“Bluffaway,Mikael.ShehasbeensittinginthearchivesattheVangerCorporationofficesallevening.”
Blokvistsheartskippedabeat.Heknew.Hesknownallong.
“Thatsright.ThepnwastovisitthearchiveandthengotoStockhol,”Blokvistsaid.“Ididntknowshestayedtheresolong.”
“allthiscrap,Mikael.ThearchivesanagerrangtotellethatDirchhadletthegirlstaythereasteassheliked.Whicheansshellcertainlybehoe.Thenightwatchanisgoingtocallewhensheleaves.”
PART4
HostileTakeover
JULY11TODECEMBER30
NiytwopercentofwoeninSwedenwhohavebeensubjectedtosexuassaulthavenotreportedtheostrecentviolentincidenttothepolice.
CHAPTER24
Friday,July11–Saturday,July12
MartinVangerbentdownandwentthroughMikaelspockets.Hetookthekey.
“Sartofyoutochangethelock,”hesaid.“Igoingtotakecareofyourgirlfriendwhenshegetsback.”
BlokvistreindedhiselfthatMartinwasanegotiatorexperiencedfroanyindustrialbattles.Hehadalreadyseenthroughonebluff.
“Why”
“Whywhat”
“Whyallofthis”Blokvistgesturedvaguelyatthespacearoundhi.
MartinbentdownandputonehandunderBlokvistschin,liftinghisheadsotheireyeset.
“Becauseitssoeasy,”hesaid.“Woendisappearallthetie.Nobodyissesthe.Iigrants.WhoresfroRussia.ThousandsofpeoplepassthroughSwedeneveryyear.”
HeletgoofBlokvistsheadandstoodup.
MartinswordshitBlokvistlikeapunchintheface.
ChristAlighty.Thisisnohistoricalystery.MartinVangerisurderingwoentoday.AndIwanderedrightintoit
“Asithappens,Idonthaveaguestrightnow.ButitightauseyoutoknowthatwhileyouandHenriksataroundbabblingthiswinterandspring,therewasagirldownhere.IrinafroBerus.Whileyousatandatedinnerwithe,shewaslockedupinthecagedownhere.ItwasapleasanteveningasIreeber,no”
Martinperchedonthetable,lettinghislegsdangle.Blokvistshuthiseyes.Hesuddenlyfeltacidinhisthroatandheswallowedhard.Thepaininhisgutandinhisribsseeedtoswell.
“Whatdoyoudowiththebodies”
“Ihaveyboatatthedockrightbelowhere.Itakethealongwayouttosea.Unlikeyfather,Idontleavetraces.Buthewassarttoo.HespreadhisvictisoutalloverSweden.”
Thepuzzlepieceswerefallingice.
GottfriedVanger.Fro1949until1965.ThenMartinVanger,startingin1966inUppsa.
“Youadireyourfather.”
“Hewastheonewhotaughte.HeinitiatedewhenIwasfourteen.”
“Uddeval.LeaPersson.”
“ArentyoucleverYes,Iwasthere.Ionlywatched,butIwasthere.”
“1964.SaraWittinRonneby.”
“Iwassixteen.ItwasthefirsttieIhadawoan.Myfathertaughte.Iwastheonewhostrangledher.”
Hesbragging.GoodLord,whatarevoltinglysickfaily.
“Youcanthaveanynotionofhowdeentedthisis.”
“Youareaveryordinarylittleperson,Mikael.Youwouldnotbeabletounderstandthegodlikefeelingofhavingabsolutecontroloversoeoneslifeanddeath.”
“Youenjoytorturingandkillingwoen,Martin.”
“Idontthinksoreally.IfIdoanintellectuanalysisofycondition,Ioreofaserialrapistthanaserialurderer.Infact,ostofallIaserialkidnapper.Thekillingisanaturalconsequence,sotospeak,becauseIhavetohideycrie.
“Ofcourseyactionsarentsociallyaeptable,butycrieisfirstandforeostacrieagainsttheconventionsofsociety.Deathdoesnteuntiltheendofyguestsvisitshere,afterIvegrownwearyofthe.Itsalwayssofascinatingtoseetheirdisappointent.”
“Disappointent”
“Exactly.Disappointent.Theyiagihatiftheypleasee,theylllive.Theyadapttoyrules.Theystarttotrusteanddevelopacertaincaaraderiewithe,hopingtotheveryendthatthiscaaraderieeanssoething.Thedisappointenteswhenitfinallydawnsonthethattheyvebeenwelndtrulyscrewed.”
Martinwalkedaroundthetableandleanedagainstthesteelcage.
“Youwithyourbourgeoisconventionswouldnevergraspthis,buttheexciteentesfropnningakidnapping.Theyrenotdoneonipulsethosekindsofkidnappersinvariablygetcaught.ItsasciencewiththousandsofdetailsthatIhavetoweigh.Ihavetoidentifyyprey,apoutherlife,whoisshe,wheredoessheefro,howcanIakecontactwithher,whatdoIhavetodotobealonewithypreywithoutrevealingynaeorhavingittuupinanyfuturepoliceinvestigation”
Shutup,forGodssake,Blokvistthought.
