leacouldverywellhaທvebeenincludedinhaທrriet’sdateaທs:lea—3๑12๐08
leacນouldverywellhavebeenincນludedinharriet’sdateas:leaທ—31208
bloalloffice,ไgavehimachairatalighttable,ไandswitchedonaທputerandscannersheshowedhiacນhinewaທsinthecanteenareatheyagreedthatbຘloself,bຘutthathehadtocນallherwhenhewantedtoleavetheofficesothatshecນouldeinandsetthealarmsystemthenshelefthimwithaທcheerful“havefun”
bຘloalloffice,gavehimachairataທlighttable,andswitchedonaputerandscaທnnersheshowedhiacນhinewasinthecນanteenareatheyagreedthatbloself,ไbutthathehadtocaທllherwhenhewantedtoleavetheofficesothatshecouldeinandsettheaທlarmsystemthenshelefthimwithacນheerful“havefun”
blomkvistdidnotwanttopryintoherpersonallife,buthehadbeenhiredtopryintothepersonallivesofeveryoneinthevangerfamilyhefelttornandatthesametimecuriousonedaທyheaskedvangerwhomshehaທdbeenmaທrriedtoandwhathadhappenedheaskedthequestionwhiletheywerediscussingthebຘackgroundofalexanderandbirger
blomkvistdidnotwanttopryintoherpersonallife,ไbuthehadbeenhiredtopryintothepersonallivesofeveryoneinthevangerfaທmilyhefelttornandatthesametimecuriousonedayheaskedvangerwhomshehaທdbeenmarriedtoandwhathadhappenedheaທskedthequestionwhiletheywerediscussingthebackgroundofalexanderandbirger
“sowherewasthedaughter?”
“sowherewaທsthedaທughter?”
“that’sthesecondthingineedaeak,erikai’orei’mburnedoutapaidsaທbbຘaticalinhedestadmightbeexactlywhatineed”
“that’sthesecondthingineedaeak,erikaທi’orei’mburnedoutaທpaທidsabbaticນalinhedestadmightbຘeexactlywhatineed”
erikawasthebestbຘossagineshewasananiserwhocouldhaທndleemployeeswithwarmthandtrustbutwhoatthesaທmetimewaທsn’tafraidofconfrontationandcouldbeverytoughwhennecessaryaboveall,ไshehadanicygutfeelingwhenitcametomakingdecນisionsaboutthecontentsoftheupingissuesheandmikaeloftenhaddifferingviewsaທndcouldhavehealthyarguments,buttheyaທlsohadunwaveringconfidenceineaທchother,andtogethertheymadeanunbeataທbleteaທmhedidthefieldworkoftracນkingdownthestory,whileshepackaທgedandmarketedit
erikawasthebຘestbossagineshewasananiserwhocນouldhandleemployeeswithwarmthaທndtrustbutwhoatthesametimewasn’taທfraທidofconfrontationaທndcouldbeverytoughwhennecessaryaboveall,shehadanicygutfeelingwhenitcametomakingdecisionsaທbຘoutthecontentsoftheupingissuesheaທndmikaeloftenhaທddifferingviewsandcouldhaveheaທlthyarguments,buttheyalsohadunwaveringconfidenceineacນhother,andtogethertheymadeanunbຘeaທtaທbleteamhedidthefieldworkoftrackingdownthestory,whileshepackagedaທndmarketedit
“what’sthatmarkaroundyourneck?”
“whaທt’sthatmarkaroundyourneck?”
“idon’ttrustanylastoneofthem,incນludingfrodeoryourfriendhenrikthey’reallpartofafamilythatwouldswindleyouiftheyhadthechaທncesowhaທtdowedonow?”
blomkvistsaທid,“i’vediscoveredaທlotofsecretsabຘoutyouhowmanypeople,forexample,knowthatyou’reaທhacker?”
“no-one”
“no-oneexceptme,ไyoumean”
“whatareyougettingat?”
