ening.Thepolicecheckedhisalibianditwasairtight.”
“Iassumethatyouhavealistofeveryonewhowasontheislandandwhateverybodywasdoingthatday.”
“That’scorrect.Shallwegoon?”
Theystoppedatthecrossroadsonthehill,andVangerpointeddowntowardstheoldfishingharbour,nowusedforsmallboats.
“AllthelandonHedebyIslandisownedbytheVangerfamily—orbyme,tobemoreprecise.Theoneexceptionisthefarmlandat?sterg?rdenandafewhouseshereinthevillage.Thecabinsdownthereatthefishingharbourareprivatelyowned,butthey’resummercottagesandaremostlyvacantduringthewinter.Exceptforthathousefarthestaway—youcanseesmokeingfromthechimney.”
Blomkvistsawthesmokerising.Hewasfrozentothebone.
“It’samiserablydraughtyhovelthatfunctionsaslivingquartersyear-round.That’swhereEugenNormanlives.He’sinhislateseventiesandisapainterofsorts.Ithinkhisworkiskitsch,buthe’sratherwellknownasalandscapepainter.Youmightcallhimtheobligatoryeentricinthevillage.”
VangerguidedBlomkvistouttowardsthepoint,identifyingonehouseaftertheother.Thevillageconsistedofsixbuildingsonthewestsideoftheroadandfourontheeast.Thefirsthouse,closesttoBlomkvist’sguesthouseandtheVangerestate,belongedtoHenrikVanger’sbrotherHarald.Itwasarectangular,two-storeystonebuildingwhichatfirstglanceseemedunoupied.Thecurtainsweredrawnandthepathtothefrontdoorhadnotbeencleared;itwascoveredwithafootandahalfofsnow.Onsecondglance,theycouldseethefootprintsofsomeonewhohadtrudgedthroughthesnowfromtheroaduptothedoor.
“Haraldisarecluse.HeandIhaveneverseeneyetoeye.Apartfromourdisagreementsoverthefirm—he’sashareholder—we’vebarelyspokentoeachotherinnearly60years.He’sniy-twonow,andtheonlyoneofmyfourbrothersstillalive.I’lltellyouthedetailslater,buthetrainedtobeadoctorandspentmostofhisprofessionallifeinUppsala.HemovedbacktoHedebywhenheturnedseventy.”
“Youdon’tcaremuchforeachother,andyetyou’reneighbours.”
“Ifindhimdetestable,andIwouldhaveratherhe’dstayedinUppsala,butheownsthishouse.DoIsoundlikeascoundrel?”
“Yousoundlikesomeonew