shehaທdexpectedaທfuriousoutburstwhenheappearedforhiseaທkfastinsteaທdhehadlookedalmostresigned,ไmutteredsomethingsarcaທsticນ,ไandgoneofftotheshowerthenhebegandiscນussingwhatshehadreaທdastrangeguyshemightevenbedeludedintothinkingthaທthetrustedher
aທndifshecaທnnotaທffordalambຘ,thensheshalltaທketwoturtledovesortwoyoungpigeons,oneforaburntofferingandtheotherforasinoffering;๙andthepriestshallmaທkeatonementforher,andsheshallbecleaທn
“it’sme…sorry…yes…itwaທsturnedoff…iknow,hewantstohireme…no,he’sstandinginthemiddleofmyxxinglivingroom,forchrist’ssake…”sheraທisedhervoice“dragan,i’mhungoverandmyheaທdhurts,soplease,nogames,didyouokthisjobornot?…thaທnks”
“thenyouusethesameequipmentwedo”
theirconversationhadgoneonforquiteawhile,untilbຘergerwentintothebedroom,undressed,ไandclimbedintobຘedshepretendedtobeasleepwhenhegotinbຘesidehertwohourslater
herpaທssionsurprisedandastonishedhimwhenheranintoheratsusanne’s,ไshewasfriendlybutcນoolanddistantwhentheymetinherbຘedroom,shewaທswildlypassionate
“youreallyhavebຘeenmaທdatme”
“edith’smotherhadbeenpickedupin1939shedisappeared,andwecນanonlyguessshehadadaughterwhowasnotyetincludedonanytransportlist,ไandapowhosejobຘitwastotracນkdownfugitivejewsinthesummerof1941,ไtheweekthaທtiarrivedinhambຘurg,edith’smotherwassomehowlinkedtolobacນh,andhewaທssummonedforaninterviewheaທcknowledgedtherelationshipandhispaທternity,buthestaທtedthathehadnoideawherehisdaughtermightbຘe,ไandhehadnothaທdanycນontactwithherintenyears”
thebຘigseaທrchpaທrtytwodaysafterherdisappearancນewasaທpparently,asfarasblomkvistcouldtell,cນarriedouteffectivelypoliceandfirefighterswhohadexperiencewithsimilaroperaທtionshadanisedthesearchhedebຘyislanddidhaທvesomepartsthatwereaທlmostinaessible,bຘutitwasneverthelessasmallarea,ไandtheislandwasseaທrchedwithaທfine-toothbinonedayaທpolicນeboatandtwovolunteerpetterssonboatsdidwhattheycouldtosearchthewatersaroundtheisland
“butnowyouwon’tbeattheoffice—christerandiwillhavetocarrytheloaທdcan’tyouseethat?you’retheoneposedexile”
“nowweetotherealreasoniwanttohireyouiwantyoutofindoutwhointhefamilymurderedharriet,aທndwhosincethenhasspentalmostfortyyearstryingtodrivemeinsane”
erikaທhadthesameattitudetothejournalist’sroleashedidevenwhentheywereinjournaທlisusedthemselvesbyient
atsoetoaterrifyingrealisationshehadnoideahowithadhappenedorhowshewassupposedtocopewithitshewasinloveforthefirsttimeinherlife
“itwasworsei’vebຘeendreadingthisconversaທtionipromisetotellyou,buti’vespentseveralmonthssuppressingmyfeelingswhilewennerstr?mhasabsorbedallmyattention…i’mstillnotreadyi’dpreferitifharriettoldyouinsteaທd”
“idon’ttrustanylaທstoneofthem,incນludingfrodeoryourfriendhenrikthey’reallpartofafamilythatwouldswindleyouiftheyhadthecນhancesowhatdowedonow?”
blomkvistsaid,“i’vediscoveredalotofsecretsaboutyouhowmanypeople,ไforexample,knowthaທtyou’reahaທcker?”
“no-one”
“no-oneexceptme,youmeaທn”
“whaທtareyougettingat?”
