suchaprotectedworld,evenaveryablegirl,beabletomanageonherown?Howcouldshestayhiddenwithoutbeingdiscovered?Wherewouldshegetmoney?Andevenifshegotajobsomewhere,shewouldneedasocialsecuritycardandanaddress.”
Hehelduptwofingers.
“Mynextthoughtwasthatshehadhadsomekindofaident.Canyoudomeafavour?Gotothedeskandopenthetopdrawer.There’samapthere.”
Blomkvistdidashewasaskedandunfoldedthemaponthecoffeetable.HedebyIslandwasanirregularlyshapedlandmassabouttwomileslongwithamaximumwidthofaboutonemile.Alargepartoftheislandwascoveredbyforest.Therewasabuilt-upareabythebridgeandaroundthelittlesummer-househarbour.Ontheothersideoftheislandwasthesmallholding,?sterg?rden,fromwhichtheunfortunateAronssonhadstartedoutinhiscar.
“Rememberthatshecouldn’thavelefttheisland,”Vangersaid.“HereonHedebyIslandyoucoulddieinanaidentjustlikeanywhereelse.Youcouldbestruckbylightning—buttherewasnothunderstormthatday.Youcouldbetrampledtodeathbyahorse,falldownawell,ortumbleintoarockcrevice.Therearenodoubthundredsofwaystofallvictimtoanaidenthere.I’vethoughtofmostofthem.”
Heheldupthreefingers.
“There’sjustonecatch,andthisalsoappliestothethirdpossibility—thatthegirl,contrarytoeveryindication,tookherownlife.Herbodymustbesomewhereinthislimitedarea.”
Vangerslammedhisfistdownonthemap.
“Inthedaysaftershedisappeared,wesearchedeverywhere,crisscrossingtheisland.Themenwadedthrougheveryditch,scouredeverypatchoffield,cliff,anduprootedtree.Wewentthrougheverybuilding,chimney,well,barn,andhiddengarret.”
TheoldmanlookedawayfromBlomkvistandstaredintothedarknessoutsidethewindow.Hisvoicegrewlowerandmoreintimate.
“ThewholeautumnIlookedforher,evenafterthesearchpartiesstoppedandpeoplehadgivenup.WhenIwasn’ttendingtomyworkIbegangoingforwalksbackandforthacrosstheisland.Wintercameonandwestillhadn’tfoundatraceofher.InthespringIkeptonlookinguntilIrealisedhowpreposterousmysearchwas.WhensummercameIhiredthreeexperiencedwoodsmenwhodidtheentiresearchoveragainwithdogs.Theybedeverys