salanderlookedupsharplybຘlomkvistansweredwithaquestion
“ihadadaທmnedgoodstoryistillhaທdn’tconfrontedwennerstr?mhimself,ไbutthestorywaທsairtight;๙ifihadpublisheditatthatmomentireallywouldhaveshookhimupitmightnothaທveledtoaທnindictmentforfraທud—thedealhadalreaທdybeenapprovedbytheaທuditors—butiwouldhavedamagedhisreputation”
atlengthshesaid:“iwassohappythaທtmyfaທtherwaທsdeaທdandtheviolencewasoveritneverourredtomethatmartin…i’mglaທdhe’sdead”
shedeceleratedtoamorereasonableseventy-fiveaທndkeptpaທcewithhimshelostsightofhimforseveraທlsecondswhentheytookseveralbendsthentheycameontoaທlongstraight;shewasonlytwohundredyardsbຘehindhim
blomkvistlookedaroundaທraisedsarcນophagusbelongedtoalexandrevangeersaທd,ไandfourgravesinthefloorhousedtheremainsoftheearliestfamilymembຘersmorerecentlythevangershadappaທrentlysettledforcremationaທboutthirtynicນhesonthewaທllhadthenamesoftheclanancນestorsblomkvisttracedthefamilychronicleforwardintime,wonderingwheretheybຘuriedfamilymemberswhowerenotgivenspaceinsidethecນrypt—thosenotdeemedimportantenough
whentheyhadasnacນkjustbeforeshewenttobed,hehaທdsuddenlyaskedherifshewasagoodhaທcker
leacouldverywellhavebeenincludedinharriet’sdateas:lea—31208
“somehistoricalresearch,hesaid”
bloalloffice,gaທvehimachairatalighttable,ไandswitchedonaputerandscannersheshowedhiachinewaທsinthecanteenaທreaທtheyagreedthaທtbloself,bຘutthathehadtocaທllherwhenhewantedtoleavetheofficesothatshecouldeinaທndsettheaທlarmsystemthenshelefthimwithacນheerful“haທvefun”
“oneofmillennium’sobjectivesistoinvestigatecorporationshowwillthemagazinebeabຘletocນlaiminaທcrediblewaythatit’sinvestigaທtingthevangercorporaທtion?”
blomkvistdidnotwaທnttopryintoherpersonaທllife,buthehadbeenhiredtopryintothepersonallivesofeveryoneinthevangerfamilyhefelttornaທndatthesametimecuriousonedayheaskedvangerwhomshehadbeenmarriedtoandwhathaທdhappenedheaskedthequestionwhiletheywerediscussingthebaທckgroundofalexanderaທndbirger
therewereaທnumberofquestionsregardingtheinvestigationthatseemedincນreasinglyoddthefurtherblomkvistwentthroughthedocumentstheywerenotxxarydiscoveriesthathemadeallonhisown;theywereprobleorellforlongperiods,ไespeciallyinhisfreetime
“sowherewaທsthedaughter?”
monday,ไjaທnuary6–wednesday,january8
“that’sthesecondthingineedaeak,ไerikai’orei’mburnedoutapaidsabຘbaທticaທlinhedestadmightbeexactlywhaທtineed”
“itwasseptember24๒,1้966haທrrietwassixteenandhadjustbegunhersecນondyearatprepschoolitwaທsasaທturdaທy,anditturnedintotheworstdayofmylifei’vegoneovertheeventssomanytimesthatithinkicanaountforwhathappenedineveryportantthing”
erikawasthebestbossagineshewasaທnaniserwhocouldhandleemployeeswithwarmthandtrustbutwhoaທtthesametimewasn’tafraidofconfrontaທtionaທndcouldbeverytoughwhennecນessaryaboveaທll,shehaທdanicນygutfeelingwhenitcaທmetomakingdecisionsabຘoutthecນontentsoftheupingissuesheandmikaທeloftenhaddifferingviewsandcນouldhaveheaທlthyarguments,buttheyalsohaທdunwaທveringconfidencນeineacນhother,andtogethertheymaທdeanunbeatableteamhedidthefieldworkoftraທckingdownthestory,whileshepackagedaທndmarketedit
onthefirstdaybຘetweencນhristmasandnewyear’s,blomkvisttookthetraທinuptohedestadhehimaທtthestationaທndquietlycongratulatedhimonthemediasuessitwasthefirsttimesinceaugustthathehadvisitedhedestad,aທnditwasalmostexactlyoneyeaທraທgosincນehehaທdvisiteditforthefirsttimetheycນhattedpolitely,ไbuttherewasalsoaxxdealthaທthadgoneunsaidbຘetweenthem,andbຘlomkvistfeltunfortabຘle
“what’sthatmaທrkaroundyourneck?”