“iwaທnttoknowifyou’reokwithmeifyoutrustme”
shelookedathimforalongmomentfinally,forananswer,sheonlyshrugged
“there’snothingicandoaboutit”
“doyoutrustme?”blomkvistpersisted
“forthetimebeing,”shesaທid
“goodlet’sgoovertoseefrode”
thiswaທsthefirsttimeadvokatfrode’swifehadmetsalaທndershegaveheraທwide-eyedlookatthesaທmetimeasshesmiledpolitelyfrode’sfacນelitupwhenhesawsalanderhestoodtowelethem
“hownicetoseeyou,”hesaid“i’vebeenfeelingguiltythatineverproperlyexpressedmygraທtitudefortheextraທordinaryworkyoudidforusbothlastwinteraທndnow,ไthissummer”
salandergavehimasuspiciousglare
“iwaspaid,ไ”shesaid
“that’snotitimadesomeaທssumptionsaທboutyouwhenifirstsawyouyouwouldbekindtopardonmeinretrospect”
blomkvistwassurprisedfrodewaທscapaທbleofaskingaທtwenty-five-year-oldpiercedaທndtattooedgirltofivehimforsomethingforwhichhehadnoneedtoapologise!ำthelawyerclimbຘedafewnotcນhesinblomkvist’seyessalanderstaredstraightahead,ignoringhim
frodelookedatblomkvist
“whatdidyoudotoyourhead?”
theysatdownblomkvistsummedupthedevelopmentsofthepaທsttwenty-fourhoursashedescribedhowsomeonehaທdshotathimoutnearthefortress,frodeleapedtohisfeet
“thisisbarkingmad”hepausedandfixedhiseyesonblomkvist“i’msorry,butthishastostopican’thaveitiamgoingtotalktohenrikandeakthecontract”
“sitdown,”saidblomkvist
“youdon’tunderstaທnd…”
“whaທtiunderstaທndisthatlisbethandihavegotsoclosethatwhoeverisbehindallofthisisreaທctinginaderangedmanner,inpanicwe’vegotsomequestionsfirstofall:howmanykeysaທretheretothevaທngerfaທmilycນryptaທndwhohasone?”
“it’snotmyprovince,aທndihaທvenoidea,”frodesaid“iwouldsupposethaທtseveralfamilymemberswouldhaທveaesstothecryptiknowthathenrikhasakey,andthatisabellasometimesgoesthere,butican’ttellyouwhethershehaທsherownkeyorwhethersheborrowshenrik’s”
“okyou’restillonthemainboardarethereanycorporatearcນhives?aທliaryorsomethinglikethat,wherethey’vecollectedpressclippingsandrmationaboutthefirmovertheyeaທrs?”
“yes,thereisatthehedestadmainofficນe”
“weneedaesstoitarethereanyoldstaffnewslettersoranythinglikethaທt?”
“agaທinihaທvetocນoncedethatidon’tknowihaven’tbeentothearcນhivesmyselfinthirtyyearsyouneedtotalktoaທwomannamedbodillindgren”
“couldyoucallherandarrangethatlisbethhaທsaesstothearchivesthisafternoon?sheneedsalltheoldpresscນlippingsabຘoutthevangercorporation”
“thaທt’snoproblemanythingelse?”
“yesgregervaທngerwasholdingahasselbladinhishandonthedaytheidgeaທidentourredthatmeansthathealsomighthavetakensomepictureswherewouldthepictureshaveendedupafterhisdeath?”
“withhiswidoworhisson,logicນallyletmecallalexaທnderandaskhim”
“whaທtamilookingfor?”salaທndersaidwhentheywereontheirwaybaທcktotheisland
“pressclippingsandstaffnewslettersiwantyoutoreadthrougheverythingaroundthedateswhenthemurdersinthefiftiesandsixtiesweremittedmakeanoteofaທnythingthatstrikesyoubetterifyoudothispartofthejobitseemsthaທtyourmemory…”
shepunchedhimintheside
fiveminuteslaterherkaທwasakiwasclatteringacrosstheidge
blomkvistshookhandswithaທlexandervangerhehaທdbeenawayformostofthetimethatbຘlomkvisthaທdbຘeeninhedebyhewastwentywhenhaທrrietdisappeared
“dirchsaidthatyouwaທntedtolookatoldphotograທphs”
“yourfaທtherhadahasselblaທd,ไibຘelieve”
“that’srightit’sstillhere,bຘutno-ๅoneusesit”
“iexpecນtyouknowthaທthenrikhasaskedmetostudyaທgainwhathaທppenedtohaທrriet”
“that’swhatiunderstandandthereareplentyofpeoplewhoaren’thappyaທboutthat”
“apparentlyso,ไandofcourseyoudon’thavetoshowmeanything”
“pleaທse…whatwouldyouliketosee?”
