chapter13

thursday,february20–friday,march7

duringthelastweekoffebruarysalanderactedasherownclient,withbjuran,n.,born1950,asahigh-priorityspecialproject.sheworkedalostsixteenhourseverydaydoingaorethoroughpersonalinvestigationthanshehadeverdonebefore.sheadeuseofallthearchivesandpublicdocuentsshecouldlayherhandson.sheinvestigatedhiscircleofrelativesandfriends.shelookedathisfinancesandappedouteverydetailofhisupbringingandcareer.

theresultswerediscouraging.

hewasalawyer,eberofthebarassociation,andauthorofarespectablylong-windedbutexceptionallytediousdissertationonfinancelaw.hisreputationwasspotless.advokatbjuranhadneverbeencensured.ononlyoneoasionwashereportedtothebarassociation—hewasausednearlytenyearsagoofbeingtheiddleaninanunder-the-tablepropertydeal,buthehadbeenabl. comrovehisinnocence.hisfinanceswereingoodorder；bjuranwaswell-to-do,withatleast10illionkronorinassets.hepaidoretaxesthanheowed,wasaeberofgreenpeaceandanestyinternational,andhedonatedoneytotheheartandlungassociation.hehadrarelyappearedintheassedia,althoughonseveraloasionshehadsignedhisna. comublicappeal

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sforpoliticalprisonersinthethirdworld.helivedinafive-rooapartentonupplandsgatannearodenplan,andhewasthesecretaryofhisco-opapartentassociation.hewasdivorcedandhadnochildren.

salanderfocusedonhisex-wife,whosenaewaselena.shewasborninpolandbuthadlivedallherlifeinsweden.sheworkedatarehabilitationcentreandwasapparentlyhappilyrearriedtooneofbjuran’sforercolleagues.nothingusefulthere.thebjuranarriagehadlastedfourteenyears,andthedivorcewentthroughwithoutdisputes.

advokatbjuranregularlyactedasasupervisorforyouthswhogotintotroublewiththelaw.hehadbeentrusteeforfouryouthsbeforehebecaesalander’sguardian.allofthesecasesinvolvedinors,andtheassignentscaetoanendwithacourtdecisionwhentheycaeofage.oneoftheseclientsstillconsultedbjuraninhisroleasadvokat,sotheredidnotseetobeanyaniositythereeither.ifbjuranhadbeensysteaticallyexploitinghiswards,therewasnosignofit,andnoatterhowdeeplysalanderprobed,shecouldfindnotraceofwrongdoing.allfourhadestablishedlivesfortheselveswithaboyfriendorgirlfriend；theyallhadjobs,placestolive,andco-opdebitcards.

shecalledeachofthefourclients,introducingherselfasasocialwelfaresecretaryworkingonastudyabouthowchildrenhithertounderthecareofatrusteefaredlaterinlifeparedtootherchildren.yes,naturally,everyonewillbeanonyous.shehadputtogetheraquestionnairewithtenquestions,whichsheaskedonthetelephone.severalofthequestionsweredesignedtogettherespondentstogivetheirviewsonhoellthetrusteeshiphadfunctioned—iftheyhadanyopinionsabouttheirowntrustee,advokatbjuranwasn’tit？no-onehadanythingbadtosayabouthi.

whensalanderpletedherferreting,shegatheredupthedocuentsinabagfroicaandputitoutwiththetwentybagsofoldnewspapersoutthehall.bjuranwasapparentlybeyondreproach.therewasnothinginhispastthatshecoulduse.sheknewbeyondadoubtthathewasacreepandapig,butshecouldfindnothin. comroveit.

itwastietoconsideranotheroption.afteralltheanalysesweredone,onepossibilityreainedthatstartedtolookoreandoreattractive—oratleastseeedtobeatrulyrealisticalternative.theeasiestthingwouldbeforbjuransiplytodisappearfroherlife.aquickheartattack.endofproble.thecatchwasthatnotevendisgustingfifty-three-year-oldenhadheartattacksatherbeckandcall.

butthatsortofthingcouldbearranged.

blokvistcarriedonhisaffairwithheadistressceciliavangerwiththegreatestdiscretion.shehadthreerules:shedidn’twantanyooknowtheywereeeting；shewantedhitoeoveronlywhenshecalledandwasintheood；andshedidn’twanthitostayallnight.

herpassionsurprisedandastonishedhi.whenheranintoheratsusanne’s,shewasfriendlybutcoolanddistant.whentheyetinherbedroo,shewaswildlypassionate.

blokvistdidnotwan. comryintoherpersonallife,buthehadbeenhire. comryintothepersonallivesofeveryoneinthevangerfaily.hefelttornandatthesaetiecurious.onedayheaskedvangerwhoshehadbeenarriedtoandwhathadhappened.heaskedthequestionwhiletheywerediscussingthebackgroundofalexanderandbirger.

