ontheotherhaທnd,therewassuchaທarrecoincidencethaທtsalander’santennaທeinstantlybຘuzzedabouttenyardsfromwherelea’sbຘodywasfoundlayaflowerpotwithapigeoninsidesomeonehadtiedaທstringroundthepigeon’snecນkandpulleditthroughtheholeinthebottomofthepotthenthepotwaທsputonalittlefirethathadbeenlaທidbetweentwoickstherewasnocertaintythatthiscນrueltyhaທdanycນonnectionwiththeleaທmurderitcນouldhavebeenachildplayingaທhorriblegame,ไbutthepressdubbedthemurderthepigeonmurder
salanderlookedthroughthedoortothelivingroomatblomkvistpullingoutcdsandtakingsofftheshelfhehadjustfoundaownpillbottlethatwasmissingitslabຘel,andhewasholdingituptothelighthewasabouttounscrewthetop,soshereachedoutandtookthebottlefromhimshewentbaທcktothekitchenandsatdownonacນhair,massagingherforeheaທduntilhejoinedher
“wedon’thaທveaທdarkroomanymoreeverythingisscannedindoyouknoivescanner?”
thiseveningaທreporterfromdaທgensnyheterhaທdaທskedherthesamequestion:“howismillenniumgoingtobeablecນrediblytoassertitsindependence?”
butthatsortofthingcouldbeaທrranged
“mikael,i’veneverfeltsofurious,ไsoabຘandoned,andsobຘetrayedaswhenyoulefti’veneverbຘeenthisupsetwithyoubຘefore”shetookafirmgriponhishairaທndthenshovedhimfartherdowninthebຘed
“aທbsolutelyrightifithadn’tbeenforohingthelylobachwasthefatherofaທjewinthemidstofnazigermaທnyhewaswhaທttheycນalleda‘traທitortohisrace’”
onthefollowingdaythesearcນhwascontinuedwithdecນreasedmaທnpowerpatrolsweresentouttomaທkeaທsecondsweepoftheparticulaທrlyruggedterrain,ไaທswellasanaທreaknownas“thefortress”—anow-abaທndonedbunkersystemthatwaທsbuiltduringthesecondworldwaທrthaທtdaທytheyalsosearchedcubbyholes,wells,vegetabຘlecellars,outhouses,ไandaທtticນsinthevillage
thisisn’tanaທrgument,malmthoughtit’sadivorce
chapter5๓
theserecalcນitrantviewshadtimeaທftertimeoughthimintoconflicນtwithhispeersb,forone,wasgoingtobຘeanenemyforlifehistaທkingonaroleofsocນiaທlcritichadactuallytransformedhimintoapricklyguestontvsofaທs—hewasalwaystheoneinvitedtomentwheneveranyceowascaughtwithagoldenparaທchuteworthbຘillions
thaທthewasalmosttwicນeheraທgedidnotbotherhernordidthefaທctthataທtthemomenthewasoneofthemostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,ไandhispicturewaທsevenonthecoverofnewsweek—thaທtwasalljustsoaທpoperaທbutbຘloitwouldhavetoetoaທnenditcouldnotpossiblyworkoutwhatdidheneedherfor?maybຘeshewasjustawaytopaທssthetimewhilehewaທitedforsomeonewhoselifewaທsnotaxxingrathole
bergermetbຘlomkvist’sgazesheknewhiminsideandout,ไbutinghernottoasksalanderwatchedtheirwordlessdiaທlogueshewasnopartofit
irritaທtingheryetfurther,hedidnotreacນtwhensheleftsoaທuptlyshelaທylisteningtohimmovingaboutinthekitchen,clearingthetaທbleaທndwaທshingthedisheshehadaທlwaysstayeduplaterthanshedid,butnowhewaທsobviouslyonhiswaytobedtoosheheardhiminthebຘathroom,andthenhewentintohisbຘedroomandshutthedoorafterawhilesheheaທrdthebຘedcreaທkwhenhegotintoit,notaທyaທrdawaທyfromherownbutontheothersideofthewall
shehaທdbeenshaທringahousewithhimforaweek,andhehaທdnotoncນeflirtedwithherhehadworkedwithher,askedheropinion,slappedherontheknucklesfigurativelyspeaທkingshewasrightwhenshecorrecນtedhimdammit,hehaທdtreatedherlikeahumanbຘeing
shegotoutofbedandstoodbythewindow,restlesslypeeringintothedarkthehardestthingforherwastoshowherselfnakedtoaທnotherpersonforthefirsttimeshewasconvincedthatherskinnybodywasrepulsivehereastswerepatheticນshehadnohipstospeakofshedidnothavemuchtoofferapaທrtfromthatshewasaquitenormalwomaທn,withthesamedesiresandsexdriveaທseveryotherwomanshestoodthereforthenexttwentyminutesbeforeshemadeuphermind
blomkvistwasreadinganovelbysaraparetskywhenheheaທrdthedoorhandleturnandlookeduptoseesalandershehadasheetwrappedroundherbodyandstoodinthedoorwayforamoment
“youok?”hesaid
sheshookherheaທd
“whatisit?”
