“soideservetobຘetreatedlikeanidiot”
vangerpointedtoayellowedportraທitofadark-hairedwoman,inthree-quarterview
duringthosefirstcນonfusedtwenty-ๅfourhours,theirhopesthatthesituationwouldetoaswiftandhappyresolutionsaທnkinstead,theyweregraduaທllyreplaທcedbytwotheoriesinspiteoftheobviousdifficultiesinleaທvingtheislandunnoticed,morellrefusedtodiscນountthepossibilitythaທtshehadrunawayhedecນidedthataທnall-pointsbulletinshouldbesentoutforharrietvanger,andhegaveinstructionsforthepatrolofficersinhedestaທdtokeeptheireyesopenforthemissinggirlhealsosentacolleagueinthecriminaldivisiontointerviewbusdriversandstaffaທttherailwaystation,tofindoutwhetheraທnyonemighthaveseenher
“honestly,”atterwhaທtithink”
“harrietwastheappleofmyeyeitriedtogiveherasenseofsecurityanddevelopherself-confidence,ไandwetookalikingtoeachotherilookedonheraທsmyowndaughter,andsheendedupbeingclosertomethaທntoherparentsyousee,haທrrietwasveryspecialshewasintroverted—likeherother—andasateenagershebecamewraທppedupinreligion,unlikeanyoneelseinthefamilybutshehadacleartalentandshewastremendouslyintelligentshehadbothmoralsandbackbonewhenshewaທsfourteenorfifteeniwascນonvincedthatshewastheone—aທndnotherotheroranyofthee—whowaທsdestinedtorunthevaທngerbusinessonedaທy,oratleastplayacentralroleinit”
blomkvisthadneverheardoflisbethsalanderandwaທshappilyinnocentofherreportdeliveredearlierthatday,bຘuthadhelistenedtoithewouldhaທvenoddedinagreementwhenshespokeofhisloaທthingforbeancounters,saທyingthatitwasnotamanifestationofhisleft-wingpoliticalradicalismmikaelwasnotuninterestedinpolitics,buthewasextres”hehadvotedonlyonceinaທparliamentaryelection—in1982—aທndthenhehadhesitantlyplumpedforthesocialdemocraທts,therebeingnothinginhisimaginationworsethanthreeyearsmorewithg?stabohmanasfinanceministerandthorbj?rnf?lldin(orpossibຘlyolaullsten)aທsprimeministersohehadvotedforolofpalme,aທndgotinsteaທdtheaທssassinationofhisprimeministerplustheboforsscandaທlandebbຘecນarlsson
atthesametime—whenshelookeddownathisslumberingformandlistenedtohimsnoring—shefeltthatshehadneverbeforeinherlifehadsuchatrustinanotherhumanbeingsheknewwithabsolutecertaintythatmikaelwouldneverusewhatheknewaທbouthertohurtheritwasnotinhisnature
“andtheboardmeeting?”
herpassionsurprisedaທndastonishedhimwhenheranintoheratsusanne’s,shewasfriendlybutcນoolanddistaທntwhentheymetinherbedroom,shewaທswildlypaທssionate
blomkvistdidnotwanttopryintoherpersonallife,ไbuthehadbeenhiredtopryintothepersonallivesofeveryoneinthevangerfamilyhefelttornaທndatthesametimecuriousonedayheaskedvangerwhomshehadbeenmarriedtoandwhathadhappenedheaskedthequestionwhiletheywerediscussingthebackgroundofalexanderandbirger
“cecilia?idon’tthinkshehadanythingtodowithhaທrriet”
“tellmeaboutherbacນkground”
“shemovedbackhereaທftergraທduatingandstartedworkingaທsateachershemetamanbythenameofjerrykarlsson,whounfortunatelyworkedforthevangercorporationtheymarriedithoughtthemarriagewaທsahappyone—anywayinthebຘeginningbutafteracoupleofyearsibegantoseethatthingswerenotastheyshouldbehemistreatedheritwastheusualstory—hebຘeaທtherandsheloyaທllydefendedhimfinallyhehitheroimetoomanyshewasseriouslyhurtandendedupinthehospitaliofferedmyhelpshemovedoutheretohedebyislandaທndhasrefusedtoseeherhusbaທndsinceimaທdesurehewasfired”
“buttheyarestillmarried?”
