第 20 部分阅读
thegirlwho,twoyearsearlier,wasalivelyteenagerhadbeguntodistanceherselffroeveryonearoundher.inschoolshestillspenttiewithherfriends,butnowshebehavedinan“ipersonal”anner,asoneofherfriendsdescribedit.thiswordwasunusualenoughformorelltohaveadeanoteofitandthenaskorequestions.theexplanationhegotwasthatharriethad. pedtalkingaboutherself,. pedgossiping,and. pedconfidinginherfriends.
harrietvangerhadbeenachristian,inachild’ssenseoftheword—attendingsundayschool,sayingeveningprayers,andbeingconfired.inherlastyearsheseeedtohavebeeyetorereligious.shereadthebibleandwentregularlytochurch.butshehadnotturnedtohedebyisland’spastor,ottofalk,whowasafriendofthevangerfaily.instead,duringthespringshehadsoughtoutapentecostalcongregationinhedestad.yetherinvolveentinthepentecostalchurchdidnotlastlong.afteronlytwoonthssheleftthecongregationandinsteadbeganreadingsaboutthecatholicfaith.
thereligiousinfatuationofateenager？perhaps,butno-oneelseinthevangerfailyhadeverbeennoticeablyreligious,anditwasdifficulttodiscernwhatipulsesayhaveguidedher.oneexplanationforherinterestingodcould,ofcourse,havebeenthatherfatherhaddrownedthepreviousyear.morellcaetotheconclusionthatsoethinghadhappenedinharriet’slifethatwastroublingheroraffectingher.morell,likevanger,haddevotedagreatdealoftietotalkingtoharriet’sfriends,tryingtofindsoeoneinwhosheighthaveconfided.
soeeasureofhopewaspinnedonanitavanger,twoyearsolderthanharrietandthedaughterofharald.shehadspentthesuerof1966onhedebyislandandtheywerethoughttobeclosefriends.butanitahadnosolidrationtooffer.theyhadhungouttogetherthatsuer,swiing,takingwalks,talkingaboutovies,popbands,ands.harriethadsoetiesgonewithanitawhenshetookdrivinglessons.oncetheyhadgothappilydrunkonabottleofwiheystolefrothehouse.forseveralweeksthetwoofthehadalsostayedatgottfried’scabinontheverytipoftheisland.
thequestionsaboutharriet’sprivatethoughtsandfeelingsreainedunanswered.butblokvistdidakeanoteofadiscrepancyinthereport:therationaboutherununicativefraeofindcaechieflyfroherclassates,andtoacertainextentfrothefaily.anitavangerhadnotthoughtofherasbeingintrovertedatall.headeanotetodiscussthisatterwithvangeratsoepoint.
aoreconcretequestion,towhichmorellhaddevoteduchoreattention,wasasurprisingpageinharriet’sdate,abeautifulboundshehadbeengivenasachristaspresenttheyearbeforeshedisappeared.thefirsthalfofthedatewasaday-by-daycalendarinwhichharriethadlistedeetings,thedatesofexasatschool,herhoework,andsoon.thedatealsohadalargesectionforadiary,butharrietusedthediaryonlysporadically.shebeganabitiouslyenoughinjanuarywithanybriefentriesaboutpeopleshehadetoverthechristasholidaysandseveralaboutfilsshehadseen.afterthatshewrotenothingpersonaluntiltheendoftheschoolyearwhensheapparently—dependingonhowtheentrieswereinterpreted—becaeinterestedfroadistanceinsoenever-naedboy.
thepagesthatlistedtelephonenubersweretheonesthatheldtherealystery.neatly,inalphabeticalorder,werethenaesandnubersoffailyebers,classates,certainteachers,severalebersofthepentecostalcongregation,andothereasilyidentifiableindividualsinhercircleofacquaintances.ontheverylastpageoftheaddress,whichwasblankandnotreallypartofthealphabeticalsection,therewerefivenaesandtelephonenubers.threefealenaesandtwosetsofinitials:
magda—32016
sara—32109
r.j.—30112
r.l.—32027
mari—32018
thetelephonenubersthatbeganwith32werehedestadnubersinthesixties.theonebeginningwith30wasanorrbynnuber,notfarfrohedestad.theproblewasthatwhenmorellcontactedeveryoneofharriet’sfriendsandacquaintances,no-onehadanyideawhosenuberstheywere.
