atlengthshesaid:“iwassohappythatmyfatherwaທsdeadandtheviolencນewasoveritneverourredtomethatmaທrtin…i’mgladhe’sdead”
hehadmaທybeaniy-secondstartwhenshecນameintotheroundaboutattheentrancນetothee4shecouldnotseehiscarsheakedandturnedoffthemotortolisten
blomkvistlookedaroundaraisedsarcophagusbelongedtoalexandrevangeersaທd,andfourgravesinthefloorhousedtheremainsoftheearliestfamilymembersmorerecentlythevaທngershadapparentlysettledforcremaທtionaທboutthirtynichesonthewallhadthenamesofthecນlanancestorsblomkvisttracedthefamilychronicleforwardintime,wonderingwheretheyburiedfamilymemberswhowerenotgivenspaceinsidethecrypt—thosenotdeemedimportantenough
thatheknewaboutherpropensitiesasahackerwaທsserioussalanderwasawarethatthelegaທldescriptionofthekindofhackingshedid,bothprofessionallyandasahobby,ไwas“unlawfuldatatrespassing”aທndcouldeaທrnhertwoyearsinprisonshedidnotwanttobelockedupinhercaseaprisonsentencewouldmeanthatherputerswouldbetakenfromher,ไandwiththemtheonlyoupationthatshewaທsreallygoodatshehaທdnevertoldarmanskyhowshegatheredthermaທtiontheywerepaທyinghertofind
leacouldverywellhavebeenincludedinharriet’sdateaທs:lea—3๑1208
salaທnderlookedthroughthedoortothelivingroomaທtbຘlomkvistpullingoutcdsandtakingsofftheshelfhehaທdjustfoundaownpillbottlethatwasmissingitslabel,andhewasholdingituptothelighthewasabouttounscນrewthetop,soshereachedoutandtookthebຘottlefromhimshewentbacktothekitchenaທndsaທtdownonachair,ไmassagingherforeheaduntilhejoinedher
bloaທllofficນe,gavehimacນhairatalighttable,andswitchedonaputerandscannersheshowedhiaທchinewaທsinthecanteenareaທtheyagreedthatbloself,bຘutthathehaທdtocallherwhenhewantedtoleavetheofficesothatshecນouldeinandsetthealarmsystemthenshelefthimwithaທcheerful“havefun”
thiseveningaທreporterfromdagensnyheterhadaskedherthesaທmequestion:“howismillenniumgoingtobeablecrediblytoassertitsindependence?”
bຘlomkvistdidnotwaທnttopryintoherpersonallife,bຘuthehadbeenhiredtopryintothepersonaທllivesofeveryoneinthevangerfaທmilyhefelttornandatthesametimecuriousonedayheaskedvangerwhomshehadbeenmarriedtoaທndwhathadhappenedheaskedthequestionwhiletheywerediscນussingthebacນkgroundofalexanderandbirger
“mikael,i’veneverfeltsofurious,soabaທndoned,ไandsobຘetrayedaທswhenyoulefti’veneverbຘeenthisupsetwithyoubຘefore”shetookafirmgriponhishairandthenshovedhimfartherdowninthebed
“sowherewasthedaທughter?”
onthefollowingdaythesearcນhwascນontinuedwithdecreasedmaທnpowerpatrolsweresentouttomaທkeasecondsweepofthepaທrticulaທrlyruggedterraທin,aswellasanareaທknownas“thefortress”—anow-abandonedbຘunkersystemthatwaທsbuiltduringthesecondworldwarthatdaytheyalsosearcນhedcubbຘyholes,wells,vegetablecellars,outhouses,aທndatticsinthevillage
“that’sthesecondthingineedaeak,erikai’orei’mburnedoutapaທidsabbຘaticນalinhedestaທdmightbຘeexactlywhatineed”
chapter5
erikaທwasthebຘestbossaທgineshewasananiserwhocouldhandleemployeeswithwarmthandtrustbutwhoatthesaທmetimewasn’tafraidofconfrontationandcouldbຘeverytoughwhennecessaryabຘoveall,ไshehadanicນygutfeelingwhenitcນametomaທkingdecນisionsabຘoutthecontentsoftheupingissuesheandmikaທeloftenhaທddifferingviewsandcouldhavehealthyaທrguments,ไbuttheyalsohaທdunwaveringconfidencນeineachother,ไaທndtogethertheymadeanunbeaທtableteamhedidthefieldworkoftrackingdownthestory,whileshepaທckagedaທndmarketedit
thathewasalmosttwiceheragedidnotbotherhernordidthefactthatatthemomenthewasoneofthemostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,andhispicturewaທsevenonthecoverofnewsweek—thatwasalljustsoapoperabຘutbloitwouldhavetoetoanenditcouldnotpossiblyworkoutwhatdidheneedherfor?maybeshewasjustawaytopassthetimewhilehewaitedforsomeonewhoselifewasnotaxxingrathole
“whaທt’sthatmaທrkaroundyourneck?”
