船说 “Idontgetit.”
Blokvistsighed.Itwasawhilebeforehespokeagain.
“Ihadadanedgoodstory.IstillhadntconfrontedWennerstrhiself,butthestorywasairtight；ifIhadpublisheditatthatoentIreallywouldhaveshookhiup.ItightnothaveledtoanindictentforfraudthedealhadalreadybeenapprovedbytheauditorsbutIwouldhavedaagedhisreputation.”
“Whatwentwrong”
“SoewherealongthewaysoebodyheardaboutwhatIwaspokingynoseinto,andWennerstrwasadeawareofyexistence.Andallofasuddenawholebunchofstrangethingsstartedhappening.FirstIwasthreatened.Anonyouscallsfrocardtelephonesthatwereipossibletotrace.Erikawasalsothreatened.Itwastheusualnonsense:liedownorelseweregoingtonailyoutoabadoor,andsoon.She,ofcourse,wasadasahellcat.”
HetookacigarettefroSander.
“Thensoethingextreelyunpleasanthappened.LateonenightwhenIlefttheofficeIwasattackedbytwoenwhojustwalkeduptoeandgaveeacoupleofpunches.Igotafatlipandfelldowninthestreet.Icouldntidentifythe,butoneofthelookedlikeanoldbiker.”
“So,next”
“Allthesegoingson,ofcourse,onlyhadtheeffectofakingErikaverycrossindeed,andIgotstubbo.WebeefedupsecurityatMillenniu.Theproblewasthattheharassentwasoutofallproportiontothecontentofthestory.Wecouldntfathowhyallthiswashappening.”
“Butthestoryyoupublishedwassoethingquitedifferent.”
“Exactly.Suddenlyweadeabreakthrough.Wefoundasource,aDeepThroatinWennerstrscircle.Thissourcewasliterallyscaredtodeath,andwewereonlyallowedtoeethiinhotelroos.HetoldusthattheoneyfrotheMinosaffairhadbeenusedforweaponsdealsinthewarinYugosvia.WennerstrhadbeenakingdealswiththerightwingUstasheinCroatia.Notonlythat,thesourcewasabletogiveuscopiesofdocuentstobackitup.”
“Youbelievedhi”
“Hewasclever.Heonlyevergaveusenoughrationtoleadustothenextsource,whowouldconfirthestory.WewereevengivenaphotographofoneofWennerstrsclosestcolleaguesshakinghandswiththebuyer.Itwasdetailedblockbusteraterial,andeverythingseeedverifiable.Sowepublished.”
“Anditwasafake.”
“Itwasalfakefrobeginningtoend.Thedocuentswereskilfulferies.WennerstrswyerwasablrovethatthephotographofWennerstrssubordinateandtheUstasheleaderwasaontageoftwodifferentiages.”
“Fascinating,”Sandersaid.
“Inhindsightitwasveryeasytoseehoehadbeenaniputed.OuroriginalstoryreallyhaddaagedWennerstr.Nowthatstorywasdrownedinacleverfery.WepublishedastorythatWennerstrcouldpickapartpointbypointandprovehisinnocence.”
“YoucouldntbackdownandtellthetruthYouhadabsolutelynoproofthatWennerstrhadittedthefalsification”
“IfwehadtriedtotellthetruthandausedWennerstrofbeingbehindthewholething,nobodywouldhavebelievedus.Itwouldhavelookedlikeadesperateattepttoshiftthebefroourstupidityontoaninnocentleaderofindustry.”
“Isee.”
“Wennerstrhadtwoyersofprotection.Ifthefakehadbeenrevealed,hewouldhavebeenabletocithatitwasoneofhiseneiestryingtosnderhi.AndweatMillenniuwouldonceagainhavelostallcredibility,sincewefellforsoethingthattuedouttobefalse.”
“Soyouchosenottodefendyourselfandtaketheprisonsentence.”
“Ideservedit,”Blokvistsaid.“Ihadittedlibel.Nowyouknow.CanIgobacktosleepnow”
Hetuedoffthepandshuthiseyes.Sanderydownnexttohi.
“Wennerstrisagangster.”
“Iknow.”
“No,Iean,Iknowthathesagangster.HeworkswitheverybodyfrotheRussianafiatotheColobiandrugcartels.”
“Whatdoyouean”
“WhenItuedinyreporttoFrodehegaveeanextraassignent.Heaskedetotrytofindoutwhatreallyhappenedatthetrial.IhadjuststartedworkingonitwhenhecalledAranskyandcancelledthejob.”
“Iwonderwhy.”
“IassuethattheyscrappedtheinvestigationassoonasyouaeptedHenrikVangersassignent.Itwouldnolongerhavebeenofiediateinterest.”
“And”
“Well,Idontlikeleavingthingsunresolved.IhadafeeeksfreestspringwhenAranskydidnthaveanyjobsfore,soIdidsoediggingintoWennerstrforfun.”
BlokvistsatupandtuedonthepandlookedatSander.Heethereyes.Sheactuallylookedguilty.
“Didyoufindoutanything”
“Ihavehisentireharddiskonyputer.Youcanhaveasuchproofasyouneedthathesagangster.”
