h.”
“Thatdoesn’tsoundquitelikeHarriet’slist,doesit?”
“Notexactly,ifitweren’tforohing.Thekillerconcludedhisbarbaritiesbyshovingaparakeetuphervaginaandthenletalltheanimalsoutintotheshop.Cats,turtles,whitemice,rabbits,birds.Eventhefishintheaquarium.Soitwasquiteanappallingscenehersisterencounteredinthemorning.”
Blomkvistmadeanote.
“ShewasmurderedinAugust1960,fourmonthsafterthemurderofthefarmer’swifeMagdaLovisainKarlstad.Inbothinstancestheywerewomenwhoworkedprofessionallywithanimals,andinbothcasestherewasananimalsacrifice.ThecowinKarlstadmayhavesurvived—butIcanimagineitwouldbedifficulttostabacowtodeathwithaknife.Aparakeetismorestraightforward.Andbesides,therewasanadditionalanimalsacrifice.”
“What?”
Salandertoldthestoryofthe“pigeonmurder”ofLeaPersson.BlomkvistsatforsolonginsilenceandinthoughtthatevenSalandergrewimpatient.
“I’llbuyyourtheory,”hesaidatlast.“There’sonecaseleft.”
“AcasethatIdiscoveredbychance.Idon’tknowhowmanyImayhavemissed.”
“Tellmeaboutit.”
“February1966inUppsala.Thevictimwasaseventeen-year-oldgymnastcalledLenaAndersson.ShedisappearedafteraclasspartyandwasfoundthreedayslaterinaditchontheUppsalaplain,quiteawayoutoftown.Shehadbeenmurderedsomewhereelseandherbodydumpedthere.Thismurdergotalotofattentioninthemedia,butthetruecircumstancessurroundingherdeathwereneverreported.Thegirlhadbeengrotesquelytortured.Ireadthepathologist’sreport.Shewastorturedwithfire.Herhandsandbreastswereatrociouslyburned,andshehadbeenburnedrepeatedlyatvariousspotsalloverherbody.Theyfoundparaffinstainsonher,whichshowedthatcandleshadbeenused,butherhandsweresocharredthattheymusthavebeenheldoveramorepowerfulfire.Finally,thekillersawedoffherheadandtosseditnexttothebody.”
Blomkvistblanched.“GoodLord,”hesaid.
“Ican’tfindanyBiblequotethatfits,butthereareseveralpassagesthatdealwithafireofferingandasinoffering,andinsomeplacesit’sremendedthatthesacrificialanimal—mostoftenabull—becutupinsuchawaythattheheadisseveredfro