butthatsortofthingcouldbearranged
“whyintheworldshouldidiscussitwithyou?youresignedaspublisher,youlefttheeditorialstaffandtheboard,andyouwenttoliveinthexxs”
“absolutelyrightifithadn’tbeenforohingthelylobachwasthefatherofajewinthemidstofnazigermanyhewaswhattheycalleda‘traitortohisrace’”
blomkvistcouldvividlyimagihescenesplayedoutatthevangerestateduringthosedaystheaidentontheidgehadcertainlycontributedtotheconfusionduringthefirsthours—bymakingitdifficulttoinginrerceehowthoughtthatthesetwodramaticeventshappeningatthesaemustinsomewayhavebeenconnectedwhenthetankertruckwashoistedaway,inspectormorellwentdowntotheidgetobesurethatharrietvangerhadnot,bysomeunlikelyturnofevents,endedupunderthewreckthatwastheonlyirrationalactionthatmikaelcoulddetectintheinspector’sconduct,sincethemissinggirlhadunquestionablybeenseenontheislandaftertheaidenthadourred
thisisn’tanargument,malmthoughtit’sadivorce
“andharriet?”
theserecalcitrantviewshadtimeaftertimeoughthimintoconflictwithhispeersb,forone,wasgoingtobeanenemyforlifehistakingonaroleofsocialcritichadactuallytransformedhimintoapricklyguestontvsofas—hewasalwaystheoneinvitedtomentwheneveranyceowascaughtwithagoldenparachuteworthbillions
herproblemwasthatshecouldnotinterpretherownfeelingsforhimnotsincebeforereachingpubertyhadsheloweredherguardtoletanotherpersongetsocloseasshehadwithhimtobequitehonest,hehadatryingabilitytoperateherdefencesandtogethertotalkaboutpersonalmattersandprivatefeelingseventhoughshehadenoughsensetoignoremostofhisquestions,shetalkedaboutherselfinawaythatshewouldnever,evenunderthreatofdeath,haveimagineddoingwithanyotherpersonitfrightenedherandmadeherfeelnakedandvulnerabletohiswill
bergermetblomkvist’sgazesheknewhiminsideandout,butinghernottoasksalanderwatchedtheirwordlessdialogueshewasnopartofit
thereporterthoughtthequestionhadbeenclearenough,buthespelleditoutanyway
“oneofmillennium’sobjectivesistoinvestigatecorporationshowwillthemagazinebeabletoclaiminacrediblewaythatit’sinvestigatingthevangercorporation?”
bergergavehimasurprisedlook,asifthequestionwerepletelyunexpected
“areyouinsinuatingthatmillennium’scredibilityisdiminishedbecauseaure?”
“youcouldnotnowcrediblyinvestigatethevangercorporation”
“isthatarulethatappliesspecificallytomillennium?”
“excuseme?”
“imean,youworkforapublicationthatisforthemostpartownedbymajorcorporateentitiesdoesthatmeanthatnoneofthenewspaperspublishedbythebonniergroupiscredible?aftonbladetisownedbyahugenorwegiancorporation,whichinturnisaeanthatanythingaftonbladetpublishesabouttheelectronicsindustryisnotcredible?metroisownedbythestenbeckgroupareyousayingthatnopublicationinswedenthathassignificanteconomicinterestsbehinditiscredible?”
“no,ofcoursenot”
“thenwhyareyouinsinuatingthatmillennium’scredibilitywouldbediminishedbecausewealsohavebackers?”
thereporterhelduphishand
“ok,i’llretractthatquestion”
“nodon’tdothatiwantyoutoprintexactlywhatisaidandyoucanaddthatifdnpromisestofocusalittleextraonthevangercorporation,thenwe’llfocusalittlemoreonthebonniergroup”
butitwasahicaldilemma
blomkvistwasworkingforhenrikvanger,whowasinapositiontosinkmillenniumwiththestrokeofapenwhatwouldhappenifblomkvistandvangerbecameenemies?
andaboveall—whatpricedidsheputonherowncredibility,andwhenhadshebeentransformedfromanindependenteditorintoacorruptedone?
