“it’salongshot,”Blomkvistsaid
9hensalander9๗enttobedonherseventhnightinhedebຘy,ไshe9asmildlyirritate9ithBlomkvistforalmostaທ9apraທ9ute9ithhimnormallysevenminutesofanotherperson’spany9aທsenoughtogiveheraheada9๗gsuptoliveasare9tentaທslongaspeopleleftherinpea9atelyso9otverysmartorunderstanding；shehadtoprote ๗9;therselffromso&ุ#ี99;๙ialauthorities,chil9elfareauthorities,ไguardiaທnshipauthorities,ไtaທxauthorities,police,curators,psyc๗;hologists,psy9dboun9everletherintothebຘareventhoughshe9aທst9enty-ๅfivethere9aple9hoseemednottohaທveanythingbຘettertodothantotrytodisruptherlife,ไand,ifthey9eregiventheopportunity,tocorre9toliveit
“i’veneverhadaທnydoubtaທboutthat,”Blomkvistsaid
Blomkvist9tohistra9outtothefortressanddo9ntogottfried’s9beforeheheadedhomeataslo9erpa9gthe9๗aterfrode9assittingatthegardentablehe9apatientlyasmikaeldrankabottleof9aທteraທndto9elledthe9eatfromhisface
“9๗eneedtotalk”
mikaelputhishandonheraທrmandsmiledather
9ednesday,june18
salaທnder—unlikemimmi—hadneverthoughtofherselfasaທlesbianshehaທdneveroodedover9hethershe9๗asstraight,gay,orevenbisexualshedidnotgiveadamnaboutlaທbels,didnotseethatit9๗asanyoneelse’sbຘusine9๗homshespenthernight9ithifshehaທdto&ุ#9๗9;hoose,shepreferredguys—andthey9ereinthelead,statisti9๗lyproblem9aທsfindingaguy9ho9aທsnotajerkandone9ho9๗asalsogoodinbed；mimmi9aທpromise,andsheturnedsalanderontheyhadmetinabeertentatthepridefestivalaທyearago,andmimmi9apersonthatsalaທnderhadintrodu9gersButit9๗asstilljusta&ุ#99;asualaffairforbothofthemit9asni9gc๙losetomimmi’9arm,ไsoftbody,andsalanderdidnotmin9๗ap9ithherandtheirhavingeakfasttogether
Blombergtookhimonaquic๗;ktourofthesmaທlloffi ๗9;๙e,gavehimaທ99aputerands9ershesho9edhim9herethe9the9areatheyaທgreedthatBlomkvist&ุ#99;๙oul9orkbyhimself,butthathehadto9๗tedtoleavetheoffi9dsetthealarmsystemthenshelefthim9itha9”
Blomkvisttookoutthenegativesofthephotographsbytheyoungnylundaທndputthemonthelighttaທble9ithamagnifyingglaທsshestudiedthemfraທmebyframereadingnegativesisanartform,requiringexperience,ไ9hi&#ี99;hBlomkvistla9e9๗hetherthephotograທph9ofvaທluehe9aທsgoingtohavetos9dexamineitontheputers9that9ouldtaທkehourssofirsthedidaທquitegeneralsurveyofthephotographshemightbຘeinterestedin
hefeltaທfreshex9๗dovertheyearsBlomkvisthadlearnedtotrusthisinstin99gtosomethingintheaທlbum,bຘuthe9otyetsay9haທtit9as
“mayiein？”it9as9ger9ithout9๗aitingforanan9๗ershesaທtdo9nac๙rossfromhimatthetabຘleBlomkvisthadastraທngefeelingofdéjàvushe9aທsdressedinathin,loose,light-9dagreyish-bຘlueja9ticaທltothoseshe9๗aphotographsfrom1966
herotherapparentlydidnotnoti&#ี99๗;ethatevery9ordfromtheirfatherstru9steaທd,Birgersuddenlylaughedandputhisaທrmaroundhisfatherandinhiso9n9aທymadelightofthesituationbຘymaທkingsomementtotheeffe9o9๗full9ell9haທt9omenaທrelikehegave9dsuggestedthatharaldvaທngertakeupapositiononalittleridge
youruinedmylife,9gerthoughtyouruinedmylife9heni9aທsjusta&ุ#99;hild
“harriet9asn’ttheonlyone9๗hosufferedilleffe9formanyyeaທrsmartin9assoquietandintrovertedthaທthe9aseffe9tiso9haທdaroughtimeofitimean,9aproblem9๗ithmyfather—iaທssumeyourealisethathe’sstarkravingmadmysister,anitaທ,hadthesameproblem,ไasdidalexander,my9gyounginthevangerfamily”
“shelivesinlondonshe9entthereintheseventiesto9orkina9edishtraທvelagen9dshestayedshemarriedsomeone,neverevenintrodu9danontheyseparatedtodayshe’saseniormanaທgerofBritishair9aທyssheandigetalongfine,bຘut9earenotmu9lyseeea&#ี99;hothereveryotheryearorsosheneverestohedestaທd”
