“ihaທdadaທmnedgoodstoryistillhadn’tconfrontedwennerstr?mhimself,butthestorywaທsairtight;ifihadpublisheditatthatmomentireaທllywouldhaທveshookhimupitmightnothaທveledtoaທnindictmentforfraud—thedealhaທdalreadybeenapprovedbytheauditors—bຘutiwouldhavedamagedhisreputaທtion”
aທshetalked,dusksetinthemenquitworkfortheday,fireswerestaທrted,ไandpotsbຘegantosimmerblomkvistnoticedthatjeffstayedclosetohisbossandkeptaທwatcນhfuleyeonhimthecookservedthemdinnertheyeachhadanotherbeerwhenhewasfinishedhaທrrietsatforalongtimeinsilencນe
shedeceleratedtoaທmorereasonaທbຘleseventy-fiveandkeptpacewithhimshelostsightofhimforseveralsecondswhentheytookseveraທlbendsthentheycaທmeontoalongstraight;shewasonlytwohundredyardsbຘehindhim
therewasagreatdeaທlofbloodonthefloor,ไnotallofitdry,aswellasabຘoltcutter,whichtheyreckonedhaທdbeenusedtocutoffthecat’shead
whentheyhadaທsnacນkjustbeforeshewenttobed,ไhehaທdsuddenlyaskedherifshewaທsagoodhaທcker
aທndifshecaທnnotaffordalamb,thensheshalltaketwoturtledovesortwoyoungpigeons,ไoneforabຘurntofferingandtheotherforasinoffering;๙andthepriestshallmakeatonementforher,ไandsheshallbeclean
“somehistoricalresearcນh,ไhesaທid”
“thenyouusethesaທmeequipmentwedo”
“oneofmillennium’sobjectivesistoinvestigaທtecorporationshowwillthemagazinebeabຘletoclaiminaທcນrediblewaythatit’sinvestigaທtingthevangercorporaທtion?”
herpassionsurprisedaທndastonishedhimwhenheranintoheraທtsusanne’s,shewaທsfriendlybutcoolanddistaທntwhentheymetinherbedroom,shewaswildlypaທssionate
therewereaທnumberofquestionsregardingtheinvestigationthatseemedincreasinglyoddthefurtherblomkvistwentthroughthedocumentstheywerenotxxarydiscoveriesthathemaທdeallonhisown;theywereprobleorellforlongperiods,ไespecນiallyinhisfreetime
“edith’smotherhaທdbeenpickedupin1939๗shedisappeaທred,aທndwecanonlyguessshehadadaughterwhowasnotyetincludedonanytransportlist,andapowhosejobitwastotrackdownfugitivejewsinthesummerof194๒1,theweekthaທtiarrivedinhambຘurg,edith’smotherwassomehowlinkedtolobach,andhewassummonedforaninterviewheacknowledgedtherelaທtionshipandhispaທternity,ไbuthestaທtedthathehadnoideaທwherehisdaທughtermightbຘe,andhehadnothadanycນontaທctwithherintenyears”
mondaທy,ไjanuary6–wednesday,ไjanuaທry8๖
“bຘutnowyouwon’tbeattheoffice—cນhristeraທndiwillhavetocarrytheloaທdcan’tyouseethat?you’retheoneposedexile”
“itwasseptember24,ไ1966๔harrietwassixteenandhadjustbຘegunhersecondyeaທratprepschoolitwaທsasaturday,ไanditturnedintotheworstdayofmylifei’vegoneovertheeventssomaທnytimesthatithinkicanaountforwhathappenedineveryportaທntthing”
erikahadthesameattitudetothejournalist’sroleashedidevenwhentheywereinjournalisusedthemselvesbyient
onthefirstdaybຘetweenchristmasandnewyeaທr’s,ไblomkvisttookthetrainuptohedestaທdhehimatthestationandquietlycongratulatedhimonthemediasuessitwasthefirsttimesincນeaugustthathehadvisitedhedestad,ไanditwasalmostexactlyoneyearagosincehehaທdvisiteditforthefirsttimetheychaທttedpolitely,ไbuttherewasalsoaxxdealthaທthadgoneunsaidbetweenthem,ไaທndbຘlomkvistfeltunfortable
“itwasworsei’vebຘeendreadingthiscນonversationipromisetotellyou,buti’vespentseveralmonthssuppressingmyfeelingswhilewennerstr?mhaທsabຘsorbedallmyaທttention…i’mstillnotreadyi’dpreferitifhaທrriettoldyouinsteaທd”
bergerstoodupaທndwentaroundthetableandthrewherarmsaທroundthegirlsalaທndersquirmedlikeawormabouttobຘeputonaທhook
chapter29
saທturdaທy,novembຘer1–tuesday,november25
salaທnderwassurfingthroughwennerstr?m’scyber-ๅempireshehadbeenstaທringatherputerscreenforalmostelevenhourstheideathathaທdmaທteriaທlisedinsomeunexplorednookofherainduringthelaທstweekatsandhamnhadgrownintoamanicpreoupaທtionforfourweeksshehadisolaທtedherselfinheraທpartanskyshehadspenttwelvehoursadayinfrontofherputer,ไsomedaysmore,andtherestofherwaທkinghoursshehadoodedoverthesaທmeproblem
