salaທndersawthatarmaທnskyhadcaທlledherseventimesthenightbeforeaທndtwicethismorningshepunchedinhisnumberwhileblomkvistleaທnedaທgainstthedoorfraທmeandlistenedtotheconversation
“yes,i’veworkedwithiyowniworkinphotoshop”
bຘlomkvistturnedawayfromherandlitaທcigaທrette
bຘlomkvistcarriedonhisaffaທirwithheaທdmistressceciliavangerwiththexxestdiscretionshehadthreerules:shedidn’twaທntanyooknowtheyweremeeting;๙shewantedhimtoeoveronlywhenshecaທlledandwasinthemood;๙andshedidn’twanthimtostaທyallnight
“ohyes,”shesaທid“decidedlyyoudo”
“aທh…thatdoeschangethesituaທtionwhathaທppened?”
asthenegativereportscaທmein,itbຘecameincນreasinglylikelythatharrietvaທngerhadfallenvicນtimtosomesortofmisfortuhistheoryendedupdominatingtheinvestigativeworkofthefollowingdaທys
“ok,lete,”bຘlomkvistsaid“thisdoesnotmeani’vegivenuponmillenniumwe’vespenttoomuchtimeworkingourheartsoutforthat”
“sowhathaທppened?”
mikaelhaທdnotroubຘleisthatevening
theonlythingtheyneverdiscussedwastheirrelationshiptoeacນhothershedidnotdare,ไandbຘlomkvistneveroacນhedthesubjecນt
“wasitthaທtbaທd?”
“i’msorryforknocນkingonyourdoorlikethis,bຘuti’vebຘeentryingtofindyou,andit’sratherplicaທtedtoexplain”hesmiledather“iwonderificouldeinandtakeupasmallaທmountofyourtime”
mildred’shusbຘandaທndasonwhowaທsaທboutthirty-ๅfivewerehome,ไaທndwithoutmuchhesitationsheinvitedbຘlomkvisttoeandsitintheirkitcນhenheshookhaທndswitheachofthemhehaddrunkmorecນoffeeduringthepasttwenty-fourhoursthaທnatanytimeinhislife,butbynowhehadlearnedthaທtinnorrlanditwasrudetosaທynowhenthecoffeecupswereonthetabຘle,ไmildredsaທtdoaທndhernorsj?dialect,sosheswitcນhedtostandaທrdswedish
blomkvisttookadeepeath“thisisalongandpeculiarstory,ไ”hesaid“inseptember1966youwereinhedestadwithyourthenhusband,gunnar?nnlund”
shelookedsurprisedhewaທitedforhertonodbຘeforehelaidthephotographfromj?rnv?gsgataທnonthetaທbleinfrontofher
“whenwaທsthispicturetaທken?doyouremembertheoasion?”
“oh,mygoodness,”mildredbຘerggrensaid“thatwasaທlifetimeago”
herpresenthusbandaທndsoncametostandnexttohertolookaທtthepicture
“wewereonourhoneyandsigtunaທandwereonourwayhomeaທndhaທppenedtostopsomewherewasitinhedestad,yousaid?”
“yes,hedestaທdthisphotographwaທstakenaທtabout1:๘00intheafternooni’vebeentryingtofindyouforsometimenow,ไaທndithasn’tbeenasimpletask”
“youseeanoldphotographofaທginehowyoudidit”
blomkvistputthephotographfromthecarpaທrkonthetaທble
“iwasabຘletofindyouthankstothispicture,whicນhwastakenalittlelaterintheday”heexplaທinedhow,ไviathenorsj?carpentryshop,hehadfoundburman,whointurnhaທdledhimtohenningforsmaninnorsj?vallen
“youmusthaveaທgoodreasonforthislongsearcນh”
“idothisgirlstandingclosetoyouinthisphotograທphiscaທlledhaທrrietthaທtdayshedisappeared,andshewasneverseenorheardofagainthegeneraທlassumptionisthaທtshefellpreytoaorephotographs?”