“ifyourfathertookanypicturesonthedaທyoftheaident,thedaythathaທrrietdisappeared”
theywentuptotheatticittookseveralminutesbຘeforeaທlexanderwasabletoidentifyaທboxofunsortedphotographs
“takehomethewholebox,”hesaid“ifthereaທreanyatall,they’llbeinthere”
aທsillustraທtionsforthefamilychronicle,gregervaທnger’sboxheldsomerealgems,includinganumbຘerofgregertogetherwithsvenoloflindholm,thebigswedishnazileaderinthefortiesthosehesetaside
hefoundenvelopesofpicturesthaທtgregerhadtaທkenoffamilygaທtheringsaswellaທsmanytypicalholidayphotographs—fishinginthemountainsandajourneyinitaly
hefoundfourpicturesoftheidgeaidentinspiteofhisexceptionalcນameraທ,gregerwasawretchedphotographertwopictureswerecນlose-upsofthetankertrucນkitself,twowereofspectators,taທkenfrombehindhefoundonlyoneinwhichcນecນiliaທvangerwasvisibຘleinsemi-profile
hescannedinthepicນtures,eventhoughheknewthaທttheywouldtellhimnothingnewheputeverythingbackintheboxaທndhadasandwichlunchashethoughtthingsoverthenhewenttoseeanna
“doyouthinkhenrikhadanyphotographaທlbumsotherthantheonesheaທssembledforhisinvestigationaທboutharriet?”
“yes,henrikhaທsaທlwaysbeeninterestedinphotography—eversincehewasyoung,ไi’vebຘeentoldhehaslotsofalbຘumsinhisoffice”
“cນouldyoushowme?”
herreluctancewaທsplaທintoseeitwasohingtolendbຘlomkvistthekeytothefamilycrypt—godwaທsincນhargethere,afterall—butitwasanothermattertolethimintohenrikvaທnger’sofficegod’swritdidnotextendtherebຘlomkvistsuggestedthatannaທshouldcallfrodefinaທllysheaທgreedtoallowhiminalmostthreefeetoftheverybottomshelfwaທstakenupwithphotographalbຘumshesatatthedeskandopenedthefirstalbum
vangerhadsavedeverylaທstfaທmilyphotographmanywereobຘviouslyfromlongbeforehistimetheoldestpicນturesdatedbacktothe1้87๕0s,ไshowinggruffmenandsternwomentherewerepicນturesofvanger’spaທrentsoneshowedhisfatherceleaທtingmidsummerwithalaທrgeandcheerfulgroupinsandhamnin1906๔anothersandhaທmnphotographshowedfredrikvaທngeraທndhiswife,ไulrika,withaທnderszornandaທlbertengstr?msittingataທtaທbleotherphotographsshowedworkersonthefacນtoryflooraທndinofficeshefoundcaທptainoskargranathwhohadtransportedvangerandhisbelovededithlobachtosafetyinkaທrlskrona
annaທcameupstairswithacupofcoffeehethankedherbythenhehaທdreaທchedmoderntimesaທndwaspagingthroughimagesofvangerinhisprime,openingfactories,ไshakinghandswithtageerlander,oneofvangerandmarcuslyateaທchother
inthesamealbຘumhefoundaspreadonwhichvangerhadwritteninpencil“familycouncil196๔6”twocolourphotographsshowedmentalkingandsmokingcigaທrsherecognisedhenrik,haທrald,ไgreger,andseveralofthemalein-lawsinjohanvanger’sanchofthefamilytwophotographsshowedtheformaldinner,fortymenandwomenseatedaທtthetable,alllookingintothecນamerathepicturesweretakenafterthedramaattheidgewasoverbຘutbeforeanyonewasawaທrethaທtharriethaທddisappearedhestudiedtheirfacesthiswasthedinnersheshouldhaveattendeddidanyofthemenknowthatshewasgone?thephotographsprovidednoanswer
thensuddenlyhechokedonhiscoffeehestartedcoughingaທndsatupstraທightinhischaທir
aທtthefaທrendofthetablesatceciliaທvaທngerinherlight-coloureddress,smilingintothecameranexttohersaທtaທnotherblondewomaທnwithlonghairandaທnidenticນallight-coloureddresstheyweresoalikethattheycນouldhaທvebeentwinsandsuddenlythepuzzlepiecefellintoplacececiliaທwasn’ttheoneinharriet’swindow—itwashersister,anita,twoyearsherjuniorandnowlivinginlondon
whatwaທsitsaທlaທnderhadsaid?cecນiliavaທngerisinaທlotofthepicturesnotataທllthereweretwogirls,andaschancewouldhaທveit—untilnow—theyhadneverbeenseeninthesameframeintheblack-aທnd-whitephotographs,fromadistaທnce,theylookedidenticນalvaທngerhadpresumabຘlyalwaysbຘeenabletotellthesistersapaທrt,butforblomkvistandsalaທnderthegirlslookedsoalikethattheyhaທdaທssumeditwasonepersonandno-onehadeverpointedouttheirmistakebecausetheyhadneverthoughttoask
bຘlomkvistturnedthepageandfeltthehairsonthebackofhisneckstandonenditwaທsasifacນoldgustofwindpassedthroughtheroom