hodoesn’tmuchlikehisbrother.”
“Ispentthefirsttwenty-fiveyearsofmylifeapologisingforpeoplelikeHaraldbecausewe’refamily.ThenIdiscoveredthatbeingrelatedisnoguaranteeofloveandIhadfewreasonstodefendHarald.”
ThenexthousebelongedtoIsabella,HarrietVanger’smother.
“She’llbeseventy-fivethisyear,andshe’sstillasstylishandvainasever.She’salsotheonlyoneinthevillagewhotalkstoHarald,andoasionallyvisitshim,buttheydon’thavemuchinmon.”
“HowwasherrelationshipwithHarriet?”
“Goodquestion.Thewomenhavetobeincludedamongthesuspects.Itoldyouthatshemostlyleftthechildrentotheirowndevices.Ican’tbesure,butIthinkherheartwasintherightplace;shejustwasn’tcapableoftakingresponsibility.SheandHarrietwereneverclose,buttheyweren’tenemieseither.Isabellacanbetough,butsometimesshe’snotallthere.You’llseewhatImeanwhenyoumeether.”
Isabella’sneighbourwasCeciliaVanger,thedaughterofHarald.
“ShewasmarriedonceandlivedinHedestad,butsheandherhusbandseparatedsometwentyyearsago.Iownthehouseandofferedtolethermovein.Sheisateacher,andinmanywaysshe’sthedirectoppositeofherfather.Imightaddthatsheandherfatherspeaktoeachotheronlywhennecessary.”
“Howoldisshe?”
“Bornin1946.SoshewastwentywhenHarrietdisappeared.Andyes,shewasoneoftheguestsontheislandthatday.Ceciliamayseemflighty,butinfactshe’sshrewderthanmost.Don’tunderestimateher.Ifanyone’sgoingtoferretoutwhatyou’reupto,she’stheone.Imightaddthatshe’soneofmyrelativesforwhomIhavethehighestregard.”
“Doesthatmeanthatyoudon’tsuspecther?”
“Iwouldn’tsaythat.Iwantyoutoponderthematterwithoutanyconstraints,regardlessofwhatIthinkorbelieve.”
ThehouseclosesttoCecilia’swasalsoownedbyHenrikVanger,butitwasleasedtoanelderlycoupleformerlypartofthemanagementteamoftheVangerpanies.TheyhadmovedtoHedebyIslandintheeighties,sotheyhadnothingtodowithHarriet’sdisappearance.ThenexthousewasownedbyBirgerVanger,Cecilia’sbrother.ThehousehadbeenemptyformanyyearssinceBirgermovedtoamodernhouseinHedestad.
Mostofthebuildingslinin