“bluffaway,mikael.shehasbeensittinginthearchivesatthevangercorporationofficesallevening.”
blokvist’sheartskippedabeat.heknew.he’sknownallalong.
“that’sright.theplanwastovisitthearchiveandthengotostockhol,”blokvistsaid.“ididn’tknowshestayedtheresolong.”
“. comallthiscrap,mikael.thearchivesanagerrangtotellethatdirchhadletthegirlstaythereaslateassheliked.whicheansshe’llcertainlybehoe.thenightwatchanisgoingtocallewhensheleaves.”
part4
hostiletakeover
july11todecember30
niy-twopercentofwoeninswedenwhohavebeensubjectedtosexualassaulthavenotreportedtheostrecentviolentincidenttothepolice.
chapter24
friday,july11–saturday,july12
martinvangerbentdownandwentthroughmikael’spockets.hetookthekey.
“sartofyoutochangethelock,”hesaid.“i’goingtotakecareofyourgirlfriendwhenshegetsback.”
blokvistreindedhiselfthatmartinwasanegotiatorexperiencedfroanyindustrialbattles.hehadalreadyseenthroughonebluff.
“why？”
“whywhat？”
“whyallofthis？”blokvistgesturedvaguelyatthespacearoundhi.
martinbentdownandputonehandunderblokvist’schin,liftinghisheadsotheireyeset.
“becauseit’ssoeasy,”hesaid.“woendisappearallthetie.nobodyissesthe.iigrants.whoresfrorussia.thousandsofpeoplepassthroughswedeneveryyear.”
heletgoofblokvist’sheadandstoodup.
martin’swordshitblokvistlikeapunchintheface.
christalighty.thisisnohistoricalystery.martinvangerisurderingwoentoday.andiwanderedrightintoit…
“asithappens,idon’thaveaguestrightnow.butitightauseyoutoknowthatwhileyouandhenriksataroundbabblingthiswinterandspring,therewasagirldownhere.irinafrobelarus.whileyousatandatedinnerwithe,shewaslockedupinthecagedownhere.itwasapleasanteveningasireeber,no？”
martinperchedonthetable,lettinghislegsdangle.blokvistshuthiseyes.hesuddenlyfeltacidinhisthroatandheswallowedhard.thepaininhisgutandinhisribsseeedtoswell.
“whatdoyoudowiththebodies？”
“ihaveyboatatthedockrightbelowhere.itakethealongwayouttosea.unlikeyfather,idon’tleavetraces.buthewassarttoo.hespreadhisvictisoutalloversweden.”
thepuzzlepieceswerefallingi. comlace.
gottfriedvanger.fro1949until1965.thenmartinvanger,startingin1966inuppsala.
“youadireyourfather.”
“hewastheonewhotaughte.heinitiatedewheniwasfourteen.”
“uddevalla.leapersson.”
“aren’tyouclever？yes,iwasthere.ionlywatched,butiwasthere.”
“1964.sarawittinronneby.”
“iwassixteen.itwasthefirsttieihadawoan.myfathertaughte.iwastheonewhostrangledher.”
he’sbragging.goodlord,whatarevoltinglysickfaily.
“youcan’thaveanynotionofhowdeentedthisis.”
“youareaveryordinarylittleperson,mikael.youwouldnotbeabletounderstandthegodlikefeelingofhavingabsolutecontroloversoeone’slifeanddeath.”
“youenjoytorturingandkillingwoen,martin.”
“idon’tthinksoreally.ifidoanintellectualanalysisofycondition,i’oreofaserialrapistthanaserialurderer.infact,ostofalli’aserialkidnapper.thekillingisanaturalconsequence,sotospeak,becauseihavetohideycrie.
“ofcourseyactionsaren’tsociallyaeptable,butycrieisfirstandforeostacrieagainsttheconventionsofsociety.deathdoesn’teuntiltheendofyguests’visitshere,afteri’vegrownwearyofthe.it’salwayssofascinatingtoseetheirdisappointent.”
“disappointent？”
“exactly.disappointent.theyiagihatiftheypleasee,they’lllive.theyadapttoyrules.theystarttotrusteanddevelopacertaincaaraderiewithe,hopingtotheveryendthatthiscaaraderieeanssoething.thedisappointenteswhenitfinallydawnsonthethatthey’vebeenwellandtrulyscrewed.”
martinwalkedaroundthetableandleanedagainstthesteelcage.
“youwithyourbourgeoisconventionswouldnevergraspthis,buttheexciteentesfroplanningakidnapping.they’renotdoneonipulse—thosekindsofkidnappersinvariablygetcaught.it’sasciencewiththousandsofdetailsthatihavetoweigh.ihavetoidentifyyprey,apoutherlife,whoisshe,wheredoessheefro,howcaniakecontactwithher,whatdoihavetodotobealonewithypreywithoutrevealingynaeorhavingitturnupinanyfuturepoliceinvestigation？”
shutup,forgod’ssake,blokvistthought.