salanderclosedherowserandshutdoiondidnotworryhersomuch,sinceshehadregainedcontroloverherbankaountandbjurmanhadalreadytakenonthestatusofavagueunpleasantnessinherpastthehungershedealtwithbyswitchingonthecoffeemakershemadethreebigopenrye-eadsandwicheswithcheese,caviar,andahard-boiledeggsheatehernighttimesnacksonthesofainthelivingroomwhilesheworkedonthermationshehadgathered
thelawyerfrodefromhedestadhadhiredhertodoaninvestigationofmikaelblomkvist,thejournalistwhowasgivenaprisonsentenceforlibellingfinancierhans-erikwennerstr?mafewmonthslaterhenrikvanger,alsofroagazineallthisonthesamedaythattheformergoestoprisonmostfascinatingofall:atwo-year-oldbackgroundarticle—“withtwoemptyhands”—abouthans-erikwennerstr?m,whichshefoundintheonlineeditionofmonopolyfinancialmagazineitseemedthathebeganhiscareerintheverysamevangercorporationinthelatesixties
youdidn’thavetobearocketscientisttoseethattheseeventsweresomehowrelatedtherehadtobeaskeletoninoneoftheircupboards,andsalanderlovedhuntingskeletonsbesides,shehadnothingelseonatthemoment
part3
mergers
may16tojuly11
thirteenpercentofthewomeninswedenhavebeensubjectedtoaggravatedsexualassaultoutsideofasexualrelationship
chapter15
friday,may16–saturday,may31
mikaelblomkvistwasreleasedfromrull?kerprisononfriday,may16,twomonthsafterhewasadmittedthesamedayheenteredthefacility,hehadsubmittedanapplicationforparole,withnoxxoptimismheneverdidquiteunderstandthetechnicalreasonsbehindhisrelease,butitmayhavehadsomethingtodowiththefactthathedidnotuseanyholidayleaveandthattheprisonpopulationhewarden—petersarowsky,aforty-year-oldpolishexile—withwhomblomkvistgotalongwell,wrotearemendationthathissentencebereduced
histimeatrull?kerhadbeenunstressfulandpleasantenoughtheprisonhadbeendesigned,assarowskyexpressedit,forhooligansanddrunkdrivers,notforhardenedcriminalsthedailyroutinesremindedhimoflivinginayouthhostelhisfellowprisoners,halfofwhomweresecond-generationimmigrants,regardedblomkvistassomethingofararebirdinthegrouphewastheonlyinmatetoappearonthetvnews,whichlenthimacertainstatus
onhisfirstday,hewascalledratalkandofferedtherapy,trainingfromkomvux,ortheopportunityforotheradulteducation,andoupationalcounsellinghedidnotfeelanyneedatallforsocialrehabilitation,hehadpletedhisstudies,hethought,andhealreadyhadajobontheotherhand,heaskedforpermissiontokeephisiinhiscellsothathecouldcontinuetoworkonthehewasmissionedtowritehisrequestwasgrantedwithoutfurtherado,andsarowskyarrangedtoinghimalockablecabisothathecouldleavetheputerinhiscellnotthatanyoftheinmateswouldhavestolenorvandaliseditoranythinglikethattheyratherkeptaprotectiveeyeonhim
inthiswayblomkvistspenttwomonthsworkingaboutsixhoursadayonthevangerfamilychronicle,workthatwasinterruptedonlybyafewhoursofcleaningorrecreationeachdayblosk?vdeandhadhisrootsinchile,wereassignedtocleantheprisongymeachdayrecreationconsistedofwatchingtv,playingcards,orweighttrainingblomkvistdiscoveredthathewasapassablepokerplayer,buthestilllostafewfifty-?recoinseverydayregulationspermittedplayingformoneyifthetotalpotdidnotexceedfivekronor
hewastoldofhisreleaseonlyonedaybeforesarowskysummonedhimtohisofficeandtheysharedatoastwithaquavit
blomkvistwentstraightbacktothecabininhedebywhenhewalkedupthefrontstepsheheardameowandfoundhimselfescortedbythereddish-owncat
“ok,youcanein,”hesaid“butihavenomilkyet”
heunpackedhisbagsitwasasifhehadbeenonholiday,andherealisedthatheactuallymissedthepanyofsarowskyandhisfellowprisonersabsurdasitseemed,hehadenjoyedhistimeatrull?ker,buthisreleasehadesounexpectedlythathehadhadnotimetoletanyoneknow
itwasjustafter6:00intheeveninghehurriedovertokonsumtobuygroceriesbeforetheyclosedwhenhegothomehecalledbergeramessagesaidshewasunavailableheaskedforhertocallhimthenextday
thenhewalkeduptohisemployer’shousehefoundvangeronthegroundfloortheoldmanraisedhiseyeowsinsurprisewhenhesawmikael
“didyouescape?”
“releasedearly”
“that’sasurprise”
“formetooifoundoutlastnight”
theylookedateachotherforafewsecondsthentheoldmansurprisedblomkvistbythrowinghisarmsaroundhimandgivinghimabearhug
“iwasjustabouttoeatjoinme”
annaproducedaxxquantityofbaconpancakeswithlingonberriestheysatthereinthediningroomandtalkedforalmosttwohoursblomkvisttoldhimabouthowfarhehadgotwiththefamilychronicle,andwheretherewereholesandgapstheydidnottalkatallaboutharriet,butvangertoldhimallaboutmillennium
“wehadaboardmeetingfr?kenbergerandyourpartnermalmwerekindenoughtoireallyit’stootiringformetotravelsofari’lltrytogetdownthereduringthesummer”
“noreasonnottoholdthemeetingsuphere,”blomkvistsaid“sohowdoesitfeeltobeapartownerofthemagazine?”
vangergavehimawrysmile
“it’sactuallythemostfuni’vehadinyearsi’vetakenalookatthefinances,andtheylookprettyfairiwon’thavetoputupasmuchmoneyasithought—thegapbetweenineandexpensesisdwindling”