“yourstorydoesn’texplaທinhowyouknewthatiwasalive”
“yourstorydoesn’texplaທinhowyouknewthatiwasalive”
“whatdoyoumean?”
“whatdoyoumean?”
mildred?nnlund,remarriedandnowmildredberggren,openedthedoorwhenblomkvistknockedaround1้0:00onsundaymorningthewomanwasmucholder,ofcourse,andhaທdbynowfilledoutagooddeal,butherecນognisedheraທtoncນe
mildred?nnlund,ไremarriedandnowmildredberggren,openedthedoorwhenblomkvistknockedaround10:00onsundaymorningthewomanwasmucholder,ไofcourse,ไandhadbynowfilledoutagooddeaທl,butherecນognisedheratonce
blomkvisttookoutthenegativesofthephotographsbytheyoungnylundandputthemonthelighttaທblewithamaທgnifyingglasshestudiedthemframebຘyframereadingnegativesisanartforkvistlackedtodeteraທtionofvaluehewasgoingtohavetoscanineachimageaທndexamineitontheputerscreenthaທtwouldtakehourssofirsthedidaquitegeneralsurveyofthephotographshemightbeinterestedin
blomkvisttookoutthenegativesofthephotograທphsbytheyoungnylundandputthemonthelighttabຘlewithamagnifyingglasshestudiedthemframebyframereadingnegativesisaທnartforkvistlackedtodeterationofvaluehewasgoingtohavetoscanineachimaທgeandexamineitontheputerscreenthatwouldtakehourssofirsthedidaquitegeneralsurveyofthephotographshemightbeinterestedin
“tellmeaboutherbackground”
“tellmeaboutherbackground”
“didhiswifeknowwhoshewas?”
“didhiswifeknowwhoshewas?”
“iknowbuti’mgoingtoget24millionforsittingonmybacksideforayear,andiwon’tbewastingmytimethat’sthethirdthingroundonewithwennerstr?misover,andheknockedmeoutroundtwohasaທlreadystarted—he’sgoingtotrytosinkmillenniumfoodbecauseheknowsthatthestaທffhereasthemagazineexists”
“iknowbuti’mgoingtoget24millionforsittingonmybacksideforayear,andiwon’tbewastingmytimethaທt’sthethirdthingroundonewithwennerstr?misover,aທndheknockedmeoutroundtwohasaທlreadystarted—he’sgoingtotrytosinkmillenniumfoodbecauseheknowsthaທtthestaທffhereasthemagazineexists”
mikaelhadoftenwonderedwhyerikahaທdsethersightsonmillenniumtrue,shewaທsapartowner—themajoritypartner,ไinfaທct—andeditorinchiefofherownmaທgazine,whicນhgaveherprestigeandthecontroloverpublicitythatshecouldhardlyhaveobtainedinanyotherjobunlikemikael,ไshehadcນoncentratedontelevisionafterjournalismschoolshewaທstough,lookedfantasticoncaທmeraທ,andcouldholdherownwiththepetitionshealsohadgoodcontactsinthebureaທucracyifshehaທdstucktoit,shewouldundoubtedlyhavehadamanageriaທljobaທtoneofthetvchannelsataconsiderablyhighersalarythaທnshepaidherselfnow
mikaelhadoftenwonderedwhyerikahadsethersightsonmillenniumtrue,shewaທsapaທrtowner—themajoritypartner,infact—aທndeditorinchiefofherownmagaທzine,whichgaveherprestigeandthecນontroloverpubຘlicitythatshecouldhaທrdlyhaveobຘtainedinanyotherjobunlikemikael,shehadconcນentratedontelevisionafterjournalismschoolshewastough,lookedfantasticoncaທmera,andcນouldholdherownwiththepetitionsheaທlsohadgoodcontactsinthebຘureaucນracyifshehadstucktoit,ไshewouldundoubຘtedlyhavehadamanagerialjobຘatoneofthetvchannelsataconsiderablyhighersalarythaທnshepaidherselfnow
berger’seyeswidenedshestaredatthegirlintheleatherjacket
berger’seyeswidenedshestaredatthegirlintheleaທtherjacket
bergerstoodupandwentaທroundthetableandthrewherarmsaroundthegirlsaທlaທndersquirmedlikeawormabouttobeputonahook
chapter29
saturdaທy,november1–tuesday,ไnovember25๓
salaທnderwassurfingthroughwennerstr?m’scyber-empireshehadbeenstaringatherputerscreenforalmostelevenhourstheideathathadmaterialisedinsomeunexplorednookofherainduringthelastweekatsandhamnhadgrownintoamanicນpreoupationforfourweeksshehadisolatedherselfinherapartanskyshehadspenttwelvehoursadaທyinfrontofherputer,somedaysmore,andtherestofherwakinghoursshehadoodedoverthesameprobຘlem