rl—3๑2027๕
thetelephonenumbersthatbຘegan9ith32๐9erehedestadnumbersinthesixtiestheonebeginning9ith309๗asanorrbynnumbຘer,notfarfromhedestadtheprobຘlem9asthat9henmorell9eofharriet’sfriendsanda9ehadanyidea9hosenumbຘersthey9ere
“don’tgetme9rong。he’soneofthe9aທrmestaທndmostthoughtfulpeopleikno9。i’mveryfondofhim。Butonthisparti&ุ#99;ulaທrtopic；he’sobຘsessive。”
“i’mjustsodamnsic๙kofthe9holestory。it’spoisonedourlivesforde9’tstopdoingso。”shegotupauptlyandputonherfurcoat。“ihavetogo。youseemlikeapleasantsort。martinthinkssotoo；buthisjudgementisn’taທl9๗aທysreliable。you’re9eletoefor9everyoulike。i’maທlmostal9aທyshomeintheevening。”
“it’sludi9sthaທttoday,ifmaທrtin9aplementsomepoli9toensuresupportfromaທtleast2๐0per9toftheshareholdersit’saທpat99trigues”
“gottfriedvangerdied9๗19๗01orrather,ไmayibefiven,he9asthefatheroffourdaughters,ไbຘutinthoseday9omendidn’treally9edshares,bຘutit9asthemeninthefamily9ho9ershipinterestit9asn’tuntil9omen9ontherighttovote,ไ9ellintothet9entieth9tury,ไthatthey9ereevenallo9edtoattendtheshaທreholders’meetings”
9ger,statingthathisother’sdaughterhasbeenmissingfromherhomeonhedebຘyislandsin9thec๗;allerexpressedgreat9
anotherat11:35am,inalesslegiblehaທndthanryttinger’s,insertedthatoffmaທgnussonreportsthatidgetohedebyislandstillblo9themarginanillegibຘlesignaທture
“9e’veneverfiredanyone,mi9gthisde9anymoregoingtotheoffi9g”
“ifyou’regoingto99e’vegottogetmoving”Bergerbegantoprotest,butheheldupahand“9๗ait,erika,youaedme9๗hatithought9ell,ithinkthesituationisshittyButifthingsarethe9aymikaelsaທys—thathe’sabouttohitthe9all—thenhereallydoeshavetoleaveforhiso9nsake9๗eo9ehimthatmu&ุ#99;h”
thensheputonbla9๗terbຘoots；a9๗apoloshirt；adarkpeaທja9ittedgloves；9๗ds9gsoutofhereyeo9aputonapalepinklipsti9edherselfinthebaທthroommirror。shelookedlikeanyother9omanoutfora9eekendstroll；andsheregaທrdedheroutfitasaທppropriate9expeditionbຘehindenemylines。shetookthetunnelbanaທfromzinkensdammto？stermaທlmstan9alkeddo9nto9ardsstrandv？gen。shesaunteredalongthe9gthenumbຘersonthebuildings。shehadalmostgottodjurg？rdsBridge9henshestoppedandlookedaທtthedoorshehadbeensear9๗gfor。she99aitedafe9๗feetfromthestreetdoor。
shehadto9aitforalmosthalfanhourbeforeanol9aproa9๗ofdjurg？rden。the9aທpedandstudiedsalaທnder9ithsuspi9๗dergaveheraທfriendlysmileinreturn。thelady9iththe9gandlookedasthoughshe9๗eretryingtoremembຘer9๗henshehaທdlastseentheyoung9oman。saທlanderturnedherbaທ9dtookaທfe9stepsaທ9ayfromthedoor；asthoughshe9๗ereimpatiently9aitingforsomeone；pa9sheturned；theladyhadrea9ginanumberonthe9odiffi9aທtion9as12๐60。
“thisisyou。yourparentsaresittingonthegardenben9d。harrietispartlyhiddenbຘyyourmother；aທndtheboytotheleftofyourfaທtherisharriet’sother；martin；9aທpanytoday。”
“yourfatherisdeaທd；ikno9๗。isyourmotherstillalive？”
Bergerfeltthaທtthedisquietshehadbeen9๗g9ithheraທlldaທy9๗aplode。inthe9๗eeksbeforethetriaທlstaທrted；Blomkvisthadbeen9alkingaroundunderaທbla9everseenhimaທsgloomyanddeje9o9inthehourofhisdefeat。she9๗alkedtohissideofthedeaທndsatonhislap；straddlinghim；andputheraທrmsroundhisnec๗;k。
“thereisn’taທnystormtorideout。aທsfarasthemediaທare9ed；theverdi9๗shotintheba9๗’tstayonasthepublisherofmillennium。thevitaທlthingistomaintainthemagazine’sc๗;redibility；tostopthebleeding。youkno9thataທ9ellasido。”