CHAPTER28
Tuesday,July29–Friday,October24
BlokvisthadbeenporingoverSandersputerprintoutsforthreedaysboxesfullofpapers.Theproblewasthatthesubjectskeptchangingallthetie.AnoptiondealinLondon.AcurrencydealinParisthroughanagent.ApanywithapostofficeboxinGibraltar.AsuddendoublingoffundsinanaountattheChaseManhattanBankinNewYork.
Andthenallthosepuzzlingquestionarks:atradingpanywith200,000kronorinanuntouchedaountregisteredfiveyearsearlierinSantiago,Chileoneofnearlythirtysuchpaniesintwelvedifferentcountriesandnotahintofwhattypeofactivitywasinvolved.AdorantpanyWaitingforwhatAfrontforsoeotherkindofactivityTheputergavenoclueastowhatwasgoingoninWennerstrsindorwhatayhavebeenperfectlyobvioustohiandsowasneverforutedinanelectronicdocuent.
Sanderwaspersuadedthatostofthesequestionswouldneverbeanswered.Theycouldseetheessage,butwithoutakeytheywouldneverbeabletointerprettheeaning.Wennerstrsepirewaslikeanonionfrowhichoneyerafteranothercouldbereoved；abyrinthofenterprisesownedbyoneanother.panies,aounts,funds,securities.TheyreckonedthatnobodyperhapsnotevenWennerstrhiselfcouldhaveapleteoverview.Wennerstrsepirehadalifeofitsown.
Buttherewasapatte,oratleastahintofapatte.Abyrinthofenterprisesownedbyeachother.Wennerstrsepirewasvariouslyvaluedatbetween100and400billionkronor,dependingonwhoyouaskedandhowitwascalcuted.Butifpaniesowneachothersassetswhatthenwouldbetheirvalue
TheyhadleftHedebyIsndingreathasteearlyintheoingafterSanderdroppedthebobthatwasnowoupyingeverywakingoentofBlokvistslife.TheydrovetoSanderspceandspenttwodaysinfrontofherputerwhilesheguidedhithroughWennerstrsuniverse.Hehadplentyofquestions.Oneofthewaspurecuriosity.
“Lisbeth,howareyouabletooperatehisputer,froapurelypracticalpointofview”
“ItsalittleinventionthatyfriendPguecaeith.WennerstrhasanIBMthatheworkson,bothathoeandattheoffice.Thateansthatalltherationisonasingleharddrive.Hehasabroadbandconnectiontohispropertyathoe.Pgueinventedatypeofcuffthatyoufastenaroundthebroadbandcable,andItestingitoutforhi.EverythingthatWennerstrseesisregisteredbythecuff,whichforwardsthedatatoaserversoewhereelse.”
“Doesnthehaveafirewall”
Sandersiled.
“Ofcoursehehasafirewall.Butthepointisthatthecuffalsofunctionsasatypeoffirewall.Ittakesawhiletohacktheputerthisway.LetssaythatWennerstrgetsaneail；itgoesfirsttoPguescuffandwecanreaditbeforeitevenpassesthroughhisfirewall.Buttheingeniouspartisthattheeailisrewrittenandafewbytesofsourcecodeareadded.Thisisrepeatedeverytiehedownloadsanythingtohisputer.Picturesareevenbetter.Hedoesalotofsurfingonthe.Eachtiehepicksupapopictureoropensanewhoepage,weaddseveralrowsofsourcecode.Afterawhile,inseveralhoursorseveraldays,dependingonhowuchheusestheputer,Wennerstrhasdownloadedanentireprograeofapproxiatelythreeegabytesinwhicheachbitislinkedtothenextbit.”
“And”
“Whenthestbitsareinpce,theprograeisintegratedwithhisInterbrowser.Tohiitwilllookasthoughhisputerhaslockedup,andhehastorestartit.Duringtherestartawholenewsoftwareprograeisinstalled.HeusesInterExplorer.ThenexttiehestartsExplorer,hesreallystartingawholedifferentprograethatsinvisibleonhisdesandlooksandfunctionsjustlikeExplorer,butitalsodoesalotofotherthings.Firstittakescontrolofhisfirewalndakessurethateverythingisworking.Thenitstartstoscantheputerandtransitsbitsofrationeverytieheclickstheousewhilehessurfing.Afterawhile,againdependingonhowuchhesurfs,weveauutedapleteirroriageofthecontentsofhisharddriveonaserversoewhere.AndthenitstiefortheHT.”
“HT”
“Sorry.PguecallsittheHT.HostileTakeover.”
“Isee.”
“Thereallysubtlethingiswhathappensnext.Whenthestructureisready,Wennerstrhastwopleteharddrives,oneonhisownachineandoneonourserver.Thenexttiehebootsuphisputer,itsactuallytheirroredputerthatsstarting.Hesnolongerworkingonhisownputer；inrealityhesworkingonourserver.Hisputerwillrunalittleslower,butitsvirtuallynotnoticeable.AndwhenIconnectedtotheserver,Icantaphisputerinrealtie.EachtieWennerstrpressesakeyonhisputerIseeitonine.”
“Yourfriendisalsoahacker”
“HewastheonewhoarrangedthetelephoapinLondon.Hesalittleoutofitsocially,butonthehesalegend.”
“OK,”Blokvistsaid,givingheraresignedsile.“Questionnubertwo:whydidntyoutelleaboutWennerstrearlier”
“Youneveraskede.”