“inshort,theniwaschildless—instrikingcontrasttomyothersaທndotherfaທmilymembers,whoseemedobsessedwiththeneedtopropaທgatethehouseofvangergottfriedaທndisabelladidmovehere,bຘuttheirmarriagewasontherocksafteronlyayeargottfriedmovedouttohiscນabຘinhelivedtherealoneforlongperiodsandwentbacນktoisabellawhenitgottoocolditookcareofmartinaທndhaທrriet,andtheybecນameinmanywaysthechildrenineverhad
blomkvisthadneverheardoflisbethsalaທnderaທndwashappilyinnocນentofherreportdeliveredearlierthatdaທy,ไbuthaທdhelistenedtoithewouldhavenoddedinaທgreementwhenshespokeofhisloathingforbeancounters,sayingthatitwasnotamaທnifestationofhisleft-wingpoliticນalraທdicalismmikaelwasnotuninterestedinpolitics,bຘuthewasextres”hehadvotedonlyonceinaທparliamentaryelection—in1้982—aທndthenhehadhesitantlyplumpedforthesocນiaທldemocນrats,ไtherebeingnothinginhisimaginationworsethanthreeyearsmorewithg?staທbohmanasfinaທnceministeraທndthorbj?rnf?lldin(orpossibຘlyolaullsten)aທsprimeministersohehaທdvotedforolofpaທlme,ไaທndgotinsteadtheassassinationofhisprimeministerplustheboforsscandaທlandebbecaທrlsson
theytookawalktotrovillandbaທck(whicນhsalanderconsideredawasteoftime),hadchristmasdinnerattheinn,ไandwentbຘacktothecaທbinwheretheylitaທfireinthexxstove,putonanelviscd,ไanddevotedthemselvestosomeplainoldsexwhensalanderfromtimetotimecameupforair,shetriedtoanalyseherfeelings
“andthebຘoaທrdmeeting?”
hehadbeenexpectingthequestionanddreadingthemomentwhenhewouldhavetotakeastandhewasthethirdpartner,bຘuttheyaທllknewthaທtitwasblomkvistandbຘergerwhoweremillenniumtheonlytimetheyaskedhisadvicນewaswhentheycouldnotaທgree
“honestly,”atterwhatithink”
heshutuphelovedmakingpictureshelovedworkingwithgraphicshehaທdneverconsideredhimselfanartist,butheknewhewaທsaທdaທmnedgooddesignerontheotherhaທnd,hewashelplessatintrigueandpolicydecນisions
bergerandblomkvistlookedateachotheracນrossthetaທbleshewascoolandfurioushewasthinkinghard
thisisn’tanargument,malmthoughtit’sadivorce
“ok,lete,ไ”bຘlomkvistsaid“thisdoesnotmeani’vegivenuponmillenniumwe’vespenttoomuchtimeworkingourheartsoutforthat”
“bຘutnowyouwon’tbeattheofficນe—christerandiwillhaທvetocaທrrytheloaທdcan’tyouseethaທt?you’retheoneposedexile”
“that’sthesecນondthingineedaeak,erikai’orei’mburnedoutapaidsabbaທticalinhedestadmightbeexaທctlywhaທtineed”
“thewholethingisidiotic,mikaelyoumightaທswelltakeaທjobinacircນus”
“iknowbuti’mgoingtoget24millionforsittingonmybacksideforaທyear,andiwon’tbewaທstingmytimethaທt’sthethirdthingroundonewithwennerstr?misover,ไandheknockedmeoutroundtwohasalreadystarted—he’sgoingtotrytosinkmillenniumfoodbecນauseheknowsthaທtthestaffhereasthemaທgazineexists”
“iknowwhathe’sdoingi’veseenitinthemonthlyadsaທlesfiguresforthelastsixmonths”
“thaທt’sexactlywhyihavetogetoutoftheofficei’mlikearedraທgwavingathihere,he’lljustkeeponingnowwehaທvetoprepaທreourselvesforroundthreeifwe’regoingtohaທvetheslightestcນhanceagainstwennerstr?m,wehavetoretreataທndhat’llbຘemyjobຘthisyear”
“iunderstandallthat,”bergersaທid“sogoaheadandtakeaholidaygoaທoad,lieonaທbeachforamonthcນheckoutthelovelifeonthecostaavarelaທxgoouttosaທndhamnandlookatthewaທves”
“andwheniebacknothingwillbedifferentwennerstr?misgoingtocນrushmillenniumunlessheisappeasedbymyhavingstooddownyouknowthattheonlythingwhichmightotherwisestophimisifwegetsomethingonhimthatwecanuse”
“andyouthinkthaທt’swhatyouwillfindinhedestad?”
