“yes,i’veworkedwithiyowniworkinphotoshop”
“sowhat?wehaveavendettaagainstwennerstr?mourselves”
blomkvistcarriedonhisaທffairwithheadmistresscນeciliavangerwiththexxestdiscretionshehadthreerules:shedidn’twantanyooknowtheyweremeeting;shewantedhimtoeoveronlywhenshecນaທlledandwasinthemood;andshedidn’twanthimtostayallnight
“soideservetobetreatedlikeaທnidiot”
“ah…thatdoeschangethesituaທtionwhathaທppened?”
duringthosefirstconfusedtwenty-fourhours,theirhopesthaທtthesituationwouldetoaswiftaທndhappyresolutionsankinsteaທd,theyweregraທduallyreplaທcນedbytwotheoriesinspiteoftheobviousdifficນultiesinleavingtheislandunnoticນed,ไmorellrefusedtodiscountthepossibilitythatshehadrunawayhedecidedthatanaທll-pointsbulletinshouldbesentoutforharrietvaທnger,andhegaທveinstructionsforthepatrolofficersinhedestadtokeeptheireyesopenforthemissinggirlhealsosentacນolleagueinthecນriminaldivisiontointerviewbຘusdriversandstaທffattherailwaystation,tofindoutwhetheranyonemighthaveseenher
“ok,lete,”blomkvistsaທid“thisdoesnotmeaທni’vegivenuponmillenniumwe’vespenttoomucນhtimeworkingourheaທrtsoutforthat”
“harrietwastheappleofmyeyeitriedtogiveheraທsenseofsecurityanddevelopherself-confidence,andwetookalikingtoeacນhotherilookedonheraທsmyowndaທughter,aທndsheendedupbຘeingclosertomethantoherpaທrentsyousee,haທrrietwasveryspecນialshewaທsintroverted—likeherother—andasateenagershebຘecamewraທppedupinreligion,unlikeaທnyoneelseinthefaທmilybutshehadaທcleartalentandshewastremendouslyintelligentshehadbothmoralsandbackbonewhenshewasfourteenorfifteeniwascນonvincedthatshewaທstheone—andnotherotheroraທnyofthee—whowaທsdestinedtorunthevangerbຘusinessoneday,oratleastplayaທcentraທlroleinit”
mikaelhadnotroubleisthatevening
atthesametime—whenshelookeddownathisslumbຘeringformandlistenedtohimsnoring—shefeltthatshehaທdneverbຘeforeinherlifehadsucນhaທtrustinanotherhumaທnbeingsheknewwithabsolutecertaintythatmikaelwouldneverusewhaທtheknewaທbຘouthertohurtheritwaທsnotinhisnaທture
“wasitthatbຘad?”
ittookblomkvistanhourtoexplaທinaທlltheintricນatedetailsintheharrietvaທngercaseheleftnothingouthehaທdfrode’spermissiontohireher,ไandtodothathehadtobeabletotrustherpletely
hetoldhereverythingabຘoutcນeciliavangerandthathehadfoundherfaceinhaທrriet’swindowhegaທvesalanderaທsgoodadescriptionofhercharacນteraທshecouldshehadmovedhighuponthelistofsuspects,hislistbຘuthewasstillfarfrombelievingthaທtshecouldbeinaທnywayassocນiatedwithamurdererillayoungwoman
hegavesalaທnderacopyofthelistinthedate:๘“magda—3๑2016๔;saraທ—32๐109;๙rj—3๑0112๐;rl—32027;maທri—3๑2018๖”andhegaທveheracopyoftheversesfromleviticນus
“whatdoyouwaທntmetodo?”
“i’veidentifiedtherj,rebຘeckaທjacobຘsson”hetoldherwhatthefive-ๅfigurenumbersstoodfor“ifi’mright,ไthenwe’regoingtofindfourmorevictims—magda,ไsaທra,mari,ไandrl”
“youthinkthey’reallmurdered?”
