old bench, and a shelf for newspapers. On top was an issue of See from 1967. In one
corner was a smaller table that could be used as a desk.
Two narrow doors led to smaller rooms. The one on the right, closest to the outside
wall, was hardly more than a cubbyhole with a desk, a chair, and some shelves
along the wall. The other room, between the hallway and the little office, was a very
small bedroom with a narrow double bed, a bedside table, and a wardrobe. On the
walls hung landscape paintings. The furniture and wallpaper in the house were all
old and faded, but the place smelled nice and clean. Someone had worked over the
floor with a dose of soap. The bedroom had another door to the hallway, where a
storeroom had been converted into a bathroom with a shower.
“You may have a problem with the water,” Vanger said. “We checked it this
morning, but the pipes aren’t buried very deep, and if this cold hangs on for long
they may freeze. There’s a bucket in the hallway so come up and get water from us
if you need to.”
“I’ll need a telephone,” Blomkvist said.
“I’ve already ordered one. They’ll be here to install it the day after tomorrow. So,
what do you think? If you change your mind, you would be welcome in the main
house at any time.”
“This will be just fine,” Blomkvist said.
“Excellent. We have another hour or so of daylight left. Shall we take a walk so you
can familiarise yourself with the village? Might I suggest that you put on some
heavy socks and a pair of boots? You’ll find them by the front door.” Blomkvist did
as he suggested and decided that the very next day he would go shopping for long
underwear and a pair of good winter shoes.
The old man started the tour by explaining that Blomkvist’s neighbour across the
road was Gunnar Nilsson, the assistant whom Vanger insisted on calling “the
caretaker.” But Blomkvist soon realised that he was more of a superintendent for all
the buildings on Hedeby Island, and he also had responsibility for several buildings
in Hedestad.
“His father was Magnus Nilsson, who was my caretaker in the sixties, one of the
men who helped out at the accident on the bridge. Magnus is retired and lives in