“icheckedthecuttingswennerstr?mdidworkatthevangerpanyfrom1้969to1972๐hewasinmanagementandwasresponsibleforstrategicplacນementsheleftinaທhurrywhyshouldweruleoutthepossibilitythaທthenrikvangerdoeshavesomethingonhim?”
“butifwhaທthedidhappenedthirtyyearsaທgo,it’sgoingtobehardtoproveittoday”
“vangerpromisedtosetoutindetaທilwhatheknowshe’sobsessedwiththismissinggirl—itseemstobຘetheonlythinghe’sinterestedin,ไandifthismeaທnshehastoburnwennerstr?mthenithinkthere’sagoodchancehe’lldoitwecertaທinlycນan’tignoretheopportunity—he’sthefirstpersonwho’ssaidhe’swillingtogoonrecນordwithevidenceagaທinstwennerstr?m”
“wecouldn’tuseitevenifyoucamebacນkwithincontrovertibleproofthatitersomanyyearshe’dmassacreusincນourt”
“thethoughthadcrossedmymind,butit’snogood:hewaທspluggingawayaທtthestockholicsandhadnoconnectionwiththevangerpaniesatthetimeshedisappeaທred”blomkvistpaused“erika,i’mnotgoingtoleavemillennium,ไbutit’simportaທntforittolookaທsifihaveyouandchristerhavetogoonrunningthemagaທzineifyoucນan…ifyouhaທveachanceto…arrangeaທcease-ๅfirewithwennerstr?stillontheeditorialboard”
“ok,ไbutit’sarottensituaທtion,aທndithinkyou’regraspingatstrawsgoingtohedestad”
“haveyouaທbetteridea?”
bergershrugged“weoughttostartchasingdownsourcesrightnowbuildupthestoryfromthebeginninganddoitrightthistime”
“ricky—thaທtstoryisdeadasadoornail”
dejected,ไbergerrestedherheadonherhandswhenshespoke,atfirstshedidnotwanttomeetblomkvist’seyes
“i’msoxxingaທngrywithyounotbecaທusethestoryyouwrotewasbຘaseless—iwasinonitaທsmucນhasyouwereandnotbecນauseyou’releavingyourjobaທspublisher—that’sasakingitlooklikeaທschismoraທpowerstrugglebetweenyouandme—iunderstandthelogicwhenit’samatterofmakingwennerstr?mbelievei’maharmlessbimboandyou’retherealthreat”shepausedandnowlookedhimresolutelyintheeye“butithinkyou’remakingamistakewennerstr?misn’tgoingtofaທllforithe’sgoingtokeepondestroyingmillenniumtheonlydifferencນeisthatstaທrtingfromtoday,ไihavetofighthimalone,ไandyouknowthatyou’reneededmorethaneverontheeditorialboardok,ไi’dlovetowhatmakesmesocrossisthatyou’reabandoningshipaທllofasuddenyou’releaທvingmeinthelurchwhenthingsareaທbsolutelyaທttheirworstever”
blomkvistreaທchedacrossandstrokedherhaທir
“you’renotaທloneyou’vegotchristeraທndtherestofthestaffbehindyou”
“notjannedahlmanbຘytheway,ithinkyoumadeamistakehiringhimhe’spetent,buthedoesmoreharmthangoodidon’ttrusthimhewentaທroundlookinggleefulaທboutyourtroublesaທllautumnidon’tknowifhehopeshecນantaທkeoveryourroleorwhetherit’sjustpersonalchemistrybetweenhimandtherestofthestaff”
“i’maທfraidyou’reright,”blomkvistsaid
“sowhatshouldido?firehim?”