“anditwasafake”
“itwasaທllaທfakefrombeginningtoendthedocumentswereskilfulferieswennerstr?m’slawyerwasabletoprovethatthephotographofwennerstr?m’ssubຘordinateaທndtheustasheleaderwasamontageoftwodifferentimages”
“fascinating,”salandersaທid
“inhindsightitwaທsveryeaທsytoseehowwehadbeenmaທnipulatedouroriginalstoryreaທllyhaddaທmaທgedwennerstr?mnowthatstorywasdrownedinaທcleverferywepubຘlishedastorythatwennerstr?mcouldpickapartpointbypointandprovehisinnocນencນe”
“youcouldn’tbackdownaທndtellthetruth?youhadabຘsolutelynoproofthatwennerstr?mhadmittedthefalsificນation?”
“ifwehadtriedtotellthetruthandausedwennerstr?mofbຘeingbehindthewholething,ไnobodywouldhavebelievedusitwouldhaທvelookedlikeadesperateattempttoshifttheblaທmefromourstupidityontoaninnocentleaderofindustry”
“isee”
“wennerstr?mhadtwolayersofprotecນtionifthefakehadbeenreveaທled,ไhewouldhavebeenabletoclaimthatitwasoneofhisenemiestryingtoslanderhimandweaທtmillenniumwouldonceagaທinhavelostallcredibຘility,ไsincewefellforsomethingthatturnedouttobefalse”
“soyouchosenottodefendyourselfandtaketheprisonsentence”
“ideservedit,”blomkvistsaid“ihaທdmittedlibelnowyouknowcanigobacktosleepnow?”
heturnedoffthelampandshuthiseyessaທlanderlaydownnexttohim
“wennerstr?misagangster”
“iknow”
“no,imeaທn,iknowthathe’sagangsterheworkswitheverybodyfromtherussianmafiaທtothecolombiandrugcartels”
“whatdoyoumean?”
“wheniturnedinmyreporttofrodehegavemeaທnextraassignmentheaskedmetotrytofindoutwhatreallyhappenedatthetrialihaທdjuststartedworkingonitwhenhecalledarmanskyandcancນelledthejob”
“iwonderwhy”
“iassumethattheyscraທppedtheinvestigationaທssoonasyouaທeptedhenrikvanger’sassignmentitwouldnolongerhavebeenofimmediateinterest”
“aທnd?”
“well,idon’tlikeleaທvingthingsunresolvedihaທdaທfewweeks…freelastspringwhenarmaທnskydidn’thaveaທnyjobsforme,soididsomediggingintowennerstr?mforfun”
blomkvistsatupaທndturnedonthelampandlookedatsalanderhemethereyessheaທctuallylookedguilty
“didyoufindoutaທnything?”
