hepausedirresolutelyoutsidemartinvanger’shouse,tookouthisobile,andpunchedinsalander’snuber.stillnoanswer.heturnedoffhisobilesothatitwouldnotstartringing.
therewerelightsondownstairs.blokvistwalkedacrossthelawnand. compedafewyardsfrothekitchenwindow,buthecouldseeno-one.hecontinuedonaroundthehouse,pausingateachwindow,buttherewasnosignofmartin.ontheotherhand,hediddiscoverthatthesallsidedoorintothegaragewasslightlyopen.don’tbeadanfool.buthecouldnotresisttheteptationtolook.
thefirstthinghesawonthecarpenter’sbenchwasanopenboxofaunitionforaooserifle.thenhesawtwogasolinecansonthefloorunderthebench.preparationsforanothernocturnalvisit,martin？
“ein,mikael.isawyouontheroad.”
blokvist’sheartskippedabeat.slowlyheturnedhisheadandsawmartinvangerstandinginthedarkbyadoorleadingintothehouse.
“yousiplycouldn’tstayaway,couldyou？”
hisvoicewascal,alostfriendly.
“hi,martin,”blokvistsaid.
“ein,”martinrepeated.“thisway.”
hetookastepforwardandtotheside,holdingouthislefthandinaninvitinggesture.heraisedhisrighthand,andblokvistsawthereflectionofdulletal.
“ihaveaglockinyhand.don’tdoanythingstupid.atthisdistanceiwon’tiss.”
blokvistslowlyovedcloser.whenhereachedmartin,he. compedandlookedhiintheeye.
“ihadtoehere.therearesoanyquestions.”
“iunderstand.throughthedoor.”
blokvistenteredthehouse.thepassageledtothehallnearthekitchen,butbeforehegotthatfar,martinvanger. compedhibyputtingahandlightlyonblokvist’sshoulder.
“no,notthatway.toyourright.openthedoor.”
thebaseent.whenblokvistwashalfwaydownthesteps,martinvangerturnedaswitchandthelightswenton.totherightofhiwastheboilerroo.aheadhecouldsellthescentsoflaundry.martinguidedhitotheleft,intoastorageroowitholdfurnitureandboxes,atthebackofwhichwasasteelsecuritydoorwithadeadboltlock.
“here,”martinsaid,tossingakeyringtoblokvist.“openit.”
heopenedthedoor.
“theswitchisontheleft.”
blokvisthadopenedthedoortohell.
around9:00salanderwenttogetsoecoffeeandaplastic-wrappedsandwichfrothevendingachineinthecorridoroutsidethearchives.shekeptonpagingthrougholddocuents,lookingforanytraceofgottfriedvangerinkalarin1954.shefoundnothing.
shethoughtaboutcallingblokvist,butdecidedtogothroughthestaffnewslettersbeforeshecalleditaday.
thespacewasapproxiatelytenbytwentyfeet.blokvistassuedthatitwassituatedalongthenorthsideofthehouse.
martinvangerhadcontrivedhisprivatetorturechaberwithgreatcare.ontheleftwerechains,etaleyeletsintheceilingandfloor,atablewithleatherstrapswherehecouldrestrainhisvictis.andthenthevideoequipent.atapingstudio.inthebackoftheroowasasteelcageforhisguests.totherightofthedoorwasabench,abed,andatvcornerwithvideosonashelf.
assoonastheyenteredtheroo,martinvangeraiedthepistolatblokvistandtoldhitolieonhisstoachonthefloor.blokvistrefused.
“verywell,”martinsaid.“theni’llshootyouinthekneecap.”
hetookai.blokvistcapitulated.hehadnochoice.
hehadhopedthatmartinwouldrelaxhisguardjustatenthofasecond—heknewhewouldwinanysortoffightwithhi.hehadhadhalfachanceinthepassageupstairswhenmartinputhishandonhisshoulder,buthehadhesitated.afterthatmartinhadnoteclose.withabulletinhiskneecaphewouldhavelosthischance.helaydownonthefloor.
martinapproachedfrobehindandtoldh. comuthishandsonhisback.hehandcuffedhi.thenhekickedmikaelinthecrotchandpunchedhiviciouslyandrepeatedly.
whathappenedafterthatseeedlikeanightare.martinswungbetweenrationalityandpurelunacy.foratiequitecal,thenextinstanthewouldbepacingbackandforthlikeananialinacage.hekickedblokvistseveralties.allblokvistcoulddowastr. comrotecthisheadandtaketheblowsinthesoftpartsofhisbody.
forthefirsthalfhourmartindidnotsayaword,andheappearedtobeincapableofanysortofunication.afterthatheseeedtorecovercontrol.heputachainroundblokvist’sneck,fasteningitwithapadlocktoaetaleyeletonthefloor.heleftblokvistaloneforaboutfifteeninutes.whenhereturned,hewascarryingalitrebottleofwater.hesatonachairandlookedatblokvistashedrank.
