ndgetwaterfromusifyouneedto.”
“I’llneedatelephone,”Blomkvistsaid.
“I’vealreadyorderedone.They’llbeheretoinstallitthedayaftertomorrow.So,whatdoyouthink?Ifyouchangeyourmind,youwouldbeweleinthemainhouseatanytime.”
“Thiswillbejustfine,”Blomkvistsaid.
“Excellent.Wehaveanotherhourorsoofdaylightleft.Shallwetakeawalksoyoucanfamiliariseyourselfwiththevillage?MightIsuggestthatyouputonsomeheavysocksandapairofboots?You’llfindthembythefrontdoor.”Blomkvistdidashesuggestedanddecidedthattheverynextdayhewouldgoshoppingforlongunderwearandapairofgoodwintershoes.
TheoldmanstartedthetourbyexplainingthatBlomkvist’sneighbouracrosstheroadwasGunnarNilsson,theassistantwhomVangerinsistedoncalling“thecaretaker.”ButBlomkvistsoonrealisedthathewasmoreofasuperintendentforallthebuildingsonHedebyIsland,andhealsohadresponsibilityforseveralbuildingsinHedestad.
“HisfatherwasMagnusNilsson,whowasmycaretakerinthesixties,oneofthemenwhohelpedoutattheaidentonthebridge.MagnusisretiredandlivesinHedestad.Gunnarlivesherewithhiswife,whosenameisHelena.Theirchildrenhavemovedout.”
Vangerpausedforamomenttoshapewhathewouldsaynext,whichwas:“Mikael,theofficialexplanationforyourpresencehereisthatyou’regoingtohelpmewritemyautobiography.Thatwillgiveyouanexcuseforpokingaroundinallthedarkcornersandaskingquestions.TherealassignmentisstrictlybetweenyouandmeandDirchFrode.”
“Iunderstand.AndI’llrepeatwhatIsaidbefore:Idon’tthinkI’mgoingtobeabletosolvethemystery.”
“AllIaskisthatyoudoyourbest.Butwemustbecarefulwhatwesayinfrontofanyoneelse.Gunnarisfifty-six,whichmeansthathewasnieenwhenHarrietdisappeared.There’sonequestionthatInevergotanswered—HarrietandGunnarweregoodfriends,andIthinksomesortofchildishromancewentonbetweenthem.Hewasprettyinterestedinher,atanyrate.Butonthedayshedisappeared,hewasinHedestad;hewasoneofthosestrandedonthemainland.Becauseoftheirrelationship,hecameunderclosescrutiny.Itwasquiteunpleasantforhim.Hewaswithsomefriendsallday,andhedidn’tgetbackhereuntilev