“nowweknow,”blomkvistsaidastheywerere-crossingtheidge“we’rehuntingforthepletelunaticນ”
“nowweknow,”bຘlomkvistsaidastheywerere-ๅcrossingtheidge“we’rehuntingforthepletelunatic”
salanderthoughtthaທtnoresearchshehadeverdonebeforehadcontaທinedevenaທfractionofthescopeofthisassignment
salaທnderthoughtthaທtnoresearchshehaທdeverdonebeforehadcontaທinedevenaທfractionofthescopeofthisassignment
thecourierhaທdhadtwophotographersbackthentheonewhohadbeenondutythatdaywaskurtnylund,whomblomkvistaທctuallykneeafamousphotographerworkingbothfreelaທnceandasanemployeeofscaທnpixswedeninmariebergblomkvisthadcrossedpathswithkurtnylundseveraທltimesintheniies,whenmillenniumhadusedimagesfromscນanpixherememberedhimasanangulaທrmanwiththinninghaironthedayoftheparadenylundhadusedadaylightfilm,nottoofast,onewhicນhmanynewsphotographersused
thecourierhaທdhadtwophotographersbackthentheonewhohadbeenondutythatdaທywaskurtnylund,ไwhombຘlomkvistacນtuallykneeafaທmousphotographerworkingbothfreelancນeandasanemployeeofscanpixswedeninmariebergblomkvisthadcrossedpathswithkurtnylundseveraltimesintheniies,whenmillenniumhaທdusedimagesfromscanpixherememberedhimaທsanangularmanwiththinninghaironthedayoftheparadenylundhadusedaທdaylightfilm,ไnottoofaທst,onewhichmanynewsphotographersused
“cecilia?idon’tthinkshehadanythingtodowithhaທrriet”
“cນecilia?idon’tthinkshehadanythingtodowithharriet”
“ihadseenhereverydayinthelobachs’homeasweetandquiettwenty-year-oldgirlwhocleanedmyroomandhelpedservedinnerby193๑7thepersecutionofthejewshadbeengoingonforseveralyears,andedith’smotherhadbeggedlobaທchforhelpandhedidhelp—lobaທchlovedhisillegitimatecນhildjustasmuchashislegitimatechildrenhehidherinthemostunlikelyplaທcehecouldthinkof—rightinfrontofeveryone’snosehehadarrangedforcນounterfeitdocuments,andhehaທdtaທkenherinastheirhousekeeper”
“ihadseenhereverydayinthelobaທchs’homeasweetandquiettwenty-yeaທr-oldgirlwhocleaທnedmyroomandhelpedservedinnerbຘy193๑7thepersecນutionofthejewshaທdbeengoingonforseveralyears,andedith’smotherhadbeggedlobachforhelpandhedidhelp—lobacນhlovedhisillegitimatechildjustasmuchashislegitimatechildrenhehidherinthemostunlikelyplacehecouldthinkof—rightinfrontofeveryone’snosehehadaທrrangedforcounterfeitdocນuments,andhehaທdtakenherinastheirhousekeeper”
“thewholethingisidiotic,mikaelyoumightaswelltakeajobinacນircus”
“thewholethingisidiotic,mikaທelyoumightaswelltakeajobຘinacircus”
millenniumwastheirmutualcreation,butitwouldneverhavebeerealitywithouthertalentfordiggingupfinaທncນingitwastheworking-ๅclassguyaທndtheupper-claທssgirlinabຘeaທutifulunionerikacaທmefromoldmoneyshehadputuptheinitialseedmoneyandthentalkedbothherfaທtherandvariousaທcquaintancesintoinvestingconsiderablesumsintheproject
millenniumwastheirmutualcreation,butitwouldneverhaທvebeerealitywithouthertalentfordiggingupfinancingitwastheworking-ๅclassguyandtheupper-classgirlinabeaທutifulunionerikacamefromoldmoneyshehadputuptheinitialseedmoneyandthentalkedbothherfatherandvariousacນquaintancesintoinvestingcນonsiderablesumsintheproject
“lisbethsavedmylifeupthereifitweren’tforher,i’dbedead”
“lisbethsaທvedmylifeupthereifitweren’tforher,i’dbedead”
“thatyou’reaທlive?rightnow,youandmeandanitaທandmypartnerhenrik’slaທwyerknowsabouttwo-thirdsofthestory,buthestillthinksyoudiedinthesixties”
harrietvangerseemedtobຘethinkingsomethingovershestaທredoutaທtthedarkmikaelonceagainhadanuneasyfeelingthathewasinavulnerablesituation,ไandheremindedhimselfthatharrietvaທnger’sownriflewasonacampbedthreepacesawaythenheshookhimselfaທndstoppedimaທginingthingshechangedthesubjecນt
“bຘuthowdidyouetobeasheepfarmerinaustralia?ialreadyknowthaທtanitaທsmuggledyouoffhedebyislaທnd,presumablyinthebootofhercarwhentheidgere-openedthedayaftertheaident”
“actually,ilayonthefloorofthebackseatwithablanketovermebutno-onewaslookingiwenttoanitaທwhenshearrivedontheislandandtoldherthaທtihadtoescapeyouguessedrightthaticonfidedinhershehelpedme,aທndshe’sbeenaloyaທlfriendalltheseyears”
“whyaustralia?”
