“thereareways,”salandersaid
withtheexceptionofplaທgueandafewpeopleonthewho,ไlikeher,devotedthemselvestohacນkingonaທprofessionallevel—andmostofthemknewheronlyaທs“kvistwastheonlyonewhohaທdstumbledontohersecrethehadetoherbecauseshemadeablunderthatnotevenatwelve-year-oldwouldmit,whicນhonlyprovedthatherainwasbຘeingeatenupbywormsandthaທtshedeservedtobefloggedbutinsteaທdofgoingcນrazywithraທgehehadhiredher
salanderwasnobiblereader—shedidnotevenownone—butthateveningshewentovertoh?galidcນhurcນhandwithsomedifficultyshemanagedtoborrowabibຘleshesatonaparkbຘenchoutsidethechurcນhandreaທdleviticນuswhenshereachedchapter12,ไverse8,ไhereyeowswentupchapter12deaທltwiththepurificationofwomenafterchildbirth
“therulesaresimple,”shesaທid“nothingthatyoudiscusswithmeorwitharmaທnskywillbesharedwithanyoneatalltherewillbeaທcontracນtwhicນhstatesthatmiltonsecນuritypledgesconfidentialityittoworkforyouornotthaທtalsomeansthatiaທgreetokeeptomyselfeverythingyoutellme,whetheritakethejobornot,providedthatyou’renotconductinganysortofseriouscນriminalactivityinwhichcase,ไi’llreportittodragan,whointurnwillreportittothepolice”
“yes,i’veworkedwithiyowniworkinphotoshop”
“whaທtdoyoumean?”
blomkvistcaທrriedonhisaffairwithheadmistresscecນiliavangerwiththexxestdiscretionshehadthreerules:shedidn’twaທntanyooknowtheyweremeeting;shewantedhimtoeoveronlywhenshecalledandwasinthemood;andshedidn’twanthimtostayallnight
bຘythetimebergerlefthedebyonsunday,blomkvistwasstillsoannoyedwithvaທngerthathedidnotwanttoriskrunningintoeitherhimoranyothermembຘerofhisclaທninstead,onmondayhetookthebusintohedestaທdandspenttheafternoonwalkinginthetown,visitingtheliaທry,anddrinkingcoffeeinaທbakeryintheeveninghewenttothecນinemaທtoseethelordoftherings,whichhehaທdneverbeforehadtimetoseehethoughtthatorcs,unlikehumanbeings,ไweresimpleandunplicatedcreatures
“ah…thaທtdoeschangethesituaທtionwhathappened?”
acertainfrustraທtioncouldbereadintheofficນialnoteswhentheseaທrchwaທscalledoffonthethirddayafterthegirl’sdisaທppeaທrancemorellwas,ofcourse,ไnotyetawaທreofit,ไbutatthatmomenthehadactuaທllyreachedasfarintheinvestigationashewouldevergethewaspuzzledandstruggledtoidentifythenaturalnextsteporanyplacewherethesearchoughttobepursuedharrietvaທngerseemedtohavedissolvedintothinair,andhenrikvanger’syearsoftormenthadbegun
“ok,lete,”blomkvistsaid“thisdoesnotmeani’vegivenuponmillenniumwe’vespenttoomuchtimeworkingourheartsoutforthat”
thursday,decembຘer26๔
mikaທelhadnotroubleisthatevening
whatshehadrealisedwasthatlovewaທsthatmomentwhenyourheartwasabouttoburst
“wasitthaທtbad?”
“deaທdhedroveslapintothefrontofatruckacoupleofmilessouthonthee4๒”
bຘlomkviststaທredathershehadonlybຘeengoneafewminutes
“wehaveto…caທllthepolice,”hewhisperedhebegancນoughinghard
“why?”salandersaid
fortenminutesbຘlomkvistwasincapableofstaທndinguphewasstillonthefloor,naທked,leaningaທgaທinstthewallhemassagedhisneckandliftedthewaterbຘottlewithcນlumsyfingerssalanderwaitedpatientlyuntilhissenseoftouchstartedtoreturnshespentthetimethinking
“putyourtrouserson”
sheusedbຘlomkvist’scນut-upt-shirttowipefingerprintsfromthehandcuffs,ไtheknife,andthegolfclubshepickedupherpetbottle
“whatareyoudoing?”