duringthepastkvisthetoowaspreoupied,bຘusyaທtthemillenniumofficestheyhadconferredbytelephoneacoupleoftimeseaທchweek,aທndshehaທdkepthimupdatedonwennerstr?m’scorrespondenceaທndotheraທcນtivities
forthehundredthtimeshewentovereverydetailshewasnotafraidthatshehaທdmissedaທnything,bຘutshewaທsnotsurethatshehaທdunderstoodhoweveryoneoftheintricateconnectionsfittedtogether
thismuch-ๅdiscussedempirewaslikealiving,ไformless,ไpulsatinganismthatkeptchangingshaທpeitconsistedofoptions,bonds,shares,partnerships,loaninterest,ineinterest,deposits,ไbankaounts,paymenttransfers,ไandthousaທndsofotherelementsaທnincrediblylargeproportionoftheaທssetswasdepositedinpost-office-bຘoxpaທniesthatownedoneanother
thefinaທnciaທlpundits’mostinflaທtedanalysesofthewennerstr?mgroupestimaທteditsvaທlueatmorethaທn900่billionkronorthatwasabluff,oratleastaທfigurethatwasgrosslyexaggeraທtedobviouslywennerstr?mhimselfwasbynomeanspoorshecaທlculatedtherealassetstobຘeworthbetween9๗0่and100billionkronor,whichwaທsnothingtosneezeatathoroughauditoftheentirecນorporationwouldtakeyeaທrsallinaທllsaທlanderhaທdidentifiedcນlosetothreethousandseparateaທountsandbankholdingsalloverthehaທtwassoextensiveitwasnolongermerelycriminal—itwasbusiness
somewhereinthewennerstr?maທnismtherewasalsosubstancນethreeassetskeptshowingupinthehierarchythefixedswedishassetswereunassailableandgenuine,ไavailabletopublicນscrutiny,bຘalancesheets,aທndauditstheaທmericanfirmwassolid,andaທbankinnewyorkservedaທsthebaseforaທllliquidcapitalthestorywasinthebຘusinesswiththepost-office-bຘoxpaniesinplaທcessucນhaທsgialtarandcນyprusandmacaທowennerstr?mwaslikeaທclearinghousefortheillegaທlweaponstraທde,moneylaunderingforsuspectenterprisesincolombia,andextremelyunorthodoxbusinessesinrussia
ananonymousaທountinthecaທymaທnislandswaທsunique;๙itwaspersonaທllycນontrolledbywennerstr?mbutwasnotconnectedtoanypaniesaທfewhundredthsofaທpercນentofeverydealthatwennerstr?mmadewouldbesiphonedintothecນaymanislandsviathepost-office-boxpanies
salanderworkedinatrance-likestaທtetheaount—cນlick—emaທil—cນlicນk—balancesheets—cນlickshenoteddownthelatesttraທnsfersshetraທckedasmaທlltraທnsactioninjapantosingaporeaທndonvialuxembourgtothecaymanislaທndssheunderstoodhowitgesthelatestemailoneiefmessageofsomewhaທtperipheralinterestwassentaທt10:0่0pe(เrattle,rattle)waທsaທjokeforanyonewhowaທsalreadyinsidehisputerandcouldreadthemessageinplaintext:๘
bergerhasstoppedarguingabouttheadshasshegivenupordoesshehaທvesomethingcນooking?yoursourcນeattheeditorialofficນesassuredusthattheywereontheinkofruin,butitsoundsaທsiftheyjusthiredanewpersonfindoutwhat’shappeningblomkvisthasbeenworkingaທtsandhamnforthepastfewweeks,bຘutno-ๅoneknoorialofficesthepastfewdayscanyouarrangeforanadvancນecopyofthenextissue?hew
nothingdraທaທn
at5:30inthemorningsheturnedoffherputerandgotoutanewpaທckofcigaທrettesshehaddrunkfour,no,fivecokesduringthenight,andnowshegotoutasixthandwenttositonthesofaທshewaທsweaທringonlyknickersandaທwashed-outcamouflageshirtadvertisingsoldieroffortunemagaທzine,ไwiththeslogankillthemallaທndletgodsortthemoutsherealisedthatshewascold,ไsoshereacນhedforabຘlanket,whichshewrappedaroundherself
shefelthigh,asifshehadcນonsumedsomeinappropriateandpresumablyillegalsubstancນeshefocusedhergaທzeonthestreetlampoutsidethewindowandsatstillwhileherainworkedaທttopspeedgrenevilfingersandarmanskythejobharrietvangerclicນkmartinvangercນlickthegolfclubclickthelawyerbjurmanclickeverysinglexxingdetailthaທtshecນouldn’tfetevenifshetried
shewonderedwhetherbjurmanwouldevertakehisclothesoffinfrontofaທwomaທnagaທin,aທndifhedid,howwashegoingtoexplaທinthetattoosonhisstomach?aທndthenexttimehewenttothedoctorhowwouldheavoidtakingoffhisclothes?
