aranskyaeptedherasshewas,butshewasnotallowedtoeettheclients.today’sassignentwasanexception.
salanderwasdressedforthedayinablackt-shirtwithapictureonitofe.t.withfangs,andthewordsiamalsoanalien.shehadonablackskirtthatwasfrayedatthehe,aworn-outblack,id-lengthleatherjacket,rivetbelt,heavydocmartenboots,andhorizontallystriped,green-and-redkneesocks.shehadputonake-upinacolourscheethatindicatedsheightbecolourblind.inotherwords,shewasexceptionallydeckedout.
aranskysighedandshiftedhisgazetotheconservativelydressedguestwiththethickglasses.dirchfrode,alawyer,hadinsistedoneetingandbeingabletoaskquestionsoftheeployeewhopreparedthereport.aranskyhaddoneallhecivillycoul. comreventtheeetingtakingplace,sayingthatsalanderhadacold,wasaway,orwasswapedwithotherwork.thelawyerrepliedcallythatitadenodifference—theatterwasnoturgentandhecouldeasilywaitacoupleofdays.atlasttherewasnowaytoavoidbringingthetogether.nowfrode,whoseeedtobeinhislatesixties,waslookingatlisbethsalanderwithevidentfascination.salandergloweredbackwithanexpressionthatdidnotindicateanywarfeelings.
aranskysighedandlookedonceoreatthefoldershehadplacedonhisdesklabelledcarlmikaelblomkvist.thenaewasfollowedbyasocialsecuritynuber,neatlyprintedonthecover.hesaidthenaeoutloud.herrfrodesnappedoutofhisbewitchedstateandturnedtoaransky.
“sowhatcanyoutelleaboutmikaelblokvist？”hesaid.
“thisisms.salander,whopreparedthereport.”aranskyhesitatedasecondandthenwentonwithasilethatwasintendedtoengenderconfidence,butwhichseeedhelplesslyapologetic.“don’tbefooledbyheryouth.sheisourabsolutebestresearcher.”
“i’persuadedofthat,”frodesaidinadrytohathintedattheopposite.“tellewhatshefoundout.”
itwasclearthatfrodehadnoideahowtoacttowardssalander.heresortedtodirectingthequestiontoaransky,asifshehadnotbeenintheroo.salanderblewabigbubblewithhergu.beforearanskycouldanswer,shesaid,“couldyouasktheclientwhetherhewouldpreferthelongortheshortversion？”
therewasabrief,ebarrassedsilencebeforefrodefinallyturnedtosalanderandtriedtorepairthedaagebyassuingafriendly,avunculartone.
“iwouldbegratefuliftheyoungladywouldgiveeaverbalsuaryoftheresults.”
foraoentherexpressionwassosurprisinglyhostilethatitsentacoldshiverdownfrode’sspine.thenjustasquicklyherexpressionsoftenedandfrodewonderedwhetherhehadiaginedthatlook.whenshebegantospeakshesoundedlikeacivilservant.
“allowetosayfirstthatthiswasnotaveryplicatedassignent,apartfrothefactthatthedescriptionofthetaskitselfwassoewhatvague.youwantedtoknow‘everythingthatcouldbedugup’abouthi,butgavenoindicationofwhethertherewereanythinginparticularyouwerelookingfor.forthisreasonit’ssoethingofapotpourriofhislife.thereportis193pageslong,but120pagesarecopiesofarticleshewroteorpressclippings.blokvistisapublicpersonwithfewsecretsandnotveryuchtohide.”
“buthedoeshavesoesecrets？”frodesaid.
“everyonehassecrets,”sherepliedneutrally.“it’sjustaatteroffindingoutwhattheyare.”
“let’shear.”
“mikaelblokvistwasbornonjanuary18,1960,whichakeshiforty-twoyearsold.hewasborninborl？ngebuthasneverlivedthere.hisparents,kurtandanitablokvist,werearoundthirty-fivewhenthechildwasborn.bothhavesincedied.hisfatherwasaachineryinstallerandovedaroundagooddeal.hisother,asfarasicouldsee,wasneveranythingbutahousewife.thefailyovedhousetostockholwhenmikaelstartedschool.hehasasisterthreeyearsyoungernaedannikawhoisalawyer.healsohassoecousins,bothaleandfeale.wereyouplanningtoservecoffee？”
thislastwasdirectedataransky,whohastilypupedthreecupsofcoffeefrothetheroshehadorderedfortheeeting.heotionedforsalandertogoon.
“soin1966thefailylivedinlillaessingen.blokvistwenttoschoolfirstinbloaandthe. comrepschoolonkungsholen.hehaddecentgraduatingarks—therearecopiesinthefolder.duringhisprepschooldayshestudiedusicandplayedbassinarockbandnaedbootstrap,whichactuallyputoutasinglethatwasplayedontheradiointhesuerof1979.afterprepschoolheworkedasaticketcollectorinthetunnelbana,savedsoeoney,andtravelledabroad.hewasawayforayear,ostlybuingaroundasia—india,thailand—andaswingdowntoaustralia.hebeganstudyingtobeajournalistinstockholwhenhewastwenty-one,butinterruptedhisstudiesafterthefirstyeartodohisilitaryserviceasarifleaninkirunainlapland.itwassoesortofachounit,andheleftwithgoodarks.afterilitaryservicehepletedhisjournalisdegreeandhasworkedinthefieldeversince.howdetaileddoyouwantetobe？”
“justtellwhatyouthinkisiportant.”
