“canyoulivewiththat,mikael？”salandersaid.
blokvistfeltonlydespair.hisprofessionallifehehaddevotedtouncoveringthingswhichotherpeoplehadtriedtohide,andhecouldnotbepartytothecoveringupoftheappallingcriesittedinmartinvanger’sbaseent.hewhohadlabastedhiscolleaguesfornotpublishingthetruth,herehesat,discussing,negotiatingeven,theostacabrecover-uphehadeverheardof.
hesatinsilenceforalongtie.thenhenoddedhisassent.
“sobeit,”frodesaid.“andwithregardtohenrik’sofferforfinancialpensation…”
“hecanshoveituphisbackside,anddirch,iwantyoutoleavenow.iunderstandyourposition,butrightnowi’sofuriouswithyouandhenrikandharrietthatifyoustayanylongerweightnotbefriendsanyore.”
frodeadenoovetogo.
“ican’tleaveyet.i’notdone.ihaveanotheressagetodeliver,andyou’renotgoingtolikethisoneeither.henrikisinsistingthatitellyoutonight.youcangouptothehospitalandflayhitoorroworningifyouwish.”
blokvistlookedupandstaredathi.
frodewenton.“thishasgottobethehardestthingi’veeverdoneinylife.butithinkthatonlypletecandourwithallthecardsonthetablecansavethesituationnow.”
“soit’scandouratlast,isit？”
“whenhenrikconvincedyoutotakethejoblastchristas,”dirchsaid,ignoringhissarcas,“neitherhenorithoughtthatanythingwouldeofit.thatwasexactlywhathesaid,buthewantedtogiveitonelasttry.hehadanalysedyoursituation,particularlywiththehelpofthereportthatfr？kensalanderputtogether.heplayedonyourisolation,heofferedgoodpay,andheusedtherightbait.”
“wennerstr？.”
frodenodded.
“youwerebluffing？”
“no,no,”frodesaid.
salanderraisedaneyebroithinterest.
“henrikisgoingtoakegoodoneverythingheproised.he’sarranginganinterviewandisgoingpublicwithadirectassaultonwennerstr？.youcanhaveallthedetailslater,butroughlythesituationisthis:whenwennerstr？waseployedinthefinancedepartentofthevangercorporation,hespentseveralillionkronorspeculatingonforeigncurrency.thiswaslongbeforeforeignexchangefuturesbecaetherage.hedidthiswithoutauthority.onedealafteranotherwentbad,andhewassittingtherewithalossofsevenillionkronorthathetriedtocoverup.partlybycookingthesandpartlybyspeculatingevenharder.itinevitablycaetolightandhewassacked.”
“didheakeanyprofithiself？”
“ohyes,headeoffwithabouthalfaillionkronor,whichironicallyenoughbecaetheseedoneyforthewennerstr？group.wehavedocuentationforallofthis.youcanusetherationhoweveryoulike,andhenrikwillbackuptheausationspublicly.but…”
“but,andit’sabigbut,dirch,therationisworthless,”blokvistsaid,slainghisfistonthetable.“itallhappenedthirty-plusyearsagoandit’saclosed.”
“you’llgetconfirationthatwennerstr？isacrook.”
“thatwillannoywennerstr？whenitesout,butitwon’tdaagehianyorethanadirecthitfroapeashooter.he’sgoingtoshufflethedeckbyputtingoutapressreleasesayingthathenrikvangerisanoldhas-beenwho’sstilltryingtostealsoebusinessfrohi,andthenhe’llprobablyclaithathewasactingonordersfrohenrik.evenifhecan’tprovehisinnocence,hecanlaydownenoughsokescreensthatno-onewilltakethestoryseriously.”
frodelookedunhappy.
“youconnede,”blokvistsaid.
“thatwasn’tourintention.”
“iblaeyself.iwasgraspingatstraws,andishouldhaverealiseditwassoethinglikethat.”helaughedabruptly.“henrikisanoldshark.hewassellingaproductandtoldewhatiwantedtohear.it’stieyouwent,dirch.”