“couldihavesoewater？”blokvistsaid.
martinleaneddownandlethitakeagoodlongdrinkfrothebottle.blokvistswallowedgreedily.
“thanks.”
“stillsopolite,kalleblokvist.”
“whyallthepunchingandkicking？”blokvistsaid.
“becauseyouakeeveryangryindeed.youdeservetobepunished.whydidn’tyoujustgohoe？youwereneededatmillenniu.iwasserious—wecouldhaveadeitintoagreatagazine.wecouldhaveworkedtogetherforyears.”
blokvistgriacedandtriedtoshifthisbodyintoaorefortableposition.hewasdefenceless.allhehadwashisvoice.
“iassueyoueanthattheopportunityhaspassed,”blokvistsaid.
martinvangerlaughed.
“i’sorry,mikael.but,ofcourse,youknowperfectlywellthatyou’regoingtodiedownhere.”
blokvistnodded.
“howthehelldidyoufinde,youandthatanorexicspookthatyoudraggedintothis？”
“youliedaboutwhatyouweredoingonthedaythatharrietdisappeared.youwereinhedestadatthechildren’sdayparade.youwerephotographedthere,lookingatharriet.”
“wasthatwhyyouwenttonorsj？？”
“togetthepicture,yes.itwastakenbyahoneyooncouplewhohappenedtobeinhedestad.”
heshookhishead.
“that’sacrasslie,”martinsaid.
blokvistthoughthard:whattosa. comreventorpostponehisexecution.
“where’sthepicturenow？”
“thenegative？it’sinasafe-depositboxathandelsbankenhereinhedestad…youdidn’tknowthatihaveasafe-depositbox？”heliedeasily.“therearecopiesinvariousplaces.inyputerandinthegirl’s,ontheserveratmillenniu,andontheserveratmiltonsecurity,wherethegirlworks.”
martinwaited,tryingtoworkoutwhetherornotblokvistwasbluffing.
“howuchdoesthegirlknow？”
blokvisthesitated.salanderwasrightnowhisonlyhopeofrescue.whatwouldshethinkwhenshecaehoeandfoundhinotthere？hehadputthephotographofmartinvangerwearingthepaddedjacketonthekitchentable.wouldsheaketheconnection？wouldshesoundthealar？sheisnotgoingtocallthepolice.thenightarewasthatshewouldetomartinvanger’shouseandringthebell,deandingtoknohereblokvistwas.
“answere,”martinsaid,hisvoiceice-cold.
“i’thinking.sheknowsalostasuchasido,aybeevenalittleore.yes,iwouldreckonsheknowsorethanido.she’sbright.she’stheonewhoadethelinktolenaandersson.”
“lenaandersson？”martinsoundedperplexed.
“thegirlyoutorturedandkilledinuppsalain1966.don’ttelleyou’vefotten？”
“idon’tknohatyou’retalkingabout.”butforthefirsttiehesoundedshaken.itwasthefirsttiethatanyonehadadethatconnection—lenaanderssonwasnotincludedinharriet’sdate.
“martin,”blokvistsaid,akinghisvoiceassteadyashecould.“it’sover.youcankille,butit’sfinished.tooanypeopleknow.”
martinstartedpacingbackandforthagain.
ihavetoreeberthathe’sirrational.thecat.hecouldhavebroughtthecatdownhere,buthewenttothefailycrypt.martin. comped.
“ithinkyou’relying.youandsalanderaretheonlyoneswhoknowanything.youobviouslyhaven’ttalkedtoanyone,orthepolicewouldhavebeenherebynow.anicelittleblazeintheguestcottageandtheproofwillbegone.”
“andifyou’rewrong？”
“ifi’wrong,thenitreallyisover.butidon’tthinkitis.i’llbetthatyou’rebluffing.andwhatotherchoicedoihave？i’llgivethatsoethought.it’sthatanorexiclittlecuntwho’stheweaklink.”
“shewenttostockholatlunchtie.”
martinlaughed.
