bergerandmalweretakingcareoftheannualchristasarrangeentswhileblokvistsatinerika’schair,drinkinggl？ggandlookingon.allthestaffandanyoftheregularfreelancerswouldreceiveachristasgift—thisyearashoulderbagwiththenewmillenniupublishinghouselogo.afterwrappingthepresents,theysatdowntowriteandstapabout200cardstosen. comrintingpanies,photographers,andediacolleagues.
blokvisttriedforthelongesttietowithstandtheteptationbutfinallyhecouldn’tresist.hepickeduptheverylastcardandwrote:merrychristasandhappynewyear.thanksforyoursplendideffortsduringthepastyear.
hesignedhisnaeandaddressedthecardtojannedahlan,c/otheeditorialofficesofmonopolyfinancialmagazine.
whenblokvistgothoethateveningtherewasaslipnotifyinghiofapostalpackage.hewen. comickitupthenextorning,openingitwhenhegottotheoffice.thepackagecontainedaosquito-repellentstickandabottleofreiersholsaquavit.thecardread:ifyoudon’thaveotherplans,i’llbedockedatarholaonmidsuereve.itwassignedrobertlindberg.
traditionallythemillenniuofficeswereclosedtheweekbeforechristasandthroughthenewyear’sholiday.thisyearitdidnotworkoutthatway.thestrainonthesallstaffhadbeenenorous,andjournalistswerestillcallingfroallovertheworldonadailybasis.itwasthedaybeforechristasevewhenblokvist,alostbychance,happenedtoreadanarticleinthefinancialtiessuingupthefindingsoftheinternationalbankingissionthathadbeenestablishedinallhastetoscrutinisethecollapseofthewennerstr？epire.thearticlesaidthattheissionwasworkingonthehypothesisthatwennerstr？hadprobablybeentippedoffatthelastinuteabouttheipendingdisclosures.
hisaountatbankofkroenenfeldinthecayanislands,containing￥260illion—approxiately2.5billionswedishkronor—hadbeeneptiedthedaybeforemillenniupublisheditsexposé.
theoneyhadbeenspreadoveranuberofaounts,andonlywennerstr？personallycouldakewithdrawals.hedidnothavetobepresentatthebank；itwasenoughforh. comresentaseriesofclearingcodesinordertotransfertheoneytoanybankintheworld.theoneyhadbeentransferredtoswitzerland,whereafealeassociatehadconvertedthefundsintoanonyousprivatebonds.alltheclearingcodeswereinorder.
europolhadlaunchedasearchforthewoanwhohadusedastolenbritishpassportinthenaeofmonicasholesandwhowassaidtohavelivedalifeofluxuryatoneofzurich’sostexpensivehotels.arelativelyclearpicture,consideringthatitcaefroasurveillancecaera,showedashortwoanwithablondepage-boy,widelips,andproinentbreastswearingfashionabledesignerclothesandgoldjewellery.
blokviststudiedthepicture,givingitfirstaquickglanceandthenlookingatitwithincreasingsuspicion.afterseveralsecondsheruagedinhisdeskforaagnifyingglassandtriedtoakeoutthedetailsofthefacialfeaturesinthenewspaper’sscreenediage.
atlastheputdownthepaperandsatthere,speechless,forseveralinutes.thenhestartedlaughingsohystericallythatmalstuckhisheadroundthedoortofindoutwhatwasgoingon.
ontheorningofchristaseveblokvistwentoutto？rstatoseehisex-wifeandhisdaughter,pernilla,andexchangegifts.pernillagottheputershewanted,whichblokvistandmonicahadboughttogether.blokvistgotatiefromonicaandadetectivenovelby？keedwardsonfrohisdaughter.unlikethepreviouschristas,theywereinhighspiritsbecauseoftheedia
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draathathadbeenplayingoutaroundmillenniu.
theyhadlunchtogether.blokviststoleasidelongglanceatpernilla.hehadnotseenhisdaughtersincesheturneduptovisithiinhedestad.herealisedthathehadfailedtodiscussheraniaforthatsectinskellefte？withherother.hecouldnottellthethatitwashisdaughter’sobviouslyprofoundknowledgeofthebiblethathadsethiontherighttrackregardingharrietvanger’sdisappearance.hehadnottalkedtohisdaughtersincethen.
hewasnotagoodfather.
hekissedhisdaughtergoodbyeafterthelunchandetsalanderatslussen.theywentouttosandhan.theyhadnotseenuchofeachothersincethemillenniubobexploded.theyarrivedlateonchristaseveandstayedfortheholidays.
blokvistwasentertainingpany,asalways,butsalanderhadanuneasyfeelingthathewaslookingatherwithanespeciallyoddexpressionwhenshepaidbacktheloanwithachequefor120,000kronor.
theytookawalktotrovillandback,hadchristasdinnerattheinn,andwentbacktothecabinwheretheylitafireinthewoodstove,putonanelviscd,anddevotedtheselvestosoeplainoldsex.whensalanderfrotietotiecaeupforair,shetriedtoanalyseherfeelings.
shehadnoproblewithblokvistasalover.therewasobviouslyaphysicalattraction.andhenevertriedtotutorher.