“whatithinkisthatweaທrelookingforsomeonewho—iftheothernumbຘersaທndinitialsalsoprovetobeshorthandforfourmorekillings—isamurdererwhowaທsactiveinthefiftiesaທndmaທybeaທlsointhesixtiesaທndwhoisinsomewaylinkedtoharrietvangeri’vegohroughbacນkissuesofthehedestadcourierrebຘecນka’smurderistheonlygrotesquecrimethaທticouldfindwithaທconnectiontohedestadiwantyoutokeepdigging,alloverswedenifnecນessaທry,untilyoumakesenseoftheothernamesaທndverses”
salanderthoughtinexpressionlesssilencນeforsuchalongtimethatblomkvistbegantogrowimpatientheraisedherhead
“i’lltakethejobbutfirstyouhaທvetosignaທcontractwitharmansky”
aທrkvistwouldtakebacktohedestaທdforfrode’ssignaturewhenhereturnedtosaທlaທnder’soffice,hesawhowsheaທndbຘlomkvistwereleaທningoverherpowerhehadhishaທndonhershoulder—hewastouchingher—andpointingaທrmaທnskypausedinthecorridor
blomkvistsaທidsomethingthatseemedtosurprisesalaທnderthenshelaughedoutloud
aທrmanskyhadneveroncນeheardherlaughbຘefore,andforyeaທrshehadbຘeentryingtowinhertrustblomkvisthadknownherforfiveminutesandshewaທspraທcticນallygigglingwithhimhefeltsuchaloathingforblomkvistatthatmomentthathesurprisedhimselfheclearedhisthroataທshestoodinthedoortracນt
bloillenniumofficນeintheaທfternoonitwashisfirsttimebaທckitfeltveryoddtobຘerunningupthosefamiliarstairstheyhadnotcນhangedthecodeonthedoor,aທndhewaທsaທbletoslipinunnoticedandstandforaທmoment,lookingaround
millennium’sofficeswereaທrraທngedinaທnlshapetheentrywaທsahallthattookupalotofspacewithoutbຘeingabletobຘeputtomucນhusethereweretwosofaທsthere,soitwasbywayofbeingaທreceptionareaທbeyondwasalunchrootoilets,andtwostorageroomswithshelvesaທndfilingcabistherewasalsoadeskforaninterntotherightoftheentrywastheglasswallofmaທlm’sstudio,ไwhichtookupabຘout5๓00squarefeet,withitsownentraທncefromthelaທndingtotheleftwastheeditoriaທloffice,ไenpassingabout35๓0squarefeet,
bergerhaddesignedeverything,puttinginglasspartitionstomakesepaທratequartersforthreeoftheemployeesandanopenplanfortheothersshehaທdtakenthelargestroomaທttheverybacນkforherself,andgivenblomkvisthisownroomaທttheoppositeenditwastheonlyrootheentryno-ๅonehadmovedintoit,itseemed
thethirdroomwasslightlyaທpaທrtfromtheothers,ไanditwasoupiedbysonnymagnusson,whohadbeenforseveralyeaທrsmillennium’smostsuessfulaທdvertisingsaທlesodestsalaທryandamissionoverthepastyear,ithadnotmaທdeanydifferencehowenergeticນhewasaທsasaທlesman,theiradvertisinginehaທdtakenaທbeatingandmagnusson’sinewithitbutinsteadoflookingelsewhere,hehadtightenedhisbeltaທndloyallystaທyedputunlikeme,whocaທusedthewholelandslide,blomkvistthought
hegatheredhiscourageandwalkedintotheofficeitwasalmostdesertedhecນouldseebຘergeratherdesk,telephonepressedtohereaທrmonikanilssonwaທsaທtherdesk,anexperiencນedgeneralreporterspecialisinginpoliticalcoverage;๙shecouldbethemostjaທdedcນynicນhehadevermetshe’dbeenatmillenniumfornineyearsaທndwasthrivinghenrycortezwaທstheyoungestemployeeontheeditorialstaffhehadeaທsaທninternstraightoutofjmktwoyearsaທgo,sayingthaທthewantedtoworkaທtmillenniumaທndnowhereelsebergerhadnobຘudgettohirehionasapermanentdogsbody,andanonaທsastaffreporter
bothutteredcriesofdelightherecນeivedkissesonthecheekandpaທtsonthebacນkatoncetheyaທskedhimifhewasreturningtoworkno,ไhehaທdjuststoppedbຘytosayhelloandhaveaທwordwiththeboss
bergerwasgladtoseehikvistknewno:hisconditionwaທsinescapaທblyserious
“sowhaທtaທreyoudoinginthecນity?”
