.”
“Itoldyou.IwanttonailtheswinewhomurderedHarriet.AndIwanttohireyoutofindoutwhoitwas.”
“Why?”
Vangerputdownhisknifeandfork.“Mikael,forthirty-sixyearsI’vedrivenmyselfcrazywonderingwhathappenedtoHarriet.I’vedevotedmoreandmoreofmytimetoit.”
Hefellsilentandtookoffhisglasses,scrutinisingsomeinvisiblespeckofdirtonthelens.ThenheraisedhiseyesandlookedatBlomkvist.
“Tobepletelyhonestwithyou,Harriet’sdisappearancewasthereasonwhygraduallyIwithdrewfromthefirm’smanagement.Ilostallmotivation.Iknewthattherewasakillersomewherenearbyandtheworryingandsearchingforthetruthbegantoaffectmywork.Theworstthingisthattheburdendidn’tgetanylighterovertime—onthecontrary.Around1970IhadaperiodwhenIjustwantedtobeleftalone.ThenMartinjoinedtheboardofdirectors,andhehadtotakeonmoreandmoreofmywork.In1976IretiredandMartintookoverasCEO.Istillhaveaseatontheboard,butIhaven’tsailedmanyknotssinceIturnedfifty.Forthelastthirty-sixyearsnotadayhaspassedthatIhavenotponderedHarriet’sdisappearance.YoumaythinkI’mobsessedwithit—atleastmostofmyrelativesthinkso.”
“Itwasahorrificevent.”
“Morethanthat.Itruinedmylife.That’ssomethingI’vebeemoreawareofastimehaspassed.Doyouhaveagoodsenseofyourself?”
“Ithinkso,yes.”
“Idotoo.Ican’tfetwhathappened.Butmymotiveshavechangedovertheyears.Atfirstitwasprobablygrief.Iwantedtofindherandatleasthaveachancetoburyher.ItwasaboutgettingjusticeforHarriet.”
“Inwhatwayhasthatchanged?”
“Nowit’smoreaboutfindingthebastardwhodidit.Butthefunnythingis,theolderIget,themoreofanall-absorbinghobbyithasbee.”
“Hobby?”
“Yes,Iwouldusethatword.WhenthepoliceinvestigationpeteredoutIkeptgoing.I’vetriedtoproceedsystematicallyandscientifically.I’vegatheredallthermationthatcouldpossiblybefound—thephotographs,thepolicereport,I’vewrittendowneverythingpeopletoldmeaboutwhattheyweredoingthatday.SoineffectI’vespentalmosthalfmylifecollectingrmationaboutasingleday.”
“Yourealise,Isuppose,thatafterthirty-sixyearsthekillerhimselfmi