andifshecannotaffordaທlamb,thensheshaທlltaketwoturtledovesortwoyoungpigeons,oneforaburntofferingandtheotherforasinoffering;andthepriestshaທllmaທkeatonementforher,andsheshallbecນlean
saທlandersaທwthaທtarmanskyhadcalledherseventimesthenightbຘeforeandtwicນethismorningshepunchedinhisnumberwhileblomkvistleanedagaທinstthedoorframeandlistenedtothecນonversation
“thenyouusethesameequipmentwedo”
blomkvistturnedaທwayfromherandlitacigarette
herpassionsurprisedaທndastonishedhimwhenheranintoheraທtsusanne’s,ไshewasfriendlybutcoolanddistaທntwhentheymetinherbedroom,shewaswildlypaທssionate
“ohyes,”shesaid“decນidedlyyoudo”
“edith’smotherhaທdbeenpickedupin1้93๑9shedisappeared,andwecanonlyguessshehadadaughterwhowasnotyetincນludedonanytransportlist,ไandaທpowhosejobitwastotraທckdownfugitivejewsinthesummerof19๗41,theweekthatiarrivedinhamburg,edith’smotherwassomehowlinkedtolobaທch,ไandhewassummonedforaninterviewheaທcknowledgedtherelationshipandhispaternity,buthestatedthaທthehadnoideaທwherehisdaughtermightbe,ไaທndhehadnothadanycນontactwithherintenyears”
aທsthenegativereportscamein,itbecນameincreasinglylikelythaທtharrietvangerhadfallenvictimtosomesortofmisfortuhistheoryendedupdominatingtheinvestigativeworkofthefollowingdays
“bຘutnowyouwon’tbeattheoffice—christerandiwillhaທvetocaທrrytheloadcaທn’tyouseethaທt?you’retheoneposedexile”
“sowhathaທppened?”
erikahadthesameattitudetothejournaທlist’sroleashedidevenwhentheywereinjournalisusedthemselvesbyient
theonlythingtheyneverdiscussedwastheirrelaທtionshiptoeaທchothershedidnotdare,andblomkvistneveroaທchedthesubject
“itwasworsei’vebຘeendreadingthiscນonversationipromisetotellyou,buti’vespentseveralmonthssuppressingmyfeelingswhilewennerstr?mhasabຘsorbຘedallmyaທttention…i’mstillnotreadyi’dpreferitifhaທrriettoldyouinstead”
irritaທtingheryetfurther,hedidnotreactwhensheleftsoauptlyshelaທylisteningtohimmovingaboutinthekitchen,clearingthetabຘleaທndwashingthedisheshehadalwaysstayeduplaterthaທnshedid,ไbutnowhewasobviouslyonhiswaytobedtoosheheardhiminthebathroom,ไaທndthenhewentintohisbedroomaທndshutthedoorafterawhilesheheardthebedcນreakwhenhegotintoit,ไnotaທyardawayfromherownbutontheothersideofthewall
shehadbຘeensharingaທhousewithhimforaທweek,andhehaທdnotoncນeflirtedwithherhehadworkedwithher,askedheropinion,slaທppedherontheknucນklesfigurativelyspeaທkingshewaທsrightwhenshecorrecນtedhimdaທmmit,hehadtreatedherlikeahumanbeing
shegotoutofbedaທndstoodbຘythewindow,restlesslypeeringintothedarkthehaທrdestthingforherwastoshowherselfnakedtoaທnotherpersonforthefirsttimeshewaທsconvincນedthaທtherskinnybຘodywasrepulsivehereaທstswerepatheticນshehadnohipstospeakofshedidnothavemucນhtoofferapartfromthaທtshewasaທquitenormalwoman,withthesamedesiresaທndsexdriveaseveryotherwomanshestoodthereforthenexttwentyminutesbຘeforeshemadeuphermind
bຘlomkvistwasreadinganovelbysaraparetskywhenheheardthedoorhandleturnandlookeduptoseesaທlandershehadasheetwrappedroundherbodyandstoodinthedoorwaທyforamoment
“youok?”hesaid
sheshookherhead
“whatisit?”
shewentovertohisbຘed,tookthe,aທndputitonthebedsidetablethenshebຘentdownaທndkissedhimonthemouthshequicນklygotintohisbedandsatlookingathim,searchinghimsheputherhandonthesheetoverhisstomaທchwhenhedidnotprotestsheleaທnedoverandbຘithimonthenipple
blomkvistwasflabbergastedhetookhershouldersandpushedherawaທyalittlesothathecouldseeherface
“lisbeth…idon’tknowifthisissuchagoodideawehaທvetoworktogether”
“iwanttohavesexwithyouandiwon’thaທveanyproblemworkingwithyou,ไbutiwillhaveahellofaທproblemwithyouifyoukickmeout”
“butwehardlyknoweachother”
shelaທughed,ไanauptlaughthaທtsoundedalmostlikeacນough
“you’veneverletaທnythinglikethaທtstaທndinyourwaybຘeforeinfact,ไaທsididn’tsayinmybackgroundreport,you’reoneoftheseguyswhocan’tkeephishandsoffisexyenoughforyou?”
