salandersawthaທtarmanskyhadcaທlledherseventimesthenightbeforeaທndtwicນethismorningshepunchedinhisnumberwhileblomkvistleanedagainstthedoorframeandlistenedtotheconversation

“it’sme…sorry…yes…itwasturnedoff…iknow,hewantstohireme…no,he’sstandinginthemiddleofmyxxinglivingroom,forchrist’ssake…”sheraisedhervoice“dragan,i’mhungoverandmyheadhurts,soplease,nogames,didyouokthisjobornot?…thanks”

blomkvistturnedawayfromherandlitacigarette

theirconversationhaທdgoneonforquiteawhile,untilbຘergerwentintothebedroom,undressed,aທndclimbຘedintobຘedshepretendedtobeasleepwhenhegotinbesidehertwohourslater

“ohyes,”shesaid“decidedlyyoudo”

“youreallyhavebeenmaທdatme”

asthenegativereportscນamein,ไitbecameincreaທsinglylikelythathaທrrietvangerhadfallenvictimtosomesortofmisfortuhistheoryendedupdominaທtingtheinvestigativeworkofthefollowingdays

thebigsearchpartytwodaysafterherdisappearancewasappaທrently,aທsfarasblomkvistcouldtell,caທrriedouteffecນtivelypoliceandfirefighterswhohaທdexperiencewithsimilaroperationshadaທnisedthesearchhedebyislaທnddidhaທvesomepartsthatwerealmostinaessible,butitwasneverthelessaທsmallaທrea,andtheislaທndwassearchedwithaທfine-toothbinonedaທyapoliceboatandtwovolunteerpetterssonboaທtsdidwhattheycouldtosearchthewatersaທroundtheisland

“sowhathappened?๣”

“nowweetotherealreasoniwanttohireyouiwaທntyoutofindoutwhointhefaທmilymurderedharriet,aທndwhosincethenhasspentalmostfortyyearstryingtodrivemeinsaທne”

theonlythingtheyneverdiscussedwastheirrelationshiptoeachothershedidnotdare,andblomkvistneveroachedthesubjecນt

atsoetoaterrifyingrealisationshehadnoideaທhowithadhappenedorhowshewassupposedtocopewithitshewasinloveforthefirsttimeinherlife

“i’msorryforknockingonyourdoorlikethis,bຘuti’vebeentryingtofindyou,andit’sraທtherplicaທtedtoexplaທin”hesmiledather“iwonderificນouldeinandtakeupasmallamountofyourtime”

mildred’shusbandandaທsonwhowasabຘoutthirty-fivewerehome,andwithoutmuchhesitationsheinvitedblomkvisttoeandsitintheirkitchenheshookhandswitheachofthemhehaddrunkmorecoffeeduringthepasttwenty-fourhoursthanatanyti