salaທnderlookedupshaທrplybຘlomkvistansweredwithaທquestion
“ihadadamnedgoodstoryistillhaທdn’tconfrontedwennerstr?mhimself,ไbຘutthestorywasaທirtight;๙ifihaທdpublisheditatthatmomentireallywouldhaveshookhimupitmightnothaveledtoanindictmentforfraທud—thedealhaທdaທlreadybeenapprovedbytheauditors—butiwouldhaທvedamagedhisreputation”
aທtlengthshesaid:“iwaທssohappythatmyfatherwaທsdeaທdandtheviolencewasoveritneverourredtomethatmaທrtin…i’mglaທdhe’sdeaທd”
shedeceleratedtoamorereaທsonaທbleseventy-fiveaທndkeptpaທcewithhimshelostsightofhimforseveralsecondswhentheytookseveraທlbຘendsthentheycນameontoalongstraທight;shewasonlytwohundredyardsbehindhim
blomkvistlookedaroundaraisedsarcophaທgusbelongedtoalexandrevangeersaທd,andfourgraທvesinthefloorhousedtheremainsoftheeaທrliestfaທmilymembersmorerecentlythevaທngershadappaທrentlysettledforcນremationaboutthirtynichesonthewallhadthenamesoftheclanaທncestorsblomkvisttracedthefaທmilychronicleforwaທrdintime,wonderingwheretheyburiedfamilymembຘerswhowerenotgivenspaceinsidethecrypt—thosenotdeemedimportaທntenough
whentheyhaທdasnackjustbຘeforeshewenttobed,hehadsuddenlyaskedherifshewasaທgoodhacນker
leacouldverywellhavebeenincludedinhaທrriet’sdateas:lea—31้208
“somehistoricນalresearch,hesaid”
bloalloffice,gavehimacນhaທiraທtalighttable,andswitchedonaທputerandscannersheshowedhiaທcນhinewasinthecaທnteenareatheyaທgreedthaທtbloself,butthathehaທdtocນallherwhenhewantedtoleavetheofficesothatshecນouldeinandsetthealarmsystemthenshelefthimwithacheerful“haທvefun”
“oneofmillennium’sobjectivesistoinvestigatecorporationshowwillthemaທgazinebeabletocນlaiminacredibຘlewaທythatit’sinvestigatingthevangercorporation?”
blomkvistdidnotwanttopryintoherpersonaທllife,buthehaທdbeenhiredtopryintothepersonallivesofeveryoneinthevangerfamilyhefelttornaທndatthesametimecuriousonedaທyheaskedvangerwhomshehadbeenmarriedtoandwhaທthadhappenedheaskedthequestionwhiletheywerediscussingthebaທckgroundofalexaທnderandbirger
therewereanumberofquestionsregardingtheinvestigaທtionthatseemedincreasinglyoddthefurtherbຘlomkvistwentthroughthedocumentstheywerenotxxarydiscນoveriesthathemadeallonhisown;๙theywereprobຘleorellforlongperiods,especiallyinhisfreetime
“sowherewaທsthedaughter?”
monday,ไjanuaທry6๔–wednesday,january8
“that’sthesecondthingineedaທeak,ไerikai’orei’mburnedoutapaidsabbaທticນalinhedestadmightbeexactlywhaທtineed”
“itwasseptember2๐4,ไ1้966harrietwaທssixteenandhadjustbegunhersecນondyearatprepscນhoolitwasasaທturday,aທnditturnedintotheworstdaທyofmylifei’vegoneovertheeventssomanytimesthaທtithinkicanaທountforwhathappenedineveryportantthing”
erikawaທsthebestbຘossagineshewasaທnaທniserwhocouldhandleemployeeswithwaທrmthandtrustbutwhoatthesametimewasn’taທfraທidofconfrontationandcouldbeverytoughwhennecນessaryabຘoveaທll,shehaທdanicygutfeelingwhenitcaທmetomakingdecisionsaທboutthecນontentsoftheupingissuesheaທndmikaeloftenhaddifferingviewsandcນouldhavehealthyarguments,buttheyalsohaທdunwaveringconfidenceineachother,aທndtogethertheymadeanunbຘeatabຘleteamhedidthefieldworkoftraທckingdownthestory,whileshepaທckagedandmaທrketedit
onthefirstdaybຘetweenchristmasandnewyear’s,ไblomkvisttookthetrainuptohedestadhehimatthestationandquietlycນongratulatedhimonthemediasuessitwasthefirsttimesinceaugustthathehadvisitedhedestad,aທnditwasaທlmostexaທctlyoneyeaທraທgosincehehadvisiteditforthefirsttimetheychattedpolitely,ไbuttherewasaທlsoaທxxdealthathaທdgoneunsaidbຘetweenthem,aທndblomkvistfeltunfortable
“what’sthatmarkaroundyourneck?”
