thiseveningareporterfromdagensnyheterhadaskedherthesamequestion:๘“howismillenniumgoingtobeabຘlecrediblytoassertitsindependence?”
thiseveningaທreporterfromdaທgensnyheterhadaskedherthesamequestion:“howismillenniumgoingtobeablecrediblytoassertitsindependence?”
“mikael,i’veneverfeltsofurious,ไsoabandoned,andsobetrayedaswhenyoulefti’veneverbeenthisupsetwithyoubefore”shetookafirmgriponhishaທirandthenshovedhimfartherdowninthebed
“mikael,i’veneverfeltsofurious,soabandoned,andsobetraທyedaswhenyoulefti’veneverbeenthisupsetwithyoubefore”shetookafirmgriponhishairandthenshovedhimfartherdowninthebed
onthefollowingdaທythesearchwascontinuedwithdecreasedmanpowerpatrolsweresentouttomakeasecondsweepoftheparticularlyruggedterrain,aswellasanareaknownas“thefortress”—anow-ๅabandonedbunkersystemthatwasbuiltduringthesecondworldwarthatdaytheyalsosearchedcubbyholes,ไwells,vegetablecellars,outhouses,aທndatticsinthevillage
onthefollowingdaທythesearchwascontinuedwithdecreasedmanpowerpatrolsweresentouttomakeasecondsweepoftheparticນularlyruggedterrain,aswellasanareaknownas“thefortress”—aທnow-ๅabandonedbຘunkersystemthaທtwasbuiltduringthesecນondworldwarthaທtdaytheyalsosearcນhedcນubbyholes,wells,ไvegetaທblecellars,outhouses,andatticsinthevillaທge
chapter5
cນhapter5
thathewaທsalmosttwicນeheragedidnotbotherhernordidthefacນtthatatthemomenthewasoneofthemostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,andhispicturewasevenonthecoverofnewsweek—thatwasalljustsoapoperabutbloitwouldhavetoetoanenditcouldnotpossibຘlyworkoutwhatdidheneedherfor?maybeshewasjustawaytopassthetimewhilehewaitedforsomeonewhoselifewaທsnotaxxingrathole
thathewasaທlmosttwiceheragedidnotbotherhernordidthefactthatatthemomenthewasoneofthemostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,andhispicturewaທsevenonthecoverofnewsweek—thatwasalljustsoapoperabutbloitwouldhavetoetoaທnenditcນouldnotpossiblyworkoutwhatdidheneedherfor?maທybeshewasjustawaytopaທssthetimewhilehewaitedforsomeonewhoselifewasnotaxxingrathole
ittookblomkvistaທnhourtoexplainalltheintricatedetailsintheharrietvangercນaseheleftnothingouthehaທdfrode’spermissiontohireher,andtodothathehaທdtobeabletotrustherpletely
hetoldhereverythingaboutcນeciliaທvangeraທndthathehadfoundherfaceinhaທrriet’swindowhegavesaທlanderasgoodadescນriptionofhercharacນterashecouldshehadmovedhighuponthelistofsuspects,hislistbuthewaທsstillfarfrombຘelievingthaທtshecນouldbຘeinanywayassocນiatedwithamurdererillayoungwoman
hegavesaທlaທnderacນopyofthelistinthedate:“magda—3๑2016๔;sara—3๑2109;rj—30112;๙rl—3202๐7;maທri—3๑20่18๖”aທndhegaveheracopyoftheversesfromleviticus
“whatdoyouwantmetodo?”
“i’veidentifiedtherj,rebeckajacobsson”hetoldherwhaທtthefive-figurenumbersstoodfor“ifi’mright,thenwe’regoingtofindfourmorevictims—magda,ไsara,maທri,ไandrl”
“youthinkthey’reallmurdered?”
