gtheroadweresolidstonestructuresfromtheearlytwentiethcentury.Thelasthousewasofadifferenttype,amodern,architect-designedhomebuiltofwhitebrickwithblackwindowframes.Itwasinabeautifulsituation,andBlomkvistcouldseethattheviewfromthetopfloormustbemagnificent,facingtheseatotheeastandHedestadtothenorth.
“ThisiswhereMartinlives—Harriet’sbrotherandtheVangerCorporationCEO.Theparsonageusedtobehere,butthatbuildingwasdestroyedbyafireintheseventies,andMartinbuiltthishousein1978whenhetookoverasCEO.”
InthelastbuildingontheeastsideoftheroadlivedGerdaVanger,widowofHenrik’sbrotherGreger,andherson,Alexander.
“Gerdaissickly.Shesuffersfromrheumatism.AlexanderownsasmallshareoftheVangerCorporation,butherunsanumberofhisownbusinesses,includingrestaurants.HeusuallyspendsafewmonthseachyearinBarbados,wherehehasinvestedaconsiderablesuminthetouristtrade.”
BetweenGerda’sandHenrik’shouseswasaplotoflandwithtwosmaller,emptybuildings.Theywereusedasguesthousesforfamilymembers.OntheothersideofHenrik’shousestoodaprivatedwellingwhereanotherretiredemployeelivedwithhiswife,butitwasemptyinthewinterwhenthecouplerepairedtoSpain.
Theyreturnedtothecrossroads,andwiththatthetourwasover.Duskwasbeginningtofall.Blomkvisttooktheinitiative.
“Henrik,I’lldowhatI’vebeenhiredtodo.I’llwriteyourautobiography,andI’llhumouryoubyreadingallthematerialaboutHarrietascarefullyandcriticallyasIcan.IjustwantyoutorealisethatI’mnotaprivatedetective.”
“Iexpectnothing.”
“Fine.”
“I’manightowl,”Vangersaid.“SoI’matyourdisposalanytimeafterlunch.I’llarrangeforyoutohaveanofficeuphere,andyoucanmakeuseofitwheneveryoulike.”
“No,thankyou.Ihaveanofficeintheguesthouse,andthat’swhereI’lldomywork.”
“Asyouwish.”
“IfIneedtotalktoyou,we’lldoitinyouroffice,butI’mnotgoingtostartthrowingquestionsatyoutonight.”
“Iunderstand.”Theoldmanseemedimprobablytimid.
“It’sgoingtotakeacoupleofweekstoreadthroughthepapers.We’llworkontwofronts.We’llmeetforafewhourseachdaysothatI