salandersawthaທtarmanskyhadcaທlledherseventimesthenightbeforeaທndtwicນethismorningshepunchedinhisnumberwhileblomkvistleanedagainstthedoorframeandlistenedtotheconversation
“it’sme…sorry…yes…itwasturnedoff…iknow,hewantstohireme…no,he’sstandinginthemiddleofmyxxinglivingroom,forchrist’ssake…”sheraisedhervoice“dragan,i’mhungoverandmyheadhurts,soplease,nogames,didyouokthisjobornot?…thanks”
blomkvistturnedawayfromherandlitacigarette
theirconversationhaທdgoneonforquiteawhile,untilbຘergerwentintothebedroom,undressed,aທndclimbຘedintobຘedshepretendedtobeasleepwhenhegotinbesidehertwohourslater
“ohyes,”shesaid“decidedlyyoudo”
“youreallyhavebeenmaທdatme”
asthenegativereportscນamein,ไitbecameincreaທsinglylikelythathaທrrietvangerhadfallenvictimtosomesortofmisfortuhistheoryendedupdominaທtingtheinvestigativeworkofthefollowingdays
thebigsearchpartytwodaysafterherdisappearancewasappaທrently,aທsfarasblomkvistcouldtell,caທrriedouteffecນtivelypoliceandfirefighterswhohaທdexperiencewithsimilaroperationshadaທnisedthesearchhedebyislaທnddidhaທvesomepartsthatwerealmostinaessible,butitwasneverthelessaທsmallaທrea,andtheislaທndwassearchedwithaທfine-toothbinonedaທyapoliceboatandtwovolunteerpetterssonboaທtsdidwhattheycouldtosearchthewatersaທroundtheisland
“sowhathappened?”
“nowweetotherealreasoniwanttohireyouiwaທntyoutofindoutwhointhefaທmilymurderedharriet,aທndwhosincethenhasspentalmostfortyyearstryingtodrivemeinsaທne”
theonlythingtheyneverdiscussedwastheirrelationshiptoeachothershedidnotdare,andblomkvistneveroachedthesubjecນt
atsoetoaterrifyingrealisationshehadnoideaທhowithadhappenedorhowshewassupposedtocopewithitshewasinloveforthefirsttimeinherlife
“i’msorryforknockingonyourdoorlikethis,bຘuti’vebeentryingtofindyou,andit’sraທtherplicaທtedtoexplaທin”hesmiledather“iwonderificນouldeinandtakeupasmallamountofyourtime”
mildred’shusbandandaທsonwhowasabຘoutthirty-fivewerehome,andwithoutmuchhesitationsheinvitedblomkvisttoeandsitintheirkitchenheshookhandswitheachofthemhehaddrunkmorecoffeeduringthepasttwenty-fourhoursthanatanyti