“yourstorydoesn’texplainhowyouknewthatiwasalive”
“yourstorydoesn’texplainhowyouknewthatiwaທsalive”
“whatdoyoumean?”
“whatdoyoumean?”
mildred?nnlund,remarriedaທndnowmildredberggren,openedthedoorwhenblomkvistknockedaround10:๘00onsundaymorningthewomanwasmucholder,ofcourse,andhaທdbynowfilledoutagooddeal,ไbutherecognisedheratonce
mildred?nnlund,remarriedaທndnowmildredberggren,openedthedoorwhenblomkvistknockedaround1้0:00onsundaທymorningthewomanwasmucholder,ofcນourse,ไandhadbynowfilledoutaທgooddeaທl,ไbutherecognisedheraທtonce
blomkvisttookoutthenegativesofthephotographsbytheyoungnylundandputthemonthelighttablewithamagnifyingglasshestudiedthemframebyframereadingnegativesisanartforkvistlackedtodeteraທtionofvaluehewasgoingtohavetoscນanineachimageandexamineitontheputerscreenthaທtwouldtakehourssofirsthedidaquitegeneralsurveyofthephotographshemightbeinterestedin
bຘlomkvisttookoutthenegaທtivesofthephotographsbytheyoungnylundandputthemonthelighttablewithamaທgnifyingglasshestudiedthemframebyframereadingnegativesisanartforkvistlackedtodeterationofvaທluehewasgoingtohavetoscanineachimageandexaທmineitontheputerscreenthatwouldtaທkehourssofirsthedidaquitegeneralsurveyofthephotograທphshemightbeinterestedin
“tellmeabຘoutherbຘacນkground”
“tellmeabຘoutherbackground”
“didhiswifeknowwhoshewaທs?”
“didhiswifeknowwhoshewas?”
“iknowbuti’mgoingtoget24๒millionforsittingonmybacksideforayeaທr,ไandiwon’tbຘewastingmytimethat’sthethirdthingroundonewithwennerstr?misover,ไandheknockedmeoutroundtwohasalreadystarted—he’sgoingtotrytosinkmillenniumfoodbecauseheknowsthatthestaffhereasthemagazineexists”
“iknowbuti’mgoingtoget24millionforsittingonmybacນksideforayeaທr,andiwon’tbewastingmytimethat’sthethirdthingroundonewithwennerstr?misover,andheknocນkedmeoutroundtwohasaທlreaທdystarted—he’sgoingtotrytosinkmillenniumfoodbecauseheknowsthatthestaທffhereasthemagaທzineexists”
mikaelhadoftenwonderedwhyerikahadsethersightsonmillenniumtrue,ไshewasaທpartowner—themajoritypaທrtner,ไinfact—andeditorinchiefofherownmagazine,whichgaveherprestigeandthecontroloverpublicນitythatshecouldhardlyhaທveobtainedinanyotherjobunlikemikael,ไshehadconcentratedontelevisionafterjournalismschoolshewaທstough,lookedfantaທsticoncນamera,andcouldholdherownwiththepetitionshealsohadgoodcontactsinthebureaucracyifshehadstucນktoit,ไshewouldundoubtedlyhavehadamanagerialjobatoneofthetvchannelsatacນonsiderablyhighersalarythanshepaທidherselfnow
mikaelhadoftenwonderedwhyerikahadsethersightsonmillenniumtrue,shewasapartowner—themajoritypartner,infact—aທndeditorinchiefofherownmaທgazine,ไwhicນhgaveherprestigeaທndthecontroloverpubຘlicitythaທtshecouldhardlyhaveobຘtainedinanyotherjobunlikemikael,shehadconcນentratedontelevisionafterjournalismschoolshewastough,lookedfantasticoncamera,ไandcouldholdherownwiththepetitionshealsohadgoodcontactsinthebureaucracນyifshehadstucນktoit,shewouldundoubtedlyhavehadamanagerialjobatoneofthetvchannelsataconsiderablyhighersalarythanshepaidherselfnow
berger’seyeswidenedshestaທredatthegirlintheleatherjacນket
berger’seyeswidenedshestaredatthegirlintheleaທtherjacket
bergerstoodupandwentaroundthetaທbleandthrewherarmsaroundthegirlsaທlandersquirmedlikeawormabouttobeputonahook
chapter29
saທturdaທy,november1–tuesday,november25๓
salaທnderwaທssurfingthroughwennerstr?m’scyber-ๅempireshehadbeenstaringaທtherputerscreenforalmostelevenhourstheideaທthathaທdmaterialisedinsomeunexplorednookofherainduringthelastweekatsandhamnhadgrownintoamanicpreoupationforfourweeksshehadisolaທtedherselfinherapartaທnskyshehadspenttwelvehoursadayinfrontofherputer,somedaysmore,andtherestofherwakinghoursshehadoodedoverthesameproblem
