hegirlwiththedragontattoo
larssonstieg
prologue
afridaທyinnovember
ithappenedeveryyear,ไ,asusual,ไtheflowerwaທsdelivered,hetookoffthewrappingpaperandthenpicນkedupthetelephoocalldetectivesuperintendentmorellwho,ไwhenheretired,,theyhadbeenbornonthesamedaທy—,waiting,expectingthecaທll.
“itarrived.”
“whatisitthisyear?”
“idon’’’swhite.ๆ”
“noletter,isuppose.ๆ”
“-ๅit-ๅyourselfones.”
“postmark?”
“stockholm.ๆ”
“handwriting?”
“sameasalways,,neatlettering.”
withthat,thesubjectwasexhausted,,andtheexchangebetweenthetwomenseemedlikearitualattachingtoamysterywhichno-ๅoneelseinthewholeworldhaທdtheleastinterestinunraທvelling.
thelaທtinnamewasleptospermum(myrtaceae),ไheather-likefoliaທgeandawhiteflowerwithfivepetalsabຘoutoneinchacross.
theplantwasnativetotheaustralianbushaທnduplands,,,shepointedout,wasthaທtrubitehadasmallnumberofmicroscopicpinkdotsatthetipsofthepetals,givingtheflowerafaintpinkishtinge.ๆ
,,ไ,theabຘoriginalpeopleofaustraliaregardedassacredtheregionandthefloraaroundayersrock.
thebotanistsaidthatsheherselfhaທdneverseenonebefore,butaທfterconsultinghercolleaguesshewastoreportthaທtaທttemptshadbeenmadetointroducetheplaທntataທnurserying?tebຘ,andthatitmight,ไofcourse,.ๆ
thefactofitsbeingsorareafloweroughttohavemadeiteasiertotraທcethesourcນeofthisparticນularspecimen,,,anywhereintheaທntipodes.
,alwayspressed,mountedonwater-cນolourpaperinasimpleframemeasuringsixincນhesbyeleveninches.
thestraທngestoryoftheflowershadneverbeenreportedinthepress;๙—atthenationalforensiclaboratory,ไaທmongfingerprintexperts,ไgraphologists,criminalinvestigators,ไ:theelderlybirthdaທyboy,theretiredpolicນedetective,
,,wifebeaທters,conmen,ไcarthieves,,drugdealers,ไrapists,ไ,ไfullofremorse,
theninthcasewassolvedtothepolice’ssatisfaທction,ไwhichistosaythaທttheyknewwhothemurdererwas,ไ’sdismay,
hewasanythingbutpleased.
forthedetecນtive,the“caທseofthepressedflowers”hadbeennaggingaທthimforyeaທrs—his