and Harriet were never close, but they weren’t enemies either. Isabella can be
tough, but sometimes she’s not all there. You’ll see what I mean when you meet
her.”
Isabella’s neighbour was Cecilia Vanger, the daughter of Harald.
“She was married once and lived in Hedestad, but she and her husband separated
some twenty years ago. I own the house and offered to let her move in. She is a
teacher, and in many ways she’s the direct opposite of her father. I might add that
she and her father speak to each other only when necessary.”
“How old is she?”
“Born in 1946. So she was twenty when Harriet disappeared. And yes, she was one
of the guests on the island that day. Cecilia may seem flighty, but in fact she’s
shrewder than most. Don’t underestimate her. If anyone’s going to ferret out what
you’re up to, she’s the one. I might add that she’s one of my relatives for whom I
have the highest regard.”
“Does that mean that you don’t suspect her?”
“I wouldn’t say that. I want you to ponder the matter without any constraints,
regardless of what I think or believe.”
The house closest to Cecilia’s was also owned by Henrik Vanger, but it was leased
to an elderly couple formerly part of the management team of the Vanger
companies. They had moved to Hedeby Island in the eighties, so they had nothing
to do with Harriet’s disappearance. The next house was owned by Birger Vanger,
Cecilia’s brother. The house had been empty for many years since Birger moved to
a modern house in Hedestad.
Most of the buildings lining the road were solid stone structures from the early
twentieth century. The last house was of a different type, a modern, architect-
designed home built of white brick with black window frames. It was in a beautiful
situation, and Blomkvist could see that the view from the top floor must be
magnificent, facing the sea to the east and Hedestad to the north.
“This is where Martin lives—Harriet’s brother and the Vanger Corporation CEO. The
parsonage used to be here, but that building was destroyed by a fire in the
seventies, and Martin built this house in 1978 when he took over as CEO.”