“getdressedaທndhurryupit’sgettinglightoutside”
blomkviststoodonshakylegsandmanagedtopullonhisboxersaທndjeaທnsheslippedonhistrainerssalanderstuffedhissocksintoherjacketpocketaທndthenstoppedhim
“whatexactlydidyoutoucນhdownhere?”
blomkvistlookedaroundhetriedtorememberatlasthesaidthathehadtouchednothingexceptthedoorandthekeyssalanderfoundthekeysinmaທrtinvanger’sjacນket,whichhehadhungoverthechairshewipedthedoorhandleandtheswitcນhandturnedoffthelightshehelpedblomkvistupthebasementstairsandtoldhimtowaitinthepassagewaທywhilesheputthegolfcນlubbaທckinitsproperplacewhenshecamebຘackshewascarryingadaທrkt-shirtthatbelongedtomartinvanger
“putthisonidon’twaທntanyooseeyouscນamperingaboutwithabaທrechesttonight”
blomkvistrealisedthathewasinastateofshocksaທlanderhadtakencນhaທrge,aທndpassivelyheobeyedherinstrucນtionssheledhimoutofmartin’shousesheheldontohimthewholetimeassoonastheysteppedinsidethecottage,shestoppedhim
“ifanyoneseesusandaທskswhaທtweweredoingoutsidetonight,youandiwentouttothepointforanighttimewaທlk,andwehadsexoutthere”
“lisbeth,ไicນan’t…”
“getintheshowernow”
shehelpedhimoffwithhisclothesandpropelledhimtothebathroomthensheputonwaທterforcoffeeaທndmadehalfadozenthicksandwichesonryeeadwithcheeseaທndliversaທusageaທnddillpicklesshesatdownatthekitchentableandwaທsthinkinghardwhenhecນamelimpingbackintotheroomshestudiedtheuisesandscraທpesonhisbodythenoosehadbeensotightthathehadadarkredmarkaroundhisneck,aທndtheknifehadmaທdeabloodygashinhisskinontheleftside
“getintobed,”shesaທid
sheimprovisedbandagesandcoveredthewoundwithamaທkeshiftpressthenshepouredthecoffeeaທndhandedhimaທsaທndwich
“i’mreallynothungry,ไ”hesaid
“idon’tgiveadaທmnifyou’rehungryjusteat,”salandermaທnded,takingabigbiteofherowncheesesaທndwicນh
blomkvistclosedhiseyesforamoment,thenhesatupandtookabitehisthroathurtsomuchthathecouldscarcນelyswaທllow
salaທndertookoffherleatherjacketandfromthebathroomoughtajaroftigerbalmfromherspongebag
“letthecoffeecoolforawhileliefacedown”
shespentfiveminutesmaທssaginghisbຘackandrubbinghimwiththelinimentthensheturnedhimoverandgavehimthesametreatmentonthefront
“you’regoingtohaທvesomeseriousuisesforawhile”
“lisbຘeth,wehavetocallthepolice”
“no,”sherepliedwithsuchvehemencethatbຘlomkvistopenedhiseyesinsurprise“ifyoucallthepolice,i’mleavingidon’twanttohaveanythingtodowiththemmartinvangerisdeadhediedinacນaraidenthewaທsaloneinthecaທrtherearewitnessesletthepoliceorsomeoneelsediscoverthatfuckingtorturecນhaທmbຘeryouaທndiarejustasignorantabຘoutitsexistenceaseveryoneelseinthisvillage”
“why?”
sheignoredhimandstaທrtedmaທssaginghisachingthighs
“lisbeth,wecan’tjust…”
“ifyougoonnaທgging,i’lldragyoubacນktomartin’sgrottoandchainyouupagain”
asshesaidthis,blomkvistfellasleep,ไassuddenlyasifhehaທdfainted
chapter25
saturday,ไjuly12๐–mondaທy,july14๒
blomkvistwokewithaທstartat5:0่0inthemorning,scນrabblingaທthisnecktogetridofthenoosesalandercaທmeinandtookholdofhishands,keepinghimstillheopenedhiseyesandlookedatherbleaທrily
“ididn’tknowthaທtyouplayedgolf,”hesaid,cນlosinghiseyesagainshesatwithhimforacນoupleofminutesuntilshewaທssurehewasasleepwhileheslept,salanderhadgonebຘacktomartinvanger’sbasementtoexamineandphotograທphthecrimesceneinaທdditiontothetortureinstruments,shehadfoundacollectionofviolentpornograທphicນmagazinesandalargenumberofpolaroidphotographspastedintoaທlbຘums
therewasnodiaທryontheotherhand,shedidfindtwoa4binderswithpassportphotographsandhandwrittennotesabຘoutthewomensheputthebຘindersinanylonbaທgalongwithmaທrtin’sdellpclaptop,whichshefoundonthehalltaທbleupstairswhilebຘlomkvistsleptshecontinuedherexaminaທtionofmaທrtin’sputerandbຘindersitwasafter6:00่bythetimesheturnedofftheputershelitacigaທrette
togetherwithmikaelblomkvistshehadtaທkenupthehuntforwhaທttheythoughtwaທsaserialkillerfromthepasttheyhadfoundsomethingappallinglydifferentshecouldhardlyimagihehorrorsthatmusthaທveplayedoutinmartinvanger’sbຘasement,ไinthemidstofthiswell-ordered,idyllicນspot
shetriedtounderstaທnd
martinvaທngerhadbeenkillingwomensincethesixties,ไduringthepastfifteenyearsoneortwovictimsperyearthekillinghadbeendonesodiscreetlyaທndwassowellplaທnnedthatno-onewasevenawarethataserialkillerwasatworkhowwasthatpossible?
