ontheotherhand,ไtherewaທssuchaarrecoincidencethatsalander’santennaeinstaທntlybຘuzzedabຘouttenyaທrdsfromwhereleaທ’sbodywasfoundlayaflowerpotwithapigeoninsidesomeonehadtiedastringroundthepigeon’sneckandpulleditthroughtheholeinthebottomofthepotthenthepotwasputonalittlefirethathadbeenlaidbetweentwoicນkstherewasnocertaintythatthiscນrueltyhadanycນonnectionwiththeleaທmurderitcouldhavebຘeenacນhildplaທyingaທhorriblegame,ไbutthepressdubbedthemurderthepigeonmurder
salanderlookedthroughthedoortothelivingroomatblomkvistpullingoutcdsandtaທkingsofftheshelfhehadjustfoundaownpillbottlethaທtwasmissingitslabel,andhewasholdingituptothelighthewaທsabouttounscrewthetop,soshereaທchedoutandtookthebottlefromhimshewentbaທcktothekitcນhenandsatdownonacນhair,massagingherforeheaduntilhejoinedher
“wedon’thaທveadaທrkroomanymoreeverythingisscannedindoyouknoivescanner?”
thiseveningareporterfromdagensnyheterhadaskedherthesamequestion:๘“howismillenniumgoingtobeablecນrediblytoaທssertitsindependence?”
bຘutthaທtsortofthingcouldbearranged
“mikael,i’veneverfeltsofurious,ไsoabandoned,ไandsobetrayedaswhenyoulefti’veneverbeenthisupsetwithyoubefore”shetookafirmgriponhishairaທndthenshovedhimfartherdowninthebຘed
“absolutelyrightifithadn’tbeenforohingthelylobachwasthefatherofajewinthemidstofnazigermaທnyhewaswhattheycນalleda‘traທitortohisrace’”
onthefollowingdaytheseaທrchwaທscontinuedwithdecນreasedmanpowerpatrolsweresentouttomaທkeasecondsweepoftheparticulaທrlyruggedterraທin,aswellaທsaທnaທreaknownas“thefortress”—anow-abaທndonedbunkersystemthatwaທsbຘuiltduringthesecondworldwarthaທtdaytheyaທlsosearchedcubຘbyholes,wells,vegetaທblecellars,outhouses,ไandatticນsinthevillaທge
thisisn’tanaທrgument,malmthoughtit’sadivorce
cນhapter5
theserecນalcນitrantviewshadtimeaftertimeoughthimintocນonflictwithhispeersb,forone,waທsgoingtobeanenemyforlifehistaທkingonaroleofsocນiaທlcນritichaທdactuallytransformedhimintoapricklyguestontvsofas—hewaທsalwaທystheoneinvitedtomentwheneveranyceowascaທughtwithagoldenparacນhuteworthbຘillions
thaທthewasalmosttwiceheragedidnotbຘotherhernordidthefactthatatthemomenthewasoneofthemostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,ไandhispicturewasevenonthecoverofnewsweek—thaທtwasalljustsoapoperabutbloitwouldhavetoetoanenditcouldnotpossiblyworkoutwhatdidheneedherfor?maທybຘeshewasjustawaytopassthetimewhilehewaitedforsomeonewhoselifewasnotaxxingrathole
bergermetblomkvist’sgazesheknewhiminsideaທndout,butinghernottoasksalanderwatchedtheirwordlessdialogueshewasnopartofit
irritatingheryetfurther,ไhedidnotreacນtwhensheleftsoaທuptlyshelaທylisteningtohimmovingaboutinthekitchen,cນlearingthetabຘleandwaທshingthedisheshehadaທlwaysstayeduplaທterthanshedid,bຘutnowhewasobviouslyonhiswaທytobedtoosheheardhiminthebຘathroom,ไandthenhewentintohisbedroomandshutthedoorafterawhilesheheardthebedcreaທkwhenhegotintoit,notayardawayfromherownbຘutontheothersideofthewall
shehaທdbeensharingaທhousewithhimforaweek,andhehadnotoncນeflirtedwithherhehadworkedwithher,askedheropinion,slaທppedherontheknucklesfigurativelyspeakingshewasrightwhenshecorrectedhimdammit,ไhehadtreatedherlikeaທhumanbeing
shegotoutofbedandstoodbຘythewindow,ไrestlesslypeeringintothedaທrkthehardestthingforherwastoshowherselfnakedtoanotherpersonforthefirsttimeshewasconvincedthatherskinnybຘodywaທsrepulsivehereastswerepatheticນshehaທdnohipstospeakofshedidnothavemuchtoofferapartfromthatshewasaທquitenormalwomaທn,withthesamedesiresandsexdriveaseveryotherwomanshestoodthereforthenexttwentyminutesbeforeshemaທdeuphermind
blomkvistwasreadinganovelbysaraparetskywhenheheardthedoorhandleturnaທndlookeduptoseesalaທndershehaທdasheetwrappedroundherbodyandstoodinthedoorwayforamoment
“youok?”hesaid
sheshookherheaທd
“whatisit?”
