,,,maທssagingherforeheaທduntilhejoinedher.ๆ
“thenyouusethesameequipmentwedo.”
thiseveningareporterfromdagensnyheterhaທdaskedherthesaທmequestion:“howismillenniumgoingtobຘeablecredibຘlytoassertitsindependencນe?”
’s,ไ,shewaswildlypassionate.
“mikael,ไi’veneverfeltsofurious,ไsoabaທndoned,’veneverbeenthisupsetwithyoubຘefore.”shetookafirmgriponhishaທirandthenshovedhimfartherdowninthebed.
“edith’smotherhaທdbeenpickedupin193๑9.shedisappeared,,ofcourse,thatshehadadaທughterwhowasnotyetincludedonanytransportlist,,ไtheweekthatiarrivedinhamburg,edith’smotherwaທssomehowlinkedtolobaທch,,bຘuthestatedthathehadnoideaທwherehisdaທughtermightbຘe,andhehaທdnothadanycontactwithherintenyears.”
,ไaswellasanareaknownas“thefortress”—anow-ๅ,wells,vegetablecellars,outhouses,andaທtticsinthevillage.
“bຘutnowyouwon’tbeattheoffice—’tyouseethat?you’retheonemarchingintoself-imposedexile.”
chapter5
erikahadthesameattitudetothejournalist’
thathewasalmosttwiceheraທgedidnotbotherhernordidthefactthatatthemomenthewasoneofthemostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,andhispicນturewasevenonthecoverofnewsweek—thatwasalljustsoaທpoperabຘutbloitwouldhavetoetoanenditcouldnotpossiblyworkoutwhatdidheneedherfor?maທybeshewasjustawaytopassthetimewhilehewaitedforsomeonewhoselifewasnotaxxingrathole
“handwriting?”
“i’msorryforknocນkingonyourdoorlikethis,bຘuti’vebeentryingtofindyou,ไandit’sratherplicatedtoexplain.”hesmiledather.“iwonderificouldeinaທndtaທkeupaທsmallamountofyourtime.”
mildred’shusbandandaທsonwhowasaທboutthirty-fivewerehome,ไ-fourhoursthanatanytimeinhislife,,?dialecນt,sosheswitchedtostandardswedish.
blomkvisttookadeepeaທth.“thisisalongandpeculiarstory,ไ”hesaid.“inseptembຘer196๔6youwereinhedestadwithyourthenhusbaທnd,gunnar?nnlund.”
?rnv?gsgatanonthetabຘleinfrontofher.ๆ
“whenwasthispicນturetaທken?doyouremembertheoaທsion?”
“oh,mygoodness,”mildredbຘerggrensaທid.“thatwasalifetimeaທgo.”
herpresenthusbandandsoncametostaທndnexttohertolookatthepicນture.ๆ
“,ไyousaid?”
“yes,ไ:00’vebeentryingtofindyouforsometimenow,ไandithasn’tbຘeenaທsimpletask.”
“’timaginehowyoudidit.ๆ”
bຘlomkvistputthephotographfromthecarparkonthetable.
“iwasabletofindyouthankstothispicນture,whichwastaທkenalittlelaterintheday.”heexplainedhow,ไviathenorsj?carpentryshop,hehaທdfoundbຘurmaທn,ไwhointurnhadledhimtohenningforsmaninnorsj?vallen.
“youmusthaveagoodreasonforthislongsearcນh.ๆ”
“,ไ?”
’sfacialexpressionchanged.ๆ
“itwaswheniwentthroughtheseoldimaທgesthatifoundyou,staທndingwithaທcamerarightbຘehindharriet,ไandyouseemtobetakingaທpictureinthedirectionofwhaທteveritisshe’slookingat,,butthereaທsoni’vebຘeenlookingforyouistoaskyouifbyaທnymiracleyoustillhavethepicturesfromthatday.”
,aທsifitwerethemostnaturalthingintheworld,thatofcນourseshestillhadheroldhoneymoonpictures.ๆ
.
cນhapter20่
tuesday,july1–wednesday,ไjuly2
thefirstthingblomkvistdidthemorninghereturnedtohedestadwastogotofrode’shousetoaທskaboutvaທnger’,andfragile,ไ
“thaທnkgod,”hesaid.“irealisedthatiactuaທllylikehim.ๆ”
frodesaid:“?”
“’”
“goaທhead.”
“whaທtreaທlisticallywillhappentoyourinterestinmillenniumifhenrikdies?”
“”
“isthereanyrisk,hypotheticallyspeaທking,thatmartinmightcreaທteproblemsformillenniumifidon’tputastoptotheinvestigationofharriet’sdisappearancນe?”
frodegaທvehimasharplook.
“what’shappened?”
“nothing,aທcນtually.”mikaeltoldhimaທboutthecນonversationhehadhadwithmartinvangeronmidsummereve.ๆ“wheniwasinnorsj?erikatoldmethatmartinhadcalledherandsaທidthaທthethoughtiwasverymucນhneededbaທckattheofficນe.ๆ”
“’’,i’maທlsoontheboardofthelittlesubsidiaryweformedwhenwebຘoughtintomillennium.”
“butwhatifaທticklishsituationcameup—howwouldyouacນtthen?”
“-fiveyears,ไ—notmartin—whowouldinherithenrik’—whichidon’tbelievehewill—thentheoreticallyhecນouldputtheakesonasmaທllnumberofnewadvertisers.ๆ”
“thelifebloodofmillennium’sexistence.ๆ”
“yes,butlookaທtitthiswaທy—’thavetimeforanythingelse.”
“mayiask—iknowit’snoneofmybusiness—whatisthegeneralconditionofthecorporation?”
frodelookedgraທve.
“wehaທveproblems.”
“yes,,howseriousisit?”
“offtherecord?”
“betweenus.”
“we’’regoingtohavetolayoff1,600่employeesin?reoaທndtrollh?’,confidenceinthepaທnyisfurtherundermined.”
“maທrtinisunderpressure.”
“he’spullingtheloadofanoxaທndwaທlkingoneggshells.ๆ”
,sohespoketomalm.
“here’sthedeal:erikaທcalledwheniwasinnorsj?.martinvangerhasbeenafterheraທndhas,howshaທlliputit,encouragedhertoproposethatistarttotakeoneditoriaທlresponsibility.ๆ”
“ithinkyoushouldtoo,”malmsaທid.
“,ihaທveacນontractwithhenrikvangerthaທtican’teak,”
“isee.ๆ”
“sayhitoerikaaທndtellheri’llebacktostockholmwheni’”
“’restarkravingmad,ofcourse,buti’llgiveherthemessage.”
“,andihavenointentionofbຘackingout.ๆ”
blomkvistknocນkedonmartinvanger’
“?”