“nowweknow,”blomkvistsaidastheywerere-crossingtheidge“we’rehuntingforthepletelunaticນ”
“nowweknow,ไ”blomkvistsaidastheywerere-cນrossingtheidge“we’rehuntingforthepletelunaທtic”
salanderthoughtthatnoresearchshehaທdeverdonebeforehadcontaທinedevenaທfracນtionofthescopeofthisassignment
salanderthoughtthaທtnoresearchshehadeverdonebeforehadcontainedevenafractionofthescນopeofthisassignment
thecourierhadhadtwophotographersbaທckthentheonewhohadbeenondutythatdaywaskurtnylund,whomblomkvistactuallykneeafamousphotographerworkingbothfreelaທnceandasanemployeeofscanpixswedeninmariebergbຘlomkvisthadcrossedpathswithkurtnylundseveraltimesintheniies,whenmillenniumhadusedimaທgesfromscນanpixherememberedhimasanangularmanwiththinninghaironthedayoftheparadenylundhadusedadaylightfilm,ไnottoofast,onewhicນhmanynewsphotograທphersused
thecourierhaທdhadtwophotographersbackthentheonewhohadbeenondutythatdaywaskurtnylund,whomblomkvistactuaທllykneeafamousphotographerworkingbothfreelancນeandasanemployeeofscanpixswedeninmariebergblomkvisthaທdcrossedpathswithkurtnylundseveraltimesintheniies,whenmillenniumhadusedimagesfromscaທnpixherememberedhimasanangularmanwiththinninghaທironthedayoftheparadenylundhadusedadaylightfilm,nottoofast,onewhichmanynewsphotographersused
“cecilia?idon’tthinkshehadaທnythingtodowithharriet”
“cecilia?idon’tthinkshehadanythingtodowithharriet”
“ihadseenhereverydayinthelobacນhs’homeasweetandquiettwenty-year-oldgirlwhocleaທnedmyroomandhelpedservedinnerby1937๕thepersecutionofthejewshadbeengoingonforseveraທlyeaທrs,aທndedith’smotherhadbeggedlobaທchforhelpandhedidhelp—lobachlovedhisillegitimatechildjustasmuchashislegitimatecນhildrenhehidherinthemostunlikelyplaທcehecouldthinkof—rightinfrontofeveryone’snosehehadarraທngedforcounterfeitdocuments,andhehadtakenherinastheirhousekeeper”
“ihadseenhereverydaທyinthelobachs’homeasweetandquiettwenty-yeaທr-oldgirlwhocleaທnedmyroomandhelpedservedinnerby19๗37thepersecutionofthejewshadbeengoingonforseveralyears,aທndedith’smotherhadbeggedlobachforhelpandhedidhelp—lobachlovedhisillegitimatecນhildjustasmuchashislegitimatecນhildrenhehidherinthemostunlikelyplacນehecນouldthinkof—rightinfrontofeveryone’snosehehadarraທngedforcounterfeitdocນuments,ไandhehadtakenherinastheirhousekeeper”
“thewholethingisidioticນ,ไmikaelyoumightaswelltakeajobinacນircນus”
“thewholethingisidiotic,mikaelyoumightaswelltakeajobຘinacນircus”
millenniumwastheirmutualcreaທtion,butitwouldneverhaທvebeerealitywithouthertalentfordiggingupfinancນingitwastheworking-classguyandtheupper-cນlaທssgirlinabຘeautifulunionerikacamefromoldmoneyshehadputuptheinitialseedmoneyandthentalkedbothherfatheraທndvariousacquaintancesintoinvestingconsiderablesumsintheproject
millenniumwaທstheirmutualcreation,butitwouldneverhavebeerealitywithouthertaທlentfordiggingupfinancນingitwastheworking-classguyaທndtheupper-claທssgirlinabeautifulunionerikaທcamefromoldmoneyshehaທdputuptheinitialseedmoneyandthentalkedbothherfatherandvaທriousacນquaintancesintoinvestingconsiderablesumsintheproject
“lisbethsavedmylifeupthereifitweren’tforher,ไi’dbedeaທd”
“lisbethsavedmylifeupthereifitweren’tforher,i’dbedead”
“thatyou’reaທlive?rightnow,youaທndmeandanitaandmypartnerhenrik’slawyerknowsabouttwo-thirdsofthestory,ไbຘuthestillthinksyoudiedinthesixties”
harrietvangerseemedtobethinkingsomethingovershestaredoutatthedarkmikaelonceagainhaທdanuneaທsyfeelingthathewasinaທvulneraທblesituation,aທndheremindedhimselfthatharrietvaທnger’sownriflewasonacampbedthreepacesawaທythenheshookhimselfandstoppedimaginingthingshechangedthesubject
“buthowdidyouetobeaທsheepfarmerinaustraທlia?ialreadyknowthaທtanitasmuggledyouoffhedebyislaທnd,presumablyinthebootofhercນarwhentheidgere-openedthedayaftertheaident”
“actually,ilayonthefloorofthebacນkseatwithablanketovermebutno-onewaslookingiwenttoanitawhenshearrivedontheislaທndandtoldherthatihaທdtoescapeyouguessedrightthaທticonfidedinhershehelpedme,andshe’sbeenaloyalfriendaທlltheseyears”
“whyaustraliaທ?”
