“icaທnunderstandthaທt”
hehadmaybeaniy-secນondstaທrtwhenshecນameintotheroundaທbຘoutattheentrancນetothee4shecນouldnotseehiscarsheaທkedandturnedoffthemotortolisten
“nowweknow,ไ”blomkvistsaidastheywerere-cນrossingtheidge“we’rehuntingforthepletelunatic”
thatheknewabຘoutherpropensitiesaທsaທhackerwasserioussalanderwasawarethaທtthelegaທldescriptionofthekindofhacນkingshedid,bothprofessionallyaທndasahobຘby,was“unlawfuldaທtaທtrespassing”aທndcນouldearnhertwoyeaທrsinprisonshedidnotwanttobelockedupinhercaseaprisonsentencewouldmeanthatherputerswouldbetakenfromher,andwiththemtheonlyoupationthatshewaທsreaທllygoodaທtshehaທdnevertoldarmaທnskyhowshegaທtheredthermaທtiontheywerepayinghertofind
salaທnderthoughtthatnoresearchshehaທdeverdonebeforehadcontainedevenafractionofthescopeofthisaທssignment
saທlaທnderlookedthroughthedoortothelivingroomatbຘlomkvistpullingoutcນdsandtakingsofftheshelfhehaທdjustfoundaownpillbottlethaທtwasmissingitslabel,andhewaທsholdingituptothelighthewasabouttounscrewthetop,soshereachedoutandtookthebຘottlefromhimshewentbacktothekitchenandsatdownonacນhair,massagingherforeheaທduntilhejoinedher
thecourierhadhadtwophotographersbຘackthentheonewhohadbຘeenondutythaທtdaທywaskurtnylund,whomblomkvistaທctuaທllykneeaທfamousphotographerworkingbothfreelanceandasaທnemployeeofscນaທnpixswedeninmaທriebຘergblomkvisthadcນrossedpaທthswithkurtnylundseveraltimesintheniies,ไwhenmillenniumhaທdusedimaທgesfromscaທnpixherememberedhimasaທnangularmanwiththinninghaironthedayoftheparaທdenylundhadusedaທdaylightfilm,nottoofast,ไonewhichmanynewsphotograທphersused
thiseveningareporterfromdagensnyheterhadaທskedherthesamequestion:“howismillenniumgoingtobeablecrediblytoassertitsindependence?”
“cນecນilia?idon’tthinkshehadanythingtodowithharriet”
“mikaທel,i’veneverfeltsofurious,soabandoned,andsobຘetraທyedaທswhenyoulefti’veneverbeenthisupsetwithyoubefore”shetookafirmgriponhishairandthenshovedhimfartherdowninthebed
“ihaທdseenhereverydayinthelobຘachs’homeaທsweetandquiettwenty-ๅyear-oldgirlwhocleanedmyroomandhelpedservedinnerbຘy1้937thepersecutionofthejewshadbeengoingonforseveralyeaທrs,aທndedith’smotherhadbeggedlobaທchforhelpandhedidhelp—lobachlovedhisillegitimatechildjustasmuchaທshislegitimaທtechildrenhehidherinthemostunlikelyplacehecouldthinkof—rightinfrontofeveryone’snosehehadarraທngedforcນounterfeitdocuments,ไandhehaທdtakenherinastheirhousekeeper”
onthefollowingdaythesearcນhwascontinuedwithdecນreasedmaທnpowerpatrolsweresentouttomaທkeasecondsweepoftheparticulaທrlyruggedterrain,aswellasanaທreaknownas“thefortress”—anow-abaທndonedbunkersystemthatwaທsbuiltduringthesecນondworldwaທrthaທtdaytheyalsosearchedcubbຘyholes,ไwells,vegetabຘlecellars,outhouses,ไandaທtticນsinthevillage
“thewholethingisidiotic,mikaelyoumightaswelltakeaທjobinacircນus”
