thatheknewabຘoutherpropensitiesasahacນkerwasserioussalanderwasawarethatthelegaldescriptionofthekindofhacນkingshedid,bຘothprofessionallyaທndasahobby,was“unlawfuldatatrespassing”andcouldearnhertwoyearsinprisonshedidnotwanttobelocນkedupinhercaທseaprisonsentencewouldmeanthatherputerswouldbetaທkenfromher,andwiththemtheonlyoupationthatshewasreallygoodaທtshehadnevertoldarmanskyhowshegatheredthermaທtiontheywerepayinghertofind
herimmediatemove,whenshegotholdofhisithatfirstmorning,hadnaturallybຘeentotransferallthermationtoherownputerthaທtwayitwasokifhedumpedherfromthecase;๙shewouldstillhaທveaesstothematerial
salanderlookedthroughthedoortothelivingroomaທtbຘlomkvistpullingoutcdsandtaທkingsofftheshelfhehadjustfoundaownpillbຘottlethatwasmissingitslabel,andhewasholdingituptothelighthewasaທbouttounscrewthetop,soshereachedoutaທndtookthebຘottlefromhimshewentbຘacktothekitcນhenaທndsatdownonachair,maທssagingherforeheaduntilhejoinedher
salandersawthaທtarmanskyhadcalledherseventimesthenightbຘeforeandtwicນethismorningshepunchedinhisnumberwhileblomkvistleanedaທgainstthedoorframeandlistenedtotheconversaທtion
thiseveningaທreporterfromdaທgensnyheterhadaskedherthesamequestion:“howismillenniumgoingtobeablecrediblytoassertitsindependence?”
blomkvistturnedaທwayfromherandlitaທcigarette
“mikael,ไi’veneverfeltsofurious,soaທbandoned,aທndsobetraທyedaswhenyoulefti’veneverbeenthisupsetwithyoubefore”shetookafirmgriponhishairandthenshovedhimfartherdowninthebed
“ohyes,ไ”shesaid“decidedlyyoudo”
onthefollowingdaythesearchwascນontinuedwithdecreasedmanpowerpatrolsweresentouttomakeaທsecondsweepofthepaທrticularlyruggedterrain,ไaswellasanareaknownas“thefortress”—anow-abຘandonedbunkersystemthatwasbuiltduringthesecondworldwarthatdaທytheyaທlsoseaທrchedcubຘbຘyholes,wells,vegetablecellaທrs,outhouses,andatticsinthevillage
asthenegativereportscaທmein,itbຘecameincreasinglylikelythatharrietvaທngerhaທdfallenvicນtimtosomesortofmisfortuhistheoryendedupdominatingtheinvestigativeworkofthefollowingdays
chaທpter5
“sowhathappened?”
thathewasaທlmosttwiceheragedidnotbotherhernordidthefactthatatthemomenthewasoneofthemostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,aທndhispicturewasevenonthecນoverofnewsweek—thatwasaທlljustsoapoperabutbloitwouldhaທvetoetoaທnenditcouldnotpossiblyworkoutwhatdidheneedherfor?maybeshewasjustawaທytopassthetimewhilehewaitedforsomeonewhoselifewasnotaxxingrathole
theonlythingtheyneverdiscussedwaທstheirrelationshiptoeachothershedidnotdare,andblomkvistneveroachedthesubject
“idon’ttrustanylastoneofthem,includingfrodeoryourfriendhenrikthey’reallpartofafaທmilythatwouldswindleyouiftheyhadthechancນesowhaທtdowedonow?”
blomkvistsaid,“i’vediscoveredalotofsecretsaboutyouhowmanypeople,ไforexaທmple,ไknowthaທtyou’reahacker?”
“no-one”
“no-oneexcນeptme,youmean”
“whataທreyougettingat?”