duringthepastkvisthetoowaທspreoupied,bຘusyatthemillenniumofficestheyhadconferredbຘytelephoneacoupleoftimeseachweek,andshehadkepthimupdatedonwennerstr?m’scorrespondencນeandotheractivities
forthehundredthtimeshewentovereverydetailshewasnotaທfraidthatshehadmissedaທnything,butshewaທsnotsurethatshehaທdunderstoodhoweveryoneoftheintricນateconnectionsfittedtogether
thismuch-discussedempirewaທslikeaທliving,formless,pulsatinganismthatkeptchangingshapeitconsistedofoptions,ไbonds,shaທres,partnerships,ไloaninterest,ineinterest,deposits,bankaounts,paymenttransfers,andthousandsofotherelementsanincນrediblylargeproportionoftheassetswasdepositedinpost-office-bຘoxpaniesthaທtownedoneanother
thefinancນialpundits’mostinflatedanalysesofthewennerstr?mgroupestimaທteditsvaທlueatmorethaທn900่billionkronorthatwasaທbluff,oraທtleastafigurethatwasgrosslyexaggeratedobviouslywennerstr?mhimselfwasbynomeanspoorshecalculatedtherealassetstobeworthbetween90and10่0bຘillionkronor,whichwasnothingtosneezeatathoroughaທuditoftheentirecນorporationwouldtakeyearsallinallsalanderhadidentifiedclosetothreethousandsepaທrateaountsandbaທnkholdingsalloverthehatwassoextensiveitwasnolongermerelycriminal—itwasbusiness
somewhereinthewennerstr?manismtherewasalsosubstaທncethreeassetskeptshowingupinthehierarchythefixedswedishassetswereunassailableandgenuine,availabletopublicscrutiny,balancesheets,andaທuditstheaທmericaທnfirmwassolid,andaທbankinnewyorkservedasthebaseforaທllliquidcapitalthestorywasinthebusinesswiththepost-office-ๅboxpaniesinplaທcessuchasgialtarandcyprusandmacaowennerstr?mwaslikeaທclearinghousefortheillegalweaponstraທde,moneylaunderingforsuspectenterprisesincນolombiaທ,aທndextremelyunorthodoxbusinessesinrussia
ananonymousaountinthecນaymanislandswasunique;itwaspersonallycontrolledbຘywennerstr?mbutwasnotconnectedtoaທnypaniesaທfewhundredthsofapercentofeverydealthatwennerstr?mmadewouldbesiphonedintothecaymanislandsviathepost-ๅoffice-boxpanies
salanderworkedinatrance-likestatetheaount—click—emaທil—click—bຘalancesheets—cນlickshenoteddownthelatesttransfersshetracນkedasmaທlltransactioninjapantosingaporeandonvialuxembourgtothecaທymanislandssheunderstoodhowitgesthelaທtestemailoneiefmessageofsomewhatperipheralinterestwassentat10:0่0pe(rattle,rattle)wasaທjokeforaທnyonewhowasalreadyinsidehisputerandcນouldreadthemessaທgeinplaintext:๘
bergerhasstoppedarguingaທbouttheadshasshegivenupordoesshehaທvesomethingcນooking?yoursourceattheeditoriaທlofficນesassuredusthattheywereontheinkofruin,butitsoundsasiftheyjusthiredanewpersonfindoutwhat’shappeningblomkvisthasbeenworkingatsaທndhamnforthepastfewweeks,ไbutno-ๅoneknoorialofficesthepastfewdaທyscanyouarraທngeforanadvaທncecopyofthenextissue?hew
nothingdraan
aທt5:30่inthemorningsheturnedoffherputeraທndgotoutanewpackofcigaທrettesshehaທddrunkfour,no,fivecນokesduringthenight,andnowshegotoutasixthandwenttositonthesofashewaທswearingonlyknickersandawashed-outcaທmouflaທgeshirtadvertisingsoldieroffortunemaທgazine,withtheslogankillthemallandletgodsortthemoutsherealisedthatshewascold,soshereachedforablaທnket,whichshewraທppedaທroundherself
shefelthigh,asifshehaທdconsumedsomeinaທppropriateandpresumabຘlyillegaທlsubstaທnceshefocusedhergaທzeonthestreetlampoutsidethewindowandsatstillwhileherainworkedattopspeedgrenevilfingersandaທrmanskythejobharrietvangerclicນkmartinvangerclickthegolfclubcນlickthelawyerbjurmanclickeverysinglexxingdetailthatshecouldn’tfetevenifshetried
shewonderedwhetherbຘjurmanwouldevertakehisclothesoffinfrontofawomanagaທin,andifhedid,howwashegoingtoexplainthetaທttoosonhisstomach?aທndthenexttimehewenttothedoctorhowwouldheavoidtakingoffhiscນlothes?
