?
“nowweknow,”blomkvistsaidastheywerere-crossingtheidge.“we’rehuntingforthepletelunatic.”
consequentlyshewasmildlyirritatedwithhim.
salanderthoughtthaທtnoresearchshehadeverdonebeforehadcontainedevenafraທctionofthescopeofthisassignment.ๆ
“fine.”hehesitated.“armaທnskymaynotbepletelyawareofwhatiwanttohireyoufor…”
,,,nottoofaທst,onewhichmanynewsphotographersused.
thereporterthoughtthequestionhadbeencນlearenough,bຘuthespelleditoutanyway.ๆ
“cecilia?idon’tthinkshehadanythingtodowithharriet.”
heendedhisoutingatmcdonald’,tookoutabinder,:00่inthemorning.
“ihaທdseenhereverydaທyinthelobachs’,ไandedith’——rightinfrontofeveryone’,aທndhehadtaທkenherinastheirhousekeeper.”
chapter9
“thewholethingisidioticນ,”
forthefirsttimesincນehebຘeganhismonologue,
millenniumwastheirmutualcreation,ไ.
whenblomkvistwokeuplatethatmorning,ไshehaທdmadecoffeeandbຘeenouttobuyeakfastrollshejoinedheratthetableaທndnoticedaທtoncethatsomethinginherattitudehadcນhaທnged—shewasabຘitmorereservedwhenheaທskedherifanythingwaທswrong,ไshegavehimaneutral,unprehendinglook
withthat,thesubjectwaທsexhausted,,aທndtheexchangebetweenthetwomenseemedlikearitualaທttacນhingtoamysterywhichno-oneelseinthewholeworldhaທdtheleastinterestinunravelling.
“thatyou’realive?rightnow,’slawyerknowsabຘouttwo-thirdsofthestory,buthestillthinksyoudiedinthesixties.ๆ”
,andheremindedhimselfthatharrietvanger’
“buthowdidyouetobຘeasheepfarmerinaustralia?ialreadyknowthatanitasmuggledyouoffhedebຘyisland,presumaທblyinthebootofhercaທrwhentheidgere-openedthedaທyaທftertheaident.”
“actuaທlly,.ๆshehelpedme,ไandshe’sbຘeenaທloyalfriendalltheseyears.ๆ”
“whyaustralia?”
“istayedinanita’,,—iwasn’,;he’’salltherewaທstoit.‘aທnita’vangermarriedhimin1้971้.i’,hediedeightyearsago,aທndibຘecametheownerofthestation.ๆ”
“butyourpaທssport—surelysomeoneshouldhavediscoveredthatthereweretwoanitavangers?”
“no,whyshouldthey?aswedishgirlnamedanitaທvangerwho’’’,ไ.”
“butsheneverdid.”
“’sbeenatruefriend.”
“whatwasshedoinginyourroom?”
“iwasn’,butaslongashewasinuppsala,,ไandirealisedthati’’thavetimetotalktome,,ไ,,ไ’—ihadwrittendowneverythingthaທthaທppenedinadiary,ไ”
“isupposeshecນouldn’tresistthetemptationtolookoutattheaidentscene.”bຘlomkvistthoughtforamoment.“whaທtidon’tunderstaທndiswhyyoudidn’tjustgotohenrik,asyouhadintended.”
“whydoyouthink?”
“ireallydon’—probຘablysenttoaustraliaທforsomesortoftherapyortreatment.ๆ”
“youhaven’tunderstoodwhathaທppened.”
uptothispointblomkvisthadonlyreferredtogottfried’ssexualassaທultonmartin,leavingharriet’sroleoutofit.
“gottfriedmolestedmartin,”hesaidcautiously.“isuspectthatheaທlsomolestedyou.”
,’sshoulder.
“jeff,thisismikael,anold…’soughtproblemsandbaທdnews,butwe’,thisisjeffcocນhran,ไ”
bຘlomkviststooduptoshakehandswithjeff,
“’’vebeenwaitingforthisdaysince1้966.?allofasuddenidon’’tgiveashitwhatpeoplethinkabຘoutme.”
“crime?”saທidmikaທel.
shegaທvehimanurgentlook,buthestilldidn’tunderstaທndwhatshewastalkingabout.
“.,ไbutididn’,ididn’”
“harriet,ไ’tyourfault.ๆ”
“…buthewasmyfatherandicouldn’,ofcourse,bຘutshedidn’tcare.”
“isabellaທknew?”
harriet’svoicetookonaທnewharshness.ๆ
“’”
“i’’snotmyfaທvouriteinthefamily.”
“she’’veoftenwonderedaboutmyparents’,,ไbuthecນouldn’tgetadivorce.”
“no-ๅonedoesinthevaທngerfamily.”
shelaughedforthefirsttime.ๆ
“no,theydon’’,allmyrelaທtives…”
“harriet,i’msosorry.ๆ”
“.aທndheheldmyarmswhilemaທrtin…,.iwasridofoormentoronlytolandintheclutchesofaທnother,aທndtheonlythingicoulddowastomakesuretherewasneveranoaທsionwheniwasaທlonewithhim…”
“henrikwouldhaທve…”
“youstilldon’tunderstaທnd.”
“’llhavetoworkouttherest.”
,ไmikaelsaທidasinglewordtoher.
“gottfried.”
shenodded.ๆ
“onaugust7๕,196๔5,,ไ’…roughandviolenttowaທrdsmewhenwewerealone,.’tunderstaທndhaທlfofwhathewassaying,butirealisedthathewastotally,absolutelysick.”
shetookagulpofherbeer.
“-’thavetheslightestdoubtthaທthereallywastryingtokillme,andforthefirsttimethatnighthemanaທgedtopletetherape.”
“,”
blomkvistsuddenlywishedthaທtshewouldnottellhimanythingmore.