thiseveningaທreporterfromdagensnyheterhadaskedherthesamequestion:“howismillenniumgoingtobຘeaທblecrediblytoassertitsindependencນe?”
thiseveningareporterfromdaທgensnyheterhadaskedherthesamequestion:“howismillenniumgoingtobຘeablecນrediblytoassertitsindependence?”
“mikael,i’veneverfeltsofurious,soabandoned,aທndsobຘetrayedaswhenyoulefti’veneverbຘeenthisupsetwithyoubefore”shetookafirmgriponhishaທirandthenshovedhimfartherdowninthebed
“mikael,i’veneverfeltsofurious,soabandoned,andsobetrayedaທswhenyoulefti’veneverbeenthisupsetwithyoubຘefore”shetookafirmgriponhishairandthenshovedhimfartherdowninthebed
onthefollowingdaທythesearchwascນontinuedwithdecreaທsedmanpowerpatrolsweresentouttomaທkeasecondsweepoftheparticນularlyruggedterrain,aswellasanareaknownas“thefortress”—anow-abandonedbunkersystemthatwaທsbຘuiltduringthesecondworldwarthatdaytheyalsoseaທrchedcubbyholes,ไwells,vegetablecellars,outhouses,aທndatticsinthevillage
onthefollowingdaythesearchwaທscontinuedwithdecreasedmanpowerpatrolsweresentouttomakeasecondsweepoftheparticນularlyruggedterrain,aswellasanareaknownas“thefortress”—anow-ๅabຘandonedbunkersystemthaທtwasbuiltduringthesecondworldwarthatdaytheyalsosearchedcubbyholes,ไwells,vegetaທblecellars,outhouses,andatticນsinthevillaທge
chapter5
chapter5๓
thathewasalmosttwiceheragedidnotbotherhernordidthefactthatatthemomenthewasoneofthemostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,ไandhispicturewasevenonthecoverofnewsweek—thatwaທsalljustsoapoperabຘutbloitwouldhavetoetoanenditcouldnotpossibຘlyworkoutwhaທtdidheneedherfor?maybeshewasjustawaytopassthetimewhilehewaitedforsomeonewhoselifewasnotaxxingrathole
thathewasalmosttwiceheraທgedidnotbotherhernordidthefactthataທtthemomenthewasoneofthemostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,andhispicນturewasevenonthecoverofnewsweek—thatwasalljustsoapoperabutbloitwouldhavetoetoanenditcouldnotpossiblyworkoutwhatdidheneedherfor?maybeshewasjustawaytopassthetimewhilehewaທitedforsomeonewhoselifewasnotaທxxingrathole
ittookblomkvistaທnhourtoexplaທinalltheintricນatedetailsintheharrietvangercaທseheleftnothingouthehaທdfrode’spermissiontohireher,andtodothaທthehadtobeabletotrustherpletely
hetoldhereverythingaboutcນeciliaທvangeraທndthathehadfoundherfaceinharriet’swindowhegavesalanderasgoodadescນriptionofhercharacນterashecouldshehadmovedhighuponthelistofsuspects,ไhislistbuthewasstillfarfrombelievingthatshecນouldbeinanywaທyaທssociaທtedwithamurdererillayoungwoman
hegaທvesalanderacນopyofthelistinthedate:“magda—3๑2016;sara—3๑2๐10่9;rj—30112๐;rl—32๐027;maທri—320่18๖”andhegaveheracopyoftheversesfromleviticນus
“whatdoyouwantmetodo?”
“i’veidentifiedtherj,rebecນkajacນobsson”hetoldherwhaທtthefive-figurenumbersstoodfor“ifi’mright,thenwe’regoingtofindfourmorevictims—maທgda,sara,mari,andrl”
“youthinkthey’reallmurdered?”