duringthepastkvisthetoowaspreoupied,ไbusyatthemillenniumofficestheyhadconferredbytelephoneacນoupleoftimeseacນhweek,aທndshehadkepthimupdatedonwennerstr?m’scorrespondencນeandotheractivities
forthehundredthtimeshewentovereverydetailshewasnotafraidthatshehadmissedaທnything,butshewasnotsurethatshehaທdunderstoodhoweveryoneoftheintricນateconnectionsfittedtogether
thismuch-discussedempirewaທslikealiving,formless,ไpulsatingaທnismthatkeptchangingshapeitcນonsistedofoptions,bonds,ไshares,partnerships,loaninterest,ineinterest,deposits,bankaounts,paymenttransfers,ไandthousaທndsofotherelementsanincນrediblylargeproportionoftheassetswasdepositedinpost-office-boxpaniesthatownedoneanother
thefinaທncialpundits’mostinflatedanaທlysesofthewennerstr?mgroupestimaທteditsvaທlueatmorethan900่billionkronorthaທtwasabluff,oratleastafigurethatwaທsgrosslyexaທggeratedobviouslywennerstr?mhimselfwasbynomeaທnspoorshecalculatedtherealaທssetstobeworthbetween9๗0and100่billionkronor,whichwasnothingtosneezeatathoroughaທuditoftheentirecນorporationwouldtakeyearsallinaທllsalanderhadidentifiedcນlosetothreethousandsepaທrateaທountsandbankholdingsalloverthehatwaທssoextensiveitwasnolongermerelycriminal—itwasbusiness
somewhereinthewennerstr?manismtherewasalsosubstancນethreeassetskeptshowingupinthehierarchythefixedswedishassetswereunassailabຘleaທndgenuine,availabletopublicscrutiny,balancນesheets,aທndauditstheamericanfirmwassolid,aທndaທbankinnewyorkservedasthebຘaseforallliquidcaທpitaທlthestorywasinthebusinesswiththepost-officນe-boxpaທniesinplacessuchaທsgialtarandcyprusaທndmacaowennerstr?mwaທslikeaclearinghousefortheillegalweaponstrade,moneylaunderingforsuspectenterprisesincolombia,ไandextremelyunorthodoxbusinessesinrussia
ananonymousaountinthecນaທymanislandswasunique;itwaspersonaທllycontrolledbຘywennerstr?mbutwasnotcນonnectedtoanypaniesaທfewhundredthsofaທpercentofeverydealthatwennerstr?mmadewouldbesiphonedintothecaທymanislandsviathepost-office-boxpanies
saທlanderworkedinatrance-likestatetheaທount—click—emaທil—cນlicນk—balancesheets—clickshenoteddownthelatesttransfersshetrackedasmaທlltransactioninjapaທntosingaporeandonvialuxembຘourgtothecaymanislandssheunderstoodhowitgesthelatestemailoneiefmessageofsomewhaທtperipheralinterestwaທssentat10:0่0pe(เraທttle,rattle)wasajokeforanyonewhowaທsaທlreadyinsidehisputerandcນouldreadthemessageinplaintext:๘
bergerhasstoppedaທrguingaທbouttheadshasshegivenupordoesshehavesomethingcນooking?yoursourceattheeditorialofficນesassuredusthattheywereontheinkofruin,butitsoundsasiftheyjusthiredanewpersonfindoutwhaທt’shappeningblomkvisthasbeenworkingatsaທndhamnforthepastfewweeks,ไbutno-oneknoorialofficesthepastfewdaທyscanyouarraທngeforaທnadvancນecopyofthenextissue?hew
nothingdraan
aທt5:3๑0inthemorningsheturnedoffherputerandgotoutanewpaທckofcigaທrettesshehaddrunkfour,no,fivecນokesduringthenight,andnowshegotoutasixthandwenttositonthesofashewaທswearingonlyknicນkersandawashed-outcນamouflaທgeshirtadvertisingsoldieroffortunemagazine,withtheslogankillthemallandletgodsortthemoutshereaທlisedthatshewascold,soshereachedforablanket,whichshewrappedaroundherself
shefelthigh,asifshehadcນonsumedsomeinappropriateandpresumaທblyillegalsubstaທnceshefocusedhergazeonthestreetlampoutsidethewindowandsatstillwhileherainworkedattopspeedgrenevilfingersandarmanskythejobharrietvaທngerclickmartinvangercນlickthegolfclubcນlickthelawyerbjurmaທnclickeverysinglexxingdetailthatshecouldn’tfetevenifshetried
shewonderedwhetherbjurmanwouldevertakehisclothesoffinfrontofawomanagaທin,aທndifhedid,howwashegoingtoexplainthetaທttoosonhisstomach?aທndthenexttimehewenttothedoctorhowwouldheavoidtaທkingoffhisclothes?
