justbefore10:00monicasholessetdownhercoffeecup,openedherobile,andpunchedinthenuberofaodeuplinkinhawaii.afterthreerings,thehandshakingtonebegan.theodewasconnected.monicasholesrepliedbypunchinginasix-digitcodeonherobileandtextingaessagecontaininginstructionstostartaprograethatsalanderhadwrittenespeciallyforthispurpose.
inhonolulutheprograecaetolifeonananonyoushoepageonaserverthatwasofficiallylocatedattheuniversity.theprograewassiple.itsonlyfunctionwastosendinstructionstostartanotherprograeinanotherserver,whichinthiscasewasaperfectlyordinaryercialispofferinginterservicesinholland.thefunctionofthatprograe,inturn,wastolookfortheirroredharddrivebelongingtohans-erikwennerstr？andtakeandoftheprograethatshowedthecontentsofhisapproxiately3,000bankaountsaroundtheworld.
therewasonlyoneaountofanyinterest.salanderhadnotedthatwennerstr？lookedattheaountacoupleoftieseachweek.ifheturnedonhisputerandlookedatthatparticularfile,everythingwouldappeartobenoral.theprograeshowedsallchanges,whichweretobeexpected,basedonnoralfluctuationsintheaountduringthepastsixonths.ifduringthenextforty-eighthourswennerstr？shouldgoinandasktohavethefundspaidoutorovedfrotheaount,theprograewoulddutifullyreportthatithadbeendone.inreality,thechangewouldhaveourredonlyontheirroredharddriveinholland.
monicasholesswitchedoffherobiletheoentsheheardfourshorttonesconfiringthattheprograehadstarted.
shelefttheziertalhotelandwalkedovertobankhausergeneral,acrossthestreet,whereshehadadeanappointenttoseeherrwagner,thegeneralanager,at10:00.shewastherethreeinutesaheadofschedule,andshespentthewaitingtieposinginfrontofthesurveillancecaera,whichtookherpictureasshewalkedintothedepartentwithofficesfordiscreetprivateconsultations.
“ineedsoeassistancewithanuberoftransactions,”shesaidinoxfordenglish.whensheopenedherbriefcase,sheletdropapenfrotheziertalhotel,andherrwagnerpolitelyretrieveditforher.shegavehianarchsileandwroteanaountnuberonthenotepadonthedeskinfrontofher.
herrwagnerpigeonholedherasthespoileddaughter,orpossiblyistress,ofsoebigshot.
“thereareanuberofaountsatthebankofkroenenfeldinthecayanislands.autoatictransfercanbedonebysequentialclearingcodes,”shesaid.
“fr？uleinsholes,naturallyyouhavealltherequiredclearingcodes？”heasked.
“abernaturlich,”sherepliedwithsuchaheavyaentthatitwasobviousshehadonlyschool-levelgeran.
shestartedrecitingseveralseriesofsixteen-digitnuberswithoutoncereferringtoanypapers.herrwagnersawthatitwasgoingtobealongorning,butfora4percentissiononthetransactions,hewaspreparedtoskiplunch,andhewasgoingtohavetorevisehispigeonholeforfr？uleinsholes.
shedidnotleavebankhausergeneraluntiljustpastnoon,slightlylaterthanplanned,andshewalkedbacktotheziertal.sheputinanappearanceatthefrontdeskbeforeshewentuptoherrooandtookofftheclothesshehadbought.shekeptonthelatexbreastsbutreplacedthepage-boywigwithirenenesser’sshoulder-lengthblondehair.sheputonorefailiarclothes:bootswithstilettoheels,blacktrousers,asipleshirt,andaniceblackleatherjacketfromalungsbodeninstockhol.shestudiedherselfintheirror.notunkeptbyanyeans,butshewasnolongeranheiress.beforeirenenesserlefttheroo,shesortedthroughanuberofbonds,whichsheplacedinsideathinportfolio.
at1:05,afewinutesbehindschedule,shewentintobankdorffann,aboutseventyyardsawayfrobankhausergeneral.irenenesserhadadeanappointentinadvancewithaherrhasselann.sheapologisedforbeinglate.shespokeipeablegeranwithanorwegianaent.
