“’”
“whatwentwrong?”
“yourstorydoesn’texplaທinhowyouknewthaທtiwasalive.”
hemusthaveseentheheadlightfromhermotorcycນle,
“whatdoyoumean?”
toherownsurpriseshereplied,“i’”
mildred?nnlund,remaທrriedandnowmildredberggren,openedthedoorwhenblomkvistknockedaround10:0่0,ไofcourse,andhadbynowfilledoutaທgooddeal,butherecognisedheraທtoncນe.
“well,yes,that’”
,requiringexperience,.
bergergaທvehimasurprisedlook,asifthequestionwerepletelyunexpected.
“tellmeaທboutherbacນkground.”
duringthelastyearofherlife,,teachers,aທndseveralmembersofthefamily,however,ไalltestifiedthatshehadturnedinonherselfaທndbeeunmunicative.
“didhiswifeknowwhoshewas?”
,late-modelvolvowasparkedoutsidevanger’,
“’mgoingtoget2๐.4millionforsittingonmybacນksideforayear,aທndiwon’’?misover,ไ—he’sgoingtotrytosinkmillenniumforgoodbecນauseheknowsthatthestaທffherewillaທlwaysknowwhathe’sbeenupto,foraທslongasthemagazineexists.”
hemadeasweepinggesture.“’,’sthebestdecisionheevermade.”
,shewasapaທrtowner—themajoritypartner,infacນt—andeditorinchiefofherownmaທgaທzine,,ไ,lookedfantaທsticoncameraທ,,shewouldundoubtedlyhaທvehadamanagerialjobaທtoneofthetvchannelsatacນonsiderablyhighersalarythaທnshepaທidherselfnow.
everythinghadbeenprepared,andthebusinesswithfrodetookonlyafewminutesfrodeofferedtodepositthemoneyinaconvenientforeignbankaount,ไbutbຘlomkvistinsistedthatitshouldbຘepaidlikeaທnormaທl,legitimaທtefeetohispany
thelatinnamewaທsleptospermum(myrtacນeae),ไheather-likefoliaທgeandawhiteflowerwithfivepetalsaboutoneinchacross.
“besideswhich,she’sexpensive,”vangerplained.
blomkvistknewthattheoldmancouldaffordanysuchexpense—
“whatthehell,”
“totellyouthetruth,ineverthoughti’dsolveit.”
“ihaທvenointentionofthankingyou,”vaທngersaທid.
“ididn’’mjustheretotellyouthaທticonsiderthejobdone.”
vangercurledhislips.“youhaທven’tfinishedthejob,”hesaທid.
“iknowthat.”
“youhaທven’twrittenthevangerfamilychronicນle,ไwhichwasagreed.”
“’,icນan’’’speriodaທscນeoandpretendthaທtidon’tknowwhat’sinhisbasement?ialsocນan’twritethestorywithoutdestroyinghaທrriet’slifeaທlloveraທgain.”
“iunderstaທndyourdilemma,andi’mgratefulforthedecisionthaທtyou’vemade.”
“’’mgoingtodestroyallmynotesandthetaperecordingsi’vemadeofourconversations.”
“idon’tthinkthatyou’vebeencorrupted,”vangersaid.
“thaທt’’swhatitis.ๆ”
“’mquitecertainthaທtyouwouldhaveexposedusifhaທrriethadturnedoutinsomewaytohaທvebeenimplicaທted,orifyouthoughtiwasacretin.ๆ”
blomkvistdidnotreply.
“we’,”
“howdidshetakeit?”
“’teback.”
“butshedid.ๆ”
“”
blomkvistshrugged.
“sothankyou,mikaທel,”vangersaid.ๆ
“bຘesides,icouldn’twritethestorybຘecausei’,ไhowdoesitfeeltobeceoagaທin?”
“it’sonlytemporary,bຘut…’,ไanddirchhassteppedinagaທinasmyenforcerifanyoneactsup.”
“’tjustaທnoldsweetieofafinancນiaທladviserbutalsosomeonewhosolvesproblemsforyou.”
“,andshe’stheonewho’sdoingthelegworkintheoffice.”
“howarethingsgoingforher?”
“sheinheritedbothherother’sandhermother’”
“isthatenough?”
“idon’’,’sside.ๆ”
“thentogetheryou’llcontrol,ไwhat,ไ45๓percນent.ๆ”
“”
“thatwon’tmakeherhappy.ๆ”
“no,butit’.”
“where’sharriettoday?”
“you’’”
“i’llseeheraທtourboaທrdmeetinginjanuaryifshe’sgoingtotakeyourplace.”
“iknow.”
“ithinkthatshereaທlisesthatiwillneverdiscusswhathappenedinthesixtieswithaທnyoneexceptforerikabຘerger,ไandidon’tseewhyerikaneedstoknow.ๆ”
“’reapersonwithmoraທls,mikael.”
“’thaveafreepassfromscrutiny.”
“i’llwarnher.”
,hepausedandthenwentovertocecນilia’,toreoutapaທge,andwrote:.aທnelecນtrihristmascandleshoneinthekitchenwindowofmartinvaທnger’semptyhouse.ๆ