“heesoffalittlelikepracticalpiginthethreelittlepigs.sofarhehasbeenanexcellentjournalist.intheeightieshehadalotofteporaryjobs,firstintheprovincialpressandtheninstockhol.there’salist.hisbreakthroughcaewiththestoryaboutthebeargang—thebankrobbersheidentified.”
“kalleblokvist.”
“hehatesthenicknae,whichisunderstandable.soebody’dgetafatlipiftheyevercalledepippilongstockingonanewspaperplacard.”
shecastadarklookataransky,whoswallowedhard.onorethanoneoasionhehadthoughtofsalanderaspreciselypippilongstocking.hewavedforhertogetonwithit.
“onesourcedeclaresthatuptothenhewantedtobeacriereporter—andheinternedasoneataneveningpaper.buthehasbeeknownforhisworkasapoliticalandfinancialreporter.hehaspriarilybeenafreelancer,withonefull-tiepositionataneveningpaperinthelateeighties.heleftin1990whenhehelpedstarttheonthlyagazinemillenniu.theagazinebeganasarealoutsider,withoutanybigpublishingpanytoholditshand.itscirculationhasgrownandtodayis21,000copiesonthly.theeditorialofficeisong？tgatanonlyafewblocksfrohere.”
“aleft-wingagazine.”
“thatdependsonhowyoudefiheconcept‘left-wing.’millenniuisgenerallyviewedascriticalofsociety,buti’guessingtheanarchiststhinkit’sawipybourgeoiscrapagazinealongthelinesofarenaorordfront,whilethemoderatestudentsassociationprobablythinksthattheeditorsareallbolsheviks.thereisnothingtoindicatethatblokvisthaseverbeenactivepolitically,evenduringtheleft-wingwavewhenhewasgoin. comrepschool.whilehewaspluggingawayattheschoolofjournalishewaslivingwithagirlwhoatthetiewasactiveinthesyndicalistsandtodaysitsinparliaentasarepresentativeoftheleftparty.heseestohavebeengiventheleft-wingstappriarilybecauseasafinancialjournalisthespecialisesininvestigativereportingaboutcorruptionandshadytransactionsinthecorporateworld.hehasdonesoedevastatingindividualportraitsofcaptainsofindustryandpoliticians—whichwereostlikelywelldeserved—andcausedanuberofresignationsandlegalrepercussions.theostwell-knownwasthearbogaaffair,whichresultedintheforcedresignationofaconservativepoliticianandthesentencingofaforercouncillortoayearinprisonforebezzleent.callingattentiontocriescanhardlybeconsideredanindicationthatsoeoneisleft-wing.”
“iunderstandwhatyouean.whatelse？”
“hehaswrittentwos.oneaboutthearbogaaffairandoneaboutfinancialjournalisentitledtheknightsteplar,whichcaeoutthreeyearsago.ihaven’treadthe,butjudgingfrothereviewsitseestohavebeencontroversial.itproptedagooddealofdebateintheedia.”
“money？”frodesaid.
“he’snotrich,buthe’snotstarving.iaxreturnsareattachedtothereport.hehasabout250,000sekinthebank,inbotharetireentfundandasavingsaount.hehasanaountofaround100,000kronorthatheusesascashforworkingexpenses,travelandsuch.heownsaco-opapartentthat’spaidoff—700squarefeetonbellansgatan—andhehasnoloansordebts.hehasoneotherasset—soepropertyinsandhanoutinthearchipelago.it’sacottageof270squarefeet,furnishedasasuercabinandbythewater,rightintheostattractivepartofthevillage.apparentlyanuncleofhisboughtitintheforties,whensuchthingswerestillpossiblefornoralortals,andthecabinendedupinblokvist’shands.theydividedthingsupsothathissistergottheparents’apartentinlillaessingenandblokvistgotthecabin.ihavenoideawhatitightbeworthtoday—certainlyafewillion—butontheotherhandhedoesn’tseetowanttosell,andhegoesouttosandhanfairlyoften.”
“ine？”
“he’spartownerofmillenniu,butheonlytakesoutabout12,000insalaryeachonth.therestheearnsfrohisfreelancejobs—thetotalvaries.hehadabigyearthreeyearsagowhenhetookinaround450,000.lastyearheonlyade120,000frofreelancejobs.”
“heha. comay150,000intaxesinadditiontolawyer’sfees,etcetera,”frodesaid.“let’sassuethatthetotalisratherhigh.he’llalsobelosingoneywhileservinghisgaolter.”
“whicheansthathe’sgoingtobecleanedout,”salandersaid.
“ishehonest？”
“that’shistrustcapital,sotospeak.hisiageistoappearastheguardianofrobustoralityasopposedtothebusinessworld,andheisinvitedprettyregularl. comontificateontelevision.”
“thereprobablyisn’tuchleftofthatcapitalafterhisconvictiontoday,”frodesaid.
“idon’twanttoclaithatiknowexactlywhatdeandsareadeonajournalist,butafterthissetbackitwillprobablybealongtiebeforemasterdetectiveblokvistwinsthegrandprizeforjournalis.he’sreallyadeafoolofhiselfthistie,”salandersaid.“ifiayakeapersonalent…”
aranskyopenedhiseyeswide.intheyearssalanderhadworkedforhi,shehadneveradeasinglepersonalentinaninvestigationofanindividual.bone-dryfactswereallthatatteredtoher.
