船说 “So”
“IwasIhadalittletietoyselfthisspringandreadquiteabitaboutsadistsinaratherdifferentcontext.OneofthethingsIreadwasanFBIanual.Itciedthatastrikingportionofconvictedserialkillerscaefrodysfunctionalhoesandtorturedanialsintheirchildhood.SoeoftheconvictedAericanserialkillerswerealsoarrestedforarson.TorturedanialsandarsoncropupinseveralofHarrietsurdercases,butwhatIwasreallythinkingaboutwasthefactthattheparsonagebueddownintheteseventies.”
“Itsalongshot,”Blokvistsaid.
Lisbethnodded.“Agreed.ButIfindnothinginthepolicereportaboutthecauseofthefire,anditwouldbeveryinterestingtoknowiftherewereotherunexpinedfireshereaboutsinthesixties.Itwouldalsobeworthcheckingtoseeiftherewereanycasesofaniabuseorutitionintheareabackthen.”
WhenSanderwenttobedonherseventhnightinHedeby,shewasildlyirritatedwithBlokvist.Foralostaweekshehadspentpracticallyeverywakinginutewithhi.Norallyseveninutesofanotherpersonspanywasenoughtogiveheraheadache,soshesetthingsuptoliveasarecluse.Shewasperfectlycontentaslongaspeopleleftherinpeace.Unfortunatelysocietywasnotverysartorunderstanding；sheharotectherselffrosociauthorities,childwelfareauthorities,guardianshipauthorities,taxauthorities,police,curators,psychologists,psychiatrists,teachers,andbouncers,whowouldneverletherintothebareventhoughshewastwentyfive.Therewasawholearyofpeoplewhoseeednottohaveanythingbettertodothantotrytodisruptherlife,and,iftheyweregiventheopportunity,tocorrectthewayshehadchosentoliveit.
Itdidnogoodtocry,shehadleaedthatearlyon.Shehadalsoleaedthateverytieshetriedtoakesoeoneawareofsoethinginherlife,thesituationjustgotworse.Consequentlyitwasuptohertosolveherproblesbyherself,usingwhateverethodsshedeeednecessary.SoethingthatAdvo
14
katBjuranhadfoundoutthehardway.
Blokvisthadthesaetiresoehabitaseveryoneelse,pokingaroundinherlifeandaskingquestions.Ontheotherhand,hedidnotreactatalllikeostotherenshehadet.
Whensheignoredhisquestionshesiplyshruggedandleftherinpeace.Astounding.
Heriediateove,whenshegotholdofhisithatfirstoing,hadnaturallybeentotransferalltherationtoherownputer.ThatwayitwasOKifhedupedherfrothecase；shewouldstillhaveaesstotheaterial.
Shehadexpectedafuriousoutburstwhenheappearedforhisbreakfast.Insteadhehadlookedalostresigned,utteredsoethingsarcastic,andgoneofftotheshower.Thenhebegandiscussingwhatshehadread.Astrangeguy.Sheightevenbedeludedintothinkingthathetrustedher.
Thatheknewaboutherpropensitiesasahackerwasserious.Sanderwasawarethatthelegaldescriptionofthekindofhackingshedid,bothprofessionallyandasahobby,was“unwfuldatatrespassing”andcouldeahertwoyearsinprison.Shedidnotwanttobelockedup.Inhercaseaprisonsentencewouldeanthatherputerswouldbetakenfroher,andwiththetheonlyoupationthatshewasreallygoodat.ShehadnevertoldAranskyhowshegatheredtherationtheywerepayinghertofind.
WiththeexceptionofPgueandafewpeopleonthewho,likeher,devotedtheselvestohackingonaprofessionallevendostoftheknewheronlyas“Wasp”anddidnotknohoshewasorwhereshelivedKalleBlokvistwastheonlyonewhohadstubledontohersecret.Hehadetoherbecausesheadeablunderthatnotevenatwelveyearoldwouldit,whichonlyprovedthatherbrainwasbeingeatenupbyworsandthatshedeservedtobeflogged.Butinsteadofgoingcrazywithragehehadhiredher.
Consequentlyshewasildlyirritatedwithhi.
Whentheyhadasnackjustbeforeshewenttobed,hehadsuddenlyaskedherifshewasagoodhacker.
Toherownsurpriseshereplied,“IprobablythebestinSweden.Thereaybetwoorthreeothersataboutylevel.”
Shedidnotdoubttheauracyofherreply.Pguehadoncebeenbetterthanshewas,butshehadpassedhilongago.
Ontheotherhand,itfeltfunnytosaythewords.Shehadneverdoneitbefore.Shehadneverhadanoutsidertohavethissortofconversationwith,andsheenjoyedthefactthatheseeedipressedbyhertalents.Thenhehadruinedthefeelingbyaskinganotherquestion:howhadshetaughtherselfhacking
WhatcouldshesayIvealwaysbeenabletodoit.Insteadshewenttobedwithoutsayinggoodnight.