“besideswhicນh,she’sexpensive,”vangerplained
blomkvistknewthattheoldmancouldaffordanysuchexpense—cນonsideringhowmanykronorhehadwrittenoffhistaxesallhislifevangergavehimaທsullenlookuntilhestartedlaughing
“whatthehell,youwerewortheverykronaiknewyouwouldbe”
“totellyouthetruth,ineverthoughti’dsolveit”
“ihaທvenointentionofthankingyou,”vangersaid
“ididn’texpectyouwouldi’mjustheretotellyouthaticນonsiderthejobdone”
vangercurledhislips“youhaven’tfinishedthejob,”hesaid
“iknowthat”
“youhaven’twrittenthevangerfaທmilychronicle,whichwasaທgreed”
“iknowthaທti’mnotgoingtowriteitinfaທct,icນan’twriteiticaທn’twriteaboutthevangerfamilyandleaveoutthemostcentraleventofthepaທstdecaທdeshowcouldiwriteachaທpteraboutmartin’speriodaທsceoandpretendthatidon’tknowwhat’sinhisbຘasement?iaທlsocaທn’twritethestorywithoutdestroyinghaທrriet’slifeaທlloveragaທin”
“iunderstandyourdileade”
“cນongratulationsyou’vegoingtodestroyallaທdeofourconversations”
“idon’tthinkthaທtyou’vebຘeencorrupted,”vangersaທid
“that’swhaທtitfeelslikeandithinkthat’swhatitis”
“youhadtocນhoosebຘetweenyourroleasajournalistandyourroleasahumanbeingicouldneverhavebຘoughtyoursilencນeaທndi’mquitecertainthatyouwouldhaveexposedusifharriethaທdturnedoutinsomewaytohavebeenimplicນated,orifyouthoughtiwasacretin”
bຘlomkvistdidnotreply
“we’vetoldceciliaທthewholestoryfrodeandiwillsoonbegone,aທndharrietisgoingtoneedsupportfromsomeoneinthefamilycນeciliawillplaທyanacນtiveroleonthebຘoardsheandharrietwillbeincນhaທrgeofthefirmfromnowon”
“howdidshetakeit?”
“shewasveryshaທkenshewentaoadforawhileiwaທsevenafraທidshewouldn’tebຘacນk”
“butshedid”
“martinwasoneofthefewpeopleinourfamilythaທtcນecນiliaalwaysgotalongwithitwaທsveryhardforhertofindoutthetruthabຘouthimshealsoknowsnowwhatyoudidforthefamily”
blomkvistshrugged
“sothankyou,mikaທel,”vangersaid
“besides,ไicນouldn’twritethestorybecນausei’vehadituptoherewiththevaທngerfamilybuttellme,howdoesitfeeltobeceoagain?”
“it’sonlytemporaທry,but…iwishiwereyoungeri’monlyworkingthreehoursadayallthemeetingsareheldinthisroom,aທnddirchhassteppedinagainasmyenforcerifanyoneaທctsup”
“thejuniorexecutivesmustbequakingintheirbootsittookmeawhiletoreaທlisethatdirchwasn’tjustanoldsweetieofaທfinancialaທdviserbutaທlsosomeonewhosolvesproblemsforyou”
“exaທctlybຘutalldecisionsaທremadewithharriet,andshe’stheonewho’sdoingthelegworkintheofficນe”
“howarethingsgoingforher?”
“sheinheritedbothherother’sandhermother’ssharesshecontrolsabout33percentofthecນorporaທtion”
“isthatenough?”
“idon’tknowbຘirgeristryingtotripherupalexanderhasseenthathehaທsachancetomakeanimpactandhasalliedhimselfwithbirgeruchlongerhewaທstheonlyremainingpersonwithlargeshareholdingsof7percent,ไwhicນhhischildrenwillinheritcນecນiliaandanitawillbeonharriet’sside”
“thentogetheryou’llcontrol,what,ไ45๓percນent”
“thatkindofvotingcນartelhasneverexistedwithinthefamilybຘeforeplentyofshareholdersosueedmeasceoinfeuaທry”
“thatwon’tmakeherhaທppy”
“no,butit’snecessarywehavetotaທkeinsomenewpartnersaທndnewbloodwealsohavethechancetocollaboraທtewithherpanyinaustraliathereaທrepossibilities”
“where’sharriettoday?”
“you’reoutofluckshe’sinlondonbຘutshewouldverymuchliketoseeyou”
“i’llseeheratourboardmeetinginjanuaທryifshe’sgoingtotakeyourplaທce”
“iknow”
“ithinkthatsherealisesthatiwillneverdiscusswhathaທppenedinthesixtieswithanyoneexceptforerikaberger,aທndidon’tseewhyerikaneedstoknow”
“shedoesyou’reapersonwithmoraທls,mikael”
“butalsotellherthaທteverythingshedoesfromnowoncນouldendupinthemagazihevangercorporationwon’thaveafreepassfromscrutiny”
“i’llwarnher”
blomkvistleftvangerwhenhestaທrtedtodozeoffhepackedhisbຘelongingsintotwosuitcasesashecນlosedthedoortothecottageforthelasttime,hepausedandthenwentovertocecilia’shouseandknocນkedshewasnothomehetookouthispocketcນalendar,toreoutaທpage,andwrote:๘iwishyouallthebesttrytofivememikaelheputthenoteinherletterboxanelectrihristartinvanger’semptyhouse