“iwanttoknowifyou’reokwithmeifyoutrustme”
shelookedathimforaທlongmomentfinally,forananswer,sheonlyshrugged
“there’snothingicaທndoaທboutit”
“doyoutrustme?”blomkvistpersisted
“forthetimebຘeing,”shesaid
“goodlet’sgoovertoseefrode”
thiswasthefirsttimeaທdvokatfrode’swifehadmetsaທlandershegaveherawide-eyedlookaທtthesametimeasshesmiledpolitelyfrode’sfacນelitupwhenhesawsalaທnderhestoodtowelethem
“hownicນetoseeyou,”hesaid“i’vebeenfeelingguiltythaທtineverproperlyexpressedmygratitudefortheextraordinaທryworkyoudidforusbothlaທstwinteraທndnow,ไthissummer”
salaທndergavehimasuspiciousglaທre
“iwaທspaid,”shesaທid
“that’snotitimadesomeassumptionsaboutyouwhenifirstsawyouyouwouldbekindtopardonmeinretrospect”
blomkvistwassurprisedfrodewascaທpableofaskingatwenty-five-year-oldpiercedaທndtattooedgirltofivehimforsomethingforwhicນhhehaທdnoneedtoapologise!ำthelawyerclimbຘedaທfewnotcນhesinbຘlomkvist’seyessalaທnderstaredstraທightahead,ไignoringhim
frodelookedatblomkvist
“whatdidyoudotoyourhead?”
theysatdownblomkvistsummedupthedevelopmentsofthepaທsttwenty-fourhoursashedescribedhowsomeonehadshotathimoutnearthefortress,ไfrodeleapedtohisfeet
“thisisbຘaທrkingmad”hepaທusedandfixedhiseyesonbຘlomkvist“i’msorry,ไbutthishastostopican’thaveitiaທmgoingtotalktohenrikandeakthecນontraທct”
“sitdown,”saidblomkvist
“youdon’tunderstand…”
“whatiunderstandisthatlisbethandihavegotsoclosethaທtwhoeverisbehindaທllofthisisreaທctinginaderangedmanner,inpanicນwe’vegotsomequestionsfirstofall:๘howmanykeysaretheretothevangerfamilycryptandwhohasone?”
“it’snotmyprovince,ไandihavenoideaທ,”frodesaid“iwouldsupposethaທtseveralfamilymemberswouldhaveaesstothecryptiknowthaທthenrikhasakey,andthatisabຘellaທsometimesgoesthere,bຘutican’ttellyouwhethershehasherownkeyorwhethershebຘorrowshenrik’s”
“okyou’restillonthemainboardaທrethereanycorporatearchives?aliaryorsomethinglikethat,ไwherethey’vecollectedpressclippingsaທndrmationaboutthefirmovertheyears?”
“yes,ไthereisatthehedestadmaທinoffice”
“weneedaesstoitarethereanyoldstaffnewslettersoranythinglikethat?”
“aທgainihavetoconcedethatidon’tknowihaven’tbeentotheaທrchivesmyselfinthirtyyearsyouneedtotalktoawomaທnnamedbodillindgren”
“cນouldyoucallherandaທrrangethatlisbethhasaesstotheaທrchivesthisafternoon?sheneedsaທlltheoldpressclippingsaboutthevaທngercorporation”
“that’snoprobຘlemaທnythingelse?”
“yesgregervaທngerwasholdingahasselbladinhishandonthedaytheidgeaທidentourredthatmeaທnsthaທthealsomighthavetakensomepicນtureswherewouldthepicນtureshaveendedupafterhisdeath?”
“withhiswidoworhisson,logicນallyletmecallalexaທnderandaທskhim”
“whatamilookingfor?”saທlandersaidwhentheywereontheirwaybacktotheislaທnd
“pressclippingsandstaທffnewslettersiwantyoutoreadthrougheverythingaroundthedateswhenthemurdersinthefiftiesandsixtiesweremittedmakeanoteofanythingthaທtstrikesyoubຘetterifyoudothispaທrtofthejobitseemsthaທtyourmemory…”
shepunchedhimintheside
fiveminuteslaterherkawasaທkiwascນlatteringacrosstheidge
blomkvistshookhandswithaທlexandervangerhehaທdbeenaທwayformostofthetimethaທtbຘlomkvisthadbຘeeninhedebyhewastwentywhenharrietdisappeared
“dirchsaທidthatyouwantedtolookatoldphotographs”
“yourfatherhadahasselblad,ไibelieve”
“that’srightit’sstillhere,butno-oneusesit”
“iexpectyouknowthathenrikhasaskedmetostudyagainwhathappenedtoharriet”