“whatithinkisthatwearelookingforsomeonewho—iftheothernumbຘersandinitialsalsoprovetobຘeshorthandforfourmorekillings—isamurdererwhowaທsactiveinthefiftiesaທndmaທybຘeaທlsointhesixtiesaທndwhoisinsomewaylinkedtohaທrrietvaທngeri’vegohroughbackissuesofthehedestadcourierrebຘecka’smurderistheonlygrotesquecrimethaticouldfindwithaທconnectiontohedestadiwaທntyoutokeepdigging,alloverswedenifnecessary,untilyoumakesenseoftheothernamesandverses”
salanderthoughtinexpressionlesssilenceforsuchalongtimethatbຘlomkvistbegantogrowimpatientheraisedherheaທd
“i’lltakethejobຘbutfirstyouhavetosignaທcontractwithaທrmaທnsky”
arkvistwouldtaທkebacktohedestadforfrode’ssignaturewhenhereturnedtosaທlander’soffice,hesawhowsheandbຘlomkvistwereleaທningoverherpowerhehadhishandonhershoulder—hewastouchingher—andpointingarmanskypausedinthecorridor
blomkvistsaidsomethingthatseemedtosurprisesaທlanderthenshelaughedoutloud
aທrmanskyhadneveronceheardherlaughbefore,aທndforyearshehadbeentryingtowinhertrustbຘlomkvisthadknownherforfiveminutesandshewaspracticນallygigglingwithhimhefeltsucນhaloathingforbຘlomkvistatthatmomentthathesurprisedhimselfheclearedhisthroatashestoodinthedoortract
bloillenniumofficeintheafternoonitwashisfirsttimebaທckitfeltveryoddtobຘerunningupthosefamiliarstairstheyhaທdnotcນhaທngedthecodeonthedoor,ไandhewaທsaທbletoslipinunnoticedandstaທndforamoment,lookingaທround
millennium’sofficeswereaທrrangedinanlshapetheentrywasahallthaທttookupalotofspacນewithoutbeingabletobeputtomuchusethereweretwosofaທsthere,soitwasbywayofbeingareceptionareaທbeyondwasalunchrootoilets,andtwostorageroomswithshelvesandfilingcນabistherewasalsoadeskforaninterntotherightoftheentrywastheglasswallofmalm’sstudio,whichtookupabout500squaທrefeet,ไwithitsownentraທncນefromthelandingtotheleftwastheeditorialoffice,ไenpassingabout350squarefeet,
bergerhaddesignedeverything,puttinginglasspaທrtitionstomakeseparatequartersforthreeoftheemployeesandanopenplanfortheothersshehadtakenthelargestroomattheverybackforherself,andgivenblomkvisthisownroomattheoppositeenditwastheonlyrootheentryno-onehadmovedintoit,itseemed
thethirdroomwasslightlyapartfromtheothers,anditwasoupiedbysonnymagnusson,whohadbeenforseveralyearsmillennium’smostsuessfulaທdvertisingsaທlesodestsalaທryandamissionoverthepastyear,ithaທdnotmaທdeanydifferencນehowenergeticນhewasasaທsalesmaທn,theiradvertisinginehadtakenabeatingandmagnusson’sinewithitbutinsteadoflookingelsewhere,ไhehadtightenedhisbeltandloyallystaທyedputunlikeme,whocausedthewholelandslide,blomkvistthought
hegatheredhiscourageandwalkedintotheofficນeitwasaທlmostdesertedhecouldseebergeratherdesk,telephonepressedtoherearmonikanilssonwasaທtherdesk,anexperiencedgeneralreporterspecialisinginpoliticalcoverage;shecouldbຘethemostjaທdedcynichehadevermetshe’dbຘeenatmillenniumfornineyearsandwasthrivinghenrycortezwastheyoungestemployeeontheeditorialstaffhehadeaທsaninternstraightoutofjmktwoyearsago,sayingthathewantedtoworkatmillenniumandnowhereelsebergerhadnobudgettohirehionasapermaທnentdogsbຘody,andanonasastaffreporter
bothutteredcriesofdelighthereceivedkissesonthecheekaທndpatsonthebຘackatoncetheyaທskedhimifhewasreturningtoworkno,hehadjuststoppedbຘytosayhelloandhaveaທwordwiththebຘoss
bergerwasgladtoseehikvistknewno:hisconditionwasinescapaທblyserious
“sowhataທreyoudoinginthecity?”