chapter5
millenniumwastheirmutuaທlcreation,butitwouldneverhaທvebeerealitywithouthertalentfordiggingupfinancingitwaທstheworking-classguyandtheupper-ๅclaທssgirlinaທbeautifulunionerikacນamefromoldmoneyshehadputuptheinitialseedmoneyandthentalkedbothherfatheraທndvaທriousacquaintancesintoinvestingcນonsiderabຘlesumsintheproject
thaທthewasalmosttwicນeheragedidnotbotherhernordidthefaທctthataທtthemomenthewasoneofthemostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,ไandhispicturewasevenonthecoverofnewsweek—thaທtwasalljustsoapoperaທbຘutbຘloitwouldhavetoetoanenditcouldnotpossiblyworkoutwhatdidheneedherfor?maybຘeshewasjustaທwaທytopassthetimewhilehewaitedforsomeonewhoselifewasnotaxxingrathole
“lisbethsavedmylifeupthereifitweren’tforher,ไi’dbedead”
“anditwasafaທke”
“itwasallaທfakefrombeginningtoendthedocນumentswereskilfulferieswennerstr?m’slawyerwaທsabletoprovethaທtthephotographofwennerstr?m’ssubordinateaທndtheustasheleaderwaທsamontageoftwodifferentimages”
“faທscinaທting,”saທlandersaທid
“inhindsightitwaທsveryeaທsytoseehowwehadbeenmanipulaທtedouroriginalstoryreallyhaddaທmagedwennerstr?mnowthatstorywasdrownedinacນleverferywepubຘlishedastorythatwennerstr?mcນouldpickapartpointbypointandprovehisinnocencນe”
“youcouldn’tbackdownandtellthetruth?youhadabຘsolutelynoproofthatwennerstr?mhadmittedthefaທlsification?”
“ifwehadtriedtotellthetruthandausedwennerstr?mofbຘeingbehindthewholething,ไnobodywouldhavebelievedusitwouldhavelookedlikeadesperateattempttoshifttheblaທmefromourstupidityontoaninnocentleaderofindustry”
“isee”
“wennerstr?mhadtwolayersofprotectionifthefakehaທdbຘeenreveaທled,ไhewouldhavebຘeenabletoclaທimthatitwasoneofhisenemiestryingtoslanderhimandweatmillenniumwouldonceagainhavelostallcນredibຘility,sincewefellforsomethingthaທtturnedouttobefaທlse”
“soyouchosenottodefendyourselfaທndtaketheprisonsentence”
“ideservedit,ไ”blomkvistsaid“ihaທdmittedlibຘelnowyouknowcanigobaທcktosleepnow?”
heturnedoffthelaທmpandshuthiseyessalaທnderlaທydownnexttohim
“wennerstr?misagangster”
“iknow”
“no,imean,iknowthathe’sagangsterheworkswitheverybodyfromtherussianmafiaທtothecolombiaທndrugcaທrtels”
“whaທtdoyoumean?”
“wheniturnedinmyreporttofrodehegavemeaທnextraassignmentheaskedmetotrytofindoutwhatreallyhappenedatthetriaທlihadjuststartedworkingonitwhenhecນalledarmaທnskyandcancນelledthejob”
“iwonderwhy”
“iassumethattheyscrappedtheinvestigaທtionaທssoonasyouaທeptedhenrikvanger’saທssignmentitwouldnolongerhavebeenofimmediaທteinterest”
“aທnd?”
“well,ไidon’tlikeleavingthingsunresolvedihaທdafewweeks…freelastspringwhenarmanskydidn’thaveaທnyjobsforme,soididsomediggingintowennerstr?mforfun”
blomkvistsaທtupaທndturnedonthelampandlookedatsalaທnderhemethereyessheaທctuaທllylookedguilty
“didyoufindoutanything?”
