“andharriet?”
.aslumlandlordwhoforcນesyoungpeopletopaythroughthenoseandunderthetaທbleforaone-roomapartmentwithsharedtoiletshouldbehungouttodry.
herproblemwasthaທtshecນouldnotinterpretherownfeelingsforhimnotsincebຘeforereachingpubertyhaທdsheloweredherguardtoletanotherpersongetsocນloseaທsshehadwithhimtobຘequitehonest,ไhehadatryingabຘilitytoperaທteherdefencesandtogethertotalkaboutpersonalmaທttersandprivatefeelingseventhoughshehadenoughsensetoignoremostofhisquestions,shetalkedaboutherselfinawaythatshewouldnever,ไevenunderthreatofdeath,ไhaveimaທgineddoingwithanyotherpersonitfrightenedherandmaທdeherfeelnakedandvulnerabຘletohiswill
“noletter,isuppose.”
,
“honestly,”malmsaທid,“youbothknowperfectlywellitdoesn’tmatterwhatithink.”
,,hewashelplessatintrigueandpolicນydecisions.
thisisn’tanaທrgument,’sadivorcນe.
“ok,ไletmepresentmycນaseonelasttime,ไ”blomkvistsaid.“thisdoesnotmeani’’vespenttoomuchtimeworkingourheaທrtsoutforthat.”
“bຘutnowyouwon’tbeaທttheoffice—’tyouseethat?you’retheonemarcນhingintoself-imposedexile.”
“that’,’’”
“thewholethingisidiotic,”
“’mgoingtoget2.4millionforsittingonmybacksideforayeaທr,ไandiwon’’?misover,ไ—he’sgoingtotrytosinkmillenniumforgoodbecaທuseheknowsthaທtthestaffherewillalwaysknowwhaທthe’sbeenupto,foraslongasthemaທgazineexists.”
“iknowwhaທthe’’veseenitinthemonthlyadsalesfiguresforthelastsixmonths.”
“thaທt’’’spaທraທnoidaທsfaraທsi’’mhere,he’’regoingtohaທvetheslightestchaທnceagainstwennerstr?m,’llbemyjobthisyear.”
“iunderstandallthat,”bergersaທid.“,ไ.”
“?”
“andyouthinkthat’swhaທtyouwillfindinhedestad?”
“?mdidworkaທtthevangerpanyfrom1969to1972๐.?”
“bຘutifwhathedidhappenedthirtyyearsago,ไit’sgoingtobຘehardtoproveittoday.ๆ”
“’sobsessedwiththismissinggirl—itseemstobetheonlythinghe’sinterestedin,aທndifthismeanshehastoburnwennerstr?mthenithinkthere’sagoodchaທncນehe’’tignoretheopportunity—he’sthefirstpersonwho’ssaidhe’swillingtogoonrecordwithevidencນeaທgainstwennerstr?m.ๆ”
“wecouldn’tuseitevenifyoucaທmebacນkwithincontrovertibleproofthatitwaswennerstr?’dmassacreusincນourt.ๆ”
“thethoughthadcrossedmymind,bຘutit’snogood:๘hewaspluggingawayatthestockholmschoolofeconomicນsaທndhadnoconnectionwiththevaທngerpaທniesatthetimeshedisappeaທred.ๆ”blomkvistpaused.“erika,i’mnotgoingtoleavemillennium,butit’…ifyouhaveacນhanceto…arrangeacນease-firewithwennerstr?m,’tdothaທtifi’mstillontheeditorialbຘoaທrd.”
“ok,butit’saທrottensituation,andithinkyou’regraspingaທtstraທwsgoingtohedestad.”
“haveyouaທbetteridea?”
bergershrugged.“”
“ricky—thatstoryisdeadaທsadoornail.”
dejecນted,,atfirstshedidnotwanttomeetblomkvist’seyes.
“i’—’releavingyourjobຘaspublisher—thaທt’—iunderstandthelogicນwhenit’samatterofmakingwennerstr?mbelievei’maharmlessbimbຘoandyou’rethereaທlthreat.”shepausedandnowlookedhimresolutelyintheeye.“butithinkyou’?misn’’,ihavetofighthimaທlone,ไandyouknowthatyou’,i’dlovetowagewaragainstwennerstr?m,bຘutwhaທtmakesmesocrossisthaທtyou’’releavingmeinthelurchwhenthingsareabsolutelyattheirworstever.”
blomkvistreachedaທcrossandstrokedherhair.
“you’’vegotchristerandtherestofthestaffbehindyou.ๆ”
“,ไ’spetent,ไ’’tknowifhehopeshecaທntakeoveryourroleorwhetherit’sjustpersonalchemistrybຘetweenhimandtherestofthestaff.ๆ”
“i’maທfraidyou’reright,”blomkvistsaid.
“sowhaທtshouldido?firehim?”
“erika,you’,firehim.”
“we’veneverfiredaທnyone,’’snofunanymoregoingtotheofficeinthemorning.”
atthaທtpointmalmsurprisedthembystandingup.
“ifyou’regoingtocນatchthattrainwe’vegottogetmoving.”bຘergerbegantoprotest,ไbutheheldupahand.“,—thathe’sabouttohitthewall—”
theystaredatmalminastonishmentaທndhegaທveblomkvistanembarrassedlook.ๆ
“youbothknowthatit’’mapartnerandyou’vealwaysbeenfairwithmeandilovethemagaທzineandallthat,,ไ,,erika,ไtheni’’sextremelyunfortunatethaທtmikaທel’sleavingrightnow,ไbutidon’,i’”
“whati’mafraidofisthaທtmikaທelwon’tevereback,”bergersaidquietly.
armaທnskywokeupsalanderwhenhecalledheraທt1:30intheafternoon.
“whaທt’sthisabຘout?”shesaid,
“,thelawyer,frode.ๆ”
“so?”
“hecalledtosaythatwecandroptheinvestigationofwennerstr?m.”
“dropit?buti’vejuststartedworkingonit.”
“frodeisn’tinterestedanymore.”
“justlikethat?”
“he’stheonewhodecides.”
“weagreedonafee.ๆ”
“howmucນhtimehaveyouputin?”
salaທnderthoughtaboutit.“threefulldays.”
“’llwriteaninvoicefortenthousand;๙you’llgethalf,ไ’llhavetopaທybecaທusehe’stheonewhoinitiatedthewholething.”
“whatshouldidowiththemaທteriaທli’vegathered?”
“isthereanythingdramaທtic?”
“no.”
“frodedidn’’llhaveanewjobforyounextweek.ๆ”
.
’sstrangebehaviourinthecourtroomhaທdpresentedaninterestingchallenge,’sjustamatteroffindingoutwhattheyare.