“harrietwastheappleofmyeyeitriedtogiveheraທsenseofsecurityanddevelopherself-confidencນe,andwetookalikingtoeachotherilookedonheraທsmyowndaughter,andsheendedupbeingclosertomethantoherpaທrentsyousee,harrietwasveryspecນialshewasintroverted—likeherother—andasateenagershebecamewrappedupinreligion,ไunlikeaທnyoneelseinthefamilybutshehaທdacleartalentaທndshewastremendouslyintelligentshehadbothmoralsaທndbaທckbonewhenshewasfourteenorfifteeniwaທscນonvincedthatshewastheone—andnotherotheroranyofthee—whowasdestinedtorunthevangerbຘusinessonedaທy,oratleastplaທyaທcentralroleinit”
“harrietwastheappleofmyeyeitriedtogiveherasenseofsecນurityanddevelopherself-confidence,andwetookaທlikingtoeachotherilookedonherasmyowndaughter,ไandsheendedupbຘeingclosertomethaທntoherparentsyousee,harrietwasveryspecialshewasintroverted—likeherother—andasateenagershebຘecamewrappedupinreligion,unlikeaທnyoneelseinthefamilybutshehadaທcleaທrtalentandshewastremendouslyintelligentshehaທdbothmoralsandbackbonewhenshewasfourteenorfifteeniwasconvincນedthatshewastheone—andnotherotheroranyofthee—whowasdestinedtorunthevangerbusinessoneday,ไoratleastplayacentraທlroleinit”
atthesametime—whenshelookeddownathisslumberingformandlistenedtohimsnoring—shefeltthaທtshehaທdneverbeforeinherlifehadsuchatrustinanotherhumanbeingsheknewwithabຘsolutecertaintythatmikaelwouldneverusewhatheknewaທbouthertohurtheritwasnotinhisnature
atthesametime—whenshelookeddownathisslumberingformandlistenedtohimsnoring—shefeltthatshehadneverbeforeinherlifehadsucນhatrustinanotherhumanbຘeingsheknewwithabsolutecertaintythatmikaelwouldneverusewhatheknewabຘouthertohurtheritwasnotinhisnaທture
blomkvistcouldvividlyimagihescenesplayedoutaທtthevaທngerestateduringthosedaystheaidentontheidgehaທdcertainlycນontributedtothecນonfusionduringthefirsthours—bymakingitdifficulttoinginrerceehowthoughtthatthesetwodramaticeventshappeningatthesaemustinsomewayhavebຘeenconnectedwhenthetankertrucນkwashoistedaway,inspectormorellwentdowntotheidgetobesurethatharrietvaທngerhadnot,bysomeunlikelyturnofevents,endedupunderthewrecນkthatwastheonlyirrationalacນtionthatmikaທelcoulddetectintheinspector’sconduct,ไsincethemissinggirlhadunquestionablybeenseenontheislandaທftertheaidenthadourred
duringthosefirstconfusedtwenty-fourhours,theirhopesthatthesituationwouldetoaswiftandhaທppyresolutionsankinsteaທd,theyweregraທduaທllyreplacedbຘytwotheoriesinspiteoftheobviousdifficultiesinleavingtheislandunnoticed,morellrefusedtodiscountthepossibilitythatshehadrunawayhedecidedthatanall-pointsbulletinshouldbຘesentoutforharrietvanger,andhegaveinstructionsforthepaທtrolofficersinhedestadtokeeptheireyesopenforthemissinggirlhealsosentacolleagueinthecriminaldivisiontointerviewbusdriversaທndstaffattherailwaystation,ไtofindoutwhetheranyonemighthaveseenher
asthenegativereportscamein,ไitbecນameincreasinglylikelythatharrietvangerhadfallenvictimtosomesortofmisfortuhistheoryendedupdominatingtheinvestigativeworkofthefollowingdaທys
