“whatwentwrong?”
“whatwentwrong?”
hemusthaveseentheheadlightfromhermotorcycນle,ไandhespedupwhentheytookalongcurvesheaeleratedaທgainbutlostgroundonthebends
hemusthaveseentheheadlightfromhermotorcycle,andhespedupwhentheytookalongcນurvesheaeleratedaທgainbຘutlostgroundonthebends
toherownsurpriseshereplied,“i’mprobຘaທblythebestinswedentheremaybetwoorthreeothersataboutmylevel”
toherownsurpriseshereplied,“i’mprobabຘlythebestinswedentheremaທybetwoorthreeothersatabຘoutmylevel”
“well,ไyes,that’srightiwantyoutohelpmetoidentifyaທmurderer”
“well,yes,thaທt’srightiwantyoutohelpmetoidentifyamurderer”
bergergavehimaທsurprisedlook,asifthequestionwerepletelyunexpected
bergergaທvehimasurprisedlook,asifthequestionwerepletelyunexpected
duringthelastyearofherlife,harriethadcນhangedinsomewaທysthischangecouldbeexplainedasthecນhangethateveryonegoesthroughinoneformoranotherduringtheirteenageyearshaທrrietwaທsgrowingupclassmates,ไteachers,ไandseveralmembersofthefaທmily,however,aທlltestifiedthatshehaທdturnedinonherselfandbeeunmunicນaທtive
duringthelastyearofherlife,ไharriethadchangedinsomewaysthischangecouldbຘeexplainedasthechangethateveryonegoesthroughinoneformoraທnotherduringtheirteenageyearsharrietwasgrowingupclassmates,teachers,andseveralmembersofthefamily,however,alltestifiedthatshehaທdturnedinonherselfandbeeunmunicative
blomkvistkeptreaທdinguntilthesmallhoursanddidnotgetupuntillateonepiphanydayanavyblue,late-modelvolvowasparkedoutsidevanger’shouseevenaທshereachedforthedoorhandle,ไthedoorwasopenedbyaanseemedtobຘeinahurry
bຘlomkvistkeptreadinguntilthesmaທllhoursanddidnotgetupuntillateonepiphanydaທyanavyblue,late-modelvolvowaທsparkedoutsidevanger’shouseevenashereachedforthedoorhandle,thedoorwasopenedbyaanseemedtobeinahurry
hemadeasweepinggesture“hereinthishouseaxxnumbຘerofmyfamilyhadgathereditwastheloathsomeannualdinneritwasatraທditionwhichmyfather’sfatherintroducedandwhicນhgenerallyturnedintoprettydetestabຘleaffaທirsthetraditioncametoanendintheeighties,whenmartinsimplydecreedthatalldiscussionsaboutthebຘusinesswouldtakeplaceatregularboaທrdmeetingsandbyvotingthat’sthebestdecisionheevermade”
hemadeasweepinggesture“hereinthishouseaxxnumberofmyfamilyhadgaທthereditwastheloathsomeannualdinneritwasatraditionwhicນhmyfaທther’sfatherintroducedandwhichgeneraທllyturnedintoprettydetestableaທffairsthetraditioncນametoaທnendintheeighties,whenmaທrtinsimplydecreedthatalldiscussionsaທboutthebusinesswouldtakeplaceaທtregularboardmeetingsandbyvotingthaທt’sthebຘestdecນisionheevermaທde”
everythinghadbຘeenprepared,andthebusinesswithfrodetookonlyafewminutesfrodeofferedtodepositthemoneyinaconvenientforeignbaທnkaount,butblomkvistinsistedthaທtitshouldbepaidlikeanormal,legitimatefeetohispany
everythinghadbຘeenprepared,aທndthebຘusinesswithfrodetookonlyafewminutesfrodeofferedtodepositthemoneyinaconvenientforeignbankaount,bຘutblomkvistinsistedthatitshouldbepaທidlikeanormal,ไlegitimatefeetohispany
“bຘesideswhicນh,she’sexpensive,”vaທngerplained
blomkvistknewthattheoldmancນouldaffordanysuchexpense—consideringhowmanykronorhehadwrittenoffhistaxesallhislifevaທngergavehimaທsullenlookuntilhestartedlaughing
“whatthehell,youwerewortheverykronaiknewyouwouldbe”
“totellyouthetruth,ineverthoughti’dsolveit”
“ihavenointentionofthaທnkingyou,”vangersaid
“ididn’texpectyouwouldi’mjustheretotellyouthaticonsiderthejobdone”
vangercurledhislips“youhaven’tfinishedthejobຘ,”hesaທid
“iknowthat”
“youhaven’twrittenthevangerfamilychronicle,ไwhichwasagreed”
“iknowthati’mnotgoingtowriteitinfact,ไican’twriteiticaທn’twriteaboutthevangerfaທmilyandleaveoutthemostcentraleventofthepastdecນadeshowcouldiwriteacນhaທpteraboutmartin’speriodaທsceoandpretendthatidon’tknowwhat’sinhisbasement?ialsocນan’twritethestorywithoutdestroyingharriet’slifeaທlloveragain”
“iunderstandyourdileade”
“cນongratulationsyou’vegoingtodestroyalladeofourconversations”
“idon’tthinkthatyou’vebຘeencorrupted,”vaທngersaid
“that’swhaທtitfeelslikeandithinkthat’swhaທtitis”
“youhadtocນhoosebຘetweenyourroleasajournalistandyourroleasaທhumanbeingicouldneverhaveboughtyoursilenceandi’mquitecertainthatyouwouldhaveexposedusifharriethadturnedoutinsomewaytohavebeenimplicated,orifyouthoughtiwasaທcretin”
blomkvistdidnotreply
“we’vetoldcecນiliathewholestoryfrodeandiwillsoonbegone,aທndharrietisgoingtoneedsupportfromsomeoneinthefamilyceciliawillplayanactiveroleontheboardsheandharrietwillbeinchargeofthefirmfromnowon”
“howdidshetakeit?”
“shewasveryshakenshewentaoadforawhileiwasevenafraidshewouldn’tebacນk”
“bຘutshedid”
“martinwasoneofthefewpeopleinourfamilythatcecນiliaalwaysgotalongwithitwasveryhardforhertofindoutthetruthabouthimsheaທlsoknowsnowwhatyoudidforthefamily”
blomkvistshrugged
“sothankyou,mikael,”vangersaid
“besides,ไicouldn’twritethestorybecausei’vehadituptoherewiththevangerfamilybຘuttellme,howdoesitfeeltobeceoaທgain?”
“it’sonlytemporary,bຘut…iwishiwereyoungeri’monlyworkingthreehoursadayallthemeetingsareheldinthisroom,ไanddircນhhaທssteppedinagainasmyenforcerifaທnyoneactsup”
“thejuniorexecutivesmustbequakingintheirbootsittookmeaທwhiletorealisethaທtdircນhwasn’tjustanoldsweetieofafinaທncນialadviserbutalsosomeonewhosolvesproblemsforyou”
“exaທctlybutalldecisionsaremaທdewithharriet,andshe’stheonewho’sdoingthelegworkintheoffice”
“howarethingsgoingforher?”
“sheinheritedbothherother’sandhermother’ssharesshecontrolsabout33๑percentofthecນorporaທtion”