船说 “WecouldntuseitevenifyoucaebackwithincontrovertibleproofthatitwasWennerstrwhostrangledthegirl.Notaftersoanyyears.Hedassacreusincourt.”
“Thethoughthadcrossedyind,butitsnogood:hewaspluggingawayattheStockholSchoolofEconoicsandhadnoconnectionwiththeVangerpaniesatthetieshedisappeared.”Blokvistpaused.“Erika,InotgoingtoleaveMillenniu,butitsiportantforittolookasifIhave.YouandChristerhavetogoonrunningtheagazine.IfyoucanifyouhaveachancetoarrangeaceasefirewithWennerstr,thendoit.YoucantdothatifIstillontheeditorialboard.”
“OK,butitsarottensituation,andIthinkyouregraspingatstrawsgoingtoHedestad.”
“Haveyouabetteridea”
Bergershrugged.“Weoughttostartchasingdownsourcesrightnoddoitrightthistie.”
“Rickythatstoryisdeadasadooail.”
Dejected,Bergerrestedherheadonherhands.Whenshespoke,atfirstshedidnotwanttoeetBlokvistseyes.
“Isofuckingangrywithyou.NotbecausethestoryyouwrotewasbaselessIwasinonitasuchasyouwere.Andnotbecauseyoureleavingyourjobaspublisherthatsasartdecisioninthissituation.IcangoalongwithakingitlooklikeaschisorapowerstrugglebetweenyouandeIunderstandthelogicwhenitsaatterofakingWennerstrbelieveIaharlessbiboandyouretherealthreat.”Shepausedandnowlookedhiresolutelyintheeye.“ButIthinkyoureakingaistake.Wennerstrisntgoingtofallforit.HesgoingtokeepondestroyingMillenniu.Theonlydifferenceisthatstartingfrotoday,Ihavetofighthialone,andyouknowthatyoureneededorethaneverontheeditorialboard.OK,IdlovetowagewaragainstWennerstr,butwhatakesesocrossisthatyoureabandoningshipallofasudden.Youreleavingeinthelurchwhenthingsareabsolutelyattheirworstever.”
Blokvistreachedacrossandstrokedherhair.
“Yourenotalone.YouvegotChristerandtherestofthestaffbehindyou.”
“NotJanneDahn.Bytheway,Ithinkyouadeaistakehiringhi.Hespetent,buthedoesoreharthangood.Idonttrusthi.Hewentaroundlookinggleefuboutyourtroublesalutun.Idontknowifhehopeshecantakeoveryourroleorwhetheritsjustpersonalcheistrybetweenhiandtherestofthestaff.”
“Iafraidyoureright,”Blokvistsaid.
“SowhatshouldIdoFirehi”
“Erika,youreeditorinchiefandtheseniorshareholderofMillenniu.Ifyouhaveto,firehi.”
“Weveneverfiredanyone,Micke.Andnowyouredupingthisdecisionoo.Itsnofunanyoregoingtotheofficeintheoing.”
AtthatpointMalsurprisedthebystandingup.
“Ifyouregoingtocatchthattrainwevegottogetoving.”Bergerbegarotest,butheheldupahand.“Wait,Erika,youaskedewhatIthought.Well,Ithinkthesituationisshitty.ButifthingsarethewayMikaelsaysthathesabouttohitthewallthenhereallydoeshavetoleaveforhisownsake.Weowehithatuch.”
TheystaredatMalinastonishentandhegaveBlokvistanebarrassedlook.
“YoubothknowthatitsyoutwowhoareMillenniu.IapartnerandyouvealwaysbeenfairwitheandIlovetheagazineandallthat,butyoucouldeasilyrepceewithsoeotherartdirector.Butsinceyouaskedforyopinion,thereyouhaveit.AsfarasDahnisconceed,Iagreewithyou.Andifyouwanttofirehi,Erika,thenIlldoitforyou.Aslongaswehaveacrediblereason.ObviouslyitsextreelyunfortunatethatMikaelsleavingrightnow,butIdontthinkwehaveachoice.Mikael,Illdriveyoutothestation.ErikaandIwillholdthefortuntilyougetback.”
“WhatIafraidofisthatMikaelwontevereback,”Bergersaidquietly.
AranskywokeupSanderwhenhecalledherat1:30intheafteoon.
“Whatsthisabout”shesaid,drunkwithsleep.Herouthtastedliketar.
“MikaelBlokvist.Ijusttalkedtoourclient,thewyer,Frode.”
“So”
“HecalledtosaythatwecandroptheinvestigationofWennerstr.”
“DropitButIvejuststartedworkingonit.”
“Frodeisntinterestedanyore.”
“Justlikethat”
“Hestheonewhodecides.”
“Weagreedonafee.”
“Howuchtiehaveyouputin”
Sanderthoughtaboutit.“Threefulldays.”
“Weagreedonaceilingoffortythousandkronor.Illwriteaninvoicefortenthousand；youllgethalf,whichisaeptableforthreedaysoftiewasted.Hellhavaybecausehestheonewhoinitiatedthewholething.”
“WhatshouldIdowiththeaterialIvegathered”
“Isthereanythingdraatic”
“No.”
“Frodedidntaskforareport.Putitontheshelfincaseheesback.Otherwiseyoucanshredit.Illhaveanewjobforyounextweek.”
SandersatforawhileholdingthetelephoneafterAranskyhungup.Shewenttoherworkcoerinthelivingrooandlookedatthenotesshehadpinneduponthewalndthepapersshehadstackedonthedesk.WhatshehadanagedtocollectwasostlypresscuttingsandarticlesdownloadedfrotheInter.Shetookthepapersanddroppedtheinadeskdrawer.
Shefrowned.Blokvistsstrangebehaviourinthecourtroohadpresentedaninterestingchallenge,andSanderdidnotlikeabortinganassignentonceshehadstarted.Peoplealwayshavesecrets.Itsjustaatteroffindingoutwhattheyare.
PART2
ConsequenceAnalyses
JANUARY3–MARCH17
FortysixpercentofthewoeninSwedenhavebeensubjectedtoviolencebyaan.
CHAPTER8
Friday,January3–Sunday,January5
WhenBlokvistalightedfrohistraininHedestadforthesecondtie,theskywasapastelblueandtheairicycold.Thetheroeteronthewallofthestationsaid0°F.Hewaswearingunsuitablewalkingshoes.Unlikeonhispreviousvisit,therewasnoHerrFrodewaitingwithawarcar.Blokvisthadtoldthewhichdayhewouldarrive,butnotonwhichtrain.HeassuedtherewasabustoHedeby,buthedidnotfeellikestrugglingwithtwoheavysuitcasesandashoulderbag,sohecrossedthesquaretothetaxistand.