mthefat.Firealsoremindsmeofthefirstmurder,ofRebeckahereinHedestad.”
Towardseveningwhenthemosquitoesbegantoswarmtheyclearedoffthegardentableandmovedtothekitchentogoonwiththeirtalk.
“Thefactthatyoudidn’tfindanexactBiblequotationdoesn’tmeanmuch.It’snotamatterofquotations.ThisisagrotesqueparodyofwhatiswrittenintheBible—it’smorelikeassociationstoquotationspulledoutofcontext.”
“Iagree.Itisn’tevenlogical.Takeforexamplethequotethatbothhavetobecutofffromtheirpeopleifsomeonehassexwithagirlwho’shavingherperiod.Ifthat’sinterpretedliterally,thekillershouldhavemittedsuicide.”
“Sowheredoesallthislead?”Blomkvistwonderedaloud.
“YourHarrieteitherhadquiteastrangehobbyorelseshemusthaveknownthattherewasaconnectionbetweenthemurders.”
“Between1949and1966,andmaybebeforeandafteraswell.Theideathataninsanelysicksadisticserialkillerwasslaughteringwomenforatleastseventeenyearswithoutanyoneseeingaconnectionsoundsutterlyunbelievabletome.”
Salanderpushedbackherchairandpouredmorecoffeefromthepotonthestove.Shelitacigarette.Mikaelcursedhimselfandstoleanotherfromher.
“No,it’snotsounbelievable,”shesaid,holdinguponefinger.“WehaveseveraldozenunsolvedmurdersofwomeninSwedenduringthetwentiethcentury.Thatprofessorofcriminology,Persson,saidonceonTVthatserialkillersareveryrareinSweden,butthatprobablywehavehadsomethatwerenevercaught.”
Sheheldupanotherfinger.
“Thesemurdersweremittedoveraverylongperiodoftimeandalloverthecountry.Twoourredclosetogetherin1960,butthecircumstanceswerequitedifferent—afarmer’swifeinKarlstadandatwenty-two-year-oldinStockholm.”
Threefingers.
“Thereisnoimmediatelyapparentpattern.Themurderswerecarriedoutatdifferentplacesandthereisnorealsignature,buttherearecertainthingsthatdorecur.Animals.Fire.Aggravatedsexualassault.And,asyoupointedout,aparodyofBiblicalquotations.ButitseemsthatnotoneoftheinvestigatingdetectivesinterpretedanyofthemurdersintermsoftheBible.”
Blomkvistwaswatchingher.Withherslenderbody,he