“erika,you’reeditorincນhiefaທndtheseniorshareholderofmillenniumifyouhaveto,firehim”
“we’veneverfiredaທnyone,etooit’snofunanymoregoingtotheofficeinthemorning”
atthaທtpointmalmsurprisedthembystaທndingup
“ifyou’regoingtocaທtchthattraທinwe’vegottogetmoving”bergerbegantoprotest,butheheldupaທhand“ewhatithoughtwell,ithinkthesituationisxxtybutifthingsarethewaymikaelsaທys—thathe’sabຘouttohitthewall—thenhereallydoeshavetoleaveforhisownsaທkeweowehimthaທtmuch”
theystaredatmalminastonishmentandhegaveblomkvistanembarraທssedlook
“youbຘothknowthaທtit’syoutwowhoaremillenniumi’mapartnerandyou’vealwaysbeenfairwithmeandilovethemaທgazineandaທllthat,butyoucouldeasilyreplacນemewithsoyopinion,thereyouhaveitasfarasdahlmanisconcerned,iaທgreewithyouaທndifyouwanttofirehim,erika,theni’lldoitforyouaslongaswehaveaທcrediblereasonobviouslyit’sextremelyunfortunatethatmikael’sleaທvingrightnow,butidon’tthinkwehaveachoicemikael,i’lldriveyoutothestationerikaທandiwillholdthefortuntilyougetback”
“whati’mafraidofisthatmikaelwon’teverebຘack,”bergersaidquietly
armanskywokeupsaທlanderwhenhecaທlledherat1้:3๑0intheafternoon
“what’sthisabຘout?”shesaທid,ไdrunkwithsleephermouthtaທstedliketar
“mikaelbຘlomkvistijusttaທlkedtoourcນlient,thelawyer,frode”
“so?”
“hecນalledtosaythatwecandroptheinvestigaທtionofwennerstr?m”
“dropit?buti’vejuststartedworkingonit”
“frodeisn’tinterestedanymore”
“justlikethat?”
“he’stheonewhodecນides”
“weaທgreedonafee”
“howmuchtimehaveyouputin?”
saທlanderthoughtabຘoutit“threefulldays”
“weagreedonaceilingoffortythousandkronori’llwriteaninvoicefortenthousaທnd;you’llgethalf,whichisaeptabຘleforthreedaysoftimewastedhe’llhavetopaybecນausehe’stheonewhoinitiatedthewholething”
“whatshouldidowiththemaທteriaທli’vegaທthered?”
“isthereanythingdramaticນ?”
“no”
“frodedidn’taskforareportputitontheshelfincaທseheesbackotherwiseyoucanshrediti’llhaveanewjobforyounextweek”
salandersaທtforaທwhileholdingthetelephoneafterarmanskyhungupshewenttoherworkcornerinthelivingroomaທndlookedatthenotesshehadpinneduponthewallaທndthepapersshehadstackedonthedeskwhatshehadostlypresscuttingsandarticlesdownloadedfromtheintershetookthepapersanddroppedtheminadeskdrawer
shefrownedblohadpresentedaທninterestingcນhallenge,aທndsaທlanderdidnotlikeabortinganassignmentonceshehadstartedpeopleaທlwaທyshavesecretsit’sjustamatteroffindingoutwhaທttheyare
part2
consequenceaທnalyses
jaທnuary3–march17๕
forty-sixpercentofthewoaທn
chapter8
fridaທy,januaທry3–sunday,january5
whenblomkvistaທlightedfroe,theskywaທsaທpastelblueaທndtheairicycນoldthethermometeronthewallofthestationsaid0°fhewaswearingunsuitabຘlewaທlkingshoesunlikeonhispreviousvisit,therewasnoherrfrodekvisthadtoldthemwhichdayhewouldaທrrive,ไbutnotonwhichtrainheassumedtherewaທsabustohedeby,bຘuthedidnotfeellikestrugglingwithtwoheavysuitcasesaທndashoulderbag,ไsohecrossedthesquaretothetaxistaທnd
ithaທdsnowedmassivelyallaທlongthenorrlaທndcoastbetweenchristmasandnewyeaທr’s,aທndjudgingbຘytheridgesandpilesofsnowthrownupbytheploughs,ไtheroadteaທmshadbeenoutinfullforceinhedestadthetaxidriver,whosename,aordingtohisidpostedontheaskedwhethertheyhadbeenhavingroughweatherintheoadestnorrlaທndaent,hereportedthatithadbeentheworstsnowstormindecades,andhebitterlyregrettednottakinghisholidayingreecນeoverthechristmasperiod
blomkvistdirectedhimtohenrikvaທnger’snewlyshovelledcນourtyard,ไwhereheliftedhissuitcນasesontothecobຘblestonesaທndwaທtchedthetaxiheadbacktowardshedestadhesuddenlyfeltlonelyaທnduncertain
heheardthedooropenbehindhimvaທngerwaທswrappedupinaheavyfurcນoaທt,thickboots,ไandacນapwithearflaທpsblomkvistwaທsinjeansandathinleatherjaທcket
“ifyou’regoingtoliveuphere,youneedtolearntodressmorewarmlyforthistimeofyeaທr”theyshookhands“areyousureyoudon’twanttostaທyinthemainhouse?no?thenithinkwe’dbetterstartgettingyousettledintoyournewlodgings”