bynoonhehadshoweredandeatenbreakfast.hewentresolutelyintohisofficeandtookdownthefirstbinderfrothepoliceinvestigation.thenhehesitated.frothegablewindowhecouldseesusanne’sbridgecafé.hestuffedthebinderintohisshoulderbagandputonhisoutdoorclothes.whenhereachedthecafé,hefounditbriingwithcustoers,andtherehehadtheanswertoaquestionthathadbeeninthebackofhisind:howcouldacafésurviveinabackwaterlikehedeby？susannespecialisedinchurchgoersandpresuablydidcoffeeandcakesforfuneralsandotherfunctions.

hetookawalkinstead.konsuwasclosedonsundays,andhecontinuedafewhundredyardstowardshedestad,whereheboughtnewspapersatapetrolstation.hespentanhourwalkingaroundhedeby,failiarisinghiselfwiththetownbeforethebridge.theareaclosesttothechurchandpastkonsuwasthecentre,witholderbuildings—two-storeystonestructureswhichblokvistguessedhadbeenbuiltinthe1910sor’20sandwhichforedashortainstreet.northoftheroadintotownwerewell-keptapartentbuildingsforfailieswithchildren.alongthewaterandtothesouthofthechurchwereostlysingle-failyhoes.hedebylookedtobearelativelywell-to-doareaforhedestad’sdecision-akersandcivilservants.

whenhereturnedtothebridge,theassaultonthecaféhadebbed,butsusannewasstillclearingdishesfrothetables.

“thesundayrush？”hesaidingreeting.

shenoddedasshetuckedalockofhairbehindoneear.“hi,mikael.”

“soyoureeberynae.”

“hardtofet,”shesaid.“ifollowedyourtrialontv.”

“theyhavetofillupthenewswithsoething,”heuttered,anddriftedovertothecornertablewithaviewofthebridge.whenheetsusanne’seyes,shesiled.

at3:00susanneannouncedthatshewasclosingthecaféfortheday.afterthechurchrush,onlyafewcustoershadeandgone.blokvisthadreadorethanafifthofthefirstbinderofthepoliceinvestigation.hestuckhisnoteintohisbagandwalkedbrisklyhoeacrossthebridge.

thecatwaswaitingonthesteps.helookedaround,wonderingwhosecatitwas.heletitinsideallthesae,sincethecatwasatleastsoesortofpany.

headeoneorevainattepttoreachberger.obviouslyshewasfuriouswithhistill.hecouldhavetriedcallingherdirectlineattheofficeorherhoenuber,buthehadalreadyleftenoughessages.instead,headehiselfcoffee,ovedthecatfartheralongthekitchenbench,andopenedthebinderonthetable.

hereadcarefullyandslowly,notwantingtoissanydetail.bylateevening,whenheclosedthebinder,hehadfilledseveralpagesofhisownnote—withreindersandquestionstowhichhehopedtofindanswersinsubsequentbinders.theaterialwasallarrangedinchronologicalorder.hecouldnottellwhethervangerhadreaniseditthatwayorwhetherthatwasthesysteusedbythepoliceatthetie.

thefirstpagewasaphotocopyofahandwrittenreportforheadedhedestadpoliceeergencycentre.theofficerwhohadtakenthecallhadsignedhisnaed.o.ryttinger,andblokvistassuedthe“d.o.”stoodfor“dutyofficer.”thecallerwashenrikvanger.hisaddressandtelephonenuberhadbeennoted.thereportwasdatedsunday,septeber25,1966,at11:14a..thetextwaslaconic:

callfrohrk.vanger,statingthathisbrother’sdaughterhasbeenissingfroherhoeonhedebyislandsincesaturdayafternoon.thecallerexpressedgreatconcern.

anotesentat11:20a..statedthatp-014hadbeensenttothesite.

anotherat11:35a..,inalesslegiblehandthanryttinger’s,insertedthatoff.magnussonreportsthatbridgetohedebyislandstillblocked.transp.byboat.inthearginanillegiblesignature.