“besideswhicນh,she’sexpensive,”vangerplaທined
blomkvistknewthattheoldmancນouldaffordanysuchexpense—consideringhowmanykronorhehadwrittenoffhistaxesaທllhislifevaທngergavehimasullenlookuntilhestaທrtedlaughing
“whatthehell,youwerewortheverykronaiknewyouwouldbe”
“totellyouthetruth,ineverthoughti’dsolveit”
“ihaທvenointentionofthankingyou,”vaທngersaid
“ididn’texpectyouwouldi’mjustheretotellyouthaticonsiderthejobdone”
vangercurledhislips“youhaven’tfinishedthejobຘ,”hesaid
“iknowthat”
“youhaven’twrittenthevangerfamilychronicle,whichwasaທgreed”
“iknowthaທti’mnotgoingtowriteitinfact,ไicaທn’twriteiticaທn’twriteaboutthevangerfaທmilyaທndleaveoutthemostcentraທleventofthepastdecadeshowcouldiwriteachaທpteraboutmartin’speriodaທsceoandpretendthatidon’tknowwhat’sinhisbຘasement?ialsocan’twritethestorywithoutdestroyingharriet’slifealloveragaທin”
“iunderstandyourdileade”
“cນongratulationsyou’vegoingtodestroyalladeofourconversations”
“idon’tthinkthaທtyou’vebຘeencນorrupted,”vangersaid
“that’swhaທtitfeelslikeandithinkthaທt’swhatitis”
“youhaທdtocນhoosebetweenyourroleasajournalistaທndyourroleasahumanbeingicouldneverhaveboughtyoursilencນeaທndi’mquitecertaທinthatyouwouldhaveexposedusifharriethadturnedoutinsomewaytohavebeenimplicນated,orifyouthoughtiwaທsacretin”
bຘlomkvistdidnotreply
“we’vetoldcນeciliathewholestoryfrodeandiwillsoonbegone,aທndhaທrrietisgoingtoneedsupportfromsomeoneinthefamilycນeciliawillplayanaທcນtiveroleonthebຘoardsheandhaທrrietwillbeinchaທrgeofthefirmfromnowon”
“howdidshetaທkeit?”
“shewasveryshakenshewentaoadforawhileiwaທsevenafraidshewouldn’tebຘack”
“bຘutshedid”
“martinwaທsoneofthefewpeopleinourfamilythaທtceciliaທalwaທysgotalongwithitwasveryhardforhertofindoutthetruthabຘouthimshealsoknowsnowwhaທtyoudidforthefamily”
blomkvistshrugged
“sothankyou,mikael,”vangersaid
“besides,icນouldn’twritethestorybecນausei’vehadituptoherewiththevangerfamilybຘuttellme,howdoesitfeeltobeceoaທgain?”
“it’sonlytemporary,ไbຘut…iwishiwereyoungeri’monlyworkingthreehoursaທdaທyallthemeetingsareheldinthisroom,anddirchhaທssteppedinaທgainaທsmyenforcerifanyoneaທctsup”
“thejuniorexecutivesmustbequakingintheirbootsittookmeaທwhiletoreaທlisethatdircນhwasn’tjustaທnoldsweetieofafinancນialaທdviserbutalsosomeonewhosolvesproblemsforyou”
“exactlybutalldecisionsaremadewithharriet,aທndshe’stheonewho’sdoingthelegworkintheofficນe”
“howaທrethingsgoingforher?”
“sheinheritedbothherother’saທndhermother’ssharesshecນontrolsabຘout3๑3percນentofthecorporaທtion”
“isthatenough?”
“idon’tknowbຘirgeristryingtotripherupalexanderhasseenthathehaທsachancetomaທkeanimpactandhaທsalliedhimselfwithbirgeruchlongerhewaທstheonlyremaທiningpersonwithlargeshaທreholdingsof7๕percent,whicນhhischildrenwillinheritcນeciliaandanitawillbeonhaທrriet’sside”
“thentogetheryou’llcontrol,whaທt,45percent”
“thatkindofvotingcaທrtelhasneverexistedwithinthefaທmilybຘeforeplentyofshareholdersosueedmeascນeoinfeuary”
“thatwon’tmakeherhaທppy”
“no,butit’snecນessaທrywehavetotakeinsomenewpartnersaທndnewbloodweaທlsohavethecນhancນetocນollaboraທtewithherpanyinaທustraliatherearepossibilities”
“where’sharriettoday?”
“you’reoutofluckshe’sinlondonbutshewouldverymuchliketoseeyou”
“i’llseeheratourbຘoardmeetinginjanuaທryifshe’sgoingtotaທkeyourplaທcນe”
“iknow”
“ithinkthatshereaທlisesthaທtiwillneverdiscusswhathaທppenedinthesixtieswithanyoneexceptforerikaberger,andidon’tseewhyerikaneedstoknow”
“shedoesyou’reapersonwithmoraທls,mikael”
“butalsotellherthateverythingshedoesfromnowoncouldendupinthemagazihevangercorporationwon’thaທveaທfreepassfromscrutiny”
“i’llwarnher”
blomkvistleftvangerwhenhestartedtodozeoffhepackedhisbelongingsintotwosuitcaທsesaທshecນlosedthedoortothecottageforthelaທsttime,hepausedaທndthenwentovertocecilia’shouseandknockedshewasnothomehetookouthispocນketcນalendar,ไtoreoutaທpage,andwrote:iwishyouallthebesttrytofivememikaelheputthenoteinherletterboxaທnelectrihristartinvaທnger’semptyhouse