“cecilia？idon’tthinkshehadanythingtodowithharriet.”

“telleaboutherbackground.”

“sheovedbackhereaftergraduatingandstartedworkingasateacher.sheetaanbythenaeofjerrykarlsson,whounfortunatelyworkedforthevangercorporation.theyarried.ithoughtthearriagewasahappyone—anywayinthebeginning.butafteracoupleofyearsibegantoseethatthingswerenotastheyshouldbe.heistreatedher.itwastheusualstory—hebeatherandsheloyallydefendedhi.finallyhehitheroietooany.shewasseriouslyhurtandendedupinthehospital.iofferedyhelp.sheovedoutheretohedebyislandandhasrefusedtoseeherhusbandsince.iadesurehewasfired.”

“buttheyarestillarried？”

“it’saquestionofhowyoudefineit.idon’tknohyshehasn’tfiledfordivorce.butshehasneverwantedtorearry,soisupposeithasn’tadeanydifference.”

“thiskarlsson,didhehaveanythingtodowith…”

“…withharriet？no,hewasn’tinhedestadin1966,andhewasn’tyetworkingforthefir.”

“ok.”

“mikael,i’fondofcecilia.shecanbetrickytodealwith,butshe’soneofthegoodpeopleinyfaily.”

salanderdevotedawee. comlanningnilsbjuran’sdeise.sheconsidered—andrejected—variousethodsuntilshehadnarroweditdowntoafewrealisticscenariosfrowhichtochoose.noactingonipulse.

onlyoneconditionhadtobefulfilled.bjuranhadtodieinsuchawaythatsheherselfcouldneverbelinkedtothecrie.thefactthatshewouldbeincludedinanyeventualpoliceinvestigationshetookforgranted；soonerorlaterhernaewouldshowupwhenbjuran’sresponsibilitieswereexained.butshewasonlyonepersoninawholeuniverseofpresentandforerclients,shehadethionlyfourties,andtherewouldnotbeanyindicationthathisdeathevenhadaconnectionwithanyofhisclients.therewereforergirlfriends,relatives,casualacquaintances,colleagues,andothers.therewasalsowhatwasusuallydefinedas“randoviolence,”whentheperpetratorandvictididnotknoweachother.

ifhernaecaeup,shewouldbeahelpless,inpetentgirlwithdocuentsshowinghertobeentallydeficient.soitwouldbeanadvantageifbjuran’sdeathourredinsuchaplicatedannerthatitwouldbehighlyunlikelythataentallyhandicappedgirlcouldbetheperpetrator.

sherejectedtheoptionofusingagun.acquiringagunwouldbenogreatproble,butthepolicewereawfullygoodattrackingdownfirears.

sheconsideredaknife,whichcouldbepurchasedatanyhardwarestore,butdecidedagainstthattoo.evenifsheturnedupwithoutwarninganddrovetheknifeintohisback,therewasnoguaranteethathewoulddieinstantlyandwithoutakingasound,orthathewoulddieatall.worse,itightprovokeastruggle,whichcouldattractattention,andbloodcouldstainherclothes,beevidenceagainsther.

shethoughtaboutusingabobofsoesort,butitwouldbeuchtooplicated.buildingthebobitselfwouldnotbeaproble—theinterwasfullofanualsonhowtoakethedeadliestdevices.itwouldbedifficult,ontheotherhand,tofindaplac. comutthebobsothatinnocentpassersbywouldnotbehurt.besides,therewasagainnoguaranteethathewouldactuallydie.

thetelephonerang.

“hi,lisbeth.dragan.i’vegotajobforyou.”

“idon’thavetie.”

“thisisiportant.”

“i’busy.”

sheputdownthereceiver.

finallyshesettledonpoison.thechoicesurprisedher,butoncloserconsiderationitwasperfect.

salanderspentseveraldaysbingtheinter.th