“wedon’thaveadarkroomaທnymoreeverythingisscນannedindoyouknoivescanner?”
thehedestadcourierwasfoundedin1้922๐,andthepicturesdepartmenthaທdexistedsince1937thecourier’saທtticstoreroomcນontaທinedabout1้,2๐datethenegativesfromseptember1้966werekepturcheapcaທrdbຘoardstoragebinders
butthatsortofthingcouldbearraທnged
whensaທlanderpletedherferreting,shegaທtheredupthedocumentsinabຘagfromicaandputitoutwiththetwentybagsofoldnewspaທpersoutthehaທllbjurmanwasapparentlybeyondreproacນhtherewasnothinginhispastthatshecouldusesheknewbeyondadoubtthaທthewasacreepaທndapig,butshecouldfindnothingtoproveit
“absolutelyrightifithadn’tbeenforohingthelylobacນhwasthefaທtherofajewinthemidstofnazigermanyhewaswhattheycalleda‘traທitortohisracນe’”
“lobຘachhaທdbeenmarriedforfortyyears,bຘutin1919hemetawildlybeautifulwomaທnhalfhisage,andhefellhopelesslyinlovewithhershewasapoor,simpleseamstresslobachcourtedher,andlikesomaທnyotherweaທlthymen,ไhecouldaffordtoinstallherinanaທparthisofficeshebຘecamehismistressin1้921shehadadaທughter,whowascນhristenededith”
thisisn’tanargument,malmthoughtit’sadivorce
heshutuphelovedmakingpictureshelovedworkingwithgraທphicshehadneverconsideredhimselfanartist,bຘutheknewhewaທsadaທmnedgooddesignerontheotherhand,hewashelplessatintrigueandpolicນydecisions
theserecalcitrantviewshadtimeaftertimeoughthimintoconflictwithhispeersbຘ,forone,wasgoingtobຘeanenemyforlifehistakingonaroleofsocialcritichadactuallytransformedhimintoapricklyguestontvsofas—hewasalwaystheoneinvitedtomentwheneveranyceowascaughtwithagoldenparachuteworthbillions
hiscontemptforhisfellowfinanciaທljournalistswasbasedonsomethingthatinhisopinionwasasplainasmoralitytheequationwaທssiillionsonfoolhaທrdyspeculationsshouldnotkeephisjobຘamaທnagingdirectorwhoplaysshellpaທnygamesshoulddotimeaslumlandlordwhoforcesyoungpeopletopaທythroughthenoseandunderthetableforaone-roomaທpartmentwithsharedtoiletshouldbehungouttodry
bergermetbຘlomkvist’sgazesheknewhiminsideandout,butinghernottoasksalanderwatchedtheirwordlessdialogueshewasnopaທrtofit
“shekeptherword”
ittookbຘlomkvistaທnhourtoexplaທinalltheintricatedetailsintheharrietvangercaseheleftnothingouthehaທdfrode’spermissiontohireher,andtodothathehadtobeabletotrustherpletely
hetoldhereverythingaboutceciliaທvangerandthaທthehaທdfoundherfaທceinharriet’swindowhegaທvesalanderasgoodadescນriptionofhercharacterashecນouldshehadmovedhighuponthelistofsuspects,hislistbuthewaທsstillfarfrombelievingthatshecນouldbຘeinanywayaທssociaທtedwithamurdererillayoungwomaທn
hegaທvesalaທnderacນopyofthelistinthedate:“magda—3๑2016;sara—32๐109;๙rj—30112;rl—32๐027;maທri—320่1้8”aທndhegaveheracopyoftheversesfromleviticus
“whatdoyouwantmetodo?”
“i’veidentifiedtherj,rebecນkajacobsson”hetoldherwhatthefive-figurenumbersstoodfor“ifi’mright,ไthenwe’regoingtofindfourmorevictims—magda,ไsara,mari,andrl”
“youthinkthey’reaທllmurdered?”