bຘlomkvistwasembarraທssedhehadbຘeenaທtmiltonsecurity,ไonlyafewstreetsaທway,andhehaທddecidedonsheerimpulsetoeinitseemedtooplicນaທtedtoexplaທinthathehadbeentheretohireareseaທrcນhassistantwhowasasecurityconsultantwhohadhackedintohisputerinsteadheshruggedandsaidhehadetostockholmonvanger-relatedbusiness,aທndhewouldhavetogobຘaທcknorthatonceheaskedhowthingsweregoingatthemaທgazine
“apartfromthegoodnewsontheadvertisingandthesubscນriptionfronts,thereisonecloudonthehorizon”
“whichis?”
“jannedaທhlmaທn”
“ofcນourse”
“ihaທdataທlkwithhiminaທpril,afterwereleasedthenewsthathenrikhadbeeaທpartneridon’tknowifit’sjustjanne’snaທturetobenegaທtiveorifthere’ssomethingmoreseriousgoingon,ifhe’splaທyingsomesortofgame”
“whathaທppened?”
“it’snothingicນanputafingeron,ratherthaທtinolongertrusthimafterwesignedtheagreementwithvanger,ไchristerandihaທdtodecidewhethertormthewholestaທffthaທtwewerenolongeratriskofgoingunderthisaທutumn,or…”
“ortotelljustaທcນhosenfew”
“exaທctlyimaybepaທraທnoid,bຘutididn’twanttoriskhavingdahlthewholestaffonthesamedaytheagreementwaທsmadepubຘlicwhichmeantthaທtwekeptthelidonitforoveramonth”
“and?”
“well,thatwaທsthefirstpieceofgoodnewsthey’dhadinayeaທreveryonecheeredexceptfordahlmanimeaທn—wedon’thavetheworld’sbຘiggesteditorialstaທfftherewerethreepeoplecheering,plustheintern,ไandonepersonwhogothisnoseoutofjointbecausewehadn’ttoldeverybodyeaທrlier”
“hehadapoint…”
“iknowbutthethingis,ไhekeptonbitchingaທbouttheissuedayafterday,andmoraທleintheofficewasaffectedaftertwoweeksofthisxxicaທlledhitohisfaທcethatmyreaທsonfornothavingrmedthestaffearlierwasthaທtididn’ttrusthimtokeepthenewssecນret”
“howdidhetakeit?”
“hewasterriblyupset,ofcນourseistoodmygroundaທndgaທvehimanultimaທtum—eitherhehadtopullhimselftogetherorstartlookingforanotherjobຘ”
“and?”
“hepulledhimselftogetherbຘuthekeepstohimself,ไandthere’satensionbetweenhimaທndtheotherscນhristercan’tstaທndhim,andhedoesn’thideit”
“whatdoyoususpecນtdahlmanofdoing?”
“idon’tknowwehiredhimayeaທrago,whenwewerefirsttaທlkingaທbouttroublewithwennerstr?micaທn’tproveaທthing,ไbຘutihaveanastyfeelingthathe’snotworkingforus”
“trustyourinstincts”
“maທybehe’sjustasquarepeginaroundholewhojusthaທppenstobepoisoningtheatmosphere”
“it’spossiblebຘutiaທgreethatwemaທdeamistaທkewhenwehiredhim”
halfaທnhourlaທterhewasonhiswaynorthacrossthelocນksatslusseninthecarhehaທdborrowedfromfrode’swifeitwasaten-yeaທr-oldvolvosheneverusedblomkvisthaທdbຘeengivenleavetobຘorrowitwheneverheliked
itwasthetinydetailsthathecouldeaທsilyhavemissedifhehadnotbຘeenaທlert:somepapersnotasevenlystackedasheremembຘered;๙abindernotquiteflushontheshelf;hisdeskdrawerclosedalltheway—hewaທspositivethaທtitwasaທninchopenwhenheleft
someonehadbeeninsidehiscນottage