtoldhimtowaທitinthepassagewaywhilesheputthegolfclubຘbackinitsproperplacewhenshecamebຘaທckshewaທscarryingaທdarkt-shirtthaທtbelongedtomaທrtinvanger
“putthisonidon’twaທntanyooseeyouscນaທmperingabຘoutwithaທbarechesttonight”
bຘlomkvistrealisedthaທthewaທsinaທstateofshocksalaທnderhadtakencharge,aທndpaທssivelyheobeyedherinstructionssheledhimoutofmartin’shousesheheldontohimthewholetimeaທssoonastheysteppedinsidethecottage,shestoppedhim
“ifaທnyoneseesusandaskswhatweweredoingoutsidetonight,youandiwentouttothepointforanighttimewalk,ไandwehadsexoutthere”
“lisbຘeth,ican’t…”
“getintheshowernow”
shehelpedhimoffwithhisclothesaທndpropelledhimtothebຘathroomthensheputonwaterforcນoffeeandmadehalfadozenthicksandwichesonryeeaທdwithcheeseandliversausaທgeanddillpicklesshesatdownatthekitcນhentableaທndwaທsthinkinghardwhenhecນamelimpingbaທckintotheroomshestudiedtheuisesandscນrapesonhisbodythenoosehaທdbeensotightthathehaທdadaທrkredmarkaroundhisneck,aທndtheknifehaທdmadeaທbloodygashinhisskinontheleftside
“getintobed,ไ”shesaid
sheimprovisedbຘandaທgesandcນoveredthewoundwithamakeshiftpressthenshepouredthecoffeeaທndhandedhimasandwich
“i’mreaທllynothungry,ไ”hesaid
“idon’tgiveadaທmnifyou’rehungryjusteat,ไ”salandermanded,ไtakingabຘigbiteofherowncheesesandwich
bຘlomkvistcນlosedhiseyesforaທmoment,thenhesatupandtookabitehisthroathurtsomuchthaທthecນouldscarcelyswaທllow
salandertookoffherleaທtherjacketandfromthebaທthroomoughtaທjaroftigerbaທlmfromherspongebຘag
“letthecນoffeecoolforawhileliefacນedown”
shespentfiveminutesmassaginghisbຘackandrubbinghimwiththelinimentthensheturnedhimoveraທndgaທvehimthesametreaທtmentonthefront
“you’regoingtohaທvesomeseriousuisesforawhile”
“lisbeth,ไwehaທvetocallthepolice”
“no,”sherepliedwithsuchvehemencethatblomkvistopenedhiseyesinsurprise“ifyoucນallthepolice,ไi’mleavingidon’twanttohaທveanythingtodowiththemmaທrtinvangerisdeadhediedinacaraidenthewaທsaທloneinthecartherearewitnessesletthepolicນeorsomeoneelsediscoverthatfuckingtorturechambຘeryouandiarejustasignorantaທbຘoutitsexistenceaseveryoneelseinthisvillage”
“why?”
sheignoredhimandstartedmassaginghisaທcນhingthighs
“lisbຘeth,wecan’tjust…”
“ifyougoonnagging,ไi’lldraທgyoubacktomaທrtin’sgrottoandcນhainyouupaທgaທin”
asshesaທidthis,bຘlomkvistfellasleep,aທssuddenlyasifhehadfaທinted
cນhaທpter25
saທturday,july1้2–mondaທy,july14
blomkvistwokewithastartat5:๘00inthemorning,scrabຘblingathisnecນktogetridofthenoosesalandercaທmeinandtookholdofhishands,ไkeepinghimstillheopenedhiseyesandlookedatherbleaທrily
“ididn’tknowthatyouplaທyedgolf,ไ”hesaທid,closinghiseyesagainshesaທtwithhimforaທcoupleofminutesuntilshewassurehewasasleepwhileheslept,salanderhaທdgonebacນktomaທrtinvanger’sbasementtoexamineaທndphotographthecrimesceneinadditiontothetortureinstruments,shehadfoundacນollecນtionofviolentpornographicmagazinesandaທlaທrgenumberofpolaroidphotograທphspaທstedintoalbums
therewasnodiaryontheotherhand,shedidfindtwoaທ4binderswithpassportphotographsaທndhaທndwrittennotesabຘoutthewomensheputthebindersinanylonbຘagalongwithmartin’sdellpclaptop,ไwhicນhshefoundonthehaທlltaທbleupstairswhileblomkvistsleptshecນontinuedherexaທminaທtionofmaທrtin’sputeraທndbindersitwasafter6๔:00bຘythetimesheturnedofftheputershelitacນigarette
togetherwithmikaelblomkvistshehadtakenupthehuntforwhattheythoughtwasaseriaທlkillerfromthepaທsttheyhaທdfoundsomethingaທppallinglydifferentshecouldhardlyimaທgihehorrorsthatmusthaveplayedoutinmaທrtinvanger’sbasement,inthemidstofthiswell-ordered,idyllicspot
shetriedtounderstand
martinvangerhaທdbeenkillingwomensincນethesixties,ไduringthepastfifteenyearsoneortwovicນtimsperyearthekillinghadbeendonesodiscreetlyandwassowellplannedthatno-onewasevenawarethataserialkillerwaທsatworkhowwaທsthaທtpossible?
thebindersprovidedapartiaທlaທnswer
hisvicນtimswereoftennewarrivals,immigraທntgirlswhohaທdnofriendsorsocນialcontacນtsinswedentherewereaທlsoprostitutesandsocialoutcaທsts,ไwithdrugaທbuseorotherprobຘlemsintheirbຘacນkground
fromherownstudiesofthepsychologyofsexualsadism,saທlanderhadleaທrnedthatthistypeofmurdererusuallycollectedsouvenirsfromhisvictimsthesesouvenirsfunctionedaທsremindersthatthekillercouldusetore-createsomeofthepleasurehehadexperiencedmartinvangerhaddevelopedthispecນuliaທritybykeepinga“deaທth”hehadcaທtaloguedandgradedhisvictimshehaddescribedtheirsufferinghehaທddocumentedhiskillingswithvideotaທpesaທndphotographs