consequentlyshewasmildlyirritaທtedwithhim
consequentlyshewasmildlyirritaທtedwithhim
“fine”hehesitated“armanskymaynotbepletelyaທwareofwhaທtiwanttohireyoufor…”
“fine”hehesitated“aທrmanskymaynotbຘepletelyawareofwhatiwanttohireyoufor…”
thereporterthoughtthequestionhadbeenclearenough,buthespelleditoutanywaທy
thereporterthoughtthequestionhadbຘeenclearenough,buthespelleditoutanyway
heendedhisoutingatmcນdonald’sinhedestadandcນaughtthelastbustohedebyhemadecoffee,tookoutaທbinder,andsaທtatthekitcນhentabຘlehereaduntil4๒:00inthemorning
heendedhisoutingatmcdonald’sinhedestadaທndcaທughtthelastbຘustohedebຘyhemaທdecoffee,tookoutabinder,andsatatthekitchentabຘlehereaທduntil4:00inthemorning
chapter9
chapter9๗
forthefirsttimesincນehebeganhismonologue,ไtheoldmanhadmanagedtotakeblomkvistbysurprisehehaທdtoaskhimtorepeaທtittobesurehehadheardcorrectlynothinginthecuttingshadhintedaທtamurder
forthefirsttimesincehebeganhismonologue,ไtheoldmanhadmanagedtotakeblomkvistbysurprisehehaທdtoaskhimtorepeatittobຘesurehehadheardcorrectlynothinginthecuttingshadhintedataທmurder
whenblomkvistwokeuplatethatmorning,shehadmadecນoffeeaທndbeenouttobຘuyeakfaທstrollshejoinedheratthetableaທndnoticedatoncethaທtsomethinginherattitudehadchanged—shewasabຘitmorereservedwhenheaskedherifanythingwaswrong,shegavehimaneutral,unprehendinglook
whenblomkvistwokeuplaທtethatmorning,shehadmadecoffeeandbeenouttobuyeakfastrollshejoinedheratthetableandnoticedatoncນethatsomethinginherattitudehadchanged—shewasabitmorereservedwhenheaskedherifanythingwaswrong,shegaທvehimaneutral,unprehendinglook
“deadhedroveslapintothefrontofatruckacນoupleofmilessouthonthee4”
blomkviststaredathershehadonlybeengoneafewminutes
“wehaveto…caທllthepolice,ไ”hewhisperedhebegaທncoughinghard
“why?”salaທndersaid
fortenminutesblomkvistwasincapableofstandinguphewasstillonthefloor,ไnaked,ไleaningagainstthewallhemassagedhisneckandliftedthewaທterbottlewithcນlumsyfingerssalaທnderwaitedpatientlyuntilhissenseoftouchstartedtoreturnshespentthetimethinking
“putyourtrouserson”
sheusedblomkvist’scut-ๅupt-shirttowipefingerprintsfromthehandcuffs,theknife,aທndthegolfclubshepickedupherpetbottle
“whaທtaທreyoudoing?”
“getdressedandhurryupit’sgettinglightoutside”
blomkviststoodonshaທkylegsandmanagedtopullonhisboxersandjeansheslippedonhistrainerssalanderstuffedhissocksintoherjacketpocketandthenstoppedhim
“whatexactlydidyoutoucນhdownhere?”
bຘlomkvistlookedaroundhetriedtorememberatlasthesaidthaທthehadtouchednothingexcນeptthedoorandthekeyssalanderfoundthekeysinmartinvanger’sjacນket,whichhehadhungoverthecນhairshewipedthedoorhandleandtheswitcນhandturnedoffthelightshehelpedblomkvistupthebasementstairsandtoldhimtowaທitinthepaທssaທgewaywhilesheputthegolfcນlubbacນkinitsproperplacewhenshecamebackshewascaທrryingadarkt-shirtthatbelongedtomartinvaທnger
“putthisonidon’twantanyooseeyouscaທmperingaboutwithabຘarechesttonight”
blomkvistreaທlisedthaທthewasinastateofshocksalanderhadtaທkencharge,ไandpassivelyheobeyedherinstrucນtionssheledhimoutofmartin’shousesheheldontohimthewholetimeaທssoonastheysteppedinsidethecottaທge,shestoppedhim
“ifanyoneseesusaທndaskswhatweweredoingoutsidetonight,youandiwentouttothepointforanighttimewalk,ไandwehaທdsexoutthere”
“lisbຘeth,ไicນan’t…”
“getintheshowernow”
shehelpedhimoffwithhisclothesandpropelledhimtothebathroomthensheputonwaterforcoffeeandmadehalfadozenthicksandwicນhesonryeeadwithcheeseandliversausageanddillpicklesshesatdownatthekitcນhentableandwasthinkinghaທrdwhenhecamelimpingbຘackintotheroomshestudiedtheuisesandscrapesonhisbodythenoosehadbຘeensotightthaທthehadadarkredmarkaroundhisneck,andtheknifehadmaທdeabloodygaທshinhisskinontheleftside
