h,thisisfuckingdisgusting.”
“Itgetsworse.TheinitialsR.L.arecorrect—youfoundtheBiblequote?”
“Overlyexplicit.Amanorawomanwhoisamediumorawizardshallbeputtodeath;theyshallbestonedwithstones,theirbloodshallbeuponthem.”
“Thenthere’sSj?berginRanmooutsideKarlstad.She’stheoneHarrietlistedasMagda.HerfullnamewasMagdaLovisa,butpeoplecalledherLovisa.”
BlomkvistlistenedwhileSalanderrecountedthearredetailsoftheKarlstadmurder.Whenshelitacigarettehepointedatthepack,andshepusheditovertohim.
“Sothekillerattackedtheanimaltoo?”
“TheLeviticusversesaysthatifawomanhassexwithananimal,bothmustbekilled.”
“Thelikelihoodofthiswomanhavingsexwithacowmustbe…well,non-existent.”
“Theversecanbereadliterally.It’senoughthatshe‘approaches’theanimal,whichafarmer’swifewouldundeniablydoeveryday.”
“Understood.”
“ThenextcaseonHarriet’slistisSara.I’veidentifiedherasSaraWitt,thirty-seven,livinginRonneby.ShewasmurderedinJanuary1964,foundtiedtoherbed,subjectedtoaggravatedsexualassault,butthecauseofdeathwasasphyxiation;shewasstrangled.Thekilleralsostartedafire,withtheprobableintentionofburningthewholehousedowntotheground,butpartofthefirewentoutbyitself,andtherestwastakencareofbythefireservice,whowerethereinaveryshorttime.”
“Andtheconnection?”
“Listentothis.SaraWittwasboththedaughterofapastorandmarriedtoapastor.Herhusbandwasawaythatweekend.”
“Andthedaughterofanypriest,ifsheprofanesherselfbyplayingtheharlot,profanesherfather;sheshallbeburnedwithfire.OK.Thatfitsonthelist.Yousaidyou’dfoundmorecases.”
“I’vefoundthreeotherwomenwhoweremurderedundersuchsimilarlystrangecircumstancesandtheycouldhavebeenonHarriet’slist.ThefirstisayoungwomannamedLivGustavsson.Shewastwenty-twoandlivedinFarsta.Shewasahorse-lovinggirl—sherodeinpetitionsandwasquiteapromisingtalent.Shealsoownedasmallpetshopwithhersister.Shewasfoundintheshop.Shehadworkedlateonthekeepingandwastherealone.Shemusthaveletthekillerinvoluntarily.Shewasrapedandstrangledtodeat