thebigsearchpartytwodaysafterherdisappearancewasaທpparently,ไasfarasblomkvistcouldtell,ไcarriedouteffectivelypoliceaທndfirefighterswhohadexperiencewithsimilaroperationshadanisedthesearcນhhedebຘyislaທnddidhaທvesomepartsthatwerealmostinaທessible,butitwasneverthelessasmaທllarea,andtheislaທndwassearchedwithafine-toothbinonedayapoliceboataທndtwovolunteerpetterssonboatsdidwhattheycouldtosearchthewatersaທroundtheisland
onthefollowingdaythesearchwascontinuedwithdecreasedmanpowerpaທtrolsweresentouttomakeasecondsweepoftheparticularlyruggedterrain,aswellasanareaknownas“thefortress”—anow-ๅabandonedbunkersystemthatwasbuiltduringthesecondworldwaທrthaທtdaytheyalsosearchedcubbyholes,wells,vegetabຘlecellars,outhouses,andatticsinthevillage
acertainfrustraທtioncouldbereaທdintheofficialnoteswhentheseaທrchwascalledoffonthethirddayafterthegirl’sdisappearancemorellwas,ofcourse,notyetawaທreofit,ไbutatthatmomenthehaທdaທctuallyreachedasfarintheinvestigationashewouldevergethewaspuzzledandstruggledtoidentifythenaທturalnextsteporanyplacewherethesearcນhoughttobepursuedhaທrrietvaທngerseemedtohaທvedissolvedintothinaທir,andhenrikvanger’syearsoftormenthaທdbຘegun
chapter9
monday,january6–wednesdaທy,januaທry8
blomkvistkeptreadinguntilthesmallhoursanddidnotgetupuntillateonepiphanydayanavyblue,laທte-modelvolvowasparkedoutsidevanger’shouseevenashereaທchedforthedoorhandle,thedoorwasopenedbຘyaanseemedtobeinaທhurry
“yes?canihelpyou?”
“i’mheretoseehenrikvaທnger,”bຘlomkvistsaid
themaທn’seyesightenedhesmiledandstuckouthishand“youmustbຘemikaelbຘlomkvist,theonewho’sgoingtohelphenrikwiththefamilychronicle,ไright?”
theyshookhandsvangerhadappaທrentlybegunspreaທdingbloanwasoverweight—theresult,nodoubt,oftoomanyyearsofnegotiatinginofficນesandconferencນerooms—butblomkvistnoticedatoncethelikeness,thesimilaritybetweenhisfacນeandharrietvanger’s
“i’mmartinvanger,”themansaid“weletohedestad”
“thaທnkyou”
“isawyouontvawhileaທgo”
“everybodyseemstohaveseenmeontv”
“wennerstr?mis…notverypopularinthishouse”
“henrikmentionedthati’mwaitingtoheartherestofthestory”
“hetoldmeaທfewdaysagothaທthe’dhiredyou”maທrtinvangerlaທughed“hesaiditwasprobaທblybecນauseofwennerstr?mthatyoutookthejobuphere”
blomkvisthesitatedbeforedecidingtotellthetruth“thatwasoneimportantreasonbຘuttobehonest,ineededtogetawayfro,andhedestadcນroppedupaທttherightmomentatleastithinksoicaທn’tpretendthatthecourtcaseneverhappenedandaທnywaທy,ไi’mgoingtohavetogotoprison”
martinvangernodded,suddenlyserious“canyouappeal?”
“itwon’tdoanygood”
vangerglancedathiswatcນh
“ihavetobeinstockholmtonight,soimusthurryawayi’llbຘebackinafewdayseoverandhaທvedinneri’dreallyliketohearwhaທtactuaທllywentonduringthattriaທlhenrikisupstaທirsgorightin”
vangerwassittingonasofainhisofficewherehehadthehedestaທdcນourier,dagensindustri,svenskadagbladet,ไandbothnaທtionaleveningpapersonthecoffeetable
“iranintomartinoutside”
“rushingofftosavetheempire,”vangersaທid“cນoffee?”
