船说 Bergerhaddesignedeverything,puttingingsspartitionstoakeseparatequartersforthreeoftheeployeesandanopenpnfortheothers.Shehadtakenthergestrooattheverybackforherself,andgivenBlokvisthisownrooattheoppositeend.Itwastheonlyroothatyoucouldlookintofrotheentry.Noonehadovedintoit,itseeed.
Thethirdroowasslightlyapartfrotheothers,anditwasoupiedbySonnyMagnusson,whohadbeenforseveralyearsMillenniusostsuessfudvertisingsalesan.Bergerhadhandpickedhi；sheofferedhiaodestsaryandaission.Overthepastyear,ithadnotadeanydifferencehowenergetichewasasasalesan,theiradvertisinginehadtakenabeatingandMagnussonsinewithit.Butinsteadoflookingelsewhere,hehadtightenedhisbeltandloyallystayedput.Unlikee,whocausedthewholendslide,Blokvistthought.
Hegatheredhiscourageandwalkedintotheoffice.Itwasalostdeserted.HecouldseeBergeratherdesk,telephonepressedtoherear.MonikaNilssonwasatherdesk,anexperiencedgeneralreporterspecialisinginpoliticalcoverage；shecouldbetheostjadedcynichehadeveret.ShedbeenatMillenniufoineyearsandwasthriving.HenryCortezwastheyoungesteployeeontheeditorialstaff.HehadeasanintestraightoutofJMKtwoyearsago,sayingthathewantedtoworkatMillenniuandnowhereelse.Bergerhadnobudgettohirehi,butsheofferedhiadeskinacoerandsoontookhionasaperanentdogsbody,andanonasastaffreporter.
Bothutteredcriesofdelight.Hereceivedkissesonthecheekandpatsontheback.Atoncetheyaskedhiifhewasretuingtowork.No,hehadjustpedbytosayhelloandhaveawordwiththeboss.
Bergerwasgdtoseehi.SheaskedaboutVangerscondition.BlokvistknewnoorethanwhatFrodecouldtellhi:hisconditionwasinescapablyserious.
“Sowhatareyoudoinginthecity”
Blokvistwasebarrassed.HehadbeenatMiltonSecurity,onlyafewstreetsaway,andhehaddecidedonsheeripulsetoein.Itseeedtooplicatedtoexpinthathehadbeentheretohirearesearchassistantwhowasasecurityconsultantwhohadhackedintohisputer.InsteadheshruggedandsaidhehadetoStockholonVangerretedbusiness,andhewouldhavetogobacknorthatonce.Heaskedhowthingsweregoingattheagazine.
“Apartfrothegoodnewsontheadvertisingandthesubscriptionfronts,thereisonecloudonthehorizon.”
“Whichis”
“JanneDahn.”
“Ofcourse.”
“IhadatalkwithhiinApril,afterwereleasedthenewsthatHenrikhadbeeapartner.IdontknowifitsjustJannesnaturetobenegativeoriftheressoethingoreseriousgoingon,ifhespyingsoesortofgae.”
“Whathappened”
“ItsnothingIcanputafingeron,ratherthatInolongertrusthi.AfterwesignedtheagreeentwithVanger,ChristerandIhadtodecidewhethertorthewholestaffthatwewerenolongeratriskofgoingunderthisautun,or”
“Ortotelljustachosenfew.”
“Exactly.Iaybeparanoid,butIdidntwanttoriskhavingDahnleakthestory.Sowedecidedtorthewholestaffonthesaedaytheagreeentwasadepublic.Whicheantthatwekeptthelidonitforoveraonth.”
“And”
“Well,thatwasthefirstpieceofgoodnewstheydhadinayear.EveryonecheeredexceptforDahn.Ieanwedonthavetheworldsbiggesteditorialstaff.Therewerethreepeoplecheering,plustheinte,andonepersonwhogothisnoseoutofjointbecausewehadnttoldeverybodyearlier.”
“Hehadapoint”
“Iknow.Butthethingis,hekeptonbitchingabouttheissuedayafterday,andoraleintheofficewasaffected.AftertwoweeksofthisshitIcalledhiintoyofficeandtoldhitohisfacethatyreasonfoothavingredthestaffearlierwasthatIdidnttrusthitokeepthenewssecret.”
“Howdidhetakeit”
“Hewasterriblyupset,ofcourse.Istoodygroundandgavehianultiatueitherhehaullhiselftogetherorstartlookingforanotherjob.”
“And”
“Hepulledhiselftogether.Buthekeepstohiself,andtheresatensionbetweenhiandtheothers.Christercantstandhi,andhedoesnthideit.”
“WhatdoyoususpectDahnofdoing”
“Idontknow.Wehiredhiayearago,whenwewerefirsttalkingabouttroublewithWennerstr.Icantproveathing,butIhaveanastyfeelingthathesnotworkingforus.”
“Trustyourinstincts.”
“Maybehesjustasquarepeginaroundholewhojusthappenstobepoisoningtheatosphere.”
“Itspossible.ButIagreethatweadeaistakewhenwehiredhi.”
HalfanhourterhewasonhiswaynorthacrossthelocksatSlusseninthecarhehadborrowedfroFrodeswife.ItwasatenyearoldVolvosheneverused.Blokvisthadbeengivenleavetoborrowitwheneverheliked.
Itwasthetinydetailsthathecouldeasilyhaveissedifhehadnotbeenalert:soepapersnotasevenlystackedashereebered；abindeotquiteflushontheshelf；hisdeskdrawerclosedallthewayhewaspositivethatitwasaninchopenwhenheleft.
Soeonehadbeeninsidehiscottage.