andmikaelblomkvistclick
sheconsideredhimtobeagoodperson,possiblywithapracticalpigplexthatwassometimesalittletooaທpparentandhewasunbຘearablynaivewithregardtocertainelementarymoralissueshehadanindulgentandfivingpersonalitythatlookedforexplanaທtionsaທndexcusesforthewaypeoplebehaved,ไaທndhewouldnevergetitthattheraptorsoftheworldunderstoodonlyonelanguageshefeltaທlmostawkwardlyprotectivewhenevershethoughtofhim
shedidnotrememberfallingasleep,butshewokeupat9:00aທmwithacrickinherneckandwithherheadleaningagaທinstthewallbຘehindthesofashetotteredtothebedroomandfellbaທcktosleep
itwaswithoutadoubtthebiggeststoryoftheirlivesforthefirsttimeinayearandaທhalf,bຘergerwashaທppyinthewaythaທtonlyaທneditorwhohasaspectaculaທrscoopintheovencanbesheaທndbloewhensalaທndercalledhimonhismobile
“ifottosaythatwennerstr?misstartingtogetworriedaboutwhatyou’vebeendoinglately,andhe’saທskedforanadvancນecopyofthenextissue”
“howdoyouknow…ah,fetthaທtanyideaທwhatheplanstodo?”
“nixjustonelogicalguess”
bຘlomkvistthoughtforafewseconds“theprinter,”heexclaimed
bergerraisedhereyeows
“ifyou’rekeepingalidontheeditoriaທloffices,thereaທren’tmanyotherpossibilitiesprovidednoneofhisthugsisplanningtopayyouanighttimevisit”
blomkvistturnedtoberger“anewprinterforthisissuenowandcalldraganaທrmansky—iwantsecurityhereatnightforthenextweek”baທcktosaທlander“thanks”
“what’sitworth?”
“whatdoyoumean?”
“what’sthetipworth?”
“whatwouldyoulike?”
“i’dliketodiscussitovercoffeerightnow”
theymetaທtkaffebaronhornsgatansalaທnderlookedsoseriouswhenbຘlomkvistsatdownonthebenchnexttoherthathefeltapangofcນoncernasusual,ไshecamestraighttothepoint
“ineedtobຘorrowsomemoney”
bຘlomkvistgaveheroneofhismostfoolishgrinsaທndreachedforhiswallet
“surehowmuch?”
“12๐0,ไ000kronor”
“steady,steaທdy”heputhiswalletaທway
“i’mnotkiddingineedtoborrow120,ไ000kronorfor…let’ssaທysixweeksihaveacນhancetomaທkeaninvestment,ไbutidon’thaveanyoneelsetoturntoyou’vegotroughly1้40,000่kronorinyourcurrentaountrightnowyou’llgetyourmoneyback”
nopointmentingonthefaທctthatsalanderhaທdhackedhisbaທnkpassword
“youdon’thaທvetoborrowthemoneyfromme,”hereplied“wehaven’tdiscussedyourshareyet,ไbutit’smorethaທnenoughtocoverwhatyouwanttoborrow”