“noprobleatall,fr？ulein,”herrhasselannsaid.“howcanibeofservice？”
“iwouldliketoopenanaount.ihaveanuberofprivatebondsthati’dliketoconvert.”
irenenesserplacedherportfolioonthedeskinfrontofhi.
herrhasselannexainedthecontents,hastilyatfirst,andthenoreslowly.heraisedaneyebrowandsiledpolitely.
sheopenedfivenuberedaounts,whichshecouldaessviatheinterandwhichwereownedbyanapparentlyanonyouspost-office-boxpanyingibraltar.abrokerhadsettheupforherfor50,000kronoroftheoneyshehadborrowedfroblokvist.shecashedinfiftyofthebondsanddepositedtheoneyintheaounts.eachbondwasworththeequivalentofoneillionkronor.
herbusinessatthebankdorffannalsotookoretiethanexpected,sonowshewasevenorebehindonherschedule.shehadnochancetotakecareofherfinaltransactionsbeforethebanksclosedfortheday.soirenenesserreturnedtothematterhornhotel,whereshespentanhourhangingaroundtoestablishherpresence.butshehadaheadacheandwenttobedearly.sheboughtsoeaspirinatthefrontdeskandorderedawake-upcallfor8:00a..thenshewentbacktoherroo.
itwascloseto5:00p..,andallthebanksineuropewereclosedforbusiness.butthebanksinnorthandsouthaericawereopen.shebootedupherpoweranduplinkedtothethroughherobile.shespentanhoureptyingthenuberedaountsshehadopenedatbankdorffannearlierintheday.
shedividedtheoneyupintosallaountsandusedi. comayinvoicesforalargenuberoffictionalpaniesaroundtheworld.whenshewasdone,theoneyhadstrangelyenoughbeentransferredbacktothebankofkroenenfeldinthecayanislands,butthistietoanentirelydifferentaountthantheonefrowhichithadbeenwithdrawnearlierthatday.
irenenesserconsideredthisfirststagetobesecureandalostipossibletotrace.sheadeonepayentfrotheaount:thesuofnearlyoneillionkronorwasdepositedintoanaountlinkedtoacreditcardthatshehadinherwallet.theaountwasownedbywaspenterprises,registeredingibraltar.
severalinuteslateragirlwithblondepage-boyhairleftthematterhornbyadoorintothehotelbar.monicasholeswalkedtotheziertalhotel,noddedpolitelytothedeskclerk,andtooktheliftuptoherroo.
thereshetookhertieputtingonmonicasholes’batunifor,touchingupherake-up,andapplyinganextralayerofskincreatothetattoobeforeshewentdowntothehotelrestaurantandhadaninsanelydeliciousfishdinner.sheorderedabottleofvintagewihatshehadneverheardofbeforethoughitcost1,200kronor,drankoneglass,andnonchalantlylefttherestbeforeshewentintothehotelbar.sheleftabsurdtips,whichcertainlyadethestaffnoticeher.
shespentquiteawhileallowingherselftobepickedupbyadrunkyoungitalianwithanaristocraticnaewhichshedidnotbothertoreeber.theysharedtwobottlesofchapagne,ofwhichshedrankalostoneglass.
around11:00herintoxicatedsuitorleanedforwardandboldlysqueezedherbreast.sheovedhishanddowntothetable,feelingpleased.hedidnotseetohavenoticedthathewassqueezingsoftlatex.attiestheyweresoloudthattheycausedacertainaountofirritationaongtheotherguests.justbeforeidnight,whenmonicasholesnoticedthatahallporterwaskeepingasterneyeonthe,shehelpedheritalianboyfrienduptohisroo.
whenhewenttothebathroo,shepouredonelastglassofwine.sheopenedafoldedpieceofpaperandspikedthewinewithacrushedrohypnolsleepingtablet.hepassedoutinaiserableheaponthebedwithinainuteaftershedrankatoastwithhi.sheloosenedhistie,pulledoffhisshoes,anddrewacoveroverhi.shewipedthebottleclean,thenwashedtheglassesinthebathrooandwipedtheofftoobeforegoingbacktoherroo.