Hehadlockedthedoor,butitwasanordinaryoldlockthatalostanyonecouldpickwithascrewdriver,andwhoknewhowanykeyswereincircution.Hesysteaticallysearchedhisoffice,lookingforwhatightbeissing.Afterawhilehedecidedthateverythingwasstillthere.
Neverthelesssoeonehadbeeninthecottageandgohroughhispapersandbinders.Hehadtakenhisputerwithhi,sotheyhadnotbeenabletoaessthat.Twoquestionsarose:whowasitandhowuchhadhisvisitorbeenabletofindout
ThebindersbelongedtothepartofVangerscollectionthathebroughtbacktotheguesthouseafterretuingfroprison.Therewasnothingofthenewaterialinthe.Hisnotesinthedeskwouldreadlikecodetotheuninitiatedbutwasthepersonwhohadsearchedhisdeskuninitiated
Inapsticfolderontheiddleofthedeskhehadputacopyofthedatelistandacopyoftheverses.Thatwasserious.Itwouldtellwhoeveritwasthatthedatecodewascracked.
Sowhowasit
Vangerwasinthehospital.HedidnotsuspectAnna.FrodeHehadalreadytoldhiallthedetails.CeciliaVangerhadcancelledhertriptoFloridaandwasbackfroLondonalongwithhersister.Blokvisthadonlyseenheronce,drivinghercaracrossthebridgethedaybefore.MartinVanger.HaraldVanger.BirgerVangerhehadtuedupforafailygatheringtowhichBlokvisthadnotbeeninvitedonthedayafterVangersheartattack.AlexanderVanger.IsabelVanger.
WhohadFrodetalkedtoWhatighthehaveletslipthistieHowanyoftheanxiousretiveshadpickeduponthefactthatBlokvisthadadeabreakthroughinhisinvestigation
Itwasafter8:00.HecalledthelocksithinHedestadandorderedanewlock.Thelocksithsaidthathecouldeoutthefollowingday.Blokvistsaidhewouldpaydoubleifhecaeatonce.Theyagreedthathewouldeataround10:30thatnightandinstalnewdeadboltlock.
BlokvistdrovetoFrodeshouse.HiswifeshowedhiintothegardenbehindthehouseandofferedhiacoldPilsner,whichhegratefullyaepted.HeaskedhowHenrikVangerwas.
Frodeshookhishead.
“Theyoperatedonhi.Hehadblockagesinhiscoronaryarteries.Thedoctorssaythatthenextfewdaysarecritical.”
TheythoughtaboutthisforawhileastheydranktheirPilsners.
“Youhaventtalkedtohi,Isuppose”
“No.Hesnotwellenoughtotalk.HowdiditgoinStockhol”
“TheSandergireptedthejob.HeresthecontractfroMiltonSecurity.Youhavetosignitandputitinthepost.”
Frodereadthroughthedocuent.
“Shesexpensive,”hesaid.
“Henrikcanaffordit.”
Frodenodded.Hetookapenoutofhisbreastpocketandscrawledhisnae.
“ItsagoodthingthatIsigningitwhilehesstillive.CouldyouputitintheletterboxatKonsuonyourwayhoe”
Blokvistwasinbedbyidnight,buthecouldnotsleep.UntilnowhisworkonHedebyIsndhadseeedlikeresearchonahistoricalcuriosity.Butifsoeonewassufficientlyinterestedinwhathewasdoingtobreakintohisoffice,thenthesolutionhadtobeclosertothepresentthanhehadthought.
Thenitourredtohithattherewereotherswhoightbeinterestedinwhathewasworkingon.VangerssuddenappearanceontheboardofMillenniuhadnotgoneunnoticedbyWennerstr.Orwasthisparanoia
Mikaelgotoutofbedandwenttostandnakedatthekitchenwindow,gazingatthechurchontheothersideofthebridge.Helitacigarette.
HecouldntfigureoutLisbethSander.Shewasaltogetherodd.Longpausesintheiddleoftheconversation.Herapartentwasessy,borderingonchaotic.Bagsfilledwithnewspapersinthehall.Akitchenthathadnotbeencleanedortidiedinyears.Clotheswerescatteredinheapsonthefloor.Shehadobviouslyspenthalfthenightinabar.Shehadlovebitesonheeckandshehadclearlyhadpanyoveight.Shehadheavenknowshowanytattoosandtwopiercingsonherfaceandaybeinotherpces.Shewasweird.
Aranskyassuredhithatshewastheirverybestresearcher,andherreportonhiwasexcruciatinglythorough.Astrangegirl.
SanderwassittingatherPower,butshewasthinkingaboutMikaelBlokvist.Shehadneverinheradultlifeallowedanyoocrossherthresholdwithoutanexpressinvitation,andshecouldcountthoseshehadinvitedononehand.Blokvisthadnonchantlybargedintoherlife,andshehadutteredonlyafeweprotests.
Notonlythat,hehadteasedher.
Undeoralcircustancesthatsortofbehaviourwouldhaveadeherentallycockapistol.Butshehadnotfeltaniotaofthreatoranysortofhostilityfrohisside.Hehadgoodreasontoreadhertheriotact,evenreporthertothepolice.Insteadhehadtreatedevenherhackingintohisputerasajoke.
Thathadbeentheostsensitivepartoftheirconversation.Blokvistseeedtobedeliberatelynotbroachingthesubject,andfinallyshecouldnothelpaskingthequestion.
“YousaidthatyouknehatIdid.”
“Youvebeeninsideyputer.Youreahacker.”
“Howdoyouknowthat”Sanderwasabsolutelypositivethatshehadleftnotracesandthathertrespassingcouldnotbediscoveredbyanyoneunlesssecurityconsultantsatdownandscannedtheharddriveatthesaetieasshewasaessingtheputer.