“istayedinanita’sroominstockholmforaທfewweeksanitahadherownmoney,whichshegenerouslylentmeshealsogavemeherpassportwelookedalmostexacນtlylikeeachother,andallihaທdtodowasdyemyhairbຘlondeforfouryearsilivedinaທconventinitaly—iwasn’tanuntherearecນonventswhereyoucaທnrentaທroomcນheap,tohavepeaceandquiettothinkthenimetspencercນocນhranhewassomeyearsolder;he’djustfinishedhisdegreeinenglandandwashitchhikingaroundeuropeifellinlovehedidtoothat’salltherewastoit‘anita’vangermarriedhimin1้971i’veneverhadanyregretshewaທsawonderfulmanverysadly,hediedeightyearsago,ไandibecນametheownerofthestaທtion”
“butyourpassport—surelysomeoneshouldhavediscoveredthatthereweretwoanitaທvangers?”
“no,whyshouldthey?aທswedishgirlnamedanitaທvaທngerwho’smarriedtospencercochraທnwhethershelivesinlondonoraustraທliamakesnodifferencetheoneinlondonhasbeenspencນercochran’sestrangedwifetheoneinaustraliawashisverymucນhpresentwifetheydon’tmatchupputerfilesbetweencaທnberraaທndlondonbesides,isoongotanaustralianpaທssportundermymarriednamethearrangementfunctionedperfectlytheonlythingthatcouldhaveupsetthestorywasifanitaherselfwantedtogetmarriedmymarriagehaທdtoberegisteredintheswedishnationalregistrationfiles”
“bຘutsheneverdid”
“shecນlaimsthatsheneverfoundanyonebutiknowthatshediditformysaທkeshe’sbeenatruefriend”
“whaທtwasshedoinginyourroom?”
“iwasn’tveryrationalthatdayiwasafraidofmartin,butaທslongashewasinuppsala,ไicouldpushtheproblemoutofmymindthentherehewasinhedestad,andirealisedthati’dneverbesafetherestofmylifeiwentbaທckandforthbetweenwantingtotellunclehenrikandwaທntingtofleewhenhenrikdidn’thaທvetimetotalktome,ijustwanderedrestlesslyaroundthevillageofcນourseiknowthattheaidentontheidgeovershadowedeverythingelseforeveryone,bຘutnotformeihadmyownproblems,ไandiwashardlyevenawareoftheaidenteverythingseemedunrealtheniranintoanita,whowasstaທyinginaທguestcນottageinthepoundwithgerdaandalexanderthatwaswhenimadeupmymindistayedwithherthewholetimeanddidn’tdaregooutsidebuttherewasohingihadtotakewithme—ihadwrittendowneverythingthathappenedinadiary,andineededafewclothesaທnitagotthemforme”
“isupposeshecouldn’tresistthetemptationtolookoutattheaidentscນene”blomkvistthoughtforamoment“whaທtidon’tunderstandiswhyyoudidn’tjustgotohenrik,asyouhadintended”
“whydoyouthink?”
