ThenSheonTV4adetheistakeofaskingexactlythequestionthatBlokvisthadhopedfor。
“Andsoyouthinkthattheediadonthaveanyresponsibility”
“Ohyes；theediadohaveanenorousresponsibility。ForatleasttwentyyearsanyfinancialreportershaverefrainedfroscrutinisingHansErikWennerstr。Onthecontrary；theyhaveactuallyhelpedtobuilduphisprestigebypublishingbrainless；idotrousportraits。Iftheyhadbeendoingtheirworkproperly；wewouldnotfindourselvesinthissituationtoday。”
Blokvistsappearancearkedatuingpoint。Inhindsight；BergerwasconvincedthatitwasonlywhenBlokvistwentonTVandcallydefendedhiscisthattheSwedishedia；inspiteofthefactthatMillenniuhadbeenallovertheheadlinesforaweek；recognisedthatthestoryreallydidholdup。Hisattitudesetthecourseforthestory。
AftertheinterviewtheWennerstraffairiperceptiblyslippedfrothefinancialsectionovertothedesksofthecriereporters。Inthepast；ordinarycriereportershadseldooeverwrittenaboutfinancialcrie；exceptifithadtodowiththeRussianoborYugosvcigarettesugglers。CriereporterswerenotexpectedtoinvestigateintricatedealingsontheStockExchange。OneeveningpapereventookBlokvistathiswordandfilledtwospreadswithportraitsofseveralofthebrokeragehousesostiportantpyers；whowereintheprocessofbuyingupGeransecurities。ThepapersheadlinereadSELLINGOUTTHEIRCOUNTRY。Allthebrokerswereinvitedtoentontheallegations。Everyoneofthedeclined。Butthetradingofsharesdecreasedsignificantlythatday；andsoebrokerswhowantedtolooklikeprogressivepatriotsstartedgoingagainstthestrea。Blokvistburstoutughing。
ThepressuregottobesogreatthatsobreenindarksuitsputonaconceedexpressionandbrokewiththeostiportantruleoftheexclusiveclubthatadeuptheinnerostcirclesofSwedishfinancetheyentedonacolleague。AllofasuddenretiredindustrialleadersandbankpresidentswereappearingonTVandansweringquestionsinanatteptatdaagecontrol。Everyonerealisedtheseriousnessofthesituation；anditwasaatterofdistancingtheselvesasquicklyaspossiblefrotheWennerstrGroupandsheddinganysharestheyighthold。Wennerstrwasnot；afterall；arealindustrialist；andhehadneverbeentrulyaeptedinto“theclub。”SoepointedoutthathewasjustasipleworkingcssboyfroNorrndwhosesuessayhavegoohishead。Soedescribedhisactionsasapersonaltragedy。OthersdiscoveredthattheyhadhadtheirdoubtsaboutWennerstrforyearshewastooboastfundheputonairs。
Duringthefollowingweeks；asMillenniusdocuentationwasscrutinised；pulledapart；andpiecedtogetheragain；theWennerstrepireofobscurepanieswaslinkedtotheheartoftheinteationalMafia；includingeverythingfroillegarsdealingandoneyunderingforSouthAericandrugcartelrostitutioninNewYork；andevenindirectlytothechildsextradeinMexico。OneWennerstrpanyregisteredinCypruscausedadraaticstirwhenitwasrevealedthatithadatteptedtobuyenricheduraniuonthebckarketinUkraine。Wennerstrsapparentlyinexhaustiblesupplyofobscurepostofficeboxpaniesseeedtobecroppingupeverywhere；linkedtoalnnerofshadyenterprises。
BergerthoughtthatthewasthebestthingBlokvisthadeverwritten。Itwasunevenstylistically；andinpcesthewritingwasactuallyratherpoortherehadbeennotieforanyfinepolishingbutthewasaniatedbyafurythatnoreadercouldhelpbutnotice。
BychanceBlokvistranintohisoldadversary；theforerfinancialreporterWilliaB；infrontofKvaenwhenBlokvist；Berger；andMaltooktheeveningofftocelebratetheSantaLuciaholidayalongwiththeagazinesothereployees；goingouttodrinktheselvessenselessatthepanysexpense。BspanionwasaverydrunkgirboutSandersage。