“areyoureallyinterestedinallthis,mikael？”
hebentdownandstrokedblokvist’scheek.thetouchwasalosttender.
“yourealisethatthiscanonlyendoneway？willitbotheryouifisoke？”
“youcouldoffereacigarette,”hesaid.
martinlittwocigarettesandcarefullyplacedoneofthebetweenblokvist’slips,lettinghitakealongdrag.
“thanks,”blokvistsaid,autoatically.
martinvangerlaughedagain.
“yousee.you’vealreadystartedtoadapttothesubissionprinciple.iholdyourlifeinyhands,mikael.youknowthaticandispatchyouatanysecond.youpleadedwithetoiproveyourqualityoflife,andyoudidsobyusingreasonandalittlegoodanners.andyouwererewarded.”
blokvistnodded.hisheartwaspoundingsoharditwasalostunbearable.
at11:15lisbethsalanderdranktherestofthewaterfroherpetbottleassheturnedthepages.unlikeblokvist,whoearlierinthedayhadchokedonhiscoffee,shedidn’tgetthewaterdownthewrongway.ontheotherhand,shedidopenhereyeswidewhensheadetheconnection.
click！
fortwohoursshehadbeenwadingthroughthestaffnewslettersfroallpointsofthepass.theainnewsletterwaspanyration.itborethevangerlogo—aswedishbannerflutteringinthewind,withthepointforinganarrow.thepublicationwaspresuablyputtogetherbythefir’sadvertisingdepartent,anditwasfilledwithpropagandathatwassupposedtoaketheeployeesfeelthattheywereebersofonebigfaily.
inassociationwiththewintersportsholidayinfebruary1967,henrikvanger,inaagnaniousgesture,hadinvitedfiftyeployeesfrotheainofficeandtheirfailiestoaweek’sskiingholidayinh？rjedalen.thepanyhadaderecordprofitsduringthepreviousyear.theprdepartentwenttooandputtogetherapicturereport.
manyofthepictureswithausingcaptionswerefrotheslopes.soeshowedgroupsinthebar,withlaughingeployeeshoistingbeerugs.twophotographswereofasallorningfunctionwhenhenrikvangerproclaiedulla-brittmogrentobethebestofficeworkeroftheyear.shewasgivenabonusoffivehundredkronorandaglassbowl.
thecereonywasheldontheterraceofthehotel,clearlyrightbeforepeoplewerethinkingofheadingbacktotheslopes.abouttwentypeoplewereinthepicture.
onthefarright,justbehindhenrikvanger,stoodaanwithlongblondhair.hewaswearingadarkpaddedjacketwithadistinctivepatchattheshoulder.sincethepublicationwasinblack-and-white,thecolourwasn’tidentifiable,butsalanderwaswillingtobetherlifethattheshoulderpatchwasred.
thecaptionexplainedtheconnection.…farright,martinvanger,whoisstudyinginuppsala.heisalreadybeingdiscussedassoeonewithaproisingfutureinthepany’sanageent.
“gotcha,”salandersaidinalowvoice.
sheswitchedoffthedesklapandleftthenewslettersinpilesalloverthedesk—soethingforthatslutlindgrentotakecareoftoorrow.
shewentouttothecarparkthroughasidedoor.asitclosedbehindher,shereeberedthatshehadproisedtotellthenightwatchanwhensheleft.she. compedandlethereyessweepoverthecarpark.thewatchan’sofficewasontheothersideofthebuilding.thateantthatshewouldhavetowalkallthewayroundtotheotherside.letsleepingdogslie,shedecided.
beforesheputonherhelet,sheturnedonherobileandcalledblokvist’snuber.shegotaessagesayingthatthesubscribercouldnotbereached.butshealsosawthathehadtriedtocallhernofewerthanthirteentiesbetween3:30and9:00.inthelasttwohours,nocall.
salandertriedthecottagenuber,buttherewasnoanswer.shefrowned,strappedonherputer,putonherhelet,andkick-startedtheotorcycle.theridefrotheainofficeattheentrancetohedestad’sindustrialdistrictouttohedebyislandtookteninutes.alightwasoninthekitchen.
salanderlookedaround.herfirstthoughtwasthatblokvisthadgooseefrode,butfrothebridgeshehadalreadynoticedthatthelightswereoffinfrode’shouseontheothersideofthewater.shelookedatherwatch:11:40.
shewentintothecottage,openedthewardrobe,andtookoutthetwopcsthatshewasusingtostorethesurveillancepicturesfrothecae