“mikael…i’sorrythat…”
“dirch.go.”
salanderdidnotknohethertogoovertoblokvistortoleavehiinpeace.hesolvedtheprobleforherbypickinguphisjacketwithoutawordandslaingthedoorbehindhi.
fororethananhourshewaitedrestlesslyinthekitchen.shefeltsobadthatsheclearedthetableandwashedthedishes—arolesheusuallylefttoblokvist.shewentregularlytothewindowtoseeiftherewasanysignofhi.finallyshewassonervousthatsheputonherjacketandwentouttolookforhi.
firstshewalkedtothearina,wherelightswerestilloninthecabins,buttherewasnosignofhi.shefollowedthepathalongthewaterwheretheyusuallytooktheireveningwalks.martinvanger’shousewasdarkandalreadylookedabandoned.shewentouttotherocksatthepointwheretheyhadoftensattalking,andthenshewentbackhoe.hestillhadnotreturned.
shewenttothechurch.stillnosign.shewasatalosstoknohattodo.thenshewentbacktoherotorcycleandgotaflashlightfrothesaddlebagandsetoffalongthewateragain.ittookherawhiletowindherwayalongthehalf-overgrownroad,andevenlongertofindthepathtogottfried’scabin.itlooedoutofthedarknessbehindsoetreeswhenshehadalostreachedit.hewasnotontheporchandthedoorwaslocked.
shehadturnedtowardsthevillagewhenshe. compedandwentback,allthewayouttothepoint.shecaughtsightofblokvist’ssilhouetteinthedarknessontheendofthejettywhereharrietvangerhaddrownedherfather.shesighedwithrelief.
heheardherasshecaeoutontothejetty,andheturnedaround.shesatdownnexttohiwithoutaword.atlasthebrokethesilence.
“fivee.ihadtobealoneforawhile.”
“iknow.”
shelittwocigarettesandgavehione.blokvistlookedather.salanderwastheostasocialhuanbeinghehadeveret.usuallysheignoredanyatteptonhisparttotalkaboutanythingpersonal,andshehadneveraeptedasingleexpressionofsypathy.shehadsavedhislife,andnowshehadtrackedhiouthereinthenight.heputanararoundher.
“nowiknohatypriceis,”hesaid.“we’veforsakenthosegirls.they’regoingtoburythewholestory.everythinginmartin’sbaseentwillbevacuuedintooblivion.”
salanderdidnotanswer.
“erikawasright,”hesaid.“iwouldhavedoneoregoodifi’dgoosparaonthandthenehoerefreshedandtakenonwennerstr？.i’vewastedalltheseonths.”
“ifyou’dgoospain,martinvangerwouldstillbeoperatinginhisbaseent.”
theysattogetherforalongtiebeforehesuggestedthattheygohoe.
blokvistfellasleepbeforesalander.shelayawakelisteningtohibreathe.afterawhileshewenttothekitchenandsatinthedarkonthekitchenbench,sokingseveralcigarettesasshebrooded.shehadtakenitforgrantedthatvangerandfrodeightconhi.itwasintheirnature.butitwasblokvist’sproble,nothers.orwasit？
atlastsheadeadecision.shestubbedouthercigaretteandwentintothebedroo,turnedonthelap,andshookmikaelawake.itwas2:30intheorning.
“what？”
“i’vegotaquestion.situp.”
blokvistsatup,drunkwithsleep.
“whenyouwereindicted,whydidn’tyoudefendyourself？”
blokvistrubbedhiseyes.helookedattheclock.
“it’salongstory,lisbeth.”
“i’vegottie.telle.”
hesatforalongwhile,ponderingwhatheshouldsay.finallyhedecidedonthetruth.
“ihadnodefence.therationinthearticlewaswrong.”
“whenihackedyourputerandreadyoureailexchangewithberger,therewereplentyofreferencestothewennerstr？affair,butyoutwokeptdiscussingpracticaldetailsaboutthetrialandnothingaboutwhatactuallyhappened.whatwasitthatwentwrong？”
“lisbeth,ican’tlettherealstorygetout.ifellintoatrap.erikaandiarequiteclearthatitwoulddaageourcredibilityevenfurtherifwetoldanyonewhatreallyhappened.”
“listen,kalleblokvist,yesterdayafternoonyousatherepreachingaboutfriendshipandtrustandst
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uff.i’notgoin. comutthestoryonthe.”
blokvistprotested.itwastheiddleofthenight.hecouldnotfacethinkingaboutthewholethingnow.shewentonstubbornlysittingthereuntilhegavein.hewenttothebathrooandwashedhisfaceandputthecoffeepoton.thenhecaebacktothebedandtoldherabouthowhisoldschoolfriendrobertlindberg,inayellowm？lar-30intheguestarinainarhola,hadarousedhiscuriosity.
“youeanthatyourbuddywaslying？”
“no,notatall.hetoldeexactlywhatheknew,andicouldverifyeachandeverywordindocuentsfrotheauditatsib.ievenwenttopolandandphotographedthesheet-etalshackwherethishugebigminospanywashoused.iinterviewedseveralofthepeoplewhohadbeeneployedatthepa