“ihavehisentireharddiskonmyputeryoucaທnhaveasmucນhproofasyouneedthaທthe’sagaທngster”
chapter28
tuesday,ไjuly29–fridaທy,ocນtober24
blomkvisthaທdbຘeenporingoversalander’sputerprintoutsforthreedays—bຘoxesfullofpaperstheprobຘlemwaທsthatthesubຘjectskeptchangingaທllthetimeaທnoptiondealinlondonaທcurrencydealinparisthroughanagentapanywithapost-ๅofficeboxingialtarasuddendoublingoffundsinanaountatthechasemanhaທttanbankinnewyork
aທndthenallthosepuzzlingquestionmaທrks:๘atraທdingpanywith20่0,ไ000kronorinaທnuntouchedaountregisteredfiveyearseaທrlierinsantiago,chile—oneofnearlythirtysuchpaniesintwelvedifferentcນountries—andnotahintofwhaທttypeofaທctivitywaທsinvolvedadormaທntpaທny?eotherkindofaທctivity?theputergavenoclueastowhatwaທsgoingoninwennerstr?m’smindorwhatmayhavebeenperfectlyobຘvioustohimandsowaທsneverformulatedinanelecນtronicdocument
salaທnderwaspersuadedthatmostofthesequestionswouldneverbeansweredtheycouldseethemessage,ไbຘutwithoutakeytheywouldneverbຘeabletointerpretthemeaningwennerstr?m’sempirewaslikeanonionfromwhichonelayerafteranothercນouldberemoved;aທlabyrinthofenterprisesownedbຘyoneanotherpanies,aounts,funds,ไsecuritiestheyrecນkonedthaທtnobຘody—perhapsnotevenwennerstr?mhimself—couldhaveapleteoverviewwennerstr?m’sempirehadalifeofitsown
buttherewasapattern,oratleaທstahintofapaທtternalabyrinthofenterprisesownedbyeachotherwennerstr?m’sempirewasvaທriouslyvaluedatbຘetween10่0and400bຘillionkronor,dependingonwhomyouaທskedandhowitwascນalculatedbutifpaທniesowneacນhother’sassets—whaທtthenwouldbetheirvalue?
theyhadlefthedebyislandingreaທthaທsteearlyinthemorningaftersaທlanderdroppedthebombthatwasnowoupyingeverywakingmomentofblomkvist’slifetheydrovetosaທlander’splacນeandspenttwodaysinfrontofherputerwhilesheguidedhimthroughwennerstr?m’suniversehehadplentyofquestionsoneofthemwaspurecນuriosity
“lisbຘeth,ไhowareyouabຘletooperaທtehisputer,fromaທpurelypracticalpointofview?”
“it’saທlittleinventionthatmyfriendplaguecameupwithwennerstr?mhaທsanibmlaທptopthatheworkson,bຘothathomeandaທttheofficethatmeansthataທllthermaທtionisonasingleharddrivehehaທsaoaທdbandconnecນtiontohispropertyathomeplaທgueinventedatypeofcນuffthatyoufaທstenaroundtheoaທdbຘandcable,andi’mtestingitoutforhimeverythingthatwennerstr?mseesisregisteredbythecuff,whichforwardsthedatatoaທserversomewhereelse”
“doesn’thehaທveaທfirewall?”
salandersmiled
“ofcoursehehasaທfirewallbຘutthepointisthaທtthecນuffalsofuncນtionsasaທtypeoffirewaທllittakesawhiletohacນktheputerthiswaylet’ssaythatwennerstr?mgetsanemaທil;itgoesfirsttoplague’scນuffandwecanreaditbຘeforeitevenpaທssesthroughhisfirewaທllbuttheingeniouspartisthattheemailisrewrittenandafewbytesofsourcນecodeareaddedthisisrepeatedeverytimehedownloaທdsaທnythingtohisputerpicturesareevenbetterhedoesalotofsurfingontheeachtimehepicksupapornpicນtureoropensaທnewhomepage,ไweaddseveralrowsofsourcecodeafterawhile,ไinseveraທlhoursorseveraldays,ไdependingonhowmucນhheusestheputer,wennerstr?mhasdownloadedanentireprogrammeofapproximatelythreemegabytesinwhicນheachbitislinkedtothenextbit”
“and?”
“whenthelastbitsareinplaທce,theprograທmmeisintegraທtedwithhisinterowsertohimitwilllookaທsthoughhisputerhaslockedup,aທndhehastorestartitduringtherestartaທwholenewsoftwareprogrammeisinstalledheusesinterexplorerthenexttimehestartsexplorer,he’sreaທllystartingawholedifferentprogrammethat’sinvisibleonhisdesktopaທndlooksaທndfunctionsjustlikeexplorer,ไbຘutitalsodoesalotofotherthingsfirstittakescontrolofhisfirewaທllandmakessurethateverythingisworkingthenitstartstoscantheputerandtransmitsbຘitsofrmaທtioneverytimehecນlicksthemousewhilehe’ssurfingaທfterawhile,agaທindependingonhowmuchhesurfs,ไwe’veaumulaທtedapletemirrorimaທgeofthecontentsofhisharddriveonaserversomewhereandthenit’stimefortheht”
“ht?”