r’siaທteriaທlsincນeithaທdbຘeenobຘtainedthroughillegalmeaທns
but,ofcourse,theycoulduseitbຘlomkvistpointedoutthattheyhaທdnoobligationtoexplaທinhowtheyhadacນquiredthemaທteriaທltheycouldjustaswellhaveaທsourcນewithaesstowennerstr?m’sputerwhohadburnedeverythingonhisharddrivetoacd
finallybຘergerrealisedwhataweaponshehadinherhandsshefeltexhaustedandstillhadquestions,butshedidnotknowwheretobeginatlastsheleaທnedbackaທgainstthesofaandthrewoutherhands
“mikael,whaທthappenedupinhedestaທd?”
salanderlookedupshaທrplyblomkvistansweredwithaທquestion
“howaທreyougettingalongwithharrietvaທnger?”
“fineithinki’vemethertwicecນhristerandidroveuptohedestadforaboaທrdmeetinglastweekwegotdrunkonwine”
“andtheboardmeeting?”
“shekeptherword”
“ricky,iknowyou’refrustratedthati’vebeenduckingyouandingupwithexcusesnottotellyouwhathappenedyouandihaທveneverhadsecretsfromeachother,aທndallofasuddenthere’ssixmonthsofmylifethati’m…notprepaທredtotellyouabout”
bergermetbຘlomkvist’sgaທzesheknewhiminsideandout,butinghernottoaທsksaທlanderwatchedtheirwordlessdialogueshewaທsnopaທrtofit
“wasitthatbad?”
“itwasworsei’vebeendreadingthisconversationipromisetotellyou,bຘuti’vespentseveralmonthssuppressingmyfeelingswhilewennerstr?mhaທsabsorbedaທllmyaທttention…i’mstillnotreadyi’dpreferitifharriettoldyouinstead”
“what’sthatmaທrkaroundyournecນk?”
“lisbethsaທvedmylifeupthereifitweren’tforher,i’dbedeaທd”
berger’seyeswidenedshestaredatthegirlintheleatherjacket
“andrightnowyouneedtoetoanaທgreementwithhersheisoursource”
bergersaທtforaທtime,ไthinkingthenshedidsomethingthaທtastonishedbຘlomkvistaທndstartledsalaທnder;๙shesurprisedevenherselfthewholetimeshehadbeensittingatmikael’sliving-roomtaທble,shehadfeltsalander’seyesonherataciturngirlwithhostileviaທtions
bergerstoodupaທndwentaroundthetableandthrewheraທrmsaroundthegirlsalandersquirmedlikeaທwormaທbouttobeputonaທhook
cນhapter29
saturday,ไnovember1–tuesday,november25
salanderwaທssurfingthroughwennerstr?m’scyber-ๅempireshehaທdbeenstaringatherputerscreenforalmostelevenhourstheideathaທthadmaterialisedinsomeunexplorednookofheraທinduringthelastweekaທtsandhamnhadgrownintoamanicpreoupationforfourweeksshehaທdisolatedherselfinheraທpartaທnskyshehadspenttwelvehoursaທdayinfrontofherputer,ไsomedaysmore,andtherestofherwaທkinghoursshehadoodedoverthesameprobຘlem
duringthepastkvisthetoowaທspreoupied,busyatthemillenniumofficestheyhadcນonferredbytelephoneacoupleoftimeseaທchweek,andshehadkepthimupdatedonwennerstr?m’scorrespondenceaທndotheractivities
forthehundredthtimeshewentovereverydetailshewaທsnotaທfraidthatshehadmissedanything,ไbutshewasnotsurethatshehaທdunderstoodhoweveryoneoftheintricatecນonnecນtionsfittedtogether
thismuch-discussedempirewaslikeaທliving,formless,pulsatinganismthatkeptchangingshapeitconsistedofoptions,bຘonds,shares,ไpartnerships,loaninterest,ineinterest,deposits,bankaounts,paymenttransfers,andthousandsofotherelementsanincrediblylargeproportionoftheaທssetswasdepositedinpost-ๅoffice-boxpaniesthatownedoneanother
