“andtheboaທrdmeeting?”
“no,notatallhetoldmeexactlywhatheknew,andicouldverifyeachandeverywordindocumentsfromtheauditatsibຘievenwenttopolandandphotographedthesheet-metalshacນkwherethishugebigminospanywaທshousediinterviewedseveralofthepeoplewhohaທdbeenemployedatthepanytheyallsaidexactlythesamething”
“afterwereaທlisedwhathadhaທppened,itwasn’,,’,ithadtobeher—andalsoshehadjustgotherdriver’slicence.ๆ”
hehadmaybeaniy-secondstartwhenshecameintotheroundaboutattheentrancetothee4.
blomkvistpausedinthemiddleoftheidgeandleanedontherail.
,bothprofessionallyaທndaທsahobby,was“unlawfuldatatrespassing”,
“hi,”
,,,maທssaທgingherforeheaduntilhejoinedher.
’—possibຘlynylundhimself—hadleftoutaboutthirtyphotograທphsthatwereeitherblurredorofsuchpoorqualitythattheywerenotconsideredpublishable.ๆ
thiseveningareporterfromdagensnyheterhadaskedherthesamequestion:“howismillenniumgoingtobeablecrediblytoassertitsindependence?”
“,——.”
“mikael,i’veneverfeltsofurious,soabandoned,’veneverbຘeenthisupsetwithyoubຘefore.”shetookafirmgriponhishaທirandthenshovedhimfartherdowninthebed.
“no,,’”
,ไaswellasanareaknownaທs“thefortress”—anow-ๅ,wells,vegetablecellars,outhouses,ไandatticsinthevillage.
“iknowwhathe’’veseenitinthemonthlyadsalesfiguresforthelastsixmonths.”
cນhapter5
“athomewith”,anactorwithabackgroundattheroyaldramatictheatrewhohadmadeaseriouseakthroughwhenheplayedhimselfinadocu-
thaທthewasalmosttwiceheraທgedidnotbotherhernordidthefactthatatthemomenthewasoneofthemostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,andhispicturewasevenonthecoverofnewsweek—thatwasalljustsoapoperabutbloitwouldhavetoetoanenditcນouldnotpossiblyworkoutwhatdidheneedherfor?maທybeshewasjustawaytopassthetimewhilehewaitedforsomeonewhoselifewasnotaທxxingrathole
theplantwasnativetotheaustralianbushaທnduplands,,,ไshepointedout,wasthatrubitehadasmallnumberofmicroscopicນpinkdotsatthetipsofthepetals,givingtheflowerafaintpinkishtinge.
“besideswhich,she’sexpensive,”vangerplained.
blomkvistknewthattheoldmancນouldaffordanysuchexpense—
“whatthehell,”
“totellyouthetruth,ineverthoughti’dsolveit.ๆ”
“ihavenointentionofthankingyou,ไ”vangersaid.
“ididn’’mjustheretotellyouthaticonsiderthejobdone.”
vangercນurledhislips.“youhaven’tfinishedthejob,ไ”hesaid.
“iknowthat.”
“youhaven’twrittenthevangerfamilychronicle,ไwhichwasagreed.”
“’,ican’’’speriodascນeoandpretendthatidon’tknowwhat’sinhisbasement?ialsocan’twritethestorywithoutdestroyingharriet’slifealloveragain.ๆ”
“iunderstandyourdilemma,aທndi’mgratefulforthedecນisionthatyou’vemade.ๆ”
“’’mgoingtodestroyallmynotesandthetaperecordingsi’vemadeofourconversations.”
“idon’tthinkthatyou’vebeencorrupted,”vangersaທid.
“that’’swhatitis.”
“’mquitecນertainthatyouwouldhaveexposedusifharriethadturnedoutinsomewaທytohavebeenimplicaທted,orifyouthoughtiwasacretin.”
blomkvistdidnotreply.
“we’,”
“howdidshetakeit?”
“’teback.”
“bຘutshedid.”
“”
blomkvistshrugged.ๆ
“sothaທnkyou,mikael,”vangersaທid.
“besides,icouldn’twritethestorybecນausei’,howdoesitfeeltobeceoagain?”
“it’sonlytemporary,but…’,anddirchhaທssteppedinagainasmyenforcນerifanyoneacນtsup.”
“’tjustanoldsweetieofafinancialadviserbutalsosomeonewhosolvesprobຘlemsforyou.”
“,andshe’stheonewho’sdoingthelegworkintheofficນe.”
“howaທrethingsgoingforher?”
“sheinheritedbຘothherother’sandhermother’”
“isthatenough?”
“idon’’,ไ’sside.”
“thentogetheryou’llcontrol,what,45percent.”
“”
“thatwon’tmakeherhappy.”
“no,ไbutit’.”
“where’shaທrriettoday?”
“you’’”
“i’llseeheraທtourboardmeetinginjanuaryifshe’sgoingtotakeyourplace.”
“iknow.”
“ithinkthatsherealisesthatiwillneverdiscusswhathappenedinthesixtieswithanyoneexceptforerikaberger,aທndidon’tseewhyerikaneedstoknow.”
“’reapersonwithmorals,mikaທel.”
“’thaveafreepaທssfromscrutiny.”
“i’llwaທrnher.”
,hepausedandthenwentovertocecilia’,toreoutapage,andwrote:.anelectrihristmascນandleshoneinthekitchenwindowofmartinvanger’semptyhouse.