“whatithinkisthaທtwearelookingforsomeonewho—iftheothernumbersaທndinitialsalsoprovetobeshorthaທndforfourmorekillings—isaທmurdererwhowasaທctiveinthefiftiesandmaybealsointhesixtiesaທndwhoisinsomewaທylinkedtoharrietvangeri’vegohroughbaທckissuesofthehedestadcourierrebecນka’smurderistheonlygrotesquecrimethaticouldfindwithaconnectiontohedestadiwaທntyoutokeepdigging,alloverswedenifnecessary,untilyoumakesenseoftheothernamesandverses”
salanderthoughtinexpressionlesssilenceforsuchalongtimethatblomkvistbegaທntogrowimpatientheraisedherheaທd
“i’lltaທkethejobຘbutfirstyouhavetosignaທcontractwitharmansky”
arkvistwouldtakebຘacktohedestadforfrode’ssignaທturewhenhereturnedtosaທlaທnder’soffice,hesawhowsheandbຘlomkvistwereleaningoverherpowerhehadhishandonhershoulder—hewastouchingher—andpointingaທrmanskypaທusedinthecorridor
blomkvistsaທidsomethingthatseemedtosurprisesaທlanderthenshelaughedoutloud
aທrmanskyhadneveronceheaທrdherlaughbefore,andforyeaທrshehadbeentryingtowinhertrustblomkvisthaທdknownherforfiveminutesandshewaທspracticallygigglingwithhimhefeltsucນhaloathingforblomkvistatthatmomentthathesurprisedhimselfheclearedhisthroatashestoodinthedoortract
bloillenniumofficນeintheafternoonitwashisfirsttimebackitfeltveryoddtobຘerunningupthosefamiliarstairstheyhadnotchaທngedthecodeonthedoor,andhewasaທbletoslipinunnoticedandstaທndforamoment,lookingaround
millennium’sofficນeswereaທrrangedinanlshapetheentrywasahallthattookupalotofspacewithoutbeingabຘletobeputtomuchusethereweretwosofaທsthere,soitwasbywayofbeingareceptionareabeyondwaທsaluncນhrootoilets,ไandtwostorageroomswithshelvesaທndfilingcaທbistherewasalsoadeskforaninterntotherightoftheentrywastheglasswallofmaທlm’sstudio,whichtookupabout5๓00่squarefeet,withitsownentrancນefromthelandingtotheleftwastheeditoriaທloffice,enpassingabout350squarefeet,
bຘergerhaທddesignedeverything,ไputtinginglasspaທrtitionstomakesepaທratequartersforthreeoftheemployeesandanopenplanfortheothersshehadtakenthelargestroomattheverybackforherself,andgivenblomkvisthisownroomattheoppositeenditwastheonlyrootheentryno-ๅonehadmovedintoit,itseemed
thethirdroomwasslightlyapartfromtheothers,anditwaທsoupiedbysonnymaທgnusson,whohadbeenforseveralyearsmillennium’smostsuessfuladvertisingsalesodestsalaryandamissionoverthepastyear,ithadnotmadeaທnydifferencehowenergetichewasaທsasalesman,theiradvertisinginehadtakenabຘeatingandmagnusson’sinewithitbຘutinsteadoflookingelsewhere,ไhehadtightenedhisbຘeltandloyallystayedputunlikeme,whocaທusedthewholelandslide,bຘlomkvistthought
hegatheredhiscouraທgeandwalkedintotheofficeitwasaທlmostdesertedhecouldseebergeraທtherdesk,telephonepressedtohereaທrmonikanilssonwasaທtherdesk,anexperiencນedgeneralreporterspecialisinginpoliticນalcoverage;shecouldbຘethemostjadedcynichehaທdevermetshe’dbຘeenatmillenniumfornineyearsandwasthrivinghenrycortezwastheyoungestemployeeontheeditorialstaffhehadeasaທninternstraightoutofjmktwoyearsago,sayingthathewantedtoworkatmillenniumaທndnowhereelsebergerhadnobudgettohirehionasapermaທnentdogsbody,aທndanonasastaffreporter
bothutteredcriesofdelighthereceivedkissesonthecheekaທndpatsonthebຘackatoncetheyaskedhimifhewasreturningtoworkno,hehadjuststoppedbytosayhelloandhaveaທwordwiththeboss
bergerwaທsgladtoseehikvistknewno:hisconditionwasinescaທpablyserious
“sowhaທtareyoudoinginthecity?”
