On the lowest shelf lay issues of Se, Rekordmagasinet, Tidsfördriv, and Lektyr from
the late fifties and early sixties. There were several Bildjournalen from 1965 and
1966, Matt Livs Novell, and a few comic books: The 91, Phantomen, and Romans. He
opened a copy ofLektyr from 1964 and smiled to see how chaste the pin-up was.
Of the books, about half were mystery paperbacks from Wahlström’s Manhattan
series: Mickey Spillane with titles like Kiss Me, Deadly with the classic covers by Bertil
Hegland. He found half a dozen Kitty books, some Famous Five novels by Enid
Blyton, and a Twin Mystery by Sivar Ahlrud—The Metro Mystery. He smiled in
recognition. Three books by Astrid Lindgren: The Children of Noisy Village, Kalle
Blomkvist and Rasmus,and Pippi Longstocking. The top shelf had a book about short-
wave radio, two books on astronomy, a bird guidebook, a book called The Evil
Empire on the Soviet Union, a book on the Finnish Winter War, Luther’s catechism,
the Book of Hymns, and the Bible.
He opened the Bible and read on the inside cover: Harriet Vanger, May 12, 1963. It
was her Confirmation Bible. He sadly put it back on the shelf.
Behind the cabin there were a wood and tool shed with a scythe, rake, hammer,
and a big box with saws, planes, and other tools. He took a chair on to the porch
and poured coffee from his thermos. He lit a cigarette and looked across Hedestad
Bay through the veil of undergrowth.
Gottfried’s cabin was much more modest than he had expected. Here was the
place to which Harriet and Martin’s father had retreated when his marriage to
Isabella was going to the dogs in the late fifties. He had made this cabin his home
and here he got drunk. And down there, near the wharf, he had drowned. Life at
the cabin had probably been pleasant in the summer, but when the temperature
dropped to freezing it must have been raw and wretched. According to what
Vanger told him, Gottfried continued to work in the Vanger Corporation—
interrupted by periods when he was on wild binges—until 1964. The fact that he
was able to live in the cabin more or less permanently and still appear for work
shaven, washed, and in a jacket and tie spoke of a surviving personal discipline.
And here was also the place that Harriet had been to so often that it was one of the
first in which they looked for her. Vanger had told him that during her last year,
Harriet had gone often to the cabin, apparently to be in peace on weekends or
holidays. In her last summer she had lived here for three months, though she came
into the village every day. Anita Vanger, Cecilia’s sister, spent six weeks with her
here.