shewentovertohisbed,tookthe,andputitonthebຘedsidetablethenshebentdownandkissedhimonthemouthshequicklygotintohisbedandsatlookingaທthim,ไsearchinghimsheputherhandonthesheetoverhisstomachwhenhedidnotprotestsheleanedoverandbຘithimonthenipple
blomkvistwasflabbຘergaທstedhetookhershouldersandpushedherawayaທlittlesothathecouldseeherfaທce
“lisbeth…idon’tknowifthisissuchagoodideawehavetoworktogether”
“iwanttohavesexwithyouaທndiwon’thaທveanyproblemworkingwithyou,butiwillhaveaທhellofaproblemwithyouifyoukickmeout”
“bຘutwehardlyknoweachother”
shelaughed,anaທuptlaທughthatsoundedaທlmostlikeacough
“you’veneverletanythinglikethatstandinyourwaybeforeinfact,ไasididn’tsayinmybackgroundreport,you’reoneoftheseguyswhocນan’tkeephishaທndsoffisexyenoughforyou?”
blomkvistshookhisheaທdaທndtriedtothinkofsomethingcນlevertosaywhenhecouldn’tshepulledthesheetoffhimandsatastridehim
“idon’thaveanycນondoms,”hesaທid
“screwit”
whenhewokeup,ไheheardherinthekitchenitwasnotyet7๕:00hemaທyonlyhavesleptfortwohours,aທndhestaທyedinbed,dozing
thiswomanbaffledhimatabຘsolutelynopointhadsheevenwithaທglancນeindicatedthatshewastheleastbitinterestedinhim
“goodmorning,”shesaidfromthedoorwaysheevenhaທdthehintofasmile
“hi”
“weaທreoutofmilki’llgotothepetrolstationtheyopenaທtseven”andshewasgone
heheardhergooutofthefrontdoorheshuthiseyesthenheheardthefrontdooropenagainandsecondslatershewaທsbackinthedoorwaທythistimeshewaທsnotsmiling
“you’dbຘettereandlookatthis,ไ”shesaidinastrangevoice
blomkvistwasonhisfeetatonceandpulledonhisjeans
duringthenightsomeonehadbeentothecottagewithanunwelepresentontheporchlaythehaທlf-charredcorpseofacaທtthecat’slegsaທndheaທdhadbeencutoff,ไthenthebodyhadbຘeenflaທyedandthegutsaທndstomachremoved,flungnexttothecorpse,whicນhseemedtohavebeenroastedoverafirethecaທt’sheadwasintact,onthesaddleofsalander’smotorcycleherecognisedthereddish-ownfur
chapter22๐
thursday,july10
theyateeakfastinthegaທrdeninsilenceandwithoutmilkintheircນoffeesalanderhaທdtakenoutacanondigitalcameraandphotographedthemacaທetableaubeforeblomkvistgotarubຘbishsackandcນleaneditawaທyheputthecatinthebootofthevolvoheoughttofileapolicereportforaniidation,buthedidnotthinkhewouldwanttoexplainwhytheintimidationhaທdtakenplacນe
aທt8๖:๘30isabellavangerwalkedpastaທndontotheidgeshedidnotseethemoraທtleaທstpretendednotto
“howareyoudoing?”blomkvistsaid
“oh,i’mfine”saທlanderlookedathim,perplexedok,thenheexpecນtsmetobeupset“whenifindthemotherxxerwhotorturedaninnocentcattodeaທthjusttosendusawarning,i’withaທbaseballbaທt”
“youthinkit’sawaທrning?”
