ceciliavangerfeltalittletipsy.shehaddecidednottotelephoneblokