hehadbeenexpecນtingthequestionaທnddreadingthemomentwhenhewouldhavetotakeastandhewasthethirdpaທrtner,bຘuttheyallknewthaທtitwasbຘlomkvistandbຘergerwhoweremillenniumtheonlytimetheyaskedhisadvicewaທswhentheycນouldnotaທgree
“honestly,ไ”atterwhatithink”
lindbergcouldhavehaທdnonotionoftheextentofbloptforpeoplelikewennerstr?mforallthat,afteryeaທrsofstudy,hewasprivatelyconvincedthaທttherewasnotasinglebaທnkdirecນtororceleitycorporateexecutivewhowaທsn’taທlsoaທcretin
blomkvisthaທdneverheardoflisbethsalanderandwashappilyinnocentofherreportdeliveredearlierthaທtday,ไbuthadhelistenedtoithewouldhaທvenoddedinagreementwhenshespokeofhisloathingforbຘeancounters,saທyingthaທtitwasnotamanifestationofhisleft-wingpoliticalradicນalismmikaelwasnotuninterestedinpoliticນs,buthewasextres”hehadvotedonlyonceinaparliamentaryelecນtion—in198๖2—andthenhehaທdhesitantlyplumpedforthesociaທldemocrats,ไtherebeingnothinginhisimaginationworsethanthreeyearsmorewithg?stabຘohmanaທsfinanceministerandthorbj?rnf?lldin(เorpossiblyolaullsten)แasprimeministersohehadvotedforolofpalme,andgotinsteadtheassassinaທtionofhisprimeministerplusthebຘoforsscandalandebຘbecarlsson
“fineithinki’vemethertwicechristeraທndidroveuptohedestadforaboardmeetinglaທstweekwegotdrunkonwine”
“aທndtheboardmeeting?”
blomkvistcouldvividlyimaທgihescenesplayedoutatthevangerestaທteduringthosedaystheaidentontheidgehadcertainlycontribຘutedtotheconfusionduringthefirsthours—bymaທkingitdifficນulttoinginrerceehowthoughtthatthesetwodramaticນeventshappeningatthesaທemustinsomewayhavebeenconnectedwhenthetaທnkertruckwashoistedaທway,inspectormorellwentdowntotheidgetobesurethatharrietvangerhadnot,bysomeunlikelyturnofevents,endedupunderthewreckthatwastheonlyirrationaທlactionthatmikaelcoulddetectintheinspector’sconduct,sincethemissinggirlhadunquestionablybeenseenontheislandaftertheaidenthadourred
duringthosefirstconfusedtwenty-fourhours,theirhopesthaທtthesituationwouldetoaswiftandhappyresolutionsaທnkinstead,theyweregraduallyreplacedbytwotheoriesinspiteoftheobviousdifficນultiesinleavingtheislandunnoticed,mo