Irritatingheryetfurther,hedidnotreactwhensheleftsoabruptly.Sheylisteningtohiovingaboutinthekitchen,clearingthetableandwashingthedishes.Hehadalwaysstayedupterthanshedid,butnowhewasobviouslyonhiswaytobedtoo.Sheheardhiinthebathroo,andthenhewentintohisbedrooandshutthedoor.Afterawhilesheheardthebedcreakwhenhegotintoit,notayardawayfroherownbutontheothersideofthewall.
Shehadbeensharingahousewithhiforaweek,andhehadnotonceflirtedwithher.Hehadworkedwithher,askedheropinion,sppedherontheknucklesfigurativelyspeakingwhenshewasonthewrongtrack,andacknowledgedthatshewasrightwhenshecorrectedhi.Dait,hehadtreatedherlikeahuanbeing.
Shegotoutofbedandstoodbythewindow,restlesslypeeringintothedark.Thehardestthingforherwastoshowherselfnakedtoanotherpersonforthefirsttie.Shewasconvincedthatherskinnybodywasrepulsive.Herbreastswerepathetic.Shehadnohipstospeakof.Shedidnothaveuchtooffer.Apartfrothatshewasaquitenoralwoan,withthesaedesiresandsexdriveaseveryotherwoan.Shestoodthereforthenexttwentyinutesbeforesheadeupherind.
BlokvistwasreadinganovelbySaraParetskywhenheheardthedoorhandletuandlookeduptoseeSander.Shehadasheetwrappedroundherbodyandstoodinthedoorwayforaoent.
“YouOK”hesaid.
Sheshookherhead.
“Whatisit”
Shewentovertohisbed,tookthe,andputitonthebedsidetable.Thenshebentdownandkissedhiontheouth.Shequicklygotintohisbedandsatlookingathi,searchinghi.Sheputherhandonthesheetoverhisstoach.Whenhedidnotprotestsheleanedoverandbithionthenipple.
Blokvistwasfbbergasted.Hetookhershouldersandpushedherawayalittlesothathecouldseeherface.
“LisbethIdontknowifthisissuchagoodidea.Wehavetoworktogether.”
“Iwanttohavesexwithyou.AndIwonthaveanyprobleworkingwithyou,butIwillhaveahellofaproblewithyouifyoukickeout.”
“Butwehardlyknoweachother.”
Sheughed,anabruptughthatsoundedalostlikeacough.
“Youveneverletanythinglikethatstandinyourwaybefore.Infact,asIdidntsayinybackgroundreport,youreoneoftheseguyswhocantkeephishandsoffwoen.SowhatswrongArentIsexyenoughforyou”
Blokvistshookhisheadandtriedtothinkofsoethingclevertosay.Whenhecouldntshepulledthesheetoffhiandsatastridehi.
“Idonthaveanycondos,”hesaid.
“Screwit.”
Whenhewokeup,heheardherinthekitchen.Itwasnotyet7:00.Heayonlyhavesleptfortwohours,andhestayedinbed,dozing.
Thiswoanbaffledhi.Atabsolutelynopointhadsheevenwithagnceindicatedthatshewastheleastbitinterestedinhi.
“Goodoing,”shesaidfrothedoorway.Sheevenhadthehintofasile.
“Hi.”
“Weareoutofilk.Illgotothepetrolstation.Theyopenatseven.”Andshewasgone.
Heheardhergooutofthefrontdoor.Heshuthiseyes.Thenheheardthefrontdooropenagainandsecondstershewasbackinthedoorway.Thistieshewasnotsiling.
“Youdbettereandlookatthis,”shesaidinastrangevoice.
Blokvistwasonhisfeetatonceandpulledonhisjeans.
Duringthenightsoeonehadbeentothecottagewithanunwelepresent.Ontheporchythehalfcharredcorpseofacat.Thecatslegsandheadhadbeencutoff,thenthebodyhadbeenfyedandthegutsandstoachreoved,flungnexttothecorpse,whichseeedtohavebeenroastedoverafire.Thecatsheadwasintact,onthesaddleofSandersotorcycle.Herecognisedthereddishbrownfur.
CHAPTER22
Thursday,July10
Theyatebreakfastinthegardeninsilenceandwithoutilkintheircoffee.SanderhadtakenoutaCanondigitalcaeraandphotographedtheacabretableaubeforeBlokvistgotarubbishsackandcleaneditaway.HeputthecatinthebootoftheVolvo.Heoughttofileapolicereportforanialcruelty,possiblyintiidation,buthedidnotthinkhewouldwanttoexpinwhytheintiidationhadtakenpce.
At8:30IsabelVangerwalkedpastandontothebridge.Shedidnotseetheoratleastpretendednotto.
“Howareyoudoing”Blokvistsaid.
“Oh,Ifine.”Sanderlookedathi,perplexed.OK,then.Heexpectsetobeupset.“WhenIfindtheotherfuckerwhotorturedaninnocentcattodeathjusttosendusawaing,Igoingtoclobberhiwithabaseballbat.”
“Youthinkitsawaing”
“HaveyougotabetterexpnationItdefinitelyeanssoething.”