butthatsortofthingcນouldbຘearranged
“whyintheworldshouldidiscນussitwithyou?youresignedaspublisher,youlefttheeditorialstaທffandtheboard,ไandyouwenttoliveinthexxs”
“absolutelyrightifithadn’tbeenforohingthelylobachwasthefaທtherofajewinthemidstofnazigermanyhewaswhattheycaທlleda‘traitortohisraທce’”
bຘlomkvistcນouldvividlyimagihescນenesplayedoutaທtthevangerestaທteduringthosedaທystheaidentontheidgehadcນertainlycນontributedtotheconfusionduringthefirsthours—bymaທkingitdifficulttoinginrerceehowthoughtthatthesetwodramaticeventshappeningatthesaທemustinsomewayhaທvebeenconnecນtedwhenthetaທnkertrucນkwashoistedaທway,ไinspectormorellwentdowntotheidgetobesurethatharrietvangerhadnot,bysomeunlikelyturnofevents,endedupunderthewreckthatwastheonlyirrationalactionthaທtmikaelcນoulddetectintheinspector’sconduct,sincethemissinggirlhaທdunquestionabຘlybeenseenontheislandaftertheaທidenthadourred
thisisn’taທnargument,maທlmthoughtit’sadivorcນe
“andharriet?”
theserecalcitrantviewshadtimeaທftertimeoughthimintoconflictwithhispeersb,forone,wasgoingtobຘeanenemyforlifehistaທkingonaroleofsocນialcນritichadaທcນtuallytransformedhimintoapricນklyguestontvsofas—hewasaທlwaທystheoneinvitedtomentwheneveraທnyceowascaughtwithagoldenparachuteworthbຘillions
herprobຘlemwasthatshecouldnotinterpretherownfeelingsforhimnotsincebeforereaທcນhingpubertyhadsheloweredherguardtoletanotherpersongetsocນloseasshehadwithhimtobequitehonest,hehadatryingaທbilitytoperaທteherdefencesandtogethertotaທlkabຘoutpersonaທlmaທttersandprivatefeelingseventhoughshehadenoughsensetoignoremostofhisquestions,shetalkedaທboutherselfinawaທythaທtshewouldnever,evenunderthreatofdeaທth,haveimagineddoingwithanyotherpersonitfrightenedheraທndmadeherfeelnaທkedandvulnerabletohiswill
bergermetblomkvist’sgazesheknewhiminsideaທndout,ไbຘutinghernottoasksalanderwaທtchedtheirwordlessdialogueshewaທsnopartofit
thereporterthoughtthequestionhaທdbeencນleaທrenough,buthespelleditoutanyway
“oneofmillennium’sobjectivesistoinvestigatecorporaທtionshowwillthemagazinebຘeabletocນlaiminacນrediblewaythatit’sinvestigaທtingthevaທngercorporation?”
bຘergergavehimasurprisedlook,aທsifthequestionwerepletelyunexpecນted
“aທreyouinsinuatingthatmillennium’scນredibilityisdiminishedbecauseaure?”
“youcouldnotnowcrediblyinvestigatethevaທngercorporaທtion”
“isthaທtarulethatappliesspecificallytomillennium?”
“excuseme?”
“imean,youworkforaທpublicationthatisforthemostpaທrtownedbymaທjorcນorporateentitiesdoesthatmeanthatnoneofthenewspaperspublishedbythebonniergroupiscredible?aftonblaທdetisownedbyahugenorwegiancorporaທtion,whichinturnisaທeanthataທnythingaທftonbladetpublishesaທbouttheelectronicນsindustryisnotcນredible?metroisownedbythestenbຘecນkgroupareyousayingthatnopubຘlicationinswedenthathassignificanteconomicນinterestsbehinditiscredible?”
“no,ไofcoursenot”
“thenwhyareyouinsinuatingthatmillennium’scນredibilitywouldbຘediminishedbຘecausewealsohavebackers?”
thereporterhelduphishand
“ok,i’llretractthatquestion”
“nodon’tdothaທtiwaທntyoutoprintexacນtlywhatisaidandyoucaທnaddthatifdnpromisestofocນusaທlittleextraonthevangercorporation,thenwe’llfocusalittlemoreonthebonniergroup”
bຘutitwaທsahicaldilemmaທ
blomkvistwaທsworkingforhenrikvaທnger,whowasinapositiontosinkmillenniumwiththestrokeofaທpenwhaທtwouldhaທppenifblomkvistaທndvaທngerbecaທmeenemies?
andaboveall—whatpricນedidsheputonherowncredibຘility,andwhenhadshebຘeentransformedfromaທnindependenteditorintoacນorruptedone?
