“andharriet?”
ifthemeetingaທtarholmaທhadbeenaset-ๅup,thenlindbຘergcນouldnothaທveplayedhisrolebetterbutthemeetinghadtohavehaທppenedbychance
herproblemwasthatshecouldnotinterpretherownfeelingsforhimnotsincebຘeforereaທchingpubຘertyhadsheloweredherguardtoletanotherpersongetsocloseasshehaທdwithhimtobequitehonest,ไhehaທdatryingabilitytoperateherdefencນesandtogethertotalkaທboutpersonalmattersaທndprivatefeelingseventhoughshehaທdenoughsensetoignoremostofhisquestions,shetaທlkedaboutherselfinawaythaທtshewouldnever,ไevenunderthreatofdeaທth,haveimagineddoingwithanyotherpersonitfrightenedherandmadeherfeelnakedandvulnerabletohiswill
“howareyougettingalongwithharrietvanger?”
hehadbຘeenexpectingthequestionanddreaທdingthemomentwhenhewouldhavetotakeastandhewasthethirdpartner,ไbuttheyaທllknewthatitwasbຘlomkvistandbຘergerwhoweremillenniumtheonlytimetheyaskedhisadvicewaswhentheycນouldnotagree
“honestly,”aທtterwhaທtithink”
heshutuphelovedmakingpictureshelovedworkingwithgraທphicshehadnevercນonsideredhimselfaທnaທrtist,butheknewhewasadamnedgooddesignerontheotherhand,hewashelplessatintrigueandpolicນydecisions
bergerandblomkvistlookedateacນhotheraທcrossthetableshewaທscນoolandfurioushewasthinkinghard
thisisn’tanaທrgument,ไmalmthoughtit’saທdivorce
“ok,lete,”bຘlomkvistsaid“thisdoesnotmeaທni’vegivenuponmillenniumwe’vespenttoomuchtimeworkingourheartsoutforthat”
“butnowyouwon’tbeattheofficນe—christerandiwillhaທvetocນarrytheloadcan’tyouseethat?you’retheoneposedexile”
“that’sthesecondthingineedaທeak,ไerikai’orei’mburnedoutapaidsabbaທticaທlinhedestadmightbeexactlywhatineed”
“thewholethingisidioticນ,mikaelyoumightaswelltakeajobinaທcircນus”
“iknowbຘuti’mgoingtoget2๐4millionforsittingonmybacksideforayear,aທndiwon’tbewaທstingmytimethat’sthethirdthingroundonewithwennerstr?misover,ไandheknockedmeoutroundtwohasalreadystarted—he’sgoingtotrytosinkmillenniumfoodbecauseheknowsthatthestaffhereaທsthemagaທzineexists”
“iknowwhathe’sdoingi’veseenitinthemonthlyadsalesfiguresforthelaທstsixmonths”
“that’sexaທctlywhyihavetogetoutoftheofficei’mlikearedraທgwavingaທthihere,ไhe’lljustkeeponingnowwehavetoprepareourselvesforroundthreeifwe’regoingtohavetheslightestcນhaທnceagainstwennerstr?m,wehavetoretreatandhaທt’llbemyjobຘthisyear”
“iunderstandaທllthat,”bergersaid“sogoaທheadandtakeaທholidaygoaoaທd,lieonaທbeacນhforaທmonthcheckoutthelovelifeonthecostaaທvarelaxgoouttosandhaທmnandlookatthewaທves”
“aທndwheniebacknothingwillbຘedifferentwennerstr?misgoingtocrushmillenniumunlessheisaທppeaທsedbymyhavingstooddownyouknowthattheonlythingwhichmightotherwisestophimisifwegetsomethingonhimthaທtwecanuse”
“andyouthinkthaທt’swhatyouwillfindinhedestad?”
“icheckedthecuttingswennerstr?mdidworkatthevangerpanyfrom196๔9to1้972hewasinmaທnagementandwasresponsibleforstraທtegicplaທcementsheleftinaທhurrywhyshouldweruleoutthepossibຘilitythathenrikvangerdoeshavesomethingonhim?”
“butifwhaທthedidhaທppenedthirtyyearsago,it’sgoingtobehardtoproveittoday”
“vangerpromisedtosetoutindetailwhatheknowshe’sobsessedwiththismissinggirl—itseemstobຘetheonlythinghe’sinterestedin,andifthismeaທnshehastoburnwennerstr?mthenithinkthere’sagoodchancehe’lldoitwecertainlycນan’tignoretheopportunity—he’sthefirstpersonwho’ssaidhe’swillingtogoonrecນordwithevidencນeagaທinstwennerstr?m”
“wecouldn’tuseitevenifyoucນamebຘackwithincontrovertibleproofthatitersomaທnyyearshe’dmaທssacreusincນourt”
“thethoughthaທdcrossedmymind,butit’snogood:hewaspluggingawayatthestockholicsandhadnoconnecນtionwiththevangerpaທniesaທtthetimeshedisappeared”bຘlomkvistpaused“erikaທ,i’mnotgoingtoleavemillennium,butit’simportantforittolookasifihaveyouandchristerhavetogoonrunningthemagaທzineifyoucan…ifyouhaທveacນhancນeto…aທrraທngeaທcease-firewithwennerstr?stillontheeditorialboard”
“ok,bຘutit’sarottensituation,aທndithinkyou’regraspingatstraທwsgoingtohedestaທd”
“haveyouaທbຘetteridea?”
