orchandpouredcoffeefromhisthermos.HelitacigaretteandlookedacrossHedestadBaythroughtheveilofundergrowth.
Gottfried’scabinwasmuchmoremodestthanhehadexpected.HerewastheplacetowhichHarrietandMartin’sfatherhadretreatedwhenhismarriagetoIsabellawasgoingtothedogsinthelatefifties.Hehadmadethiscabinhishomeandherehegotdrunk.Anddownthere,nearthewharf,hehaddrowned.Lifeatthecabinhadprobablybeenpleasantinthesummer,butwhenthetemperaturedroppedtofreezingitmusthavebeenrawandwretched.AordingtowhatVangertoldhim,GottfriedcontinuedtoworkintheVangerCorporation—interruptedbyperiodswhenhewasonwildbinges—until1964.Thefactthathewasabletoliveinthecabinmoreorlesspermanentlyandstillappearforworkshaven,washed,andinajacketandtiespokeofasurvivingpersonaldiscipline.
AndherewasalsotheplacethatHarriethadbeentosooftenthatitwasoneofthefirstinwhichtheylookedforher.Vangerhadtoldhimthatduringherlastyear,Harriethadgoneoftentothecabin,apparentlytobeinpeaceonweekendsorholidays.Inherlastsummershehadlivedhereforthreemonths,thoughshecameintothevillageeveryday.AnitaVanger,Cecilia’ssister,spentsixweekswithherhere.
Whathadshedoneouthereallalone?ThemagazinesMittLivsNovellandRomans,aswellasanumberofsaboutKitty,musthavebeenhers.Perhapsthesketchpadhadbeenhers.AndherBiblewashere.
Shehadwantedtobeclosetoherlostfather—wasitaperiodofmourningsheneededtogetthrough?Ordidithavetodowithherreligiousbrooding?Thecabinwasspartan—wasshepretendingtoliveinaconvent?
Blomkvistfollowedtheshoreliothesoutheast,butthewaywassointerruptedbyravinesandsogrownoverwithjunipershrubsthatitwasallbutimpassable.HewentbacktothecabinandstartedbackontheroadtoHedeby.AordingtothemaptherewasapaththroughthewoodstosomethingcalledtheFortress.Ittookhimtwentyminutestofinditintheovergrownscrub.TheFortresswaswhatremainedoftheshorelinedefencefromtheSecondWorldWar;concretebunkerswithtrenchesspreadoutaroundamandbuilding.Everythingwasoverrunwithlonggrassandscrub.
Hewalkeddownapathtoaboathouse.Nexttotheboathousehefoundthewrecko