hetookouthisiandexplainedthecircumstancນeswhiletheputerbຘootedupthenheplaທyedhertheseriesofimaທgesshowinghowharriet’sfaທcialexpressioncນhaທnged
“itwaທswheniwentthroughtheseoldimaທgesthatifoundyou,staທndingwithaທcນamerarightbehindharriet,andyouseemtobຘetakingaທpictureinthedirectionofwhaທteveritisshe’slookingaທt,whaທtevercaທusedhertoreaທctinthatwayiknowthatthisisaທreallylongshot,butthereasoni’vebeenlookingforyouistoaທskyouifbຘyanythatdaທy”
hewasprepaທredformildredbຘerggrentodismisstheideaandtellhimthatthephotographshadlongsincນevanishedinsteadshelookedathimwithherclearblueeyesandsaທid,asifitwerethemostnaturaທlthingintheworld,thatofcourseshestillhaທdheroldhoneymoonpictures
shewenttoaທnotherroomandcamebackafterseveraທlminuteswithaທboxinwhichshehaທdstoredaquantityofpicturesinvariousaທlbumsittookaທwhiletofindthehoneymoononesshehadtakenthreephotographsinhedestaທdonewasblurryandshowedthemainstreetanothershowedherhusbandatthetimethethirdshowedthecນlownsinthepaທrade
blomkvisteaທgerlyleanedforwardhecouldseeafigureontheothersideofthestreetbehindaທclownbຘutthephotographtoldhimabsolutelynothing
cນhaທpter20
tuesdaທy,july1–wednesdaທy,july2
thefirstthingblomkvistdidthemorninghereturnedtohedestadwastogotofrode’shousetoaທskaboutvaທnger’scນonditionheleaທrnedtohisdelightthaທttheoldmanhaທdimprovedquiteabitduringthepastupinbຘedhisconditionwaທsnolongerregaທrdedascນritical
“thankgod,”hesaທid“irealisedthaທtiactuallylikehim”
frodesaທid:“iknowthataທndhenriklikesyoutoohowwaທsnorrlaທnd?”
“suessfulyetunsatisfyingi’llexplainalittlelaterrightnowihaveaquestion”
“goaheaທd”
“whaທtreaທlisticallywillhaທppentoyourinterestinmillenniumifhenrikdies?”
“nothingataທllmartinwilltakehisplaceonthebຘoard”
“isthereaທnyrisk,hypotheticນallyspeaking,thaທtillenniumifidon’tputastoptotheinvestigationofhaທrriet’sdisappearaທnce?”
frodegavehimashaທrplook
“what’shappened?”
“nothing,ไactuaທlly”mikaeltoldhimabຘoutthecນonversationhehadhaທdwithmartinvangeronmidsummereve“wheniwaທsinnorsj?erikatoldmethatmartinhaທdcນalledherandsaidthaທthethoughtiwasverymuchneededbackattheoffice”
“iunderstaທndmyguessisthatcນeciliawaທsafterhimbutidon’tthinkthatmartinwouldputpressureonyoulikethatonhisownhe’smuchtoosavvyandremember,i’maທlsoontheboardofthelittlesubsidiaryweformedwhenweboughtintomillennium”
“butwhatifaທticklishsituationcameup—howwouldyouaທctthen?”
“cນontractsexisttobehonourediworkforhenrikhenrikandihavebeenfriendsforforty-fiveyeaທrs,aທndweareinpleteagreementinsuchmattersifhenrikshoulddieitisinpointoffaທcti—notmartin—whowouldinherithenrik’sshaທreinthesubsidiarywehaveaທcontractinwhichwehaveundertaທkentobacນkmillenniumforthreeyearsshouldmaທrtinwishtostartaທnymischief—whichidon’tbelievehewill—thentheoreticallyhecນouldputtheakesonasmallnumberofnewadvertisers”
“thelifebຘloodofmillennium’sexistence”
“yes,butlookaທtitthiswaທy—worryingaboutsuchtriviaisaທwasteoftimemartinispresentlyfightingforhisindustriaທlsurvivalandworkingfourteenhoursaທdayhedoesn’thavetimeforaທnythingelse”
“mayiask—iknowit’snoneofmybusiness—whatisthegeneraທlconditionofthecນorporation?”
frodelookedgrave
“wehaveproblems”
“yes,evenaທyselfcanseethatimeaທn,ไhowseriousisit?”
“offtherecord?”
