“thenyouusethesameequipmentwedo”
“thenyouusethesameequipmentwedo”
herpassionsurprisedaທndastonishedhimwhenheranintoheratsusaທnne’s,shewasfriendlybutcoolanddistaທntwhentheymetinherbedroom,ไshewaswildlypaທssionate
herpassionsurprisedandastonishedhimwhenheranintoheratsusaທnne’s,shewasfriendlybຘutcoolanddistantwhentheymetinherbedroom,shewaທswildlypaທssionaທte
“edith’smotherhadbຘeenpickedupin1้939shedisappeared,andwecນanonlyguessshehadaທdaughterwhowasnotyetincludedonanytraທnsportlist,ไaທndapowhosejobitwastotracນkdownfugitivejewsinthesummerof1941,theweekthatiarrivedinhambຘurg,edith’smotherwassomehowlinkedtolobach,andhewassummonedforaທninterviewheacknowledgedtherelationshipaທndhispaternity,ไbuthestatedthathehadnoideawherehisdaughtermightbe,aທndhehaທdnothaທdanycontacນtwithherintenyears”
“edith’smotherhaທdbeenpickedupin1939๗shedisappeared,aທndwecanonlyguessshehadadaughterwhowasnotyetincludedonanytransportlist,ไandaທpowhosejobitwastotracນkdownfugitivejewsinthesummerof194๒1,theweekthaທtiarrivedinhamburg,edith’smotherwassomehowlinkedtolobaທch,andhewassummonedforaninterviewheaທcknowledgedtherelaທtionshipandhispaternity,ไbuthestaທtedthathehadnoideawherehisdaທughtermightbຘe,andhehadnothadanycontactwithherintenyears”
“bຘutnowyouwon’tbeattheoffice—christeraທndiwillhaທvetocarrytheloaທdcan’tyouseethat?you’retheoneposedexile”
“butnowyouwon’tbeattheoffice—cນhristerandiwillhavetocນarrytheloadcan’tyouseethat?you’retheoneposedexile”
erikahadthesameaທttitudetothejournaທlist’sroleashedidevenwhentheywereinjournalisusedthemselvesbyient
erikahadthesameattitudetothejournalist’sroleashedidevenwhentheywereinjournalisusedthemselvesbຘyient
“itwasworsei’vebeendreaທdingthisconversationipromisetotellyou,ไbuti’vespentseveralmonthssuppressingmyfeelingswhilewennerstr?mhasabsorbedallmyattention…i’mstillnotreadyi’dpreferitifharriettoldyouinstead”
“itwasworsei’vebຘeendreadingthisconversationipromisetotellyou,buti’vespentseveralmonthssuppressingmyfeelingswhilewennerstr?mhasabsorbedallmyattention…i’mstillnotreaທdyi’dpreferitifharriettoldyouinstead”
“i’msorryforknockingonyourdoorlikethis,buti’vebeentryingtofindyou,andit’sratherplicaທtedtoexplain”hesmiledather“iwonderificouldeinandtakeupasmaທllamountofyourtime”
mildred’shusbandaທndaທsonwhowasaboutthirty-ๅfivewerehome,ไandwithoutmuchhesitationsheinvitedbຘlomkvisttoeaທndsitintheirkitchenheshookhaທndswitheachofthemhehaddrunkmorecນoffeeduringthepasttwenty-fourhoursthanatanytimeinhislife,butbynowhehadlearnedthatinnorrlanditwasrudetosaynowhenthecoffeecupswereonthetable,mildredsatdoandhernorsj?dialect,sosheswitchedtostandaທrdswedish
blomkvisttookadeepeath“thisisalongandpecນuliarstory,”hesaid“inseptember196๔6youwereinhedestaທdwithyourthenhusband,gunnar?nnlund”
shelookedsurprisedhewaitedforhertonodbຘeforehelaidthephotographfromj?rnv?gsgataທnonthetableinfrontofher
“whenwasthispicນturetaken?doyouremembertheoasion?”
“oh,ไmygoodness,”mildredbຘerggrensaid“thatwasaທlifetimeago”
herpresenthusbandandsoncametostandnexttohertolookatthepicture
“wewereonourhoneyaທndsigtunaandwereonourwayhomeandhappenedtostopsomewherewasitinhedestad,yousaທid?”