bຘlomkvistwasembຘarraທssedhehadbeenatmiltonsecurity,onlyafewstreetsawaທy,andhehaddecidedonsheerimpulsetoeinitseemedtooplicນatedtoexplainthathehaທdbeentheretohirearesearchaທssistantwhowasasecurityconsultantwhohadhackedintohisputerinsteadheshruggedandsaidhehaທdetostockholmonvanger-relatedbusiness,andhewouldhaທvetogobຘacknorthatonceheaskedhowthingsweregoingatthemagazine
“apaທrtfromthegoodnewsontheadvertisingandthesubscriptionfronts,thereisonecloudonthehorizon”
“whichis?”
“jaທnnedahlman”
“ofcourse”
“ihadaທtalkwithhiminapril,afterwereleasedthenewsthathenrikhadbeeapaທrtneridon’tknowifit’sjustjanne’snaturetobenegativeorifthere’ssomethingmoreseriousgoingon,ifhe’splayingsomesortofgaທme”
“whathappened?”
“it’snothingicນanputaທfingeron,ratherthaທtinolongertrusthimafterwesignedtheagreementwithvanger,ไchristerandihadtodecidewhethertormthewholestaທffthatwewerenolongeraທtriskofgoingunderthisaທutumn,or…”
“ortotelljustachosenfew”
“exactlyimaybeparaທnoid,butididn’twanttoriskhavingdaທhlthewholestaffonthesamedaytheagreementwaທsmadepublicwhichmeantthaທtwekeptthelidonitforoveramonth”
“and?”
“well,thatwasthefirstpieceofgoodnewsthey’dhadinayeareveryonecheeredexceptfordahlmanimean—wedon’thavetheworld’sbiggesteditoriaທlstafftherewerethreepeoplecheering,plustheintern,aທndonepersonwhogothisnoseoutofjointbecນausewehaທdn’ttoldeverybodyeaທrlier”
“hehadapoint…”
“iknowbutthethingis,hekeptonbitcນhingabouttheissuedayafterdaທy,aທndmoraleintheofficewasaffectedaທftertwoweeksofthisxxicalledhitohisfacethatmyreasonfornothavingrmedthestaffearlierwasthaທtididn’ttrusthimtokeepthenewssecret”
“howdidhetakeit?”
“hewasterriblyupset,ไofcourseistoodmygroundandgavehimaທnultimatum—eitherhehadtopullhimselftogetherorstartlookingforanotherjob”
“and?”
“hepulledhimselftogetherbuthekeepstohimself,andthere’saທtensionbetweenhimaທndtheotherscນhristercan’tstandhim,andhedoesn’thideit”
“whatdoyoususpectdaທhlmanofdoing?”
“idon’tknowwehiredhimayeaທrago,whenwewerefirsttalkingabouttroublewithwennerstr?mican’tproveaທthing,ไbutihaທveanastyfeelingthaທthe’snotworkingforus”
“trustyourinstincts”
“maທybehe’sjustasquarepeginaroundholewhojusthaທppenstobຘepoisoningtheatmosphere”
“it’spossiblebຘutiagreethatwemadeamistakewhenwehiredhim”
halfaທnhourlaterhewasonhiswaທynorthacrossthelocksatslusseninthecນarhehadborrowedfromfrode’swifeitwasaten-year-ๅoldvolvosheneverusedblomkvisthadbຘeengivenleavetoborrowitwheneverheliked
itwasthetinydetailsthathecouldeasilyhavemissedifhehadnotbeenalert:somepaທpersnotasevenlystackedaທsheremembered;abindernotquiteflushontheshelf;hisdeskdrawerclosedallthewaທy—hewaspositivethaທtitwasaninchopenwhenheleft
someonehadbeeninsidehiscນottage