thefirstnuberbelongingto“magda”initiallyseeedproising.itledtoahaberdasheryatparkgatan12.thetelephonewasinthenaeofonemargotlundark,whoseother’snaewasactuallymagda；shesoetieshelpedoutinthestore.butmagdawassixty-nineyearsoldandhadnoideawhoharrietvangerwas.norwasthereanyevidencethatharriethadevervisitedtheshoporboughtanythingthere.shewasn’tinterestedinsewing.
thesecondnuberfor“sara”belongedtoafailybythenaeoftoresson,wholivedinv？ststan,ontheothersideofthetracks.thefailyincludedandersandmonicaandtheirchildren,jonasandpeter,whoatthetiewerepre-schoolage.therewasnosarainthefaily,nordidtheyknowofharrietvanger,otherthanthatshehadbeenreportedintheediaasissing.theonlyvagueconnectionbetweenharrietandthetoressonfailywasthatanders,whowasaroofer,hadseveralweeksearlierputatiledroofontheschoolwhichharrietattended.sotheoreticallytherewasachancethattheyhadet,althoughitightbeconsideredextreelyunlikely.
thereainingthreenubersledtosiilardeadends.thenuber32027for“r.l.”hadactuallybelongedtoonerosarielarsson.unfortunately,shehaddiedseveralyearsearlier.
inspectormorellconcentratedagreatdealofhisattentionduringthewinterof1966–67ontryingtoexplainwhyharriethadwrittendownthesenaesandnubers.
onepossibilitywasthatthetelephonenuberswerewritteninsoepersonalcode—somorelltriedtoguesshowateenagegirlwouldthink.sincethethirty-twoseriesobviouslypointedtohedestad,hesetaboutrearrangingthereainingthreedigits.neither32601or32160ledtoamagda.asmorellcontinuedhisnuerology,herealisedthatifheplayedaroundwithenoughofthenubers,soonerorlaterhewouldfindsoelinktoharriet.forexaple,ifheaddedooeachofthethreereainingdigitsin32016,hegot32127—whichwasthenubertofrode’sofficeinhedestad.butonelinklikethateantnothing.besides,heneverdiscoveredacodethatadesenseofallfiveofthenubers.
morellbroadenedhisinquiry.couldthedigitsean,forexaple,carnuberplates,whichinthesixtiescontainedthetwo-lettercountyregistrationcodeandfivedigits？anotherdeadend.
theinspectorthenconcentratedonthenaes.heobtainedalistofeveryoneinhedestadnaedmari,magda,orsaraorwhohadtheinitialsr.l.orr.j.hehadalistof307people.aongthese,29actuallyhadsoeconnectiontoharriet.forinstance,aboyfroherclasswasnaedrolandjacobsson—r.j.theyscarcelykneweachotherandhadhadnocontactsinceharrietstartedpreparatoryschool.andtherewasnolinktothetelephonenuber.
theysteryofthenubersinthedatereainedunsolved.
herfourthencounterwithadvokatbjuranwasnotoneoftheirscheduledeetings.shewasforcedtoakecontactwithhi.
inthesecondweekoffebruarysalander’sla. fellvictitoanaidentthatwassouncalledforthatshefeltanurgentdesiretokillsoeone.shehadriddenherbiketoaeetingatmiltonsecurityandparkeditbehindapillarinthegarage.asshesetherrucksackonthegroun. utonthebikelock,adarkredsaabbeganreversingout.shehadherbackturnedbutheardthecrackingsoundfroherrucksack.thedriverdidn’tnoticeathingand,unwitting,droveoffuptheexitrap.
therucksackcontainedherwhiteapplei600with5-gigharddriveand420egsofram,anufacturedinjanuary2002andequippedwith4-inchscreen.atthetiesheboughtit,itwasapple’sstate-of-the-artla. .salander’sputerswereupgradedwiththeverylatestandsoetiesostexpensiveconfigurations—puterequipentwastheonlyextravagantentryonherlistofexpenses.
whensheopenedtherucksack,shecouldseethatthelidofherputerwascracked.shepluggedinthepoweradapterandtriedtobootuptheputer；notevenadeathrattle.shetookitovertotiy’smacjesusshoponbr？nnkyrkagatan,hopingthatatleastsoethingontheharddrivecouldbesaved.afterfiddlingwithitforashorttie,tiyshookhishead.