BlokvistsloathingforBwaspalpable。BergerinterruptedtheachoposturingbytakingBlokvistbythearandleadinghiintothebar。
Blokvistdecidedthatwhentheopportunityarose；hewouldaskSandertodooneofherpersonalinvestigationsofB。Justforforssake。
Duringthewholeediastortheaincharacterinthedraa；thefinancierWennerstr；wasfortheostpartinvisible。OnthedaythatMillenniupublisheditsarticle；thefinancierwasforcedtoentonthetextatapressconferencethathadbeencalledforadifferentpurpose。Hedecredtheallegationsunfoundedandsaidthatthedocuentationreferredtowasfabricated。Hereindedeveryohatthesaereporterhadbeenconvictedoflibelonlyoneyearbefore。
AfterthatonlyWennerstrswyerswouldanswerquestionsfrotheedia。TwodaysafterBlokvistscaeout；apersistentruourbegancircutingthatWennerstrhadleftSweden。Theeveningpapersusedtheword“fled。”Duringthesecondweek；whenthesecuritiesfraudpolicetriedtocontactWennerstr；hewasnowheretobefound。InidDeceberthepoliceconfiredthatWennerstrwasforallysought；andonthedaybeforeNewYearsEve；anallpointsbulletinwassentoutviatheinteationalpoliceanisations。TheverysaedayoneofWennerstrsadviserswasseizedatArndaashewasboardingapneforLondon。
SeveralweeksteraSwedishtouristreportedthathehadseenWennerstrgetintoacarinBridgetown；thecapitalofBarbados。Asproofofhisci；thetouristsubittedaphotograph；takenfroquiteadistanceaway；showingawhiteanwearingsungsses；anopenwhiteshirt；andlightcolouredscks。Hecouldnotbeidentifiedwithcertainty；buttheeveningpaperscontactedstringerswhotriedwithoutsuesstotrackdownthefugitivebillionaire。
Aftersixonthsthehuntwascalledoff。ThenWennerstrwasfounddeadinanapartentinMarbel；Spain；wherehehadbeenlivingunderthenaeofVictorFleing。Hehadbeenshotthreetiesintheheadatcloserange。TheSpanishpolicewereworkingonthetheory；theirstateentsaid；thathehadsurprisedaburgr。
WennerstrsdeathcaeasnosurprisetoSander。Shesuspected；withgoodreason；thathisdeisehadtodowiththefactthathenolongerhadaesstotheoneyinacertainbankintheCayanIsnds；whichheayhaveneedeayoffcertaindebtsinColobia。
IfanyonehadaskedforSandershelpintrackingWennerstr；shecouldhavetoldthealostonadailybasiswherehewas。ViatheIntershehadfollowedhisflightthroughadozencountriesandrearkedagrowingdesperationinhiseails。NotevenBlokvistwouldhavethoughtthatthefugitiveexbillionairewouldbestupidenoughtotakealongtheputerthathadbeensothoroughlyperated。
AftersixonthsSandergrewtiredoftrackingWennerstr。Thequestionthatreainedtobeansweredwashowfarherowninvolveentshouldreach。WennerstrwaswithoutadoubtanOlypsscreep；buthewasnotherpersonaleney；andshehadnointerestininvolvingherselfagainsthi。ShecouldtipoffBlokvist；buthewouldprobablyjustpublishastory。Shecouldtipoffthepolice；buttherewasquiteachancethatWennerstrwouldbeforewaedandagaindisappear。Besides；onprinciple；shedidnottalktothepolice。
Buttherewereotherdebtsthathadtobepaid。Shethoughtabouttheoncepregnantwaitresswhoseheadhadbeenshovedunderwaterinherownbath。
FourdaysbeforeWennerstrsbodywasfound；sheadeupherind。SheswitchedonherobileandcalledawyerinMiai；whoseeedtobeoneofthepeopleWennerstrwasakingabigefforttohidefro。Shetalkedtoasecretaryandaskedheassonacrypticessage。ThenaeWennerstrandanaddressinMarbel。Thatwasall。
ShetuedofftheTVnewshalfwaythroughadraaticreportaboutWennerstrsdeise。Sheputonsoecoffeeandfixedherselfaliverpatéandcucubersandwich。
BergerandMalweretakingcareoftheannualChristasarrangeentswhileBlokvistsatinErikaschair；drinkingglggandlookingon船说