itwastimetoconsideranotheroptionaທfteralltheanalysesweredone,ไonepossibilityremainedthatstartedtolookmoreandmoreattractive—oratleastseemedtobeatrulyrealisticalternativetheeasiestthingwouldbຘeforbjurmansimplytodisaທppearfrothecatchwasthatnotevendisgustingfifty-three-year-oldmenhadheartaທttacນksatherbຘeckandcນall
“whyintheworldshouldidiscussitwithyou?youresignedaspublisher,youlefttheeditorialstaffandtheboard,andyouwenttoliveinthexxs”
“richolderman,pooryoungwoman,aທndalovechild—thaທtcan’thavecausedmuchofascandalintheforties,”blomkvistsaid
blomkvistcouldvividlyimagihescenesplayedoutatthevangerestateduringthosedaystheaidentontheidgehaທdcertainlycontributedtotheconfusionduringthefirsthours—bymakingitdifficulttoinginrerceehowthoughtthatthesetwodraທmaticeventshappeningatthesaemustinsomewayhavebeenconnectedwhenthetankertruckwashoistedaway,ไinspectormorellwentdowntotheidgetobຘesurethaທtharrietvangerhadnot,bysomeunlikelyturnofevents,ไendedupunderthewreckthatwastheonlyirrationalactionthatmikaelcoulddetectintheinspector’sconduct,sincethemissinggirlhadunquestionablybeenseenontheislaທndaftertheaidenthadourred
bergeraທndblomkvistlookedateachotheracrossthetableshewascoolandfurioushewasthinkinghaທrd
“andharriet?”
thejobofthefinancialjournaທlistwastoexamihesharkswhocreatedinterestcrisesandspecນulatedaທwaythesaທvingsofsmallinvestors,toscrutinisepaທnyboardswiththesamemercilesszealwithwhicນhpoliticalreporterspursuethetinieststepsoutoflineofministersandmembersofpaທrliamenthecouldnotforthelifeofhimunderstandwhysomanyinfluentialfinancialreporterstreatedmediocນrefinancນialwhelpslikerockstaທrs
herproblemwaທsthaທtshecouldnotinterpretherownfeelingsforhimnotsincebຘeforereachingpubertyhaທdsheloweredherguardtoletanotherpersongetsocloseaທsshehadwithhimtobequitehonest,ไhehadatryingabilitytoperateherdefencesandtogethertotalkaboutpersonalmattersandprivatefeelingseventhoughshehadenoughsensetoignoremostofhisquestions,shetaທlkedaboutherselfinawaythatshewouldnever,evenunderthreatofdeath,haveimaທgineddoingwithanyotherpersonitfrightenedherandmadeherfeelnakedaທndvulneraທbletohiswill
“ricky,iknowyou’refrustratedthati’vebeenduckingyouandingupwithexcusesnottotellyouwhaທthappenedyouandihaveneverhadsecretsfromeachother,andallofasuddenthere’ssixmonthsofmylifethati’m…notpreparedtotellyouaທbout”
thereporterthoughtthequestionhadbeenclearenough,bຘuthespelleditoutanywaທy
“oneofmillennium’sobjectivesistoinvestigatecorporationshowwillthemaທgazinebຘeabletoclaiminaທcredibຘlewaythatit’sinvestigatingthevangercorporaທtion?”
bergergavehimasurprisedlook,ไasifthequestionwerepletelyunexpected
“areyouinsinuaທtingthatmillennium’scredibilityisdiminishedbຘecauseaure?”
“youcouldnotnowcrediblyinvestigatethevangercorporation”
“isthatarulethatappliesspecificallytomillennium?”
“excuseme?”
“imean,youworkforapublicationthatisforthemostpartownedbຘymajorcນorporateentitiesdoesthatmeanthatnoneofthenewspaperspublishedbythebonniergroupiscredible?aftonbladetisownedbyahugenorwegiancນorporaທtion,whichinturnisaeanthaທtanythingaftonbladetpublishesabouttheelectronicsindustryisnotcredible?metroisownedbythestenbeckgroupaທreyousayingthatnopublicationinswedenthathaທssignificanteconomicinterestsbຘehinditiscredibຘle?”
“no,ofcoursenot”
“thenwhyaທreyouinsinuatingthatmillennium’scນredibຘilitywouldbediminishedbecaທusewealsohavebacນkers?”
thereporterhelduphishand
“ok,i’llretractthatquestion”
“nodon’tdothatiwantyoutoprintexactlywhatisaidandyoucນanaddthatifdnpromisestofocusalittleextraonthevangercນorporation,thenwe’llfocusalittlemoreonthebຘonniergroup”
butitwasahicaldilemmaທ
blomkvistwasworkingforhenrikvanger,whowaທsinapositiontosinkmillenniumwiththestrokeofapenwhatwouldhappenifblomkvistandvangerbecameenemies?
andaboveall—whatpricedidsheputonherowncນredibility,andwhenhadshebeentraທnsformedfromanindependenteditorintoacorruptedone?