at12:14p..ryttingerisback:telephoneconversationoff.magnussoninh-byconfirsthat16-year-oldharrietvangerissingsinceearlysaturdayafternoon.failyexpressedgreatconcern.notbelievedtohavesleptinherbedlastnight.couldnothaveleftislandduetoblockedbridge.noneoffailyebershasanyknowledgeastohv’swhereabouts.

at12:19p..:g.m.redbytelephoneaboutthesituation.

thelastnotewasrecordedat1:42p..:g.m.onsiteath-by；willtakeovertheatter.

thenextpagerevealedthattheinitials“g.m.”referredtodetectiveinspectorgustafmorell,whoarrivedathedebyislandbyboatandtheretookoverand,preparingaforalreportonthedisappearanceofharrietvanger.unliketheinitialnotationswiththeirneedlessabbreviations,morell’sreportswerewrittenonatypewriterandinveryreadableprose.thefollowingpagesrecountedwhateasureshadbeentaken,withanobjectivityandwealthofdetailthatsurprisedblokvist.

morellhadfirstinterviewedhenrikvangeralongwithisabellavanger,harriet’sother.thenhetalkedinturnwithulrikavanger,haraldvanger,gregervanger,harriet’sbrothermartinvanger,andanitavanger.blokvistcaetotheconclusionthattheseinterviewshadbeenconductedaordingtoascaleofdecreasingiportance.

ulrikavangerwashenrikvanger’sother,andevidentlysheheldastatusparabletothatofadowagerqueen.ulrikalivedatthevangerestateandwasabl. comrovidenoration.shehadgoobedearlyonthepreviousnightandhadnotseenharrietforseveraldays.sheappearedtohaveinsistedoneetingdetectiveinspectormorellsolelytogiveairtoheropinionthatthepolicehadtoactatonce,iediately.

haraldvangerrankedasnubertwoonthelist.hehadseenharrietonlybrieflywhenshereturnedfrothefestivitiesinhedestad,buthehadnotseenhersincetheaidentonthebridgeourredandhehadnoknowledgeofwheresheightbeatpresent.

gregervanger,brotherofhenrikandharald,statedthathehadseentheissingsixteen-year-oldinhenrikvanger’sstudy,askingtospeakwithhenrikafterhervisittohedestadearlierintheday.gregervangerstatedthathehadnotspokenwithherhiself,erelygivenheragreeting.hehadnoideawheresheightbefound,butheexpressedtheviewthatshehadprobably,thoughtlessly,goovisitsoefriendwithouttellinganyoneandwouldreappearsoon.whenaskedhowsheightinthatcasehavelefttheisland,heofferednoanswer.

martinvangerwasinterviewedinacursoryfashion.hewasinhisfinalyearatthepreparatoryschoolinuppsala,wherehelivedinthehoeofharaldvanger.therewasnorooforhiinharald’scar,sohehadtakenthetrainhoetohedeby,arrivingsolatethathewasstrandedonthewrongsideofthebridgeaidentandcouldnotcrossuntillateintheeveningbyboat.hewasinterviewedinthehopethathissisterighthaveconfidedinhiandperhapsgivenhisoeclueifshewasthinkingofrunningaway.thequestionwasetwithprotestsfroharrietvanger’sother,butatthatoentinspectormorellwasperhapsthinkingthatharriet’shavingrunawaywouldbethebesttheycouldhopefor.butmartinhadnotspokenwithhissistersincethesuerholidayandhadnorationofvalue.

anitavanger,daughterofharaldvanger,waserroneouslylistedasharriet’s“firstcousin.”shewasinherfirstyearattheuniversityinstockholandhadspentthesuerinhedeby.shewasalostthesaeageasharrietandtheyhadbeeclosefriends.shestatedthatshehadarrivedattheislandwithherfatheronsaturdayandwaslookingforwardtoseeingharriet,butshehadnothadtheopportunitytofindher.anitastatedthatshefeltuneasy,andthatitwasnotlikeharriettogooffwithouttellingthefaily.henrikandisabellavangerconfiredthatthiswasthecase.

