船说 Ihopethatyouwilepthavingeshowuplikethis.Ifyoudontwanteontheboard,Illunderstand,butIdoassureyouthatIlldoallIcantosupportMillenniu.Iaingreatdebttoyou,andIwillwayshavethebestofintentionsinthisregard.
IetyourcolleagueErikaBerger.Inotsurewhatshethoughtofe,andIwassurprisedtohearthatyouhadnttoldheraboutwhathappened.
Iwouldveryuchliketobeyourfriend.IfyoucanstandtohaveanythingoretodowiththeVangerfaily.Bestregards,Harriet
P.S.IunderstoodfroErikathatyourepnningtotackleWennerstragain.DirchFrodetoldehowHenrikpulledaswiftyonyou,astheysayinAustralia.WhatcanIsayIsorry.IftheresanythingIcando,leteknow.
Fro
To:
HiHarriet.IleftHedebyinabighurryandanoorkingonwhatIreallyshouldhavebeenspendingytieonthisyear.Youllbeadvisedinplentyoftiebeforethearticlegoeress,butIthinkIcansaythattheproblesofthepastyearwillsoonbeover.
IhopeyouandErikawillbefriends,and,ofcourse,IhavenoproblewithyoubeingonMillenniusboard.IlltellErikaaboutwhathappened,ifyouthinkthatswise.Henrikwantedenevertosayanythingtoanyone.Letssee,butrightnowIdonthavethetieortheenergyandIneedalittledistancefirst.
Letskeepintouch.BestMikael
SanderwasnotespeciallyinterestedinwhatMikaelwaswriting.ShelookedupfroherwhenBlokvistsaidsoething,butatfirstshecouldnotakeitout.
“Sorry.Iwastalkingaloud.Isaidthatthisishorrible.”
“Whatshorrible”
“Wennerstrhadanaffairwithatwentytwoyearoldwaitressandhegotherpregnant.Haveyoureadhiscorrespondencewithhiswyer”
“MydearMikaelyouhavetenyearsofcorrespondence,eails,agreeents,traverrangeents,andGodknowswhatonthatharddrive.IdontfindWennerstrsofascinatingthatIdcrasixgigsofgarbageintoyhead.Ireadthroughafractionofit,ostlytosatisfyycuriosity,andthatwasenoughtotellethathesagangster.”
“OK.Hegotherpregnantin1997.Whenshewantedpensation,hiswyergotsoeootrytoconvincehertohaveanabortion.Iassuetheintentionwastoofferherasuofoney,butshewasntinterested.ThenthepersuadingendediththeheavyholdingherunderwaterinabathuntilsheagreedtoleaveWennerstrinpeace.AndWennerstrsidiotwritesallthistothewyerinaneailofcourseencrypted,butevensoItdoesntsayuchfortheIQofthisbunch.”
“Whathappenedtothegirl”
“Shehadanabortion,andWennerstrwaspleased.”
Sandersaidnothingforteninutes.Hereyeshadsuddenlytueddark.
“Oneoreanwhohateswoen,”sheutteredatst.
SheborrowedtheCDsandspentthenextfewdaysreadingthroughWennerstrseailsandotherdocuents.WhileBlokvistkeptworking,SanderwasupinthesleepingloftwithherPoweronherknees,ponderingWennerstrspeculiarepire.
Anideahadourredtoherandshecouldnotletitgo.Mostofallshewonderedwhyithadnotourredtohersooner.
InteOctoberMikaeltuedoffhisputerwhenitwasonly11:00intheoing.HeclibeduptothesleepingloftandhandedSanderwhathehadwritten.Thenhefelsleep.Shewokehithateveningandgavehiheropinionofthearticle.
Justafter2:00intheoing,Blokvistadethestbackupofhiswork.
Thenextdayheclosedtheshuttersonthewindowsandlockedup.Sandersholidaywasover.TheywentbacktoStockholtogether.
HebroughtupthesubjectastheyweredrinkingcoffeefropapercupsontheVaxholferry.
“WhatthetwoofusneedtodecideiswhattotellErika.ShesgoingtorefusublishthisifIcantexpinhowIgotholdoftheaterial.”
ErikaBerger.Blokvistseditorinchiefandlongtielover.Sanderhadneveretherandwasnotsurethatshewantedtoeither.Bergerseeedlikesoeindefinabledisturbanceinherlife.
“Whatdoessheknowaboute”
“Nothing.”Hesighed.“ThefactisthatIvebeenavoidinghereversincethesuer.ShesveryfrustratedaboutthefactthatIcouldnttellherwhathappenedinHedestad.Sheknows,ofcourse,thatIvebeenstayingoutatSandhanandwritingthisstory,butshedoesntknohatitsabout.”
“H.”
“Inacoupleofhoursshellhavetheanuscript.Thenshesgoingtogiveethethirddegree.Thequestionis,whatshouldItellher”
“Whatdoyouwanttotellher”
“Idliketotellherthetruth.”
Sanderfrowned.
“Lisbeth,ErikaandIarguealostallthetie.Itseestobepartofhoeunicate.Butshesabsolutelytrustworthy.Youreasource.Shewouldratherdiethanrevealwhoyouare.”
“Howanyotherswouldyouhavetotell”
“Absolutelynoone.ItwillgotothegravewitheandErika.ButIwonttellheryoursecretifyoudontwanteto.Ontheotherhand,itsnotanoptionforetolietoErika,akeupsoesourcethatdoesntexist.”
SanderthoughtaboutituntiltheydockedbytheGrandHotel.Analysisofconsequences.ReluctantlyshefinallygaveBlokvistperissiontointroducehertoErika.Heswitchedonhisobileandadethecall.
BergerwaslunchingwithMalinEriksson,whoshewasconsideringhiringasanagingeditor.Erikssonwastwentynineyearsoldandhadbeenworkingasatepforfiveyears.Shehadneverheldaperanentjobandhadstartedtodoubtthatsheeverwould.BergercalledherontheverydaythatMalinstesttepjobendedtoaskifshewouldliketoapplyfortheMillenniuposition.
“Itsateporarypostforthreeonths,”Bergersaid.“Butifthingsworkout,itcouldbeperanent.”
“IveheardruoursthatMillenniuishavingadifficulttie.”
Bergersiled.
“Youshouldntbelieveruours.”
“ThisDahnthatIwouldberepcing”Erikssonhesitated.“HesgoingtoworkataagazineownedbyHansErikWennerstr”
Bergeodded.“ItshardlyatradesecretthatwereinconflictwithWennerstr.HedoesntlikepeoplewhoworkforMillenniu.”
“SoifItakethejobatMillenniu,Iwouldendupinthatcategorytoo.”
“Itsverylikely,yes.”
“ButDahngotajobwithMonopolyFinancialMagazine,didnthe”
“YouightsaythatitsWennerstrswayofpayingforservicesrendered.Areyoustillinterested”
Erikssonnodded.
“Whendoyouwantetostart”