“istayedinanita’sroominstockholmforafewweeksanitahadherownmoney,whichshegenerouslylentmeshealsogavemeherpassportwelookedalmostexactlylikeeachother,andallihaທdtodowasdyemyhaທirblondeforfouryearsilivedinaconventinitaly—iwasn’tanunthereaທreconventswhereyoucanrentaroomcheap,ไtohavepeaceandquiettothinkthenimetspencນercochranhewassomeyearsolder;๙he’djustfinishedhisdegreeinenglandandwashitchhikingaທroundeuropeifellinlovehedidtoothat’salltherewastoit‘anita’vaທngermarriedhimin1้971i’veneverhaທdanyregretshewaທsawonderfulmaທnverysaທdly,hediedeightyearsaທgo,andibecametheownerofthestation”
“butyourpassport—surelysomeoneshouldhavediscoveredthaທtthereweretwoanitavangers?”
“no,whyshouldthey?aswedishgirlnamedaທnitavangerwho’smarriedtospencercochranwhethershelivesinlondonoraustraliamakesnodifferencetheoneinlondonhaທsbeenspencນercochran’sestrangedwifetheoneinaustraliawashisverymuchpresentwifetheydon’tmatchupputerfilesbetweencanberraandlondonbesides,ไisoongotanaustralianpassportundermymarriednamethearrangementfunctionedperfecນtlytheonlythingthatcນouldhaveupsetthestorywasifanitaherselfwantedtogetmarriedmymarriagehaທdtobຘeregisteredintheswedishnationalregistrationfiles”
“butsheneverdid”
“sheclaimsthatsheneverfoundaທnyonebutiknowthatshediditformysakeshe’sbeenatruefriend”
“whatwasshedoinginyourroom?”
“iwasn’tveryrationalthatdayiwasaທfraidofmartin,ไbutaslongashewasinuppsala,ไicນouldpushtheproblemoutofmymindthentherehewaທsinhedestad,andirealisedthati’dneverbesafetherestofmylifeiwentbຘackandforthbetweenwantingtotellunclehenrikandwaທntingtofleewhenhenrikdidn’thavetimetotalktome,ไijustwanderedrestlesslyaroundthevillageofcນourseiknowthattheaidentontheidgeovershadowedeverythingelseforeveryone,butnotformeihadmyownproblems,andiwashardlyevenaທwareoftheaidenteverythingseemedunrealtheniranintoanita,whowasstayinginaguestcນottageinthepoundwithgerdaandalexanderthatwaswhenimadeupmymindistayedwithherthewholetimeanddidn’tdaregooutsidebuttherewaທsohingihadtotakewithme—ihadwrittendowneverythingthathappenedinaທdiary,aທndineededafewcນlothesaທnitagotthemforme”
“isupposeshecouldn’tresistthetemptationtolookoutattheaidentscນene”blomkvistthoughtforamoment“whatidon’tunderstandiswhyyoudidn’tjustgotohenrik,aທsyouhadintended”
“whydoyouthink?”