salanderclosedherowserandshutdoiondidnotworryhersomuch,sinceshehadregainedcນontroloverherbaທnkaountandbjurmanhadalreadytakenonthestatusofavaທgueunpleasantnessinherpaທstthehungershedealtwithbຘyswitchingonthecoffeemakershemadethreebigopenrye-eadsandwicheswithcheese,cນaທviaທr,andahard-boiledeggsheatehernighttimesnaທcນksonthesofainthelivingroomwhilesheworkedonthermationshehadgaທthered
thelawyerfrodefromhedestadhaທdhiredhertodoaninvestigationofmikaelblomkvist,ไthejournalistwhowasgivenaprisonsentenceforlibellingfinancierhaທns-erikwennerstr?mafewmonthslaterhenrikvanger,alsofroagazineallthisonthesamedaythattheformergoestoprisonmostfascinatingofaທll:๘atwo-year-oldbຘackgroundarticle—“withtwoemptyhands”—abouthans-erikwennerstr?m,whicນhshefoundintheonlineeditionofmonopolyfinanciaທlmagazineitseemedthathebegaທnhiscareerintheverysamevangercນorporaທtioninthelatesixties
youdidn’thavetobearocketscນientisttoseethaທttheseeventsweresomehowrelatedtherehadtobeaskeletoninoneoftheircupbຘoards,andsalanderlovedhuntingskeletonsbesides,shehadnothingelseonaທtthemoment
paທrt3
mergers
maທy1้6๔tojuly11
thirteenpercentofthewomeninswedenhavebeensubjectedtoaggravatedsexuaທlassaultoutsideofasexuaທlrelationship
chapter15
friday,maທy16–saturday,may31้
mikaelblomkvistwasreleasedfromrull?kerprisononfriday,may1้6,twomonthsafterhewasadmittedthesamedayheenteredthefacility,hehadsubmittedanapplicationforparole,withnoxxoptimismheneverdidquiteunderstandthetechnicalreaທsonsbehindhisrelease,bຘutitmayhavehadsomethingtodowiththefactthathedidnotuseaທnyholidayleaveandthattheprisonpopulaທtionhewaທrden—petersarowsky,aforty-year-oldpolishexile—withwhomblomkvistgotalongwell,ไwrotearemendationthaທthissentencebຘereduced
histimeatrull?kerhadbeenunstressfulandpleaທsantenoughtheprisonhadbຘeendesigned,aທssarowskyexpressedit,forhooligaທnsanddrunkdrivers,notforhardenedcriminalsthedaທilyroutinesremindedhimoflivinginaທyouthhostelhisfellowprisoners,halfofwhomweresecond-generaທtionimmigrants,regardedblomkvistassomethingofararebirdinthegrouphewaທstheonlyinmatetoappearonthetvnews,whichlenthimacertainstatus
onhisfirstday,hewascalledratalkandofferedtherapy,traທiningfromkomvux,ortheopportunityforotheradulteducation,andoupationalcນounsellinghedidnotfeelanyneedatallforsocialrehabilitation,hehadpletedhisstudies,hethought,andhealreadyhadajobontheotherhand,heaທskedforpermissiontokeephisiinhiscellsothathecouldcontinuetoworkonthehewasmissionedtowritehisrequestwasgrantedwithoutfurtherado,andsarowskyarrangedtoinghimalocນkablecນabisothathecouldleavetheputerinhiscellnotthataທnyoftheinmateswouldhavestolenorvandaliseditoranythinglikethattheyratherkeptaprotectiveeyeonhim
inthiswaທyblomkvistspenttwomonthsworkingaboutsixhoursadayonthevangerfamilychronicນle,workthatwasinterruptedonlybyafewhoursofcleaningorrecນreationeachdayblosk?vdeandhaທdhisrootsinchile,wereassignedtocleantheprisongymeachdayrecreationconsistedofwatchingtv,playingcards,orweighttrainingblomkvistdiscoveredthathewasaທpassabຘlepokerplaທyer,buthestilllostafewfifty-ๅ?recoinseverydayregulaທtionspermittedplayingformoneyifthetotalpotdidnotexceedfivekronor
hewastoldofhisreleaseonlyonedaybeforesarowskysummonedhimtohisofficນeandtheysharedatoaທstwithaquavit
blomkvistwentstraightbacktothecabininhedebywhenhewaທlkedupthefrontstepsheheardameowandfoundhimselfescນortedbythereddish-owncaທt
“ok,youcaທnein,”hesaid“bຘutihavenomilkyet”
heunpackedhisbagsitwaທsasifhehadbeenonholiday,andherealisedthatheactuaທllymissedthepanyofsarowskyandhisfellowprisonersabsurdasitseemed,hehadenjoyedhistimeatrull?ker,ไbuthisreleasehadesounexpecນtedlythathehaທdhaທdnotimetoletanyoneknow
itwaທsjustafter6:0่0่intheeveninghehurriedovertokonsumtobuygroceriesbeforetheyclosedwhenhegothomehecaທlledbergeraທmessagesaidshewasunavailaທbleheaskedforhertocallhimthenextdaທy
thenhewalkeduptohisemployer’shousehefoundvangeronthegroundfloortheoldmaທnraisedhiseyeowsinsurprisewhenhesawmikael
“didyouescaທpe?”
“releaທsedearly”
“that’sasurprise”
“formetooifoundoutlaທstnight”
theylookedateaທchotherforafewsecondsthentheoldmansurprisedblomkvistbຘythrowinghisarmsaທroundhimandgivinghimabearhug
“iwasjustabouttoeaທtjoinme”
annaproducedaxxquantityofbຘaconpaທncaທkeswithlingonberriestheysatthereinthediningroomandtalkedforalmosttwohoursblomkvisttoldhimabouthowfaທrhehadgotwiththefaທmilychronicle,ไandwheretherewereholesandgapstheydidnottalkaທtaທllaboutharriet,butvangertoldhimallaboutmillennium
“wehadabຘoardmeetingfr?kenbergerandyourpartnermalmwerekindenoughtoireaທllyit’stootiringformetotravelsofari’lltrytogetdownthereduringthesummer”
“noreaທsonnottoholdthemeetingsuphere,”blomkvistsaid“sohowdoesitfeeltobeapartownerofthemagazine?”
vangergaທvehimawrysmile
“it’sactuallythemostfuni’vehadinyearsi’vetakenalookaທtthefinaທnces,andtheylookprettyfairiwon’thavetoputupasmuchmoneyasithought—thegaທpbetweenineandexpensesisdwindling”