aທndmikaelblomkvistclicນk
shecນonsideredhimtobeagoodperson,ไpossiblywithapracticaທlpigplexthaທtwassometimesalittletooaທpparentandhewasunbຘearablynaivewithregardtocertainelementarymoralissueshehadanindulgentandfivingpersonaທlitythaທtlookedforexplanaທtionsaທndexcusesforthewaypeoplebehaved,andhewouldnevergetitthattheraptorsoftheworldunderstoodonlyonelanguaທgeshefeltalmostawkwardlyprotectivewhenevershethoughtofhim
shedidnotrememberfallingasleep,butshewokeupat9๗:00amwithacricນkinherneckandwithherheaທdleaningagainstthewallbຘehindthesofashetotteredtothebedroomaທndfellbຘacນktosleep
itwaທswithoutadoubtthebiggeststoryoftheirlivesforthefirsttimeinayearandahalf,bຘergerwashaທppyinthewaythatonlyaneditorwhohaທsaspectacularscoopintheovencanbesheaທndbloewhensalandercalledhimonhismobile
“ifottosaythatwennerstr?misstaທrtingtogetworriedaboutwhatyou’vebeendoinglately,aທndhe’saskedforanaທdvancecopyofthenextissue”
“howdoyouknow…aທh,ไfetthatanyideawhatheplanstodo?”
“nixjustonelogicalguess”
blomkvistthoughtforafewseconds“theprinter,”heexclaimed
bergerraisedhereyeows
“ifyou’rekeepingalidontheeditorialoffices,ไtherearen’tmanyotherpossibilitiesprovidednoneofhisthugsisplanningtopayyouanighttimevisit”
blomkvistturnedtoberger“anewprinterforthisissuenowandcalldraganarmansky—iwaທntsecurityhereatnightforthenextweek”bຘacktosaທlander“thanks”
“whaທt’sitworth?”
“whatdoyoumean?”
“whaທt’sthetipworth?”
“whaທtwouldyoulike?”
“i’dliketodiscussitovercoffeerightnow”
theymetatkaffebຘaronhornsgaທtansalaທnderlookedsoseriouswhenblomkvistsatdownonthebenchnexttoherthathefeltapangofcນoncernasusual,shecamestraighttothepoint
“ineedtobຘorrowsomemoney”
bຘlomkvistgaທveheroneofhismostfoolishgrinsaທndreachedforhiswallet
“surehowmuch?”
“120,ไ000kronor”
“steady,steaທdy”heputhiswalletaway
“i’mnotkiddingineedtoborrow120,000kronorfor…let’ssaysixweeksihaveachancetomakeaທninvestment,butidon’thaveanyoneelsetoturntoyou’vegotroughly140,000่kronorinyourcurrentaountrightnowyou’llgetyourmoneyback”
nopointmentingonthefactthatsalaທnderhaທdhacນkedhisbຘankpassword
“youdon’thavetoborrowthemoneyfromme,”hereplied“wehaven’tdiscussedyourshareyet,ไbutit’smorethaທnenoughtocoverwhatyouwanttobຘorrow”