ersideofthebridge.Vangerhadshownhimascrapwitharticlesfromboththelocalnewspaperandthenationalmedia.Therehadbeenquiteabitofmediainterestforawhile—girlfromnotedindustrialist’sfamilydisappears.Butwhennobodywasfoundandtherewasnobreakthroughintheinvestigation,interestgraduallywaned.Despitethefactthataprominentfamilywasinvolved,thirty-sixyearslaterthecaseofHarrietVangerwasallbutfotten.Theprevailingtheoryinarticlesfromthelatesixtiesseemedtobethatshedrownedandwassweptouttosea—atragedy,butsomethingthatcouldhappentoanyfamily.
Blomkvisthadbeenfascinatedbytheoldman’saount,butwhenVangerexcusedhimselftogotothebathroom,hisscepticismreturned.Theoldmanhadstillnotgottotheend,andBlomkvisthadfinallypromisedtolistentothewholestory.
“Whatdoyouthinkhappenedtoher?”hesaidwhenVangercamebackintotheroom.
“Normallythereweresometwenty-fivepeoplelivinghereyear-round,butbecauseofthefamilygatheringthereweremorethansixtyonHedebyIslandthatday.Ofthese,betweentwentyandtwenty-fivecanberuledout,prettymuchso.Ibelievethatofthoseremaining,someone—andinalllikelihooditwassomeonefromthefamily—killedHarrietandhidthebody.”
“Ihaveadozenobjectionstothat.”
“Let’shearthem.”
“Well,thefirstoneisthatevenifsomeonehidherbody,itshouldhavebeenfoundifthesearchwasasthoroughastheoneyoudescribed.”
“Totellyouthetruth,thesearchwasevenmoreextensivethanI’vedescribed.Itwasn’tuntilIbegantothinkofHarrietasamurdervictimthatIrealisedseveralwaysinwhichherbodycouldhavedisappeared.Ican’tprovethis,butit’satleastwithintherealmofpossibility.”
“Tellme.”
“Harrietwentmissingsometimearound3:00thatafternoon.Atabout2:55shewasseenbyPastorFalk,whowashurryingtothebridge.Atalmostexactlythesametimeaphotographerarrivedfromthelocalpaper,andforthenexthourhetookagreatnumberofpicturesofthedrama.We—thepolice,Imean—examinedthephotographsandconfirmedthatHarrietwasnotinanyoneofthem;buteveryotherpersonintownwasseeninatleastone,apartfromverysmallchildren.”
Vangertookoutanotheralbumandplaceditont