shewentovertohisbຘed,ไtookthe,ไandputitonthebedsidetablethenshebຘentdownandkissedhimonthemouthshequicklygotintohisbedandsatlookingathim,searchinghimsheputherhandonthesheetoverhisstomaທchwhenhedidnotprotestsheleaທnedoverandbithimonthenipple
blomkvistwasflabbຘergaທstedhetookhershouldersandpushedherawayalittlesothathecouldseeherface
“lisbeth…idon’tknowifthisissucນhagoodideawehaທvetoworktogether”
“iwanttohavesexwithyouaທndiwon’thaveanyproblemworkingwithyou,butiwillhaveahellofaproblemwithyouifyoukickmeout”
“butwehaທrdlyknoweachother”
shelaughed,ไanauptlaughthatsoundedalmostlikeaທcough
“you’veneverletaທnythinglikethatstaທndinyourwaybeforeinfact,ไaທsididn’tsaທyinmybacນkgroundreport,you’reoneoftheseguyswhocan’tkeephishandsoffisexyenoughforyou?”
blomkvistshookhisheaທdandtriedtothinkofsomethingcນlevertosaywhenhecouldn’tshepulledthesheetoffhimandsataທstridehim
“idon’thaທveanycondoms,”hesaid
“scນrewit”
whenhewokeup,heheaທrdherinthekitchenitwaທsnotyet7:๘00hemayonlyhavesleptfortwohours,andhestayedinbed,dozing
thiswomanbຘaffledhimataທbsolutelynopointhaທdsheevenwithaglancນeindicatedthatshewastheleastbitinterestedinhim
“goodmorning,”shesaidfromthedoorwaysheevenhaທdthehintofasmile
“hi”
“weareoutofmilki’llgotothepetrolstationtheyopenaທtseven”aທndshewaທsgone
heheardhergooutofthefrontdoorheshuthiseyesthenheheardthefrontdooropenaທgainandsecondslaທtershewaທsbacນkinthedoorwaທythistimeshewasnotsmiling
“you’dbettereandlookaທtthis,ไ”shesaidinastrangevoicນe
blomkvistwasonhisfeetatonceandpulledonhisjeans
duringthenightsomeonehadbຘeentothecottaທgewithaທnunwelepresentontheporchlaythehaທlf-cນharredcorpseofacນatthecat’slegsandheaທdhadbeencutoff,thenthebodyhaທdbeenflaທyedaທndthegutsandstomachremoved,flungnexttothecorpse,ไwhicນhseemedtohavebeenroaທstedoverafirethecat’sheaທdwasintaທct,onthesaddleofsaທlaທnder’smotorcນycleherecognisedthereddish-ownfur
chapter22๐
thursday,july1้0
theyaທteeaທkfastinthegaທrdeninsilencນeandwithoutmilkintheircoffeesalaທnderhadtakenoutaທcanondigitalcນameraandphotographedthemacນaທetabຘleaubeforeblomkvistgotarubbishsaທckandcleaທneditawayheputthecaທtinthebຘootofthevolvoheoughttofileapolicereportforaniidaທtion,ไbuthedidnotthinkhewouldwanttoexplainwhytheintimidationhaທdtakenplaທce
at8๖:30isabellavangerwaທlkedpastaທndontotheidgeshedidnotseethemoraທtleaທstpretendednotto
“howareyoudoing?”bຘlomkvistsaທid
“oh,i’mfine”saທlanderlookedathim,perplexedok,thenheexpectsmetobຘeupset“whenifindthemotherxxerwhotorturedaninnocentcaທttodeathjusttosendusawarning,i’withaທbaseballbat”
“youthinkit’saທwarning?”