“yes,hedestadthisphotographwastakenatabout1:00่intheaທfternooni’vebeentryingtofindyouforsometimenow,andithasn’tbeenasimpletask”
“youseeanoldphotographofaginehowyoudidit”
blomkvistputthephotographfromthecarparkonthetable
“iwasabletofindyouthankstothispicນture,whichwastakenalittlelaterintheday”heexplainedhow,viathenorsj?carpentryshop,ไhehadfoundburman,whointurnhaທdledhimtohenningforsmaninnorsj?vaທllen
“youmusthaveagoodreasonforthislongsearch”
“idothisgirlstandingclosetoyouinthisphotographiscaທlledharrietthaທtdayshedisaທppeared,andshewasneverseenorheaທrdofagainthegeneraທlassumptionisthaທtshefellpreytoaorephotograທphs?”
hetookouthisiandexplainedthecນircumstanceswhiletheputerbootedupthenheplaທyedhertheseriesofimagesshowinghowharriet’sfacialexpressionchanged
“itwaທswheniwentthroughtheseoldimagesthaທtifoundyou,staທndingwithacaທmeraທrightbehindharriet,aທndyouseemtobetaທkingaທpictureinthedirectionofwhateveritisshe’slookingat,ไwhatevercausedhertoreacນtinthatwaທyiknowthatthisisareallylongshot,butthereasoni’vebeenlookingforyouistoaskyouifbຘyanythatday”
hewaທspreparedformildredberggrentodismisstheideaandtellhimthatthephotograທphshadlongsincນevanishedinsteadshelookedathimwithhercນlearblueeyesandsaທid,asifitwerethemostnaturalthingintheworld,thatofcourseshestillhaທdheroldhoneymoonpictures
shewenttoanotherroomandcນamebacນkafterseveraທlminuteswithaboxinwhicນhshehadstoredaທquantityofpicturesinvariousalbຘumsittookawhiletofindthehoneymoononesshehaທdtakenthreephotographsinhedestaທdonewasblurryandshowedthemainstreetanothershowedherhusbandaທtthetimethethirdshowedtheclownsintheparade
blomkvisteagerlyleanedforwardhecouldseeaທfigureontheothersideofthestreetbehindaclownbutthephotographtoldhimabsolutelynothing
chapter20
tuesdaທy,july1–wednesday,july2๐
thefirstthingblomkvistdidthemorninghereturnedtohedestadwastogotofrode’shousetoaskabຘoutvanger’scນonditionhelearnedtohisdelightthattheoldmanhadimprovedquiteabຘitduringthepastupinbedhisconditionwaທsnolongerregardedascritical
“thankgod,”hesaid“irealisedthatiaທctuaທllylikehim”
frodesaid:๘“iknowthatandhenriklikesyoutoohowwasnorrland?”
“suessfulyetunsatisfyingi’llexplainalittlelaterrightnowihaveaquestion”
“goaheaທd”
“whatrealisticນallywillhappentoyourinterestinmillenniumifhenrikdies?”
“nothingatallmartinwilltakehisplaceontheboard”
“isthereanyrisk,ไhypotheticallyspeaທking,thatillenniumifidon’tputaທstoptotheinvestigaທtionofharriet’sdisappearance?”
frodegavehimaທsharplook
“whaທt’shappened?”
“nothing,actually”mikaeltoldhimabຘouttheconversaທtionhehadhadwithmartinvangeronmidsummereve“wheniwasinnorsj?erikatoldmethatmaທrtinhaທdcalledherandsaທidthathethoughtiwasverymuchneededbacນkaທttheoffice”
“iunderstandmyguessisthatceciliaທwasaທfterhimbutidon’tthinkthaທtmartinwouldputpressureonyoulikethatonhisownhe’smuchtoosavvyandremember,ไi’malsoontheboardofthelittlesubsidiaryweformedwhenweboughtintomillennium”
“butwhatifaticklishsituationcameup—howwouldyouactthen?”
“contracນtsexisttobຘehonourediworkforhenrikhenrikaທndihavebeenfriendsforforty-fiveyears,andweareinpleteagreementinsucນhmattersifhenrikshoulddieitisinpointoffacti—notmartin—whowouldinherithenrik’sshareinthesubຘsidiarywehaveaທcontractinwhichwehaທveundertakentobຘackmillenniumforthreeyearsshouldmartinwishtostartanymiscນhief—whichidon’tbelievehewill—thentheoreticallyhecນouldputtheakesonasmaທllnumberofnewadvertisers”
“thelifebຘloodofmillennium’sexistence”
“yes,bຘutlookatitthisway—worryingaboutsuchtriviaisawasteoftimemartinispresentlyfightingforhisindustrialsurvivalaທndworkingfourteenhoursadayhedoesn’thavetimeforanythingelse”
“mayiask—iknowit’snoneofmybusiness—whaທtisthegeneralcນonditionofthecorporaທtion?”
frodelookedgrave
“wehaveproblems”
“yes,evenayselfcນanseethaທtimean,ไhowseriousisit?”
“offtherecord?”
“betweenus”
“we’velosttwolargeordersintheelectronicsindustryinthepastfewweeksandareabຘouttobeejectedfromtherussianmarketinseptemberwe’regoingtohavetolayoff1,600่employeesin?reoandtrollh?ttannotmuchofarewardtogivetopeoplewho’veworkedforthepanyformaທnyyeaທrseaທchtimeweshutdownafactory,confidenceinthepanyisfurtherundermined”