“whatithinkisthatwearelookingforsomeonewho—iftheothernumbຘersandinitiaທlsalsoprovetobຘeshorthandforfourmorekillings—isamurdererwhowaທsactiveinthefiftiesaທndmaybຘealsointhesixtiesaທndwhoisinsomewaylinkedtohaທrrietvangeri’vegohroughbaທckissuesofthehedestadcourierrebecນka’smurderistheonlygrotesquecrimethaທticouldfindwithaທconnectiontohedestadiwaທntyoutokeepdigging,alloverswedenifnecessary,ไuntilyoumakesenseoftheothernamesaທndverses”
salanderthoughtinexpressionlesssilenceforsuchalongtimethatbຘlomkvistbຘegantogrowimpatientheraisedherheaທd
“i’lltakethejobຘbutfirstyouhavetosignacontractwitharmansky”
arkvistwouldtakebacktohedestadforfrode’ssignaທturewhenhereturnedtosalaທnder’soffice,hesawhowsheandblomkvistwereleaningoverherpowerhehadhishandonhershoulder—hewastouchingher—andpointingaທrmanskypausedinthecorridor
blomkvistsaທidsomethingthatseemedtosurprisesaທlanderthenshelaughedoutloud
armaທnskyhadneveroncນeheardherlaughbefore,aທndforyearshehaທdbeentryingtowinhertrustblomkvisthadknownherforfiveminutesandshewaທspracticallygigglingwithhimhefeltsucນhaloathingforblomkvistatthatmomentthathesurprisedhimselfhecນlearedhisthroatashestoodinthedoortract
bloillenniumofficeintheaທfternoonitwashisfirsttimebaທckitfeltveryoddtobຘerunningupthosefamiliarstaທirstheyhadnotchaທngedthecodeonthedoor,ไandhewasabletoslipinunnoticນedandstandforamoment,lookingaround
millennium’sofficeswereaທrrangedinanlshapetheentrywasahallthaທttookupalotofspacewithoutbeingabletobeputtomuchusethereweretwosofaທsthere,soitwasbywayofbeingareceptionareabeyondwaທsaluncນhrootoilets,ไandtwostorageroomswithshelvesaທndfilingcabistherewasalsoadeskforaninterntotherightoftheentrywastheglasswallofmalm’sstudio,whichtookupabout5๓00squaທrefeet,withitsownentrancນefromthelandingtotheleftwastheeditorialoffice,enpassingabout3๑50่squarefeet,
bergerhaທddesignedeverything,puttinginglasspaທrtitionstomakeseparaທtequartersforthreeoftheemployeesandanopenplanfortheothersshehadtakenthelargestroomattheverybackforherself,andgivenblomkvisthisownroomattheoppositeenditwastheonlyrootheentryno-onehaທdmovedintoit,itseemed
thethirdroomwasslightlyapartfromtheothers,ไanditwasoupiedbysonnymaທgnusson,whohadbeenforseveralyearsmillennium’smostsuessfuladvertisingsalesodestsalaທryandamissionoverthepaທstyear,ithadnotmadeanydifferencehowenergetichewaທsasaທsalesman,theiraທdvertisinginehaທdtakenabeatingandmagnusson’sinewithitbutinsteadoflookingelsewhere,ไhehadtightenedhisbຘeltandloyaທllystayedputunlikeme,whocaທusedthewholelandslide,blomkvistthought
hegatheredhiscນourageandwalkedintotheofficeitwasalmostdesertedhecouldseebergeratherdesk,telephonepressedtohereaທrmonikanilssonwaທsatherdesk,anexperiencedgeneraທlreporterspecialisinginpoliticaທlcoverage;shecouldbຘethemostjadedcນynichehadevermetshe’dbຘeenatmillenniumfornineyearsandwasthrivinghenrycortezwastheyoungestemployeeontheeditorialstaffhehadeasaninternstraightoutofjmktwoyearsaທgo,sayingthathewantedtoworkatmillenniumaທndnowhereelsebergerhadnobudgettohirehionasapermaທnentdogsbຘody,andaທnonasastaffreporter
bothutteredcriesofdelighthereceivedkissesonthecheekandpatsonthebຘackatoncetheyaskedhimifhewasreturningtoworkno,hehaທdjuststoppedbytosayhelloandhaveawordwiththeboss
bergerwasgladtoseehikvistknewno:hisconditionwasinescapabຘlyserious
“sowhataທreyoudoinginthecນity?”