whileinspectormorellwasinterviewingfailyebers,hehadtoldmagnussonandbergan—patrol014—toanisethefirstsearchpartywhiletherewasstilldaylight.thebridgewasstillclosedtotraffic,soitwasdifficulttocallinrerceents.thegroupconsistedofaboutthirtyavailableindividuals,enandwoenofvaryingages.theareastheysearchedthatafternoonincludedtheunoupiedhousesatthefishingharbour,theshorelineatthepointandalongthesound,thesectionofwoodsclosesttothevillage,andthehillcalleds？derbergetbehindthefishingharbour.thelatterwassearchedbecausesoeonehadputforwardthetheorythatharrietighthavegoneuptheretogetagoodviewofthesceneonthebridge.patrolswerealsosentoutto？sterg？rdenandtogottfried’scabinontheothersideoftheisland,whichharrietoasionallyvisited.

butthesearchwasfruitless；itwasnotcalledoff

6

提供

untillongafterdarkfell,at10:00atnight.theteperatureovernightdroppedtofreezing.

duringtheafternooninspectormorellsetuphisheadquartersinadrawingroothathenrikvangerhadputathisdisposalonthegroundfloorofthevangerestateoffice.hehadundertakenanuberofeasures.

inthepanyofisabellavanger,hehadexainedharriet’srooandtriedtoascertainwhetheranythingwasissing:clothes,asuitcase,orthelike,whichwouldindicatethatharriethadrunawayfrohoe.isabella,anoteiplied,hadnotbeenhelpfulanddidnotseetobefailiarwithherdaughter’swardrobe.sheoftenworejeans,buttheyalllookthesae,don’tthey？harriet’spursewasonherdesk.itcontainedid,awalletholdingninekronorandfifty？re,ab,airror,andahandkerchief.aftertheinspection,harriet’sroowaslocked.

morellhadsuonedorepeopletobeinterviewed,failyebersandeployees.alltheinterviewswereeticulouslyreported.

whentheparticipantsinthefirstsearchpartybeganreturningwithdishearteningreports,theinspectordecidedthataoresysteaticsearchhadtobeade.thateveningandnight,rerceentswerecalledin.morellcontacted,aongothers,thechairanofhedestad’sorienteeringclubandappealedforhelpinsuoningvolunteersforthesearchparty.byidnighthewastoldthatfifty-threeebers,ostlyfrothejuniordivision,wouldbeatthevangerestateat7:00thenextorning.henrikvangercalledinpartoftheorningshift,nuberingfiftyen,frothepaperill.healsoarrangedforfoodanddrinkfortheall.

blokvistcouldvividlyiagihescenesplayedoutatthevangerestateduringthosedays.theaidentonthebridgehadcertainlycontributedtotheconfusionduringthefirsthours—byakingitdifficulttobringinrerceents,andalsobecausepeoplesoehowthoughtthatthesetwodraaticeventshappeningatthesaeplaceandclosetothesaetieustinsoewayhavebeenconnected.whenthetankertruckwashoistedaway,inspectormorellwentdowntothebridgetobesurethatharrietvangerhadnot,bysoeunlikelyturnofevents,endedupunderthewreck.thatwastheonlyirrationalactionthatmikaelcoulddetectintheinspector’sconduct,sincetheissinggirlhadunquestionablybeenseenontheislandaftertheaidenthadourred.

duringthosefirstconfusedtwenty-fourhours,theirhopesthatthesituationwouldetoaswiftandhappyresolutionsank.instead,theyweregraduallyreplacedbytwotheories.inspiteoftheobviousdifficultiesinleavingtheislandunnoticed,morellrefusedtodiscountthepossibilitythatshehadrunaway.hedecidedthatanall-pointsbulletinshouldbesentoutforharrietvanger,andhegaveinstructionsforthepatrolofficersinhedestadtokeeptheireyesopenfortheissinggirl.healsosentacolleagueinthecriinaldivisiontointerviewbusdriversandstaffattherailwaystation,tofindoutwhetheranyoneighthaveseenher.