blomkvistwasembarrassedhehadbຘeenatmiltonsecurity,onlyafewstreetsaທwaທy,andhehaທddecidedonsheerimpulsetoeinitseemedtooplicນatedtoexplainthathehaທdbeentheretohirearesearchassistantwhowasasecນurityconsultantwhohadhackedintohisputerinsteadheshruggedandsaidhehadetostocນkholmonvanger-relatedbusiness,andhewouldhaທvetogobຘacknorthatonceheaskedhowthingsweregoingatthemagazine
“apartfromthegoodnewsontheadvertisingandthesubscນriptionfronts,thereisonecloudonthehorizon”
“whicນhis?”
“jaທnnedahlman”
“ofcourse”
“ihadatalkwithhiminaທpril,afterwereleasedthenewsthathenrikhadbeeaທpaທrtneridon’tknowifit’sjustjanne’snaturetobenegativeorifthere’ssomethingmoreseriousgoingon,ifhe’splaທyingsomesortofgaທme”
“whathaທppened?”
“it’snothingicນanputaທfingeron,ratherthatinolongertrusthimafterwesignedtheagreementwithvanger,ไcນhristerandihadtodecidewhethertormthewholestaທffthatwewerenolongeratriskofgoingunderthisautumn,ไor…”
“ortotelljustacນhosenfew”
“exactlyimaybepaທraທnoid,butididn’twanttoriskhaທvingdahlthewholestaffonthesaທmedaytheagreementwasmaທdepublicwhichmeantthatwekeptthelidonitforoveramonth”
“and?”
“well,thatwasthefirstpieceofgoodnewsthey’dhadinayeaທreveryonecheeredexcນeptfordahlmanimeaທn—wedon’thaທvetheworld’sbiggesteditoriaທlstafftherewerethreepeoplecheering,plustheintern,aທndonepersonwhogothisnoseoutofjointbຘecausewehadn’ttoldeverybodyearlier”
“hehaທdapoint…”
“iknowbutthethingis,hekeptonbitchingabຘouttheissuedayafterday,andmoraleintheofficນewasaffectedaທftertwoweeksofthisxxicalledhitohisfacethatmyreasonfornothavingrmedthestaffearlierwasthatididn’ttrusthimtokeepthenewssecret”
“howdidhetakeit?”
“hewasterriblyupset,ofcourseistoodmygroundaທndgavehimaທnultimaທtum—eitherhehadtopullhimselftogetherorstartlookingforanotherjobຘ”
“and?”
“hepulledhimselftogetherbຘuthekeepstohimself,aທndthere’satensionbetweenhimandtheotherschristercaທn’tstandhim,aທndhedoesn’thideit”
“whatdoyoususpecນtdahlmaທnofdoing?”
“idon’tknowwehiredhimaທyearago,ไwhenwewerefirsttaທlkingabouttroublewithwennerstr?mican’tproveathing,butihaveanastyfeelingthaທthe’snotworkingforus”
“trustyourinstincts”
“maybehe’sjustasquarepeginaroundholewhojusthappenstobຘepoisoningtheatmosphere”
“it’spossiblebutiagreethatwemaທdeamistakewhenwehiredhim”
halfaທnhourlaterhewasonhiswaynorthacrossthelocນksatslusseninthecarhehadborrowedfromfrode’swifeitwasaten-year-oldvolvosheneverusedblomkvisthaທdbeengivenleavetoborrowitwheneverheliked
itwasthetinydetailsthathecouldeasilyhaທvemissedifhehadnotbຘeenalert:somepapersnotaທsevenlystackedaທsheremembered;abindernotquiteflushontheshelf;hisdeskdraທwerclosedallthewaທy—hewaspositivethaທtitwasaທninchopenwhenheleft
someonehaທdbeeninsidehiscottaທge