herproblewasthatshecouldnotinterpretherownfeelingsforhi.notsincebeforereachingpubertyhadsheloweredherguardtoletanotherpersongetsocloseasshehadwithhi.tobequitehonest,hehadatryingabilit. comerateherdefencesandtogethertotalkaboutpersonalattersandprivatefeelings.eventhoughshehadenoughsensetoignoreostofhisquestions,shetalkedaboutherselfinawaythatshewouldnever,evenunderthreatofdeath,haveiagineddoingwithanyotherperson.itfrightenedherandadeherfeelnakedandvulnerabletohiswill.
atthesaetie—whenshelookeddownathissluberingforandlistenedtohisnoring—shefeltthatshehadneverbeforeinherlifehadsuchatrustinanotherhuanbeing.shekneithabsolutecertaintythatmikaelwouldneverusewhatheknewabouthertohurther.itwasnotinhisnature.
theonlythingtheyneverdiscussedwastheirrelationshiptoeachother.shedidnotdare,andblokvistneverbroachedthesubject.
atsoepointontheorningoftheseconddayshecaetoaterrifyingrealisation.shehadnoideahowithadhappenedorhowshewassupposedtocopewithit.shewasinloveforthefirsttieinherlife.
thathewasalosttwiceheragedidnotbotherher.nordidthefactthatattheoenthewasoneoftheostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,andhispicturewasevenonthecoverofnewsweek—thatwasalljustsoapopera.butblokvistwasnoeroticfantasyordaydrea.itwouldhavetoetoanend.itcouldnotpossiblyworkout.whatdidheneedherfor？maybeshewasjustawa. comassthetiewhilehewaitedforsoeonewhoselifewasnotafuckingrathole.
whatshehadrealisedwasthatlovewasthatoentwhenyourheartwasabouttoburst.
whenblokvistwokeuplatethatorning,shehadadecoffeeandbeenouttobuybreakfastrolls.hejoinedheratthetableandnoticedatoncethatsoethinginherattitudehadchanged—shewasabitorereserved.whenheaskedherifanythingwaswrong,shegavehianeutral,unprehendinglook.
onthefirstdaybetweenchristasandnewyear’s,blokvisttookthetrainuptohedestad.hewaswearinghiswarestclothesandhisproperwintershoeswhenfrodeethiatthestationandquietlycongratulatedhiontheediasuess.itwasthefirsttiesinceaugustthathehadvisitedhedestad,anditwasalostexactlyoneyearagosincehehadvisiteditforthefirsttie.theychattedpolitely,buttherewasalsoagreatdealthathadgoneunsaidbetweenthe,andblokvistfeltunfortable.
everythinghadbeenprepared,andthebusinesswithfrodetookonlyafewinutes.frodeofferedtodeposittheoneyinaconvenientforeignbankaount,butblokvistinsistedthatitshouldbepaidlikeanoral,legitiatefeetohispany.
“ican’taffordanyothertypeofpayent,”hesaidcurtlywhenfrodepersisted.
thepurposeofhisvisitwasnotsolelyfinancial.blokvisthadleftclothes,s,andanuberofhisownthingsinthecottagewhenheandsalanderhadabandonedhedebyingreathaste.
vangerwasstillfrailafterhisillness,buthewasathoe.hewasbeinglookedafterbyaprivatenurse,whorefusedtoallowhitotakelongwalks,orwalkupstairs,ordiscussanythingthatightupsethi.duringtheholidayshehadalsoedownwithaslightcoldandwasorderedtobed.
“besideswhich,she’sexpensive,”vangerplained.
blokvistknewthattheoldancouldaffordanysuchexpense—consideringhowanykronorhehadwrittenoffhistaxesallhislife.vangergavehiasullenlookuntilhestartedlaughing.
“whatthehell,youwerewortheverykrona.iknewyouwouldbe.”
“totellyouthetruth,ineverthoughti’dsolveit.”
“ihavenointentionofthankingyou,”vangersaid.
“ididn’texpectyouwould.i’justheretotellyouthaticonsiderthejobdone.”
vangercurledhislips.“youhaven’tfinishedthejob,”hesaid.
“iknowthat.”
“youhaven’twrittenthevangerfailychronicle,whichwasagreed.”
“iknowthat.i’notgoingtowriteit.infact,ican’twriteit.ican’twriteaboutthevangerfailyandleaveouttheostcentraleventofthepastdecades.howcouldiwriteachapteraboutmartin’speriodasceoandpretendthatidon’tknohat’sinhisbaseent？ialsocan’twritethestorywithoutdestroyingharriet’slifealloveragain.”
“iunderstandyourdilea,andi’gratefulforthedecisionthatyou’veade.”
“congratulations.you’veanagedtocorrupte.i’goingtodestroyallynotesandthetaperecordingsi’veadeofourconversations.”
“idon’tthinkthatyou’vebeencorrupted,”vangersaid.
“that’swhatitfeelslike.andithinkthat’swhatitis.”
“youhadtochoosebetweenyourroleasajournalistandyourroleasahuanbeing.icouldneverhaveboughtyoursilence.andi’quitecertainthatyouwouldhaveexposedusifharriethadturnedoutinsoewaytohavebeeniplicated,orifyouthoughtiwasacretin.”
blokvistdidnotreply.
“we’vetoldceciliathewholestory.frodeandiwillsoonbegone,andharrietisgoingtoneedsupportfrosoeoneinthefaily.ceciliawillplayanactiveroleontheboard.sheandharrietwillbeinchargeofthefirfronowon.”