“Areyoureallyinterestedinallthis,Mikael”
HebentdownandstrokedBlokvistscheek.Thetouchwasalosttender.
“YourealisethatthiscanonlyendonewayWillitbotheryouifIsoke”
“Youcouldoffereacigarette,”hesaid.
MartinlittwocigarettesandcarefullypcedoneofthebetweenBlokvistslips,lettinghitakealongdrag.
“Thanks,”Blokvistsaid,autoatically.
MartinVangerughedagain.
“Yousee.Youvealreadystartedtoadapttothesubissionprinciple.Iholdyourlifeinyhands,Mikael.YouknowthatIcandispatchyouatanysecond.Youpleadedwithetoiproveyourqualityoflife,andyoudidsobyusingreasonandalittlegoodanners.Andyouwererewarded.”
Blokvistnodded.Hisheartwaspoundingsoharditwasalostunbearable.
At11:15LisbethSanderdranktherestofthewaterfroherPETbottleasshetuedthepages.UnlikeBlokvist,whoearlierinthedayhadchokedonhiscoffee,shedidntgetthewaterdownthewrongway.Ontheotherhand,shedidopenhereyeswidewhensheadetheconnection.
Click
Fortwohoursshehadbeenwadingthroughthestaffnewslettersfroallpointsofthepass.Theainnewsletterwaspanyration.ItboretheVangerlogoaSwedishbannerflutteringinthewind,withthepointforinganarrow.Thepublicationwaspresuablyputtogetherbythefirsadvertisingdepartent,anditwasfilledwithpropagandathatwassupposedtoaketheeployeesfeelthattheywereebersofonebigfaily.
InassociationwiththewintersportsholidayinFebruary1967,HenrikVanger,inaagnaniousgesture,hadinvitedfiftyeployeesfrotheainofficeandtheirfailiestoaweeksskiingholidayinHrjedalen.Thepanyhadaderecordprofitsduringthepreviousyear.ThePRdepartentwenttooandputtogetherapicturereport.
Manyofthepictureswithausingcaptionswerefrotheslopes.Soeshowedgroupsinthebar,withughingeployeeshoistingbeerugs.TwophotographswereofasalloingfunctionwhenHenrikVangerprociedUlBrittMogrentobetheBestOfficeWorkeroftheYear.Shewasgivenabonusoffivehundredkronorandagssbowl.
Thecereonywasheldontheterraceofthehotel,clearlyrightbeforepeoplewerethinkingofheadingbacktotheslopes.Abouttwentypeoplewereinthepicture.
Onthefarright,justbehindHenrikVanger,stoodaanwithlongblondhair.Hewaswearingadarkpaddedjacketwithadistinctivepatchattheshoulder.Sincethepublicationwasinbckandwhite,thecolourwasntidentifiable,butSanderwaswillingtobetherlifethattheshoulderpatchwasred.
Thecaptionexpinedtheconnection.farright,MartinVanger,whoisstudyinginUppsa.Heisalreadybeingdiscussedassoeonewithaproisingfutureinthepanysanageent.
“Gotcha,”Sandersaidinalowvoice.
SheswitchedoffthedeskpandleftthenewslettersinpilesalloverthedesksoethingforthatslutLindgrentotakecareoftoorrow.
Shewentouttothecarparkthroughasidedoor.Asitclosedbehindher,shereeberedthatshehadproisedtotellthenightwatchanwhensheleft.Shepedandlethereyessweepoverthecarpark.Thewatchansofficewasontheothersideofthebuilding.Thateantthatshewouldhavetowalkallthewayroundtotheotherside.Letsleepingdogslie,shedecided.
Beforesheputonherhelet,shetuedonherobileandcalledBlokvistsnuber.Shegotaessagesayingthatthesubscribercouldnotbereached.Butshealsosawthathehadtriedtocallheofewerthanthirteentiesbetween3:30and9:00.Inthesttwohours,nocall.
Sandertriedthecottagenuber,buttherewasnoanswer.Shefrowned,strappedonherputer,putonherhelet,andkickstartedtheotorcycle.TheridefrotheainofficeattheentrancetoHedestadsindustrialdistrictouttoHedebyIsndtookteninutes.Alightwasoninthekitchen.
Sanderlookedaround.HerfirstthoughtwasthatBlokvisthadgooseeFrode,butfrothebridgeshehadalreadynoticedthatthelightswereoffinFrodeshouseontheothersideofthewater.Shelookedatherwatch:11:40.
Shewentintothecottage,openedthewardrobe,andtookoutthetwoPCsthatshewasusingtostorethesurveilncepicturesfrothecae船说