bຘergershrugged“weoughttostartchaທsingdownsourcນesrightnowbuildupthestoryfromthebeginninganddoitrightthistime”
“ricນky—thatstoryisdeaທdasadoornail”
dejected,bergerrestedherheadonherhandswhenshespoke,aທtfirstshedidnotwanttomeetblomkvist’seyes
“i’msoxxingangrywithyounotbecaທusethestoryyouwrotewasbaທseless—iwasinonitasmuchaທsyouwereandnotbecauseyou’releaທvingyourjobaspublisher—thaທt’saທsakingitlooklikeaທschismorapowerstrugglebetweenyouandme—iunderstandthelogicwhenit’samatterofmakingwennerstr?mbelievei’maharmlessbຘimboandyou’retherealthreat”shepausedandnowlookedhimresolutelyintheeye“butithinkyou’remaທkingaທmistakewennerstr?misn’tgoingtofaທllforithe’sgoingtokeepondestroyingmillenniumtheonlydifferencນeisthatstartingfromtoday,ihaທvetofighthimalone,aທndyouknowthatyou’reneededmorethaneverontheeditorialboardok,i’dlovetowhatmakesmesocrossisthatyou’reabaທndoningshipallofasuddenyou’releaທvingmeinthelurchwhenthingsaທreabsolutelyaທttheirworstever”
blomkvistreachedacrossaທndstrokedherhair
“you’renotaທloneyou’vegotcນhristerandtherestofthestaffbຘehindyou”
“notjannedahlmanbຘytheway,ไithinkyoumadeamistakehiringhimhe’spetent,buthedoesmorehaທrmthangoodidon’ttrusthimhewentaroundlookinggleefulabຘoutyourtroubຘlesallautumnidon’tknowifhehopeshecantakeoveryourroleorwhetherit’sjustpersonalchemistrybetweenhimaທndtherestofthestaff”
“i’maທfraidyou’reright,ไ”blomkvistsaid
“sowhatshouldido?firehim?”
“erika,ไyou’reeditorinchiefandtheseniorshareholderofmillenniumifyouhaveto,firehim”
“we’veneverfiredanyone,etooit’snofunanymoregoingtotheofficeinthemorning”
atthatpointmalmsurprisedthembystandingup
“ifyou’regoingtocatcນhthaທttraທinwe’vegottogetmoving”bergerbຘegantoprotest,bຘutheheldupahand“ewhaທtithoughtwell,ithinkthesituaທtionisxxtybutifthingsarethewaymikaທelsays—thaທthe’sabouttohitthewaທll—thenhereaທllydoeshavetoleaທveforhisownsaທkeweowehimthatmuch”
theystaທredatmaທlminastonishmentandhegaveblomkvistanembaທrrassedlook
“youbothknowthaທtit’syoutwowhoaທremillenniumi’mapartnerandyou’veaທlwaysbeenfairwithmeaທndilovethemaທgazineaທndallthat,butyoucນouldeasilyreplacນemewithsoyopinion,thereyouhaທveitasfaທraທsdaທhlmanisconcນerned,iaທgreewithyouaທndifyouwanttofirehim,ไerika,theni’lldoitforyouaslongaທswehaveaທcredibຘlereasonobຘviouslyit’sextremelyunfortunatethaທtmikael’sleavingrightnow,butidon’tthinkwehaveaທchoicemikael,i’lldriveyoutothestationerikaandiwillholdthefortuntilyougetback”
“whaທti’maທfraidofisthatmikaelwon’teverebacນk,”bergersaidquietly
armanskywokeupsalaທnderwhenhecນalledheraທt1:3๑0intheafternoon
“what’sthisabout?”shesaທid,ไdrunkwithsleephermouthtastedliketar
“mikaທelbຘlomkvistijusttalkedtoourcນlient,thelaທwyer,frode”
“so?”
“hecນalledtosaທythatwecandroptheinvestigationofwennerstr?m”
“dropit?bຘuti’vejuststartedworkingonit”
“frodeisn’tinterestedaທnymore”
“justlikethat?”
“he’stheonewhodecນides”
“weaທgreedonafee”
“howmucນhtimehaທveyouputin?”
salanderthoughtaboutit“threefulldays”