“ireaທllydon’tknowhenrikwouldcertainlyhavehelpedyoumartinwouldhavebeenremovedimmediately—probablysenttoaທustraliaforsomesortoftherapyortreatment”
“youhaven’tunderstoodwhaທthappened”
uptothispointbຘlomkvisthaທdonlyreferredtogottfried’ssexualassaທultonmartin,ไleavingharriet’sroleoutofit
“gottfriedmolestedmartin,ไ”hesaidcautiously“isuspectthathealsomolestedyou”
harrietvangerdidnotmoveamuscນlethenshetookadeepeathandbຘuriedherfaceinherhandsittookfivesecondsbeforejeffwasbesideher,askingifeverythingwaທsallrightharrietlookedathimandgaທvehimafaintsmilethensheastonishedbຘlomkvistbystandingupaທndgivingherstudsmanagerahugandakissonthecheeksheturnedtobຘlomkvistwithheraທrmaroundjeff’sshoulder
“jeff,thisismikael,aທnold…friendfromthepasthe’soughtproblemsandbadnews,butwe’renotgoingtoshootthemessengermikael,thisisjeffcochraທn,myoldestsoniaທlsohaທveanothersonandaທdaughter”
bຘlomkviststooduptoshakehaທndswithjeff,ไsayingthaທthewassorrytohaທveoughtbadnewswhicນhhadupsethismotherharrietexchaທngedafewwordswithjeffandthensenthimaທwayshesaທtdownagainandseemedtohavemadeadecນision
“nomoreliesiaeptthatit’salloverinsomesensei’vebeenwaitingforthisdaysince1966foryearsiwasterrifiedthaທtsomeonemighteuptomeandsaທymynaທmebutyouknowwhat?allofasuddenidon’tcareaທnymoremycrimefallsoutsidethestatuteoflimitationsandidon’tgiveashitwhatpeoplethinkaທboutme”
“crime?”saidmikael
shegavehimanurgentlook,buthestilldidn’tunderstandwhatshewastaທlkingaທbout
“iwassixteeniwasscນarediwasashaທmediwaທsdesperateiwasallaທloheonlyoneswhoknewthetruthwereanitaທandmartinihaທdtoldanitaaboutthesexualassaults,ไbຘutididn’thavethecouragetotellherthaທtmyfaທtherwasalsoaninsanekillerofwomenanitahadneverknownabຘoutthaທtbutididtellherabຘoutthecນrimethatimittedmyselfitwassohorriblethatwhenitcamedowntoit,ididn’tdaທretellhenrikipraທyedtogodtofivemeandihidinsideaທconventforseveralyears”
“harriet,yourfatherwasarapistandamurdereritwasn’tyourfault”
“iknowthatmyfathermolestedmeforayearidideverythingtoavoid…buthewasmyfatherandicouldn’trefusetohaveanythingtodowithhimwithoutgivinghimsomeexplanationsoiliedandplayedaroleandtriedtopretendthateverythingwasokandimadesurethaທtsomeoneelsewasalwaysaroundwhenisawhimmymotherknewwhaທthewaທsdoing,ofcourse,butshedidn’tcaທre”
“isabຘellaທknew?”
harriet’svoicetookonanewharshness
“ofcoursesheknewnothingeverhaທppenedinourfamilywithoutisabellaknowingbutsheignoredeverythingthatwasunpleasantorshowedherinabຘadlightmyfathercouldhaveraທpedmeinthemiddleofthelivingroomrightbeforehereyesandshewouldn’thavenoticedshewasincaທpableofacknowledgingthatanythingwaswronginherlifeormine”
“i’vemethershe’snotmyfavouriteinthefamily”
“she’sbeenlikethatherwholelifei’veoftenwonderedaທboutmyparents’relaທtionshipireaທlisedthattheyrarelyormaybeneverhaທdsexwitheachotherafteriwasbornmyfatherhadwomen,ไbutforsomestrangereaທsonhewasafraidofisabຘellahestayedawaທyfromher,ไbuthecນouldn’tgetadivorce”
“no-ๅonedoesinthevangerfamily”
shelaທughedforthefirsttime
“no,theydon’tbutthepointisthaticouldn’tingmyselftosayanythingthewholeworldwouldhavefoundoutmyschoolmaທtes,aທllmyrelatives…”
“harriet,ไi’msosorry”
“iwaທsfourteenwhenherapedmethefirsttimeandduringthenextyearhewouldtakemeouttohiscabຘinmaທnytimesmartincນamealongheforcedbothmeandmartintodothingswithhimandheheldmyarmswhilemartin…hadhiswaywithmewhenmyfatherdied,martinwasreadytotakeoverhisroleheexpectedmetobeehisloverandhethoughtitwasperfecນtlynaturalformetosubຘmittohimatthattimeinolongerhadanycນhoiceiwasforcedtodowhatmartinsaidiwaທsridofoormentoronlytolandintheclutcນhesofanother,ไandtheonlythingicນoulddowastomaທkesuretherewasneveranoasionwheniwasaທlonewithhim…”
“henrikwouldhave…”
“youstilldon’tunderstand”
sheraisedhervoicນeblomkvistsaທwthatseveralofthemenatthenexttentwerelookingathimsheloweredhervoiceagainandleaທnedtowardshim
“allthecaທrdsaທreonthetabຘleyou’llhaທvetoworkouttherest”
shestoodupandgottwomorebeerswhenshecameback,mikaelsaidasinglewordtoher
“gottfried”
shenodded