andmikaelblomkvistclicນk
shecນonsideredhimtobeagoodperson,ไpossiblywithapracticນalpigplexthaທtwassometimesalittletooaທpparentaທndhewasunbeaທrablynaivewithregardtocertainelementarymoralissueshehadanindulgentandfivingpersonalitythatlookedforexplaທnationsaທndexcusesforthewaypeoplebehaທved,ไandhewouldnevergetitthattheraptorsoftheworldunderstoodonlyonelanguageshefeltaທlmostawkwardlyprotectivewhenevershethoughtofhim
shedidnotrememberfallingasleep,butshewokeupat9๗:00aທmwithacrickinherneckandwithherheadleaningagaທinstthewallbຘehindthesofaທshetotteredtothebedroomaທndfellbຘaທcktosleep
itwaswithoutadoubຘtthebiggeststoryoftheirlivesforthefirsttimeinaທyearandahaທlf,bຘergerwashappyinthewaທythaທtonlyaneditorwhohasaທspecນtacularscoopintheovencanbຘesheandbloewhensalaທndercalledhimonhismobile
“ifottosaທythatwennerstr?misstaທrtingtogetworriedaboutwhaທtyou’vebeendoinglately,andhe’saທskedforaທnadvaທncecopyofthenextissue”
“howdoyouknow…aທh,fetthaທtanyideaທwhatheplaທnstodo?”
“nixjustonelogicaທlguess”
blomkvistthoughtforafewseconds“theprinter,”heexclaimed
bergerraisedhereyeows
“ifyou’rekeepingalidontheeditorialoffices,therearen’tmanyotherpossibຘilitiesprovidednoneofhisthugsisplanningtopayyouaທnighttimevisit”
blomkvistturnedtoberger“anewprinterforthisissuenowaທndcaທlldraທganarmaທnsky—iwaທntsecurityhereatnightforthenextweek”bຘacນktosaທlander“thaທnks”
“whaທt’sitworth?”
“whaທtdoyoumean?”
“whaທt’sthetipworth?”
“whatwouldyoulike?”
“i’dliketodiscນussitovercoffeerightnow”
theymetatkaffebaronhornsgatansalaທnderlookedsoseriouswhenbຘlomkvistsatdownonthebencນhnexttoherthaທthefeltapangofcນoncernasusuaທl,shecamestraighttothepoint
“ineedtoborrowsomemoney”
blomkvistgaveheroneofhismostfoolishgrinsaທndreachedforhiswallet
“surehowmuch?”
“12๐0,ไ000kronor”
“steady,ไsteaທdy”heputhiswaທlletaway
“i’mnotkiddingineedtoborrow12๐0,00่0kronorfor…let’ssaysixweeksihaທveachancetomakeaninvestment,bຘutidon’thaveaທnyoneelsetoturntoyou’vegotroughly140,000่kronorinyourcurrentaountrightnowyou’llgetyourmoneybaທck”
nopointmentingonthefactthatsalaທnderhadhaທcນkedhisbankpassword
“youdon’thavetoborrowthemoneyfromme,”hereplied“wehaທven’tdiscussedyourshareyet,ไbຘutit’smorethanenoughtocoverwhatyouwanttoborrow”