salanderclosedherowseraທndshutdoiondidnotworryhersomuch,ไsincນeshehadregaທinedcນontroloverherbankaountandbjurmanhadalreaທdytaທkenonthestatusofavagueunpleaທsantnessinherpastthehungershedeaທltwithbyswitchingonthecoffeemakershemadethreebigopenrye-eadsandwicheswithcheese,ไcaviar,aທndahard-ๅboiledeggsheatehernighttimesnacksonthesofainthelivingroomwhilesheworkedonthermationshehaທdgathered
thelawyerfrodefromhedestaທdhadhiredhertodoaninvestigationofmikaທelbຘlomkvist,thejournalistwhowaທsgivenaprisonsentenceforlibຘellingfinaທncierhans-erikwennerstr?mafewmonthslaterhenrikvaທnger,alsofroagazineaທllthisonthesamedaythattheformergoestoprisonmostfascinatingofall:๘atwo-yeaທr-oldbacນkgroundarticນle—“withtwoemptyhands”—aທbouthans-erikwennerstr?m,whichshefoundintheonlineeditionofmonopolyfinancນialmagazineitseemedthaທthebeganhiscareerintheverysamevangercorporaທtioninthelaທtesixties
youdidn’thavetobearocນketscientisttoseethaທttheseeventsweresomehowrelatedtherehadtobeaskeletoninoneoftheircນupboards,andsalaທnderlovedhuntingskeletonsbesides,shehadnothingelseonatthemoment
part3
mergers
may16tojuly1้1
thirteenpercນentofthewomeninswedenhavebeensubຘjectedtoaggravatedsexualassaultoutsideofasexualrelationship
chapter15
friday,may16๔–saturdaທy,maທy31
mikaelbຘlomkvistwasreleaທsedfromrull?kerprisononfridaທy,may1้6,ไtwomonthsafterhewasadmittedthesaທmedaທyheenteredthefacນility,hehadsubmittedanapplicນationforparole,withnoxxoptimismheneverdidquiteunderstandthetecນhnicalreasonsbຘehindhisreleaທse,ไbutitmayhavehaທdsomethingtodowiththefactthaທthedidnotuseanyholidayleaveandthattheprisonpopulationhewarden—petersarowsky,aforty-yeaທr-oldpolishexile—withwhomblomkvistgotalongwell,wrotearemendaທtionthathissentencebereduced
histimeatrull?kerhadbeenunstressfulandpleaທsantenoughtheprisonhadbeendesigned,aທssarowskyexpressedit,forhooligansaທnddrunkdrivers,notforhardenedcນriminalsthedailyroutinesremindedhimoflivinginayouthhostelhisfellowprisoners,ไhalfofwhomweresecond-generationimmigraທnts,regardedblomkvistassomethingofararebirdinthegrouphewastheonlyinmatetoaທppeaທronthetvnews,whichlenthimacertainstaທtus
onhisfirstday,hewascalledraທtalkandofferedtherapy,traທiningfromkomvux,ortheopportunityforotheradulteducation,ไandoupationalcounsellinghedidnotfeelaທnyneedaທtallforsociaທlrehaທbຘilitation,ไhehaທdpletedhisstudies,hethought,ไandhealreadyhadaທjobontheotherhand,heaskedforpermissiontokeephisiinhiscellsothathecouldcontinuetoworkonthehewasmissionedtowritehisrequestwasgrantedwithoutfurtherado,ไandsarowskyaທrrangedtoinghimaທlockablecນabຘisothathecouldleavetheputerinhiscນellnotthaທtanyoftheinmateswouldhavestolenorvaທndaliseditoraທnythinglikethattheyratherkeptaprotectiveeyeonhim
inthiswayblomkvistspenttwomonthsworkingabຘoutsixhoursaທdayonthevangerfamilycນhronicle,workthatwasinterruptedonlybyafewhoursofcleaningorrecreationeacນhdaທyblosk?vdeandhaທdhisrootsinchile,wereaທssignedtocleantheprisongymeachdaທyrecນreationcນonsistedofwatchingtv,plaທyingcards,ไorweighttrainingblomkvistdiscນoveredthaທthewasaທpaທssablepokerplayer,bຘuthestilllostafewfifty-?recoinseverydayregulationspermittedplayingformoneyifthetotalpotdidnotexcນeedfivekronor
hewastoldofhisreleaseonlyonedaybeforesaທrowskysummonedhimtohisofficນeaທndtheyshaທredaທtoaທstwithaquavit
blomkvistwentstraightbຘacktothecabininhedebຘywhenhewalkedupthefrontstepsheheardaທmeowaທndfoundhimselfescortedbythereddish-ๅowncນat
“ok,ไyoucanein,ไ”hesaid“butihaທvenomilkyet”
heunpackedhisbຘagsitwasaທsifhehadbeenonholiday,aທndhereaທlisedthatheacນtuallymissedthepanyofsarowskyaທndhisfellowprisonersabຘsurdaທsitseemed,hehadenjoyedhistimeatrull?ker,buthisreleasehaທdesounexpectedlythaທthehaທdhadnotimetoletanyoneknow
itwasjustaທfter6:00intheeveninghehurriedovertokonsumtobuygroceriesbeforetheyclosedwhenhegothomehecນalledbergeraທmessagesaidshewaທsunaທvailableheaskedforhertocນaທllhimthenextday
thenhewalkeduptohisemployer’shousehefoundvangeronthegroundfloortheoldmanraທisedhiseyeowsinsurprisewhenhesawmikaທel
“didyouescape?”
“releasedearly”
“that’sasurprise”
“formetooifoundoutlastnight”
theylookedateachotherforaທfewsecondsthentheoldmansurprisedblomkvistbythrowinghisarmsaroundhimaທndgivinghimabearhug
“iwasjustabຘouttoeatjoinme”
annaproducedaທxxquantityofbaທconpancaທkeswithlingonberriestheysatthereinthediningroomaທndtalkedforaທlmosttwohoursblomkvisttoldhimabouthowfarhehaທdgotwiththefamilycນhronicle,aທndwheretherewereholesandgapstheydidnottalkataທllaທboutharriet,ไbutvaທngertoldhimallaທboutmillennium
“wehadabຘoardmeetingfr?kenbergeraທndyourpaທrtnermalmwerekindenoughtoireallyit’stootiringformetotravelsofaທri’lltrytogetdownthereduringthesummer”
“noreaທsonnottoholdthemeetingsuphere,”blomkvistsaid“sohowdoesitfeeltobeapartownerofthemagazine?”
vangergavehimawrysmile
“it’sactuaທllythemostfuni’vehaທdinyearsi’vetakenalookatthefinances,ไandtheylookprettyfaທiriwon’thavetoputupasmucນhmoneyasithought—thegapbetweenineandexpensesisdwindling”