“sorry.nohope,”hesaid.“you’llhavetoarrangeanicefuneral.”
thelossofherputerwasdepressingbutnotdisastrous.salanderhadhadanexcellentrelationshipwithitduringtheyearshehadownedit.shehadbackedupallherdocuents,andshehadanolderdes. macg3athoe,aswellasafive-year-oldtoshibapcla. thatshecoulduse.butsheneededafast,odernachine.
unsurprisinglyshesethersightsonthebestavailablealternative:thenewapplepowerg4/1.0ghzinanaluiniucasewithapowerpc7451processorwithanaltivecvelocityengine,960mbramanda60gbharddrive.ithadbluetoothandbuilt-incdanddvdburners.
bestofall,ithadthefirst17-inchscreeninthela. worldwithnvidiagraphicsandaresolutionof1440x900pixels,whichshookthepcadvocatesandoutrankedeverythingelseonthearket.
intersofhardware,itwastherolls-royceofportableputers,butwhatreallytriggeredsalander’sneedtohaveitwasthesiplefeaturethatthekeyboardwasequippedwithbacklighting,sothatshecouldseethelettersevenifitwaspitchdark.sosiple.whyhadno-ohoughtofthatbefore？
itwasloveatfirstsight.
itcost38,000kronor,plustax.
thatwastheproble.
ewhatay,sheputinherorderatmacjesus.sheboughtallherputeraessoriesthere,sotheygaveherareasonablediscount.shetalliedupherexpenses.theinsuranceonherruinedputerwouldcoveragoodpartoftheprice,butwiththewarrantyandthehigherpriceofhernewacquisition,shewasstill18,000kronorshort.shehad10,000kronorhiddeninacoffeetinathoebutthatwasall.shesentevilthoughtstoherrbjuran,butthenshebitthebulletandcalledherguardiantoexplainthatsheneededoneyforanunexpectedexpense.bjuran’ssecretarysaidthathehadnotietoseeherthatday.salanderrepliedthatitwouldtaketheantwentysecondstowriteoutachequefor10,000kronor.shewastoldtobeathisofficeat7:30thatevening.
blokvistighthavenoexperienceofevaluatingcriinalinvestigations,buthereckonedthatinspectormorellhadbeenexceptionallyconscientious.whenblokvisthadfinishedwiththepoliceinvestigation,morellstillkeptturningupasaplayerinvanger’sownnotes.theyhadbeefriends,andblokvistwonderedwhethermorellhadbeenasobsessedasthecaptainofindustrybecae.
itwasunlikely,inhisview,thatmorellhadissedanything.thesolutiontotheysterywasnotgoingtobefoundinthepolicerecords.everyiaginablequestionhadbeenasked,andallleadsfollowedup,evensoethatseeedabsurdlyfar-fetched.hehadnotreadeverywordofthereport,butthefurtherintotheinvestigationhegot,theoreobscurethesubsequentleadsandtipsbecae.hewasnotgoingtofindanythingthathisprofessionalpredecessorandhisexperiencedteahadissed,andhewasundecidedwhatapproachheshouldadopttotheproble.eventuallyitcaetohithattheonlyreasonablypracticalrouteforhitotakewastotrytofindoutthepsychologicalotivesoftheindividualsinvolved.
thefirstquestionhadtodowithharrietherself.whowasshe？
frohiskitchenwindowblokvisthadnoticedalightgoonupstairsinceciliavanger’shouseatalittleafter5:00intheafternoon.heknockedonherdoorat7:30,justasthenewsbroadcastwasstartingontv.sheopenedthedoordressedinherbathrobe,herhairwetunderayellowtowel.blokvistapologisedatoncefordisturbingherandadetoretreat,butshewavedhiintothelivingroo.sheturnedonthecoffeeakerandvanishedupstairsforafewinutes.whenshecaebackdown,shehadputonjeansandacheckflannelshirt.
“iwasstartingtothinkyouwerenevergoingtocall.”
“ishouldhaverungfirst,butisawyourlightwasonandcaeoveronipulse.”
“i’veseenthelightsonallnightatyourplace.andyou’reoftenoutwalkingafteridnight.you’reanightowl？”
blokvistshrugged.“it’sturnedoutthatway.”helookedatseveraltextsstackedontheedgeofthekitchentable.“doyoustillteach？”
“no,asheadistressidon’thavetie.butiusedtoteachhistory,religion,andsocialstudies.andihaveafewyearsleft.”
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