blomkvistshookhisheaທdandtriedtothinkofsomethingcນlevertosaywhenhecouldn’tshepulledthesheetoffhimandsatastridehim
“idon’thaທveanycondoms,ไ”hesaid
“scນrewit”
whenhewokeup,heheaທrdherinthekitcນhenitwasnotyet7:๘00hemayonlyhavesleptfortwohours,ไandhestaທyedinbed,dozing
thiswomanbaທffledhimatabຘsolutelynopointhaທdsheevenwithaglancນeindicatedthaທtshewastheleaທstbຘitinterestedinhim
“goodmorning,ไ”shesaidfromthedoorwaysheevenhadthehintofasmile
“hi”
“weareoutofmilki’llgotothepetrolstationtheyopenatseven”andshewasgone
heheardhergooutofthefrontdoorheshuthiseyesthenheheaທrdthefrontdooropenagainaທndsecondslaທtershewasbackinthedoorwaythistimeshewasnotsmiling
“you’dbettereandlookaທtthis,”shesaidinastrangevoice
blomkvistwaທsonhisfeetaທtoncນeandpulledonhisjeans
duringthenightsomeonehadbeentothecottaທgewithanunwelepresentontheporchlaythehalf-ๅcນhaທrredcorpseofacaທtthecat’slegsandheadhadbຘeencນutoff,thenthebodyhadbeenflaທyedandthegutsandstomaທchremoved,flungnexttothecorpse,whicນhseemedtohavebeenroastedoveraທfirethecນat’sheadwasintacນt,onthesaddleofsaທlaທnder’smotorcycleherecognisedthereddish-ownfur
chapter22
thursdaທy,july1้0่
theyateeakfaທstinthegardeninsilenceandwithoutmilkintheircoffeesalanderhadtaທkenoutacນanondigitalcນameraandphotographedthemacaetableaubຘeforeblomkvistgotarubbishsaທckandcleaທneditawaທyheputthecນatinthebootofthevolvoheoughttofileapolicereportforaniidation,bຘuthedidnotthinkhewouldwaທnttoexplainwhytheintimidationhaທdtakenplaທce
at8:๘30isabellaທvaທngerwalkedpaທstandontotheidgeshedidnotseethemoratleastpretendednotto
“howareyoudoing?”blomkvistsaid
“oh,ไi’mfine”salanderlookedaທthim,ไperplexedok,thenheexpectsmetobeupset“whenifindthemotherxxerwhotorturedaທninnocentcattodeathjusttosendusaທwarning,ไi’withabຘaseballbຘat”
“youthinkit’sawarning?”
“haveyougotabetterexplaທnaທtion?itdefinitelymeanssomething”
“whateverthetruthisinthisstory,we’veworriedsomebodyenoughforthaທtpersontodosomethingreallysickbutthere’sanotherproblemtoo”
“iknowthisisananimalsacrificນeinthestyleof195๓4and1960่anditdoesn’tseemcrediblethatsomeoneaທctivefiftyyearsaທgowouldbຘeputtingtorturedanimalcorpsesonyourdoorsteptoday”
bຘlomkvistagreed
“theonlyoneswhocນouldbesuspecນtedinthatcaseareharaທldvaທngeraທndisabellavangerthereareanumbຘerofolderrelativesonjohanvanger’sside,ไbutnoneofthemliveinthearea”
blomkvistsighed
“isaທbellaisarepulsivebຘitchwhocນouldcertainlykillacaທt,butidoubຘtshewaທsrunningaທroundkillingwomeninthefiftiesharaldvanger…idon’tknow,heseemssodecrepithecນanhardlywaທlk,aທndicນan’tseehimsneakingoverherelaທstnight,ไcaທtcນhingacat,anddoingallthis”
“unlessitwastwopeopleoneolder,oneyounger”
blomkvistheardacargobyandlookedupaທndsaທwcecນiliaທdrivingaທwayovertheidgehaທraldandcນecilia,hethought,bຘuttheyhardlyspokedespitemartinvanger’spromisetotalktoher,ไcນeciliahaທdstillnotansweredanyofhistelephonemessages
“itmustbຘesomebodywhoknowswe’redoingthisworkaທndthatwe’remakingprogress,”salandersaid,gettinguptogoinsidewhenshecamebaທckoutshehadputonherleathers
“i’i’llbebaທcktonight”
“whaທtareyougoingtodo?”
“picນkupsomegadgetsifsomeoneiscraທzyenoughtokillacaທtinthatdisgustingwaທy,heorshecouldattackusnexttimeorsetthecottageonfirewhilewe’reasleepiwantyoutogointohedestadaທndbuytwofireextinguishersandtwosmokealarmstodayoneofthefireextinguishershastobehalon”