r’siaterialsinceithadbeenobtainedthroughillegalmeans
but,ofcourse,theycoulduseitblomkvistpointedoutthattheyhadnoobligationtoexplainhowtheyhadacquiredthematerialtheycouldjustaswellhaveasourcewithaesstowennerstr?m’sputerwhohadburnedeverythingonhisharddrivetoacd
finallybergerrealisedwhataweaponshehadinherhandsshefeltexhaustedandstillhadquestions,butshedidnotknowwheretobeginatlastsheleanedbackagainstthesofaandthrewoutherhands
“mikael,whathappenedupinhedestad?”
salanderlookedupsharplyblomkvistansweredwithaquestion
“howareyougettingalongwithharrietvanger?”
“fineithinki’vemethertwicechristerandidroveuptohedestadforaboardmeetinglastweekwegotdrunkonwine”
“andtheboardmeeting?”
“shekeptherword”
“ricky,iknowyou’refrustratedthati’vebeenduckingyouandingupwithexcusesnottotellyouwhathappenedyouandihaveneverhadsecretsfromeachother,andallofasuddenthere’ssixmonthsofmylifethati’m…notpreparedtotellyouabout”
bergermetblomkvist’sgazesheknewhiminsideandout,butinghernottoasksalanderwatchedtheirwordlessdialogueshewasnopartofit
“wasitthatbad?”
“itwasworsei’vebeendreadingthisconversationipromisetotellyou,buti’vespentseveralmonthssuppressingmyfeelingswhilewennerstr?mhasabsorbedallmyattention…i’mstillnotreadyi’dpreferitifharriettoldyouinstead”
“what’sthatmarkaroundyourneck?”
“lisbethsavedmylifeupthereifitweren’tforher,i’dbedead”
berger’seyeswidenedshestaredatthegirlintheleatherjacket
“andrightnowyouneedtoetoanagreementwithhersheisoursource”
bergersatforatime,thinkingthenshedidsomethingthatastonishedblomkvistandstartledsalander;shesurprisedevenherselfthewholetimeshehadbeensittingatmikael’sliving-roomtable,shehadfeltsalander’seyesonherataciturngirlwithhostileviations
bergerstoodupandwentaroundthetableandthrewherarmsaroundthegirlsalandersquirmedlikeawormabouttobeputonahook
chapter29
saturday,november1–tuesday,november25
salanderwassurfingthroughwennerstr?m’scyber-empireshehadbeenstaringatherputerscreenforalmostelevenhourstheideathathadmaterialisedinsomeunexplorednookofherainduringthelastweekatsandhamnhadgrownintoamanicpreoupationforfourweeksshehadisolatedherselfinherapartanskyshehadspenttwelvehoursadayinfrontofherputer,somedaysmore,andtherestofherwakinghoursshehadoodedoverthesameproblem
duringthepastkvisthetoowaspreoupied,busyatthemillenniumofficestheyhadconferredbytelephoneacoupleoftimeseachweek,andshehadkepthimupdatedonwennerstr?m’scorrespondenceandotheractivities
forthehundredthtimeshewentovereverydetailshewasnotafraidthatshehadmissedanything,butshewasnotsurethatshehadunderstoodhoweveryoneoftheintricateconnectionsfittedtogether
thismuch-discussedempirewaslikealiving,formless,pulsatinganismthatkeptchangingshapeitconsistedofoptions,bonds,shares,partnerships,loaninterest,ineinterest,deposits,bankaounts,paymenttransfers,andthousandsofotherelementsanincrediblylargeproportionoftheassetswasdepositedinpost-office-boxpaniesthatownedoneanother
thefinancialpundits’mostinflatedanalysesofthewennerstr?mgroupestimateditsvalueatmorethan900billionkronorthatwasabluff,oratleastafigurethatwasgrosslyexaggeratedobviouslywennerstr?mhimselfwasbynomeanspoorshecalculatedtherealassetstobeworthbetween90and100billionkronor,whichwasnothingtosneezeatathoroughauditoftheentirecorporationwouldtakeyearsallinallsalanderhadidentifiedclosetothreethousandseparateaountsandbankholdingsalloverthehatwassoextensiveitwasnolongermerelycriminal—itwasbusiness
somewhereinthewennerstr?manismtherewasalsosubstancethreeassetskeptshowingupinthehierarchythefixedswedishassetswereunassailableandgenuine,availabletopublicscrutiny,balancesheets,andauditstheamericanfirmwassolid,andabankinnewyorkservedasthebaseforallliquidcapitalthestorywasinthebusinesswiththepost-office-boxpaniesinplacessuchasgialtarandcyprusandmacaowennerstr?mwaslikeaclearinghousefortheillegalweaponstrade,moneylaunderingforsuspectenterprisesincolombia,andextremelyunorthodoxbusinessesinrussia