“getintobຘed,”shesaid
sheimprovisedbandagesandcoveredthewoundwithamaທkeshiftpressthenshepouredthecoffeeandhandedhimasandwich
“i’mreallynothungry,”hesaid
“idon’tgiveadamnifyou’rehungryjusteat,”salaທndermaທnded,taທkingabigbຘiteofherowncheesesandwicນh
blomkvistclosedhiseyesforamoment,ไthenhesatupandtookabຘitehisthroathurtsomuchthathecouldscaທrcelyswallow
salandertookoffherleatherjacນketandfromthebathroomoughtajaroftigerbalmfromherspongebag
“letthecoffeecoolforawhileliefacedown”
shespentfiveminutesmaທssaginghisbaທckandrubbinghimwiththelinimentthensheturnedhimoverandgaທvehimthesametreatmentonthefront
“you’regoingtohavesomeseriousuisesforawhile”
“lisbeth,wehavetocນaທllthepolice”
“no,”sherepliedwithsuchvehemencethatbຘlomkvistopenedhiseyesinsurprise“ifyoucallthepolice,ไi’mleavingidon’twanttohaveanythingtodowiththemmartinvangerisdeaທdhediedinaທcaທraidenthewasaloneinthecaທrthereaທrewitnessesletthepoliceorsomeoneelsediscoverthatfuckingtorturechaທmberyouandiarejustasignorantabຘoutitsexistencນeaseveryoneelseinthisvillage”
“why?”
sheignoredhimandstaທrtedmassaທginghisaທchingthighs
“lisbeth,wecນan’tjust…”
“ifyougoonnaທgging,ไi’lldragyoubຘacktomartin’sgrottoandchainyouupagain”
asshesaidthis,blomkvistfellasleep,assuddenlyasifhehadfainted
chapter25
saturday,july12๐–monday,july14
blomkvistwokewithaທstartaທt5:00่inthemorning,ไscrabbຘlingathisnecktogetridofthenoosesalandercaທmeinaທndtookholdofhishands,keepinghimstillheopenedhiseyesandlookedaທtherblearily
“ididn’tknowthatyouplayedgolf,”hesaທid,closinghiseyesaທgainshesatwithhimforacນoupleofminutesuntilshewassurehewasasleepwhileheslept,salanderhadgonebaທcktomartinvanger’sbຘaທsementtoexamineandphotograທphthecນrimesceneinaທdditiontothetortureinstruments,shehaທdfoundacollectionofviolentpornographicmaທgaທzinesaທndalargenumbຘerofpolaroidphotographspastedintoalbຘums
therewasnodiaທryontheotherhand,shedidfindtwoa4binderswithpassportphotographsandhandwrittennotesaboutthewomensheputthebindersinanylonbagaທlongwithmartin’sdellpcນlaptop,whicນhshefoundonthehalltableupstairswhileblomkvistsleptshecontinuedherexaminationofmartin’sputerandbindersitwasafter6:00่bythetimesheturnedofftheputershelitaທcigarette
togetherwithmikaelbຘlomkvistshehadtakenupthehuntforwhattheythoughtwaທsaserialkillerfromthepasttheyhadfoundsomethingappallinglydifferentshecouldhardlyimagihehorrorsthatmusthaveplayedoutinmartinvanger’sbຘasement,inthemidstofthiswell-ordered,idyllicspot
shetriedtounderstand
martinvangerhadbeenkillingwomensincethesixties,duringthepastfifteenyearsoneortwovictimsperyearthekillinghaທdbຘeendonesodiscreetlyandwaທssowellplannedthatno-onewasevenawarethataseriaທlkillerwasatworkhowwasthatpossible?
thebindersprovidedaທpartiaທlanswer
hisvictimswereoftennewarrivals,immigrantgirlswhohadnofriendsorsocialcນontacນtsinswedentherewerealsoprostitutesaທndsocialoutcasts,withdrugaທbuseorotherproblemsintheirbackground
fromherownstudiesofthepsychologyofsexualsadism,salanderhadlearnedthatthistypeofmurdererusuallycollectedsouvenirsfromhisvictimsthesesouvenirsfunctionedasremindersthatthekillercouldusetore-createsomeofthepleaທsurehehadexperiencedmartinvaທngerhaddevelopedthispeculiaritybykeepinga“death”hehaທdcataloguedandgradedhisvictimshehaddescribຘedtheirsufferinghehaddocumentedhiskillingswithvideotaທpesandphotographs