第 16 部分阅读
theideathatheightlightuponharrietvanger’skillernevercrossedhisind—assuingshehadbeenurdered,thatis,anddidnotjustdieinsoefreakaident.blokvistagreedwithvangerthatthechancesofasixteen-year-oldgirlgoingoffofherownaordandthenstayinghiddenforthirty-sixyears,despitetheoversightofallthegovernentbureaucracy,werenonexistent.ontheotherhand,hedidnotexcludethepossibilitythatharrietvangerhadrunaway,aybeheadingforstockhol,andthatsoethinghadbefallenhersubsequently—drugs,prostitution,anassault,oranaidentpureandsiple.
vangerwasconvinced,forhispart,thatharriethadbeenurderedandthatafailyeberwasresponsible—possiblyincollaborationwithsoeoneelse.hisarguentwasbasedonthefactthatharriethaddisappearedduringtheconfusioninthehourswhentheislandwascutoffandalleyesweredirectedattheaident.
bergerhadbeenrighttosaythathistakingtheassignentwasbeyondallonsenseifthegoalwastosolveaurderystery.butblokvistwasbeginningtoseethatharriet’sfatehadplayedacentralroleinthefaily,andespeciallyforhenrikvanger.noatterwhetherhewasrightorwrong,vanger’sausationagainsthisrelativeswasofgreatsignificanceinthefaily’shistory.theausationhadbeenairedopenlyfororethanthirtyyears,andithadcolouredthefailygatheringsandgivenris. oisonousaniositiesthathadcontributedtodestabilisingthecorporation.astudyofharriet’sdisappearancewouldconsequentlyfunctionasachapterallonitsown,aswellasprovidearedthreadthroughthefailyhistory—andtherewasanabundanceofsourceaterial.onestartingpoint,whetherharrietvangerwashispriaryassignentorwhetherheadedowithwritingafailychronicle,wouldbetoapoutthegalleryofcharacters.thatwasthegistofhisfirstlongconversationthatdaywithvanger.
thefailyconsistedofaboutahundredindividuals,countingallthechildrenofcousinsandsecondcousins.thefailywassoextensivethathewasforcedtocreateadatabaseinhisi.heusedthenotepadprograe,oneofthosefull-valueproductsthattwoenattheroyaltechnicalcollegehadcreatedanddistributedassharewareforapittanceontheinter.fewprograeswereasusefulforaninvestigativejournalist.eachfailyeberwasgivenhisorherowndocuentinthedatabase.
thefailytreecouldbetracedbacktotheearlysixteenthcentury,whenthenaewasvangeersad.aordingtovangerthenaeayhaveoriginatedfrothedutchvangeerstat；ifthatwasthecase,thelineagecouldbetracedasfarbackasthetwelfthcentury.
inodernties,thefailycaefronorthernfrance,arrivinginswedenwithkingjeanbaptistebernadotteintheearlynieenthcentury.alexandrevangeersadwasasoldierandnotpersonallyacquaintedwiththeking,buthehaddistinguishedhiselfasthecapableheadofagarrison.in1818hewasgiventhehedebyestateasarewardforhisservice.alexandrevangeersadalsohadhisownfortune,whichheuse. urchaseconsiderablesectionsofforestedlandinnorrland.hisson,adrian,wasborninfrance,butathisfather’srequestheovedtohedebyinthatreoteareaofnorrland,farfrothesalonsofparis,totakeovertheadinistrationoftheestate.hetookupfaringandforestry,usingnewethodsiportedfroeurope,andhefoundedthepulpandpaperillaroundwhichhedestadwasbuilt.
alexandre’sgrandsonwasnaedhenrik,andheshortenedhissurnaetovanger.hedevelopedtradewithrussiaandcreatedasallerchantfleetofschoonersthatservedthebalticsandgerany,aswellasenglandwithitssteelindustryduringtheid-1800s.theelderhenrikvangerdiversifiedthefailyenterprisesandfoundedaodestiningbusiness,aswellasseveralofnorrland’sfirstetalindustries.helefttwosons,birgerandgottfried,andtheyweretheoneswholaidthebasisforthehigh-financevangerclan.
“doyouknowanythingabouttheoldinheritancelaws？”vangerhadasked.“no.”