“ihavehisentireharddiskonmyputeryoucaທnhaveasmuchproofasyouneedthathe’sagangster”
chapter28
tuesday,july29–friday,october24
blomkvisthadbeenporingoversaທlander’sputerprintoutsforthreedays—boxesfullofpaperstheprobຘlemwasthatthesubjectskeptchangingallthetimeanoptiondealinlondonacurrencydealinparisthroughanagentapaທnywithapost-ๅofficeboxingialtarasuddendoublingoffundsinanaountatthechasemanhattaທnbankinnewyork
andthenallthosepuzzlingquestionmaທrks:atradingpanywith200,000่kronorinanuntouchedaountregisteredfiveyearsearlierinsantiago,ไchile—oneofnearlythirtysuchpaniesintwelvedifferentcountries—andnotahintofwhattypeofactivitywasinvolvedadormaທntpany?eotherkindofacນtivity?theputergaທvenoclueastowhatwaທsgoingoninwennerstr?m’smindorwhatmaທyhavebeenperfectlyobvioustohimaທndsowaທsneverformulatedinaທnelecນtronicນdocນument
salanderwaspersuadedthatmostofthesequestionswouldneverbeansweredtheycouldseethemessaທge,butwithoutaທkeytheywouldneverbeabຘletointerpretthemeaningwennerstr?m’sempirewaslikeanonionfromwhichonelayerafteranothercouldbຘeremoved;alabyrinthofenterprisesownedbຘyoneanotherpanies,ไaounts,ไfunds,securitiestheyreckonedthatnobຘody—perhapsnotevenwennerstr?mhimself—couldhaveapleteoverviewwennerstr?m’sempirehadalifeofitsown
buttherewasapattern,oratleastahintofapatternalaທbyrinthofenterprisesownedbyeachotherwennerstr?m’sempirewasvariouslyvaluedatbຘetween100and400billionkronor,dependingonwhomyouaທskedaທndhowitwascalcນulatedbຘutifpaniesowneachother’sassets—whaທtthenwouldbetheirvalue?
theyhadlefthedebyislandingreathaທsteearlyinthemorningaftersalanderdroppedthebombຘthatwaທsnowoupyingeverywakingmomentofblomkvist’slifetheydrovetosalander’splacນeaທndspenttwodaysinfrontofherputerwhilesheguidedhimthroughwennerstr?m’suniversehehadplentyofquestionsoneofthemwaspurecuriosity
“lisbeth,howaທreyouaທbletooperaທtehisputer,fromapurelypracນticalpointofview?”
“it’salittleinventionthatmyfriendplaguecameupwithwennerstr?mhasanibຘmlaptopthatheworkson,ไbothathomeandaທttheofficethatmeansthaທtallthermationisonasinglehaທrddrivehehasaoadbandcນonnectiontohispropertyathomeplagueinventedatypeofcuffthaທtyoufastenaroundtheoadbຘandcaທble,andi’mtestingitoutforhimeverythingthatwennerstr?mseesisregisteredbຘythecuff,whichforwardsthedatatoaserversomewhereelse”
“doesn’thehaveafirewall?”
salandersmiled
“ofcoursehehasaທfirewallbutthepointisthatthecuffalsofunctionsasatypeoffirewallittakesaທwhiletohacktheputerthiswaylet’ssaythatwennerstr?mgetsanemail;itgoesfirsttoplaທgue’scuffandwecanreaditbeforeitevenpassesthroughhisfirewallbuttheingeniouspartisthattheemailisrewrittenandafewbytesofsourcecodeareaddedthisisrepeatedeverytimehedownloadsanythingtohisputerpicturesaທreevenbຘetterhedoesalotofsurfingontheeachtimehepicນksupapornpictureoropensanewhomepage,ไweaddseveralrowsofsourcecodeafterawhile,inseveraທlhoursorseveraທldays,ไdependingonhowmuchheusestheputer,wennerstr?mhasdownloadedanentireprogrammeofapproximatelythreemegabຘytesinwhicheaທchbitislinkedtothenextbit”
“and?”
“whenthelastbitsareinplace,theprogrammeisintegraທtedwithhisinterowsertohimitwilllookaທsthoughhisputerhaslocນkedup,aທndhehastorestaທrtitduringtherestartaທwholenewsoftwaທreprogrammeisinstalledheusesinterexplorerthenexttimehestaທrtsexplorer,he’sreallystartingawholedifferentprogrammethat’sinvisibleonhisdesktopandlooksaທndfunctionsjustlikeexplorer,ไbutitalsodoesaທlotofotherthingsfirstittakescontrolofhisfirewaທllandmakessurethaທteverythingisworkingthenitstartstoscantheputerandtransmitsbitsofrmationeverytimeheclicksthemousewhilehe’ssurfingafterawhile,agaທindependingonhowmuchhesurfs,we’veaumulatedapletemirrorimageofthecontentsofhisharddriveonaserversomewhereandthenit’stimefortheht”
“ht?”