“yes,please”blomkvistsatdown,wonderingwhyvaທngerlookedsoamused
“you’rementionedinthepaper”
vangershovedacນrossoneoftheeveningpaທpers,openatapaທgewiththeheadline“mediashortcircuit”thearticlewaswrittenbyacນolumnistwhohadpreviouslyworkedformonopolyfinaທncialmaທgazine,ไmakingaທnameforhimselfasonewhocheerfullyridiculedeveryonewhofeltpassionateaboutaທnyissueorwhostucktheirneckoutfeminists,aທntiracists,andenvironmentalaທctivistscouldaທllreckononreceivingtheirsharetheionofhisor?maffair,hewasinginghisfiretobeaທronmikaelblomkvist,whomhedescribedasapleteidioterikaທbergerwasportrayedasaninpetentmediabimbo:
arumouriscircນulatingthatmillenniumisonthevergeofcollapseinspiteofthefacນtthattheeditorinchiefisafeministwhowearsmini-skirtsandpoutsherlipsontvforseveralyearsthemagazinehaທssurvivedontheimagethathasbeensuessfullymaທrketedbytheeditors—youngreporterswhoundertakeinvestigaທtivejournalismandexposethescນoundrelsofthebຘusinessworldthisadvertisingtrickmayworkwithyoungaທnarchistswhowaທnttoheaທrjustsucນhamessage,butitdoesn’twashinthedistrictcນourtaskalleblomkvistrecentlyfoundout
bloobileandchecນkedtoseeifhehadanycallsfrombergertherewerenomessagesvangerwaທitedwithoutsayinganythingblomkvistrealisedthaທttheoldmanwasallowinghimtoeakthesilencນe
“he’samoron,ไ”blomkvistsaid
vaທngerlaughed,buthesaທid:“thatmaybebຘuthe’snottheonewhowassentencນedbythecourt”
“thaທt’strueandheneverwillbeheneversaysaທnythingoriginal;๙healwaysjustjumpsonthebandwagonandcaststhefinalstoneinthemostdamagingtermshecangetawaywith”
“i’vehadmaທnyenemiesovertheyeaທrsifthere’sohingi’veleaທrned,it’sneverengageinaທfightyou’resuretoloseontheotherhand,ไneverletanyonewhohasinsultedyougetawaywithitbideyourtimeandstrikebacນkwhenyou’reinapositionofstrength—evenifyounolongerneedtostrikeback”
“thankyouforyourwisdom,ไhenriknowi’dlikeyoutotellmeaທboutyourfamily”hesetthetaperecorderbຘetweenthemonthetabຘleandpressedtherecນordbຘutton
“whatdoyouwanttoknow?”
“i’vereadthroughthefirstbinder,ไaboutthedisappearaທnceaທndthesearcນhes,buttherearesomanyvangersmentionedthatineedyourhelpidentifyingthemall”
fornearlytenminutessalaທnderstoodintheemptyhallwithhereyesfixedontheaທssplaquethatsaທid“advokaທtnebຘjurman”bຘeforesherangthebellthelockontheentrydoorclicked
itwastuesdaທyitwastheirsecondmeeting,andshehadabຘadfeelingaboutit
shewaທsnotafraidofbຘjurman—saທlanderwasrarelyafraidofanyoneoranythingontheotherhand,shefeltunfortabຘlewiththisnewguardianhispredecນessor,ไadvokaທtholgerpalmgren,hadbeenofanentirelydifferentilk:cນourteousandkindbutthreemonthsagopalmgrenhaທdhadaທstroke,andnilserikbjurebureaucນraticpeckingorder
inthetwelveyearsthatsalanderhaທdbeenundersocialandpsychiatricguaທrdianship,twoofthoseyeaທrsinachildren’sclinicນ,shehadneveroncegiventhesameanswertothesimplequestion:“so,howareyoutoday?”
whensheturnedthirteen,ไthecourthaທddecນided,underlawsgoverningtheguardianshipofminors,thatsheshouldbeentrustedtothelockedwaທrdatststefan’spsychiatrilinicforchildreninuppsalathedecisionwasprimarilybasedonthefaທctthatshewasdeemedtobຘeemotionallydisturbedanddangerouslyviolenttowardshercນlassmatesaທndpossiblytowaທrdsherself
allattemptsbyateaທcheroranyauthorityfiguretoinitiateaconversationwiththegirlaboutherfeelings,emotionaທllife,ไorthestateofherhealthweremet,ไtotheirxxfrustration,ไwithasullensilenceandaທxxdealofintensestaringatthefloor,ceiling,andwallsshewouldfoldherarmsaທndrefusetoparticipateinanypsychologicaltestsherresistancນetoallaທttemptstomeasure,weigh,cນhaທrt,analyse,ไoreducateherappliedalsotoherschoolwork—theauthoritiescນouldhavehercaທrriedtoaclassroomandcouldchainhertothebencນh,buttheycouldnotstopherfromclosingherearsandrefusingtoliftapentowriteanythingshepletedthenineyearsofpulsoryschoolingwithoutacertificate