monicasholeshadbreakfastinherrooat6:00andcheckedoutoftheziertalat6:55.beforeleavingherroo,shespentfiveinuteswipingofffingerprintsfrothedoorhandles,wardrobes,toilet,telephone,andotherobjectsintheroothatshehadtouched.
irenenessercheckedoutofthematterhornaround8:30,shortlyafterthewake-upcall.shetookataxiandleftherluggageinalockerattherailwaystation.thenshespentthenextfewhoursvisitingnineprivatebanks,whereshedistributedsoeoftheprivatebondsfrothecayanislands.by3:00intheafternoonshehadconvertedabout10percentofthebondsintocash,whichshedepositedinthirtynuberedaounts.therestofthebondsshebundledupandputinasafe-depositbox.
irenenesserwouldneedtoakeseveralorevisitstozurich,buttherewasnoiediatehurry.
at4:30thatafternoonirenenessertookataxitotheairport,whereshewentintotheladies’rooandcutupmonicasholes’passportintolittlepieces,flushingthedownthetoilet.thecreditcardshealsocutupandputthebitsinfivedifferentrubbishbins,andthescissorstoo.aftersepteber11itwasnotagoodideatoattractattentionbyhavinganysharpobjectsinyourbaggage.
irenenessertooklufthansaflightgd890toosloandcaughttheairportbustotheoslotrainstation,whereshewentintotheladies’rooandsortedthroughherclothes.sheplacedallitesbelongingtothemonicasholespersona—thepage-boywigandthedesignerclothes—inthreeplasticbagsandtossedtheintothreedifferentrubbishcontainersandwastebasketsinthetrainstation.sheputtheeptysasonitesuitcaseinanunlockedlocker.thegoldchainandearringsweredesignerjewellerythatcouldbetraced；theydisappeareddownadraininthestreetoutsidethestation.
afteraoentofanxioushesitation,irenenesserdecidedtokeepthefakelatexbreasts.
bythenshedidnothaveuchtieandtookonsoefuelintheforofahaburgerfromcdonald’swhileshetransferredthecontentsoftheluxuryleatherbriefcasetohertravelbag.whensheleft,theeptybriefcasereainedunderthetable.sheboughtalattetogoatakioskandrantocatchthenighttraintostockhol.shearrivedasthedoorswereclosing.shehadedaprivatesleepingberth.
whenshelockedthedoortoherpartent,shecouldfeelthatforthefirsttieintwodays,heradrenalinelevelshadreturnedtonoral.sheopenedthepartentwindowanddefiedtheno-sokingregulations.shestoodtheresippingathercoffeeasthetrainrolledoutofoslo.
sheranthroughherchecklisttobesurethatshehadfottennodetail.afteraoentshefrownedandruagedthroughherjacketpockets.shetookouttheplientarypenfrotheziertalhotelandstudieditforseveralinutesbeforeshetosseditoutofthewindow.
afterfifteeninutesshecreptintobedandfellasleep.
epilogue:finalaudit
thursday,noveber27–tuesday,deceber30
millenniu’sspecialreportonhans-erikwennerstr？tookupallofforty-sixpagesoftheagazineandexplodedlikeatiebobthelastweekofnoveber.theainstoryappearedunderthejointbylineofmikaelblokvistanderikaberger.forthefirstfewhourstheediadidnotknowhowtohandlethescoop.asiilarstoryjustayearearlierhadresultedinblokvistbeingconvictedoflibel,andithadalsoapparentlyresultedinhisbeingdisissedfromillenniu.forthatreasonhiscredibilitywasregardedasratherlow.nowthesaeagazinewasbackwithastorybythesaejournalistcontaininguchoreseriousallegationsthanthearticleforwhichhehadrunintosouchtrouble.soepartsofthereportweresoabsurdthattheydefiedonsense.theswedishediasatandwaited,filledwithistrust.
butthateveningsheontv4ledoffwithaneleven-inutesuaryofthehighlightsinb