“i’confusedaboutittoo.aordingtofailytradition,birgerandgottfriedfoughtlikecats—theywerelegendarypetitorsforpowerandinfluenceoverthefailybusiness.inanyrespectsthepowerstrugglethreatenedtheverysurvivalofthepany.forthatreasontheirfatherdecided—shortlybeforehedied—tocreateasystewherebyallebersofthefailywouldreceiveaportionoftheinheritance—ashare—inthebusiness.itwasnodoubtwell-intentioned,butitledtoasituationinwhichinsteadofbeingabletobringinskilledpeopleandpossiblepartnersfrotheoutside,wehadaboardofdirectorsconsistingonlyoffailyebers.”
“andthatappliestoday？”
“precisely.ifafailyeberwishestosellhisshares,theyhavetostaywithinthefaily.todaytheannualshareholders’eetingconsistsof50percentfailyebers.martinholdsorethan10percentoftheshares；ihave5percentaftersellingsoeofyshares,tomartinaongothers.mybrotherharaldowns7percent,butostofthepeoplewhoetotheshareholders’eetinghaveonlyoneorhalfapercent.”
“itsoundsedievalinsoeways.”
“it’sludicrous.iteansthattoday,ifmartinwantstoipleentsoepolicy,hehastowastetieonalobbyingoperationtoensuresupportfroatleast20percentto25percentoftheshareholders.it’sapatchworkquiltofalliances,factions,andintrigues.”
vangerresuedthehistory:
“gottfriedvangerdiedchildlessin1901.orrather,ayibefiven,hewasthefatheroffourdaughters,butinthosedayswoendidn’treallycount.theyownedshares,butitwastheeninthefailywhoconstitutedtheownershipinterest.itwasn’tuntilwoenwontherighttovote,wellintothetwentiethcentury,thattheywereevenallowedtoattendtheshareholders’eetings.”
“veryliberal.”
“noneedtobesarcastic.thoseweredifferentties.atanyrate—gottfried’sbrother,birgervanger,hadthreesons:johan,fredrik,andgideonvanger.theywereallborntowardstheendofthenieenthcentury.wecanignoregideon；hesoldhissharesandeigratedtoaerica.thereisstillabranchofthefailyoverthere.butjohanandfredrikvangeradethepanytheodernvangercorporation.”
vangertookoutaphotographalbuandshowedblokvistpicturesfrothegalleryofcharactersashetalked.thephotographsfrotheearly1900sshowedtwoenwithsturdychinsandplastered-downhairwhostaredintothecaeralenswithoutahintofasile.
“johanvangerwasthegeniusofthefaily.hetrainedasanengineer,andhedevelopedtheanufacturingindustrywithseveralnewinventions,whichhepatented.steelandironbecaethebasisofthefir,butthebusinessalsoexpandedintootherareas,includingtextiles.johanvangerdiedin1956andhadthreedaughters:sofia,m？rit,andingrid,whowerethefirstwoenautoaticallytowinadittancetothepany’sshareholders’eetings.
“theotherbrother,fredrikvanger,wasyfather.hewasabusinessanandindustryleaderwhotransforedjohan’sinventionsintoine.myfatherliveduntil1964.hewasactiveinpanyanageentrightupuntilhisdeath,althoughhehadturnedoverdailyoperationstoeinthefifties.
“itwasexactlyliketheprecedinggeneration—butinreverse.johanhadonlydaughters.”vangershowedblokvistpicturesofbig-bustedwoenwithwide-briedhatsandcarryingparasols.“andfredrik—yfather—hadonlysons.wewerefivebrothers:richard,harald,greger,gustav,andyself.”
blokvisthaddrawnupafailytreeonseveralsheetsofa4papertapedtogether.heunderlinedthenaesofallthoseonhedebyislandforthefailyeetingin1966andthus,atleasttheoretically,whocouldhavehadsoethingtodowithharrietvanger’sdisappearance.
heleftoutchildrenundertheageoftwelve—hehadtodrawthelinesoewhere.aftersoepondering,healsoleftouthenrikvanger.ifthepatriarchhadhadanythingtodowiththedisappearanceofhisbrother’sgranddaughter,hisactionsoverthepastthirty-sixyearswouldfallintothepsychopathicarena.vanger’sother,whoin1966wasalreadyeighty-one,couldreasonablyalsobeeliinated.reainingweretwenty-threefailyeberswho,aordingtovanger,hadtobeincludedinthegroupof“suspects.”sevenofthesewerenowdead,andseveralhadnowreachedarespectableoldage.
请收藏本站：https://www.shucaiqxsb.com 笔趣阁小说。手机版：https://m.shucaiqxsb.com