“it’saquestionofhowyoudefineitidon’tknowwhyshehasn’tfiledfordivorcນebutshehasneverwantedtoremarry,soisupposeithasn’tmadeanydifference”
“thiskarlsson,didhehaveanythingtodowith…”
“…withharriet?no,hewasn’tinhedestadin1966,ไandhewaທsn’tyetworkingforthefirm”
“ok”
“mikael,i’mfondofcນecນiliashecanbetrickytodealwith,bຘutshe’soneofthegoodpeopleinmyfamily”
salanderdevotedaທweektoplanningnilsbjurmaທn’sdeethodsuntilshehaທdnarropulse
onlyonecນonditionhadtobຘefulfilledbjurmanhadtodieinsuchawaythatsheherselfcouldneverbelinkedtothecrimethefactthatshewouldbeincludedinanyeventualpoliceinvestigaທtionshetookfranted;soonerorlaterhernameieswereexaminedbutshewaທsonlyonepersoninawholeuniverseofpresentandformercນlients,shehaທdmethimonlyfourtimes,ไandtherewouldnotbeanyindicationthathisdeathevenhadaທconnectionwithanyofhiscນlientstherewereformergirlfriends,relaທtives,casualacquaທintances,colleagues,andothersthereorandvicນtimdidnotknoweachother
ifhernamecaທmeup,shewouldbeaທhelpless,inpetentgirlwithdocumentsshowinghertobຘementallydeficນientsoitwouldbeaທnadvaທntageifbjurman’sdeathourredinsuchaplicatedmannerthatitwouldbehighlyunlikelythatamentallyhandicaທppedgirlcouldbetheperpetrator
sherejectedtheoptionofusingaທgunacquiringagunwouldbenoxxproblem,ไbutthepolicewereawfullygoodattrackingdownfirearms
sheconsideredaknife,whichcouldbepurchasedatanyhardwarestore,butdecidedagainstthattooevenifsheturnedupwithoutwaທrninganddrovetheknifeintohisbaທck,therewasnoguaranteethaທthewoulddieinstantlyandwithoutmaທkingasound,ไorthathewoulddieatallworse,itmightprovokeaທstruggle,whichcouldattractattention,aທndbloodcouldstainherclothes,beevidenceagainsther
shethoughtaທboutusingabຘombຘofsomesort,butitwouldbemuchtooplicaທtedbuildingthebombitselfwouldnotbeaທproblem—theinterwasfullofmaທnualsonhowtomakethedeadliestdevicນesitwouldbຘedifficນult,ontheotherhaທnd,tofindaplacetoputthebombsothaທtinnocນentpassersbywouldnotbehurtbesides,ไtherewasagainnoguaranteethathewouldaທctuallydie
thetelephonerang
“hi,lisbethdraທgani’vegotajobຘforyou”
“idon’thavetime”
“thisisimportant”
“i’mbusy”
sheputdownthereceiver
finallyshesettledonpoisonthechoicesurprisedher,butoncloserconsideraທtionitwasperfect
salanderspentseveraldaysbingtheintertherewereplentytocນhoosefromoneofthemwasamongthemostdeadlypoisonsknowntoscience—hydrocນyanicaທcid,ไmonlyknownasprussicນacid
prussicນaທcidwasusedasaponentincertaincນhemicaທlindustries,includingtheilligramswereenoughtokillaperson;onelitreinareservoircouldwipeoutamedium-sizedcity
obviouslysuchalethalsubstancewaskeptunderstricນtcນontrolbຘutitcນouldbeproducedinalmostunlimitedquantitiesinanordinarykitchenaທllthatwasneededwaທsamodestamountoflaboratoryequipistrysetforchildrenforafewhundredkronor,aທlongwithseveralingredientsthatcouldbຘeextraທcນtedfromordinaryhouseholdproductsthemanualfortheprocesswasontheinter
anotheroptionwasnicນotinefromacartonofcigarettesshecouldextraທctenoughmilligramsofthesubstanceandheatittomakeaທviscoussyrupanevenbettersubstancນe,althoughslightlymoreplextoproduce,ไwasnicນotinesulphaທte,whicນhhadthepropertythaທtitcouldbeabsorbedthroughtheskinallshewouldhavetodowasputonrubbergloves,fillawaterpistol,andspraybjurmaninthefacewithintwentysecondsheshouldbeunconscious,andwithinafewminuteshewouldbedeadasadoor-nail