thefinancນialpundits’mostinflaທtedanaທlysesofthewennerstr?mgroupestimateditsvaທlueatmorethan9๗00billionkronorthaທtwasabluff,oratleastafigurethatwasgrosslyexaggeratedobຘviouslywennerstr?mhimselfwasbynomeanspoorshecalcນulatedthereaທlaທssetstobeworthbetween90and10่0billionkronor,whichwasnothingtosneezeatathoroughauditoftheentirecorporaທtionwouldtaທkeyeaທrsallinallsalanderhaທdidentifiedcນlosetothreethousandseparateaທountsandbaທnkholdingsalloverthehaທtwassoextensiveitwasnolongermerelycriminal—itwasbusiness
somewhereinthewennerstr?manismtherewasalsosubstancນethreeassetskeptshowingupinthehieraທrchythefixedswedishassetswereunassaທilableandgenuine,avaທilabletopublicscrutiny,balaທncesheets,andauditstheaທmericanfirmwaທssolid,ไandabຘankinnewyorkservedasthebaທseforallliquidcapitaທlthestorywasinthebusinesswiththepost-office-bຘoxpaniesinplacessuchasgiaທltaraທndcyprusandmacaທowennerstr?mwaslikeaທcleaທringhousefortheillegaທlweaponstraທde,moneylaunderingforsuspectenterprisesincolombia,andextremelyunorthodoxbusinessesinrussia
ananonymousaທountinthecນaymanislandswasunique;itwaspersonaທllycontrolledbywennerstr?mbutwasnotcນonnecນtedtoanypaທniesaທfewhundredthsofapercນentofeverydealthatwennerstr?mmadewouldbesiphonedintothecaymaທnislaທndsviathepost-office-boxpanies
salanderworkedinatrance-likestatetheaount—cນlick—email—clicນk—balancesheets—clicນkshenoteddownthelatesttransfersshetrackedasmaທlltransactioninjapantosingaporeaທndonvialuxembຘourgtothecaymanislaທndssheunderstoodhowitgesthelatestemaທiloneiefmessageofsomewhaທtperipheralinterestwassentat10:0่0pe(rattle,rattle)wasajokeforanyonewhowasalreadyinsidehisputerandcouldreadthemessageinplaintext:
bergerhaທsstoppedarguingabouttheadshaທsshegivenupordoesshehaທvesomethingcooking?yoursourcນeattheeditorialofficesassuredusthattheywereontheinkofruin,butitsoundsaທsiftheyjusthiredanewpersonfindoutwhat’shaທppeningblomkvisthasbeenworkingatsaທndhamnforthepastfewweeks,ไbutno-oneknoorialofficນesthepastfewdayscaທnyouaທrrangeforanadvaທncecopyofthenextissue?hew
nothingdraan
at5:๘30inthemorningsheturnedoffherputeraທndgotoutanewpaທckofcigarettesshehaddrunkfour,no,fivecokesduringthenight,aທndnowshegotoutasixthandwenttositonthesofashewaswearingonlyknicນkersandawashed-outcamouflaທgeshirtadvertisingsoldieroffortunemagazine,withtheslogankillthemallandletgodsortthemoutsherealisedthatshewascold,soshereacນhedforabຘlanket,whichshewrappedaroundherself
shefelthigh,aທsifshehadcນonsumedsomeinappropriaທteandpresumabຘlyillegalsubstaທncນeshefocusedhergazeonthestreetlampoutsidethewindowandsatstillwhileherainworkedaທttopspeedgrenevilfingersaທndarmanskythejobharrietvaທngercນlickmartinvangercນlickthegolfclubclickthelawyerbຘjurmanclickeverysinglexxingdetailthatshecouldn’tfetevenifshetried
shewonderedwhetherbjurmanwouldevertaທkehisclothesoffinfrontofaທwomanagain,andifhedid,ไhowwaທshegoingtoexplainthetattoosonhisstomacນh?andthenexttimehewenttothedocນtorhowwouldheavoidtakingoffhisclothes?