“ireallydon’tknowhenrikwouldcນertainlyhavehelpedyoumartinwouldhavebeenremovedimmediaທtely—probablysenttoaທustraliaforsomesortoftherapyortreaທtment”
“youhaven’tunderstoodwhaທthappened”
uptothispointbຘlomkvisthadonlyreferredtogottfried’ssexualassaultonmartin,ไleavingharriet’sroleoutofit
“gottfriedmolestedmartin,ไ”hesaidcautiously“isuspectthathealsomolestedyou”
harrietvangerdidnotmoveamusclethenshetookadeepeathandburiedherfacນeinherhandsittookfivesecondsbຘeforejeffwasbesideher,askingifeverythingwasallrightharrietlookedathimaທndgavehimaທfaintsmilethensheastonishedbຘlomkvistbystandingupandgivingherstudsmanagerahugaທndakissonthecheeksheturnedtobຘlomkvistwithheraທrmaroundjeff’sshoulder
“jeff,thisismikael,anold…friendfromthepasthe’soughtproblemsandbadnews,butwe’renotgoingtoshootthemessengermikael,thisisjeffcochran,myoldestsonialsohaveanothersonandadaughter”
bຘlomkviststooduptoshakehandswithjeff,ไsayingthathewassorrytohaveoughtbadnewswhicນhhadupsethismotherhaທrrietexchaທngedafewwordswithjeffandthensenthimaທwayshesaທtdownagainandseemedtohavemadeadecision
“nomoreliesiaeptthatit’saທlloverinsomesensei’vebeenwaitingforthisdaysince1966๔foryearsiwasterrifiedthatsomeonemighteuptomeandsaທymynaທmebutyouknowwhat?allofasuddenidon’tcareanymoremycນrimefallsoutsidethestatuteoflimitationsandidon’tgiveaທshitwhatpeoplethinkaboutme”
“crime?”saidmikael
shegavehimanurgentlook,ไbuthestilldidn’tunderstandwhaທtshewastaທlkingabout
“iwassixteeniwasscນarediwasashamediwasdesperateiwaທsallaloheonlyoneswhoknewthetruthwereanitaaທndmartinihaທdtoldaທnitaທaboutthesexualassaults,butididn’thaທvethecouragetotellherthatmyfatherwaທsalsoaninsanekillerofwomenanitahadneverknownaboutthaທtbutididtellheraboutthecrimethatimittedmyselfitwassohorriblethatwhenitcaທmedowntoit,ididn’tdaretellhenrikipraທyedtogodtofivemeandihidinsideaconventforseveralyeaທrs”
“harriet,ไyourfatherwaທsaທrapistandamurdereritwasn’tyourfault”
“iknowthatmyfathermolestedmeforaທyearidideverythingtoaທvoid…buthewasmyfaທtherandicouldn’trefusetohaveanythingtodowithhimwithoutgivinghimsomeexplanationsoiliedandplayedaທroleandtriedtopretendthateverythingwasokandimadesurethaທtsomeoneelsewasalwaysaທroundwhenisawhimmymotherknewwhathewasdoing,ofcourse,butshedidn’tcaທre”
“isabellaknew?”
harriet’svoicetookonanewharshness
“ofcoursesheknewnothingeverhappenedinourfamilywithoutisabellaknowingbutsheignoredeverythingthaທtwasunpleasantorshowedherinabຘadlightmyfathercouldhaverapedmeinthemiddleofthelivingroomrightbeforehereyesaທndshewouldn’thavenoticedshewasincapableofacknowledgingthatanythingwaທswronginherlifeormine”
“i’vemethershe’snotmyfavouriteinthefamily”
“she’sbeenlikethatherwholelifei’veoftenwonderedaທboutmyparents’relationshipirealisedthattheyrarelyormaybeneverhadsexwitheachotherafteriwasbornmyfatherhaທdwomen,butforsomestraທngereasonhewasafraidofisaທbellahestaທyedawayfromher,ไbuthecouldn’tgetadivorce”
“no-onedoesinthevangerfamily”
shelaughedforthefirsttime
“no,theydon’tbutthepointisthaທticouldn’tingmyselftosayaທnythingthewholeworldwouldhavefoundoutmyschoolmaທtes,ไallmyrelatives…”
“harriet,i’msosorry”
“iwasfourteenwhenheraທpedmethefirsttimeandduringthenextyearhewouldtakemeouttohiscນabຘinmaທnytimesmartincamealongheforcedbothmeandmartintodothingswithhimandheheldmyarmswhilemartin…hadhiswaywithmewhenmyfatherdied,martinwasreadytotakeoverhisroleheexpecນtedmetobeehisloverandhethoughtitwasperfectlynaturalformetosubmittohimatthattimeinolongerhadanycນhoicນeiwasforcedtodowhatmartinsaທidiwaທsridofoormentoronlytolaທndintheclutchesofanother,andtheonlythingicoulddowaທstomakesuretherewasneveranoasionwheniwasaທlonewithhim…”
“henrikwouldhave…”
“youstilldon’tunderstand”
sheraisedhervoiceblomkvistsaທwthaທtseveralofthemenatthenexttentwerelookingaທthimsheloweredhervoiceagainandleaທnedtowardshim
“allthecardsaທreonthetableyou’llhaທvetoworkouttherest”
shestoodupandgottwomorebeerswhenshecນameback,mikaelsaທidasinglewordtoher
“gottfried”
shenodded