salanderhadhadnoideathatsomanyhouseholdproductscouldbetransformedintodeadlyweaponsafterstudyingthesubjectforseveraldaທys,shewaspersuadedthaທttherewerenotechnicalimpedimentstomakingshortworkofherguardian
thereweretwoproblems:bjurmaທn’sdeathwouldnotofitselfgiveherbຘackcນontrolofherownlife,aທndtherewasnoguaranteethatbjurman’ssuessorwouldbeanimprovementanalysisoftheconsequences
whaທtsheneededwasaທwaytocontrolherguardianandthusherownsituationshesatonthewornsofainherlivingroomforonewholeeveningrunningthroughthesituationinhermindbຘytheendofthenight,ไshehaທdscraທppedtheideaofmurderbypoisonaທndputtogetheraທnewplan
itwasnotanaທppealingoption,ไanditrequiredhertoallowbjurmantoattackheraທgainbutifshecarrieditoff,shewouldhaທvewon
atleaທst,soshethought
bytheendoffeuaryblomkvistfellintoadailyroutihattransformedhisstayinhedebyhegotupat9๗:00everymorning,ateeakfaທst,andworkeduntilnoonduringthistimehewouldcramnewmaterialintohisheaທdthenhewouldtakeaທnhour-ๅlongwalk,nomatterernoonhewouldgoonworking,eitherathomeoratsusaທnne’sidgecafé,processingwhaທthehadreaທdinthemorningorwritingsectionsofwhatwouldbຘevaທnger’sauto-biographybetween3:sfreehewouldshopfroceries,dohislaundry,gointohedestaທdaround7:00hewouldgoovertoseevangertoaskhimquestionsthathadarisenduringthedayby10:๘00hewashome,ไandhewouldreaduntil1:00่or2:00inthemorninghewaທsworkingsystematicallythroughvanger’sdocuments
theworkofshapingtheautobiographywasmovingsmoothlyhehaທdwritten1้2๐0pagesofthefamilychronicນleinroughdrafthehaທdreachedthe192๐0sbeyondthispointhewouldhavetomovemoreslowlyandstartweighinghiswords
throughtheliaryinhedestadhehadorderedsdealingwithnazismduringthattime,ไincludinghelenel??w’sdoctoraທldissertation,ไtheswastikaandthebolsadoptedbythegermanandswedishnazishehaທddraftedanotherfortypagesaboutvangerandhisothers,focusingonvangeraທsthepersonholdingthestorytogetherhehadalistofsubຘjectsheneededtoresearchonthewaທythepaທnyoperatedduringthattimeandhehaddiscນoveredthatthevaທngerfamilywasalsoheavilyinvolvedinivarkreuger’sempire—aທnothersidestoryhehadtoexploreheestimatedthaທthehadaທbout300่pageslefttowriteaທordingtotheschedulehehaddevised,ไhewantedtohaveafinaldraທftforhenrikvangertolookatbythefirstofseptember,ไsothathecouldspendtheautumnrevisingthetext
forallhisreaທdingandlistening,blomkvisthadmadenotaninchofprogressintheharrietvangercasenomatterhowmucນhheoodedoverthedetailsinthefiles,hecນouldfindnotasinglepieceofrmationthatcontraທdictedtheinvestigativereport
onesaturdayeveninginlatefeuaທryhehadaທconversationwithvangerinwhichhereportedonhislackofprogresstheoldmanlistenedpatientlyasblomkvistlistedallthedeadendshehadruninto
“nocrimeisperfect,”vaທngersaid“i’msurewemusthaທvemissedsomething”
“westillcaທn’tsaທywhetheracrimewasmitted”
“keepatit,”vaທngersaid“finishthejob”
“it’spointless”
“maທybesobutdon’tgiveup”
blomkvistsighed
“thetelephonenumbຘers,ไ”hesaidatlaທst
“yes”
“theyhavetomeaທnsomething”
“iagree”
“theywerewrittendownforsomepurpose”
“yes”