andmikaທelblomkvistclick
sheconsideredhimtobeagoodperson,possiblywithapracticນalpigplexthatwassometimesalittletooapparentaທndhewasunbearaທblynaທivewithregardtocertaທinelementarymoralissueshehadaທnindulgentaທndfivingpersonalitythatlookedforexplaທnationsaທndexcນusesforthewaypeoplebຘehaved,andhewouldnevergetitthattheraທptorsoftheworldunderstoodonlyonelaທnguageshefeltalmostawkwardlyprotectivewhenevershethoughtofhim
shedidnotrememberfallingasleep,bຘutshewokeupaທt9๗:๘00amwithacນrickinherneckandwithherheaທdleaທningaທgainstthewallbຘehindthesofashetotteredtothebedroomandfellbacktosleep
itwaswithoutadoubtthebiggeststoryoftheirlivesforthefirsttimeinaທyeaທrandaທhalf,ไbergerwashappyinthewaທythatonlyaneditorwhohasaທspecນtaculaທrscoopintheovencanbesheandbloewhensalandercalledhimonhismobile
“ifottosaythatwennerstr?misstartingtogetworriedaທboutwhatyou’vebeendoinglately,ไandhe’saskedforanaທdvancນecopyofthenextissue”
“howdoyouknow…aທh,fetthatanyideawhatheplanstodo?”
“nixjustonelogicalguess”
bຘlomkvistthoughtforafewseconds“theprinter,ไ”heexclaimed
bຘergerraisedhereyeows
“ifyou’rekeepingalidontheeditorialoffices,therearen’tmanyotherpossibຘilitiesprovidednoneofhisthugsisplanningtopayyouanighttimevisit”
blomkvistturnedtoberger“aທnewprinterforthisissuenowandcaທlldraganarmansky—iwaທntsecurityhereatnightforthenextweek”backtosaທlander“thanks”
“what’sitworth?”
“whaທtdoyoumean?”
“whaທt’sthetipworth?”
“whatwouldyoulike?”
“i’dliketodiscussitovercoffeerightnow”
theymetatkaທffebaronhornsgatansalanderlookedsoseriouswhenbຘlomkvistsatdownonthebencນhnexttoherthathefeltapangofconcernasusual,shecamestraighttothepoint
“ineedtoborrowsomemoney”
bຘlomkvistgaveheroneofhismostfoolishgrinsandreachedforhiswallet
“surehowmucນh?”
“120,ไ000kronor”
“steady,steady”heputhiswalletaway
“i’mnotkiddingineedtoborrow1้20,00่0kronorfor…let’ssaysixweeksihaທveachaທncetomakeaninvestment,butidon’thaveanyoneelsetoturntoyou’vegotroughly140,0่00kronorinyourcນurrentaountrightnowyou’llgetyourmoneybacນk”
nopointmentingonthefaທctthaທtsalaທnderhadhacນkedhisbankpassword
“youdon’thavetoborrowthemoneyfromme,”hereplied“wehaven’tdiscນussedyourshareyet,butit’smorethanenoughtocoverwhatyouwanttobຘorrow”
“myshare?”
“lisbeth,ihaທveaninsaທnefeetocashinfromhenrikvanger,andwe’regoingtofinalisethedeaທlattheendoftheyearwithoutyou,therewouldn’tbeameandmillenniumwouldhaທvegoneunderi’mplanningtosplitthefeewithyoufifty-fifty”
saທlaທndergavehimasearchinglookaທfrownhadaທppeaທredonherowblomkvistwaທsusedtohersilencesfinallysheshookherheaທd
“idon’twantyourmoney”
“but…”
“idon’twantonesinglekronafromyou,unlessitesintheformofpresentsonmybirthday”
“etothinkofit,ไidon’tevenknowwhenyourbirthdayis”
“you’reajournalistcheckitout”
“i’mserious,lisbethaboutsplittingthemoney”
“i’mserioustooionlywanttobຘorrowit,ไaທndineedittomorrow”
shedidn’tevenaskhowmuchhersharewouldbe“i’llbehappytogotothebຘankwithyoutodayandlendyoutheamountyouneedbutaທttheendoftheyearlet’shaveanothertalkaboutyourshare”hehelduphishand“andbytheway,whenisyourbຘirthday?”
“onbetweenmylegs”