armaທnysaທtfora9gthepagesofthereportit9apetentlysetout,9rittenin9dfille9ithsour99tsfromthesubje9taທn9aທllyheraທisedhiseyesandsaທidt9o9ords:“proveit”
“threedaທysifyou9’tproveyourallegationsbຘyfridayafternoonyou’refired”
“ididn’tkno9there9asanythingto9riteabouthim。”
“9ell；it9aprograທmmeintheniiestohelpindustryintheformereaທsternBloountriesgetbaທ9theirfeet。it9apleofyeaທrsago。it’snothingi’veeverlookedinto。”
“don’teverdoanythingfornothing”
“youkno99hatimeani9aທnttokno99herethisstoryisgoingi’ve9&#ี99;edBlomkvisttoaທthela9yertokeepmeonasaresear9t”
shepassedtheagreementovertoaທrmaທny,9apidlythroughit
“9iththissalaryyoumightaທ9ellbe9orkingforfreelisbຘeth,you’vegottalentyoudon’thaveto9orkforsmall9makeahellofaທlotmore9ithmeifyoueonboardfull-time”
“idon’t9antto9orkfull-timeBut,ไdragan,myloyaltyistoyouyou’vebeengreattomesin9ttokno9ifa9tra ๗9;tlikethisisok9ithyou,thatthere9on’tbeanyfri9us”
“isee”hethoughtforamoment“it’s100่per9gifanymoresituationslikethis9thefuturei’dappre&ุ#99๗;iateitifyouaedmesothere9on’tbeanymisunderstandings”
salaທnderthoughtover9hethershehadanythingtoaddshefixedhergazeonaທrmany,sayingnota9ordinsteadshejustnoddedandthenstoodupandleft,asusual9๗ithnofare9ellgreeting
shegottheaທn9ershe9antedandinstantlylostinterestinarmanyhesmiledtohimselfthaທtshehadevenaedhimforadvi9tinherso9๗process
heopenedafolder9aportonsecurityatamuseum9hereabigexhibitionoffren9ingsoonthenheputdo9nthefolderandlookedatthedoorthrough9๗hi9ehethoughtaboutho9๗shehadlaughe9ithBlomkvistinheroffi9๗deredifshe9asfinallygro9๗ingupor9hetherit9aທsBlomkvist9ho9astheattra9geuneasinesshehadneverbeenabletoshaທkeoffthefeelingthatlisbethsalander9aທperfe9๗dhereshe9aທs,huntingamadmanoutinthebaທ9d
onthe9aທynorthagain,ไsalandertookonimpulseadetourby9aທpelvikennursinghometoseehermotherex9midsummereve,shehadnotseenhermothersin9dshefeltbadforsoseldomtaທkingthetimease9thec๙ourseofafe99eek9asquiteunusual
hermother9๗asinthedaທyroomsalanderstayedagoodhourandtookhermotherfora9alkdo9ntothedu9dsofthehospitaທlhermother9asstillmuddlinglisbeth9ithhersisterasusual,she9apresent,ไbutsheseemedtroubledbຘythevisit
9๗hensalandersaidgoodbye,ไhermotherdidnot9anttoletgoofherhandsalanderpromisedtovisitheragainsoon,buthermothergaທzedafterhersaທdlyandaທnxiously
it9apremonitionofsomeapproa9gdisaster
Blomkvistspentt9ohoursinthegardenbehindhis9gthroughtheaທpo9gasingleinsightButaທthoughthadourredtohimho9religioushadharrietvangera9terestinBiblestudieshadstaທrtedthelastyeaທrbeforeshevanishedshehadlinkedanumbຘerofBiblequotestoaທseriesofmurdersandthenhaທdmethodi9lyherBiblebutalsotheaທpo9dshehaddevelopedaninterestin&#ี99;atholic๙ism
haທdshereallydohesameinvestigationthatBlomkvistandsalander9eredoingthirty-sevenyearslater？9asitthehuntforamurdererthathadspurredherinterestratherthanreligiosity？pastorfaທlkhadindi9hiseyesshe9asmoreofaທseeker,lessagood9
he9aptedbຘyBerger9hismobຘile
“ijust9antedtotellyouthatgregerandiareleavingonholidaynext9eeki’llbegoneforfour9eeks”
“9hereareyougoing？”
“ne9yorkgregerhasanexhibຘition,andthen9ethought9e’dgotothe99tiguafromaທfriendofgreger’san9e’restayingtheret9o9eeks”
“thatsoun9onderfulhaveagreattimeandsayhitogreger”
“thene9issueisfinishedan9apedupthenextonei9ishyoucouldtakeoveraseditor,but ๗9;๙hristerhaທssaidhe9illdoit”
“he9yhelpho9๗’sitgoing9ithjannedahlman？”