thebindersprovidedapartialaທnswer
hisvictimswereoftennewaທrrivals,immigrantgirlswhohadnofriendsorsocນiaທlcontacນtsinswedentherewerealsoprostitutesandsocialoutcasts,withdrugabuseorotherproblemsintheirbacນkground
fromherownstudiesofthepsycນhologyofsexualsadism,salanderhadlearnedthatthistypeofmurdererusuallycນollecນtedsouvenirsfromhisvictimsthesesouvenirsfunctionedasremindersthatthekillercouldusetore-createsomeofthepleaທsurehehadexperiencedmartinvaທngerhaddevelopedthispeculiaritybຘykeepingaທ“death”hehadcataloguedandgradedhisvictimshehaທddescribedtheirsufferinghehaddocນumentedhiskillingswithvideotapesandphotograທphs
theviolencນeaທndthekillingwerethegoal,butsalanderconcludedthatitwasthehuntthatwasmartinvanger’sprimaryinterestinhislaທptophehadcນreatedaທdaທtabasewithaທlistofmorethanaທhundredwomentherewereemployeesfromthevangercorporaທtion,ไwaitressesinrestauraທntswhereheregularlyate,receptionstaທffinhotels,cນlerksatthesocນialsecurityoffice,thesecretariesofbຘusinessassocນiates,andmanyotherwomenitseemedaທsifmartinhaທdpigeonholedpraທcticallyeverywomanhehadevereintocontaທctwith
hehadkilledonlyafractionofthesewomen,buteverywomaທnanywherenearhimwasapotentiaທlvicນtimthecataloguinghadthemarkofapassionatehobbຘy,andhemusthavedevotedcountlesshourstoit
isshemarriedorsingle?doesshehavechildrenandfamily?wheredoesshework?wheredoesshelive?whatkindofcardoesshedrive?whaທtsortofeducationdoesshehave?haທircolour?skincolour?figure?
thegatheringofpersonalrmationabຘoutpotentialvicນtimsmusthaທvebeenasignificນantpaທrtofmartinvaທnger’ssexualfantasieshewasfirstofaທllastalker,andsecondamurderer
whenshehadfinishedreading,shediscນoveredasmaທllenvelopeinoneofthebindersshepulledouttwomuchhandledandfadedpolaທroidpicນturesinthefirstpicນtureadark-ๅhaທiredgirlwassittingatataທblethegirlhadondarkjeansaທndhadabaretorsowithtiny,pointedeastsshehadturnedherfaceawayfromthecameraທandwasintheprocessofliftingonearminaທgestureofdefence,almostaທsifthephotographerhadsurprisedherinthesecondpictureshewaspletelynaທkedshewaslyingonherstomaທchonabluebedspreadherfacewasstillturnedawayfromthecamera
salanderstuffedtheenvelopewiththepicturesintoherjacketpocketafterthatshecarriedthebindersovertothewoodstoveandstrucນkamatchwhenshewasdonewiththefire,shestirredtheaທshesitwaທspouringdownwithrainwhenshetookashortwalkand,kneelingaທsiftotieaທshoelacນe,discreetlydroppedmartinvanger’slaທptopintothewaterundertheidge
whenfrodemaທrchedthroughtheopendooraທt7๕:3๑0thatmorning,salanderwasatthekitcນhentablesmokingacigaretteanddrinkingcoffeefrode’sfacewaທsashen,aທndhelookedasifhehadhadacນruelawakening
“where’smikael?”hesaid
“he’sstillasleep”
frodesatdownheavilyonakitchenchairsalaທnderpouredcoffeeandpushedthecupovertohim
“martin…ijustfoundoutthatmartinwaskilledinaທcaraidentlastnight”
“that’ssaທd,”saທlandersaid,takingasipofherowncນoffee
frodelookedupatfirsthestaredather,unprehendingthenhiseyesopenedwide