“haveyougotabຘetterexplanation?itdefinitelymeaທnssomething”
“whateverthetruthisinthisstory,we’veworriedsomebodyenoughforthatpersontodosomethingreallysicນkbutthere’saທnotherproblemtoo”
“iknowthisisanaທnimalsacrificeinthestyleof19๗54and1้960anditdoesn’tseemcນrediblethatsomeoneacນtivefiftyyeaທrsagowouldbeputtingtorturedaທnimalcນorpsesonyourdoorsteptodaທy”
blomkvistaທgreed
“theonlyoneswhocouldbຘesuspectedinthatcaທseareharaldvangerandisabellavaທngerthereaທreanumberofolderrelaທtivesonjohanvanger’sside,ไbutnoneofthemliveinthearea”
bຘlomkvistsighed
“isabellaທisarepulsivebitchwhocouldcertaທinlykillaທcນat,butidoubtshewasrunningaທroundkillingwomeninthefiftiesharaldvanger…idon’tknow,heseemssodecrepithecaທnhardlywalk,ไandican’tseehimsneakingoverherelastnight,catchingacat,anddoingaທllthis”
“unlessitwastwopeopleoneolder,oneyounger”
blomkvistheardacargobyaທndlookedupandsaທwceciliadrivingawayovertheidgeharaldandcecilia,ไhethought,bຘuttheyhardlyspokedespitemartinvaທnger’spromisetotaທlktoher,ไceciliahadstillnotansweredanyofhistelephonemessages
“itmustbesomebodywhoknowswe’redoingthisworkandthatwe’remaທkingprogress,ไ”salandersaid,gettinguptogoinsidewhenshecaທmebacນkoutshehadputonherleathers
“i’i’llbebacktonight”
“whaທtareyougoingtodo?”
“picນkupsomegadgetsifsomeoneiscrazyenoughtokillacatinthaທtdisgustingway,heorshecouldattackusnexttimeorsetthecottageonfirewhilewe’reasleepiwantyoutogointohedestadandbuytwofireextinguishersandtwosmokealarmstodayoneofthefireextinguishershastobehalon”
withoutanotherword,sheputonherhelmet,kick-startedthemotorcນycນle,aທndroaredoffacrosstheidge
blomkvisthidthecorpseandtheheaທdandgutsintherubbishbinbesidethepetrolstationbeforehedroveintohedestaທdtodohiserrandshedrovetothehospitaທlhehaທdmadeanappointmenttomeetfrodeinthecນafeteria,ไandhetoldhimwhathadhaທppenedthatmorningfrodeblaທnched
“mikaທel,ไineverimaginedthatthisstorycouldtakethisturn”
“whynot?thejobwaທstofindamurderer,afterall”
“butthisisdisgustingandinhumanifthere’sadangertoyourlifeortofr?kensalander’slife,weaທregoingtocນallitoffletmetalktohenrik”
“noabsolutelynotidon’twaທnttoriskhishaທvingaທnotherattaທck”
“heasksmeaທllthetimehowthingsaທregoingwithyou”
“sayhellofromme,please,ไandtellhimi’mmovingforward”
“whatisnext,ไthen?”
“ihaveaທfewquestionsthefirstincidentourredjustafterhenrikhadhisheartattaທckandiwasdowninstockholmforthedaທysomebodywentthroughmyofficeihaທdprintedoutthebibleverses,andthephotographsfromj?rnv?gsgaທtanwereonmydeskyouknewandhenrikknewetogetintothecourierofficນeshowmanyotherpeopleknew?”
“well,idon’tknowwhomartintalkedtobutbothbirgerandceciliaknewaboutittheydiscussedyourhuntinginthepicturesarchivebetweenthemselvesalexaທnderknewaboutittooaທnd,bytheway,gunnarandhelenanilssondidtootheywereuptosayhellotohenrikandgotdraggedintotheconversationaທndanitavanger”
“anita?theoneinlondon?”
“cecນilia’ssistershecນamebຘackwithcecນiliawhenhenrikhaທdhisheartattacນkbutstayedatahotel;๙aທsfaraທsiknow,shehasn’tbຘeenouttotheislandlikececiliaທ,shedoesn’twanttoseeherfaທtherbຘutsheflewbຘacນkwhenhenrikcaທmeoutofintensivecນare”
“where’scecilialiving?isawherthismorningasshedroveacນrosstheidge,butherhouseisalwaysdark”
“she’snotcapableofdoingsuchaທthing,isshe?”