The bus stop for Hedestad was over the road from Konsum, and Blomkvist started
off his exile by carrying out his plan to go shopping in town. He got off the bus by
the railway station and made a tour of the centre of town. Along the way he
bought heavy winter boots, two pairs of long underwear, several flannel shirts, a
proper thigh-length winter jacket, a warm cap, and lined gloves. At the electronics
store he found a small portable TV with rabbit ears. The sales clerk assured him that
he would at least be able to get SVT, the state TV channel, out at Hedeby, and
Blomkvist promised to ask for his money back if that turned out not to be the case.
He stopped at the library to get himself a card and borrowed two mysteries by
Elizabeth George. He bought pens and notebooks. He also bought a rucksack for
carrying his new possessions.
Finally he bought a pack of cigarettes. He had stopped smoking ten years ago, but
occasionally he would have a relapse. He stuck the pack in his jacket pocket
without opening it. His last stop was the optician’s, and there he bought contact
lens solution and ordered new lenses.
By 2:00 he was back in Hedeby, and he was just removing the price tags from his
new clothes when he heard the front door open. A blonde woman—perhaps in her
fifties—knocked on the open kitchen door as she stepped across the threshold. She
was carrying a sponge cake on a platter.
“Hello. I just wanted to come over to introduce myself. My name is Helena Nilsson,
and I live across the road. I hear we’re going to be neighbours.”
They shook hands and he introduced himself.
“Oh yes, I’ve seen you on TV. It’s going to be nice to see lights over here in the
evening.”
Blomkvist put on some coffee. She began to object but then sat at the kitchen
table, casting a furtive glance out the window.
“Here comes Henrik with my husband. It looks like some boxes for you.”
Vanger and Gunnar Nilsson drew up outside with a dolly, and Blomkvist rushed out
to greet them and to help carry the four packing crates inside. They set the boxes
on the floor next to the stove. Blomkvist got out the coffee cups and cut into
Fröken Nilsson’s sponge cake.