ne“ManyMurderersofWomenGoFree.”Itwasashortarticle,butitincludedthenamesandphotographsofseveralnoteworthymurdervictims.TherewastheSolveigcaseinNorrt?lje,theAnitamurderinNorrk?ping,MargaretainHelsingb,andanumberofothers.
Theoldestcasetoberecountedwasfromthesixties,andnoneofthemurdersmatchedthelistthatSalanderhadbeengivenbyBlomkvist.Butonecasedidattractherattention.
InJune1962aprostitutebythenameofLeaPerssonfromG?tebhadgooUddevallatovisithermotherandhernine-year-oldson,whomhermotherwastakingcareof.OnaSundayevening,afteravisitofseveraldays,Leahadhuggedhermother,saidgoodbye,andcaughtthetrainbacktoG?teb.Shewasfoundtwodayslaterbehindacontaineronanindustrialsitenolongerinuse.Shehadbeenraped,andherbodyhadbeensubjectedtoextraordinaryviolence.
TheLeamurderarousedagreatdealofattentionasasummerserialstoryinthenewspaper,butnokillerhadeverbeenidentified.TherewasnoLeaonHarrietVanger’slist.NordidthemannerofherdeathfitwithanyofHarriet’sBiblequotes.
Ontheotherhand,therewassuchaarrecoincidencethatSalander’santennaeinstantlybuzzed.AbouttenyardsfromwhereLea’sbodywasfoundlayaflowerpotwithapigeoninside.Someonehadtiedastringroundthepigeon’sneckandpulleditthroughtheholeinthebottomofthepot.Thenthepotwasputonalittlefirethathadbeenlaidbetweentwobricks.TherewasnocertaintythatthiscrueltyhadanyconnectionwiththeLeamurder.Itcouldhavebeenachildplayingahorriblegame,butthepressdubbedthemurderthePigeonMurder.
SalanderwasnoBiblereader—shedidnotevenownone—butthateveningshewentovertoH?galidChurchandwithsomedifficultyshemanagedtoborrowaBible.ShesatonaparkbenchoutsidethechurchandreadLeviticus.WhenshereachedChapter12,verse8,hereyebrowswentup.Chapter12dealtwiththepurificationofwomenafterchildbirth.
Andifshecannotaffordalamb,thensheshalltaketwoturtledovesortwoyoungpigeons,oneforaburntofferingandtheotherforasinoffering;andthepriestshallmakeatonementforher,andsheshallbeclean.
LeacouldverywellhavebeenincludedinHarriet’sdateas:Lea—31208.
Salanderthoug