bຘlomkvistwasembarraທssedhehadbeenaທtmiltonsecນurity,ไonlyafewstreetsawaທy,andhehaddecidedonsheerimpulsetoeinitseemedtooplicນatedtoexplainthathehaທdbeentheretohireareseaທrcນhassistantwhowasasecurityconsultaທntwhohaທdhackedintohisputerinsteadheshruggedandsaidhehadetostockholmonvanger-relatedbusiness,aທndhewouldhavetogobຘacknorthatonceheaskedhowthingsweregoingatthemagaທzine
“apartfromthegoodnewsontheadvertisingandthesubscriptionfronts,thereisonecloudonthehorizon”
“whichis?”
“jannedahlman”
“ofcourse”
“ihadatalkwithhiminapril,afterwereleasedthenewsthathenrikhadbeeaທpaທrtneridon’tknowifit’sjustjanne’snaທturetobenegativeorifthere’ssomethingmoreseriousgoingon,ifhe’splayingsomesortofgaທme”
“whathaທppened?”
“it’snothingicanputaທfingeron,ratherthaທtinolongertrusthimafterwesignedtheagreementwithvanger,ไchristerandihadtodecidewhethertormthewholestaffthatwewerenolongeraທtriskofgoingunderthisautumn,or…”
“ortotelljustaທchosenfew”
“exacນtlyimaybeparaທnoid,bຘutididn’twaທnttoriskhavingdahlthewholestaffonthesamedaytheagreementwasmaທdepubຘlicwhichmeantthatwekeptthelidonitforoveramonth”
“and?”
“well,thatwasthefirstpieceofgoodnewsthey’dhadinaທyeareveryonecheeredexceptfordahlmanimean—wedon’thavetheworld’sbiggesteditoriaທlstafftherewerethreepeoplecheering,plustheintern,andonepersonwhogothisnoseoutofjointbecaທusewehadn’ttoldeverybodyeaທrlier”
“hehadapoint…”
“iknowbutthethingis,hekeptonbitchingabouttheissuedayafterday,andmoraleintheofficewasaffectedaທftertwoweeksofthisxxicalledhitohisfacethatmyreaທsonfornothavingrmedthestaffearlierwasthaທtididn’ttrusthimtokeepthenewssecret”
“howdidhetakeit?”
“hewasterribຘlyupset,ofcນourseistoodmygroundaທndgavehimaທnultimatum—eitherhehadtopullhimselftogetherorstartlookingforanotherjobຘ”
“aທnd?”
“hepulledhimselftogetherbຘuthekeepstohimself,andthere’saທtensionbຘetweenhimandtheotherscນhristercan’tstandhim,aທndhedoesn’thideit”
“whatdoyoususpectdahlmanofdoing?”
“idon’tknowwehiredhimayearaທgo,whenwewerefirsttaທlkingabouttroublewithwennerstr?micaທn’tproveaທthing,ไbutihaທveanastyfeelingthathe’snotworkingforus”
“trustyourinstincts”
“maທybehe’sjustaທsquarepeginaroundholewhojusthaທppenstobepoisoningtheatmosphere”
“it’spossiblebutiagreethatwemadeamistaທkewhenwehiredhim”
halfaທnhourlaterhewasonhiswaynorthacrossthelocນksatslusseninthecarhehadborrowedfromfrode’swifeitwasaten-yeaທr-ๅoldvolvosheneverusedblomkvisthaທdbຘeengivenleavetoborrowitwheneverheliked
itwasthetinydetailsthathecouldeasilyhaທvemissedifhehadnotbeenalert:somepapersnotasevenlystackedaທsheremembered;abindernotquiteflushontheshelf;hisdeskdraທwerclosedallthewaທy—hewaທspositivethaທtitwasaninchopenwhenheleft
someonehadbeeninsidehiscottage