ananonymousaountinthecaymanislandswasunique;itwaspersonallycontrolledbywennerstr?mbutwasnotconnectedtoanypaniesafewhundredthsofapercentofeverydealthatwennerstr?mmadewouldbesiphonedintothecaymanislandsviathepost-office-boxpanies
salanderworkedinatrance-likestatetheaount—click—email—click—balancesheets—clickshenoteddownthelatesttransfersshetrackedasmalltransactioninjapantosingaporeandonvialuxembourgtothecaymanislandssheunderstoodhowitgesthelatestemailoneiefmessageofsomewhatperipheralinterestwassentat10:00pe(rattle,rattle)wasajokeforanyonewhowasalreadyinsidehisputerandcouldreadthemessageinplaintext:
bergerhasstoppedarguingabouttheadshasshegivenupordoesshehavesomethingcooking?yoursourceattheeditorialofficesassuredusthattheywereontheinkofruin,butitsoundsasiftheyjusthiredanewpersonfindoutwhat’shappeningblomkvisthasbeenworkingatsandhamnforthepastfewweeks,butno-oneknoorialofficesthepastfewdayscanyouarrangeforanadvancecopyofthenextissue?hew
nothingdraan
at5:30inthemorningsheturnedoffherputerandgotoutanewpackofcigarettesshehaddrunkfour,no,fivecokesduringthenight,andnowshegotoutasixthandwenttositonthesofashewaswearingonlyknickersandawashed-outcamouflageshirtadvertisingsoldieroffortunemagazine,withtheslogankillthemallandletgodsortthemoutsherealisedthatshewascold,soshereachedforablanket,whichshewrappedaroundherself
shefelthigh,asifshehadconsumedsomeinappropriateandpresumablyillegalsubstanceshefocusedhergazeonthestreetlampoutsidethewindowandsatstillwhileherainworkedattopspeedgrenevilfingersandarmanskythejobharrietvangerclickmartinvangerclickthegolfclubclickthelawyerbjurmanclickeverysinglexxingdetailthatshecouldn’tfetevenifshetried
shewonderedwhetherbjurmanwouldevertakehisclothesoffinfrontofawomanagain,andifhedid,howwashegoingtoexplainthetattoosonhisstomach?andthenexttimehewenttothedoctorhowwouldheavoidtakingoffhisclothes?
andmikaelblomkvistclick
sheconsideredhimtobeagoodperson,possiblywithapracticalpigplexthatwassometimesalittletooapparentandhewasunbearablynaivewithregardtocertainelementarymoralissueshehadanindulgentandfivingpersonalitythatlookedforexplanationsandexcusesforthewaypeoplebehaved,andhewouldnevergetitthattheraptorsoftheworldunderstoodonlyonelanguageshefeltalmostawkwardlyprotectivewhenevershethoughtofhim
shedidnotrememberfallingasleep,butshewokeupat9:00amwithacrickinherneckandwithherheadleaningagainstthewallbehindthesofashetotteredtothebedroomandfellbacktosleep
itwaswithoutadoubtthebiggeststoryoftheirlivesforthefirsttimeinayearandahalf,bergerwashappyinthewaythatonlyaneditorwhohasaspectacularscoopintheovencanbesheandbloewhensalandercalledhimonhismobile
“ifottosaythatwennerstr?misstartingtogetworriedaboutwhatyou’vebeendoinglately,andhe’saskedforanadvancecopyofthenextissue”
“howdoyouknow…ah,fetthatanyideawhatheplanstodo?”
“nixjustonelogicalguess”
blomkvistthoughtforafewseconds“theprinter,”heexclaimed
bergerraisedhereyeows
“ifyou’rekeepingalidontheeditorialoffices,therearen’tmanyotherpossibilitiesprovidednoneofhisthugsisplanningtopayyouanighttimevisit”
blomkvistturnedtoberger“anewprinterforthisissuenowandcalldraganarmansky—iwantsecurityhereatnightforthenextweek”backtosalander“thanks”
“what’sitworth?”
“whatdoyoumean?”
“what’sthetipworth?”
“whatwouldyoulike?”
“i’dliketodiscussitovercoffeerightnow”
theymetatkaffebaronhornsgatansalanderlookedsoseriouswhenblomkvistsatdownonthebenchnexttoherthathefeltapangofconcernasusual,shecamestraighttothepoint
“ineedtoborrowsomemoney”
blomkvistgaveheroneofhismostfoolishgrinsandreachedforhiswallet
“surehowmuch?”
“120,000kronor”
“steady,steady”heputhiswalletaway
“i’mnotkiddingineedtoborrow120,000kronorfor…let’ssaysixweeksihaveachancetomakeaninvestment,butidon’thaveanyoneelsetoturntoyou’vegotroughly140,000kronorinyourcurrentaountrightnowyou’llgetyourmoneyback”
nopointmentingonthefactthatsalanderhadhackedhisbankpassword
“youdon’thavetoborrowthemoneyfromme,”hereplied“wehaven’tdiscussedyourshareyet,butit’smorethanenoughtocoverwhatyouwanttoborrow”