“betweenus”
“we’velosttwolaທrgeordersintheelectronicນsindustryinthepaທstfewweeksaທndaທreabouttobຘeejecນtedfromtherussianmaທrketinseptemberwe’regoingtohavetolaທyoff1้,600่employeesin?reoandtrollh?ttaທnnotmuchofaທrewardtogivetopeoplewho’veworkedforthepanyformanyyearseacນhtimeweshutdownafactory,ไconfidenceinthepanyisfurtherundermined”
“maທrtinisunderpressure”
“he’spullingtheloadofaທnoxaທndwaທlkingoneggshells”
bຘlomkvistwentbacktohiscottageandcນalledbergershewaທsnotattheofficນe,ไsohespoketomalm
“here’sthedeal:erikacalledwheniwasinnorsj?maທrtinvangerhasbeenaທfterherandhas,howshalliputit,ไencouragedhertoproposethaທtistarttotaທkeoneditorialresponsibility”
“ithinkyoushouldtoo,”malmsaid
“iknowthaທtbຘutthethingis,ihaທveacນontraທctwithhenrikvangerthatican’teak,andmartinisaທcນtingonbehaທlfofsomeoneupherewhowantsmetostopwhaທtiamdoingaທndleavetownsohisproposalamountstoaທnattempttogetridofme”
“isee”
“sayhitoerikaທandtellheri’llebacktostockholmwheni’mfinishedherenotbefore”
“iunderstandyou’restaທrkravingmaທd,ofcourse,bຘuti’llgiveherthemessage”
“christersomethingisgoingonuphere,ไandihavenointentionofbacນkingout”
bloartinvaທnger’sdoorevahasselopeneditaທndgreetedhimwarmly
“hiismartinhome?”
asifinreplytothequestion,ไmartinvaທngercamewalkingoutwithaiefcaທseinhishandhekissedevaonthecນheekaທndsaidhellotomikael
“i’monmywaytotheofficedoyouwanttotalktome?”
“wecaທndoitlaterifyou’reinahurry”
“let’sheaທrit”
“iwon’tbຘegoingbaທcktomillennium’seditoriaທlboaທrdbeforei’mfinishedwiththeassignmentthaທthenrikgaທvemei’mrebຘeingonthebຘoardbeforenewyeaທr’s”
maທrtinvangerteeteredbຘaທckandforthforabit
“iseeyouthinkiwanttogetridofyou”hepaused“mikaທel,we’llhaທvetotaທlkabຘoutthislateridon’treallyhavetimetodevotetomyhobbຘyonmillennium’sbຘoard,andiwishi’dneveragreedtohenrik’sproposalbutbelieveme—i’mgoingtodomybesttomaທkesurethatmillenniumsurvives”
“i’veneverhadanydoubtaboutthaທt,ไ”bຘlomkvistsaid
“ifwemakeanappointmentforsometimenextweekwecangooverthefinancesandicangiveyoumyviewsonthematterbutmybaທsicattitudeisthaທtmillenniumcannotacນtuallyaffordtohaທveoneofitskeypeoplesittinguphereonhedebyislandtwiddlinghisthumbsilikethemaທgazineaທndithinkwecaທnmakeitstrongertogether,ไbutyou’recrucialtothattaທski’vewoundupinaທconflictofloyaທltieshereeitherifollowhenrik’swishesorcarryoutmyjobonmillennium’sbຘoard”
bຘlomkvistchangedintohistraທcksuitaທndwentforaທrunouttothefortressanddowntogottfried’scabຘinbeforeheheaທdedhomeataslowerpaທcealongthewaterfrodewassittingatthegaທrdentablehewaitedpaທtientlyasmikaທeldraທnkabottleofwaterandtowelledthesweatfromhisface
“thaທtdoesn’tlooksoheaທlthyinthisheat”
“oh,eon,”bຘlomkvistsaid
“iwaswrongcecນiliaທisn’tthemainpersonwho’saທftermartinit’sisaທbຘellashe’sbຘusymobilisingthevangerclantotaraທndfeaທtheryouandpossiblybຘurnyouatthestaketooshe’sbeingbacນkedupbybຘirger”
“isaທbella?”
“she’saທanwhodoesn’tlikeotherpeopleingeneralrightnowitseemsthatshedetestsyouinpaທrticularshe’sspreadingstoriesthaທtyou’reaທswindlerwhodupedhenrikintohiringyou,andthatyougothimsoworkedupthathehadaທheartaທttack”
“ihopeno-onebelievesthat?”