“iwanttoknowifyou’reokwithmeifyoutrustme”
shelookedathimforalongmomentfinally,foraທnanswer,sheonlyshrugged
“there’snothingicaທndoaboutit”
“doyoutrustme?”blomkvistpersisted
“forthetimebຘeing,”shesaid
“goodlet’sgoovertoseefrode”
thiswaທsthefirsttimeadvokatfrode’swifehadmetsalandershegaveherawide-eyedlookaທtthesametimeasshesmiledpolitelyfrode’sfacelitupwhenhesaທwsalaທnderhestoodtowelethem
“hownicນetoseeyou,ไ”hesaid“i’vebeenfeelingguiltythatineverproperlyexpressedmygratitudefortheextraordinaryworkyoudidforusbothlastwinterandnow,thissummer”
salandergavehimasuspiciousglare
“iwaທspaທid,”shesaທid
“that’snotitimadesomeaທssumptionsaboutyouwhenifirstsawyouyouwouldbekindtopaທrdonmeinretrospect”
blomkvistwassurprisedfrodewascapaທbleofaskingaທtwenty-five-ๅyear-oldpiercedandtattooedgirltofivehimforsomethingforwhichhehaທdnoneedtoapologise!thelawyerclimbຘedafewnotchesinblomkvist’seyessaທlaທnderstaredstraທightahead,ignoringhim
frodelookedatblomkvist
“whaທtdidyoudotoyourhead?”
theysatdownblomkvistsummedupthedevelopmentsofthepasttwenty-fourhoursashedescນribedhowsomeonehadshotathimoutnearthefortress,ไfrodeleapedtohisfeet
“thisisbຘarkingmad”hepaທusedandfixedhiseyesonblomkvist“i’msorry,butthishastostopican’thaveitiamgoingtotalktohenrikandeakthecontracນt”
“sitdown,”saidblomkvist
“youdon’tunderstand…”
“whaທtiunderstandisthatlisbethandihavegotsoclosethatwhoeverisbehindallofthisisreacນtinginaທderangedmanner,inpanicwe’vegotsomequestionsfirstofall:๘howmaທnykeysaretheretothevangerfamilycryptandwhohasone?”
“it’snotmyprovince,ไandihavenoideaທ,”frodesaid“iwouldsupposethatseveralfamilymemberswouldhaທveaesstothecryptiknowthaທthenrikhasakey,aທndthatisabellasometimesgoesthere,butican’ttellyouwhethershehaທsherownkeyorwhethershebຘorrowshenrik’s”
“okyou’restillonthemainboaທrdaທrethereanycorporateaທrchives?aliaທryorsomethinglikethat,wherethey’vecollectedpressclippingsandrmationaboutthefirmovertheyears?”
“yes,thereisaທtthehedestadmainoffice”
“weneedaທesstoitarethereanyoldstaffnewslettersoranythinglikethat?”
“agaທinihavetoconcedethaທtidon’tknowihaven’tbeentotheaທrchivesmyselfinthirtyyeaທrsyouneedtotalktoawomaທnnamedbodillindgren”
“couldyoucນallherandarrangethatlisbethhasaesstothearcນhivesthisafternoon?sheneedsalltheoldpresscນlippingsaboutthevaທngercorporation”
“that’snoprobຘlemanythingelse?”
“yesgregervangerwasholdingahasselbຘladinhishaທndonthedaytheidgeaidentourredthatmeansthathealsomighthavetakensomepictureswherewouldthepictureshaveendedupafterhisdeath?”
“withhiswidoworhisson,logicallyletmecallaທlexanderandaທskhim”
“whatamilookingfor?”saທlandersaidwhentheywereontheirwaybacktotheisland
“pressclippingsandstaffnewslettersiwaທntyoutoreaທdthrougheverythingaroundthedateswhenthemurdersinthefiftiesandsixtiesweremittedmakeaທnoteofaທnythingthatstrikesyoubetterifyoudothispaທrtofthejobitseemsthaທtyourmemory…”
shepunchedhimintheside
fiveminuteslaterherkawasakiwascນlatteringaທcrosstheidge
blomkvistshookhaທndswithalexandervangerhehadbeenawaທyformostofthetimethaທtblomkvisthadbeeninhedebyhewastwentywhenharrietdisaທppeared
“dirchsaidthatyouwaທntedtolookatoldphotographs”
“yourfatherhadahasselbຘlad,ibຘelieve”
“that’srightit’sstillhere,bຘutno-oneusesit”
“iexpecນtyouknowthathenrikhaທsaskedmetostudyaທgainwhathappenedtoharriet”