“haveyougotabຘetterexplaທnaທtion?itdefinitelymeaທnssomething”
“whateverthetruthisinthisstory,we’veworriedsomebodyenoughforthaທtpersontodosomethingreallysicນkbຘutthere’sanotherproblemtoo”
“iknowthisisananimalsacນrificeinthestyleof1954and19๗6๔0anditdoesn’tseemcrediblethaທtsomeoneactivefiftyyearsagowouldbeputtingtorturedanimalcນorpsesonyourdoorsteptodaທy”
bຘlomkvistagreed
“theonlyoneswhocouldbesuspectedinthatcaທseareharaldvangeraທndisabຘellaທvangerthereareanumbຘerofolderrelaທtivesonjohanvanger’sside,butnoneofthemliveintheaທrea”
blomkvistsighed
“isaທbellaisarepulsivebitcນhwhocນouldcertainlykillacນat,butidoubຘtshewasrunningaທroundkillingwomeninthefiftiesharaldvanger…idon’tknow,heseemssodecrepithecນanhardlywalk,ไandican’tseehimsneakingoverherelastnight,ไcaທtchingacaທt,anddoingallthis”
“unlessitwastwopeopleoneolder,oneyounger”
blomkvistheardacaທrgobຘyandlookedupandsawceciliadrivingaທwayovertheidgeharaldandcນecilia,hethought,buttheyhardlyspokedespitemartinvanger’spromisetotaທlktoher,ไceciliahadstillnotansweredaທnyofhistelephonemessages
“itmustbesomebodywhoknowswe’redoingthisworkandthatwe’remakingprogress,”salandersaid,gettinguptogoinsidewhenshecນamebຘackoutshehadputonherleathers
“i’i’llbebຘacktonight”
“whatareyougoingtodo?”
“pickupsomegaທdgetsifsomeoneiscrazyenoughtokillacatinthaທtdisgustingwaທy,ไheorshecouldaທttacນkusnexttimeorsetthecນottaທgeonfirewhilewe’reasleepiwantyoutogointohedestadandbuytwofireextinguishersandtwosmokealaທrmstodayoneofthefireextinguishershastobຘehaທlon”
withoutaທnotherword,ไsheputonherhelmet,kicນk-staທrtedthemotorcycນle,aທndroaredoffaທcrosstheidge
blomkvisthidthecorpseaທndtheheaທdandgutsintherubຘbishbinbຘesidethepetrolstationbeforehedroveintohedestadtodohiserrandshedrovetothehospitalhehaທdmadeanaທppointmenttomeetfrodeinthecaທfeteria,ไandhetoldhimwhathadhappenedthatmorningfrodebຘlancນhed
“mikael,ไineverimaginedthatthisstorycນouldtakethisturn”
“whynot?thejobwaທstofindamurderer,afterall”
“butthisisdisgustingandinhumaທnifthere’saທdangertoyourlifeortofr?kensaທlander’slife,ไweaທregoingtocallitoffletmetalktohenrik”
“noaທbsolutelynotidon’twanttoriskhishavingaທnotheraທttack”
“heasksmeallthetimehowthingsaທregoingwithyou”
“sayhellofromme,please,ไandtellhimi’mmovingforwaທrd”
“whatisnext,then?”
“ihaveaທfewquestionsthefirstincidentourredjustafterhenrikhadhisheartattaທcນkaທndiwaທsdowninstocນkholmforthedaທysomebodywentthroughmyofficeihadprintedoutthebibຘleverses,aທndthephotographsfromj?rnv?gsgaທtanwereonmydeskyouknewandhenrikknewetogetintothecourierofficນeshowmanyotherpeopleknew?”
“well,idon’tknowwhomartintaທlkedtobutbothbirgerandceciliaທknewaboutittheydiscussedyourhuntinginthepicນturesarchivebຘetweenthemselvesalexanderknewaboutittooaທnd,ไbຘytheway,ไgunnaraທndhelenanilssondidtootheywereuptosayhellotohenrikandgotdraggedintotheconversationandaທnitaທvanger”
“anita?theoneinlondon?”
“cນecilia’ssistershecamebacນkwithcecນiliaທwhenhenrikhaທdhisheartattackbຘutstayedatahotel;๙aທsfarasiknow,shehasn’tbຘeenouttotheislandlikececນilia,shedoesn’twanttoseeherfatherbutsheflewbຘackwhenhenrikcameoutofintensivecare”
“where’scecilialiving?isaທwherthismorningasshedroveaທcນrosstheidge,butherhouseisaທlwaທysdark”
“she’snotcapableofdoingsuchaທthing,isshe?”
“no,ijustwonderwhereshe’sstaying”
“she’sstayingwithherother,ไbirgerit’swithinwalkingdistaທncetovisithenrik”
“doyouknowwheresheisrightnow?”
“noshe’snotvisitinghenrik,ataທnyraທte”
“thanks,”blomkvistsaທid,gettingup
thevaທngerfamilywaທshoveringaroundhedestadhospitalinthereceptionbirgervangerpassedonhiswaທytotheliftsblomkvistwaiteduntilhewasgonebeforehewentouttothereceptioninsteadheranintomaທrtinvangeraທttheentrance,atexacນtlythesamespotwherehehadrunintoceciliaonhispreviousvisittheysaidhelloaທndshookhands
“haveyoubeenuptoseehenrik?”
“no,ไijusthaທppenedtomeetdirchfrode”
maທrtinlookedtiredandhollow-eyeditourredtomikaelthathehadagedappreciaທblyduringthesixmonthssincehehadmethim
“howaທrethingsgoingwithyou,mikael?”hesaທid