toOttoFalk,thepastorinHedeby.AtthattimetheparsonagewaswhereMartinVangerhashisvillatoday,andthepastorlivedonthissideofthebridge.Hehadbeeninbed,nursingacold,whentheaidenttookplace;hehadmissedthedrama,butsomeonehadtelephonedandhewasonhiswaytothebridge.Harrietstoppedhimontheroadandapparentlywantedtosaysomethingtohim,buthewavedheroffandhurriedpast.Falkwasthelastpersontoseeheralive.”
“Howdidshedie?”Blomkvistsaidagain.
“Idon’tknow,”Vangersaidwithatroubledexpression.“Wedidn’tgetAronssonoutofhiscaruntilaround5:00—hesurvived,bytheway,althoughhewasnotingoodshape—andsometimeafter6:00thethreatoffirewasconsideredpast.Theislandwasstillcutoff,butthingsbegantocalmdown.Itwasn’tuntilwesatdownatthetabletohaveourlongdelayeddinneraround8:00thatwediscoveredHarrietwasmissing.IsentoneofthecousinstogetHarrietfromherroom,butshecamebacktosaythatshecouldn’tfindher.Ididn’tthinkmuchaboutit;Iprobablyassumedshehadgoneforawalkorshehadn’tbeentoldthatdinnerwasserved.AndduringtheeveningIhadtodealwithvariousdiscussionsandargumentswiththefamily.Soitwasn’tuntilthenextmorning,whenIsabellawenttofindher,thatwerealisedthatnobodyknewwhereHarrietwasandthatno-onehadseenhersincethedaybefore.”Hespreadhisarmsoutwide.“Andfromthatday,shehasbeenmissingwithoutatrace.”
“Missing?”Blomkvistechoed.
“Foralltheseyearswehaven’tbeenabletofindonemicroscopicscrapofher.”
“Butifshevanished,asyousay,youcan’tbesurethatshewasmurdered.”
“Iunderstandtheobjection.I’vehadthoughtsalongthesamelines.Whenapersonvanisheswithoutatrace,oneoffourthingscouldhavehappened.Shecouldhavegoneoffofherownfreewillandbehidingsomewhere.Shecouldhavehadanaidentanddied.Shecouldhavemittedsuicide.Andfinally,shecouldhavebeenthevictimofacrime.I’veweighedallthesepossibilities.”
“ButyoubelievethatsomeoookHarriet’slife.Why?”
“Becauseit’stheonlyreasonableconclusion.”Vangerhelduponefinger.“FromtheoutsetIhopedthatshehadrunaway.Butasthedayspassed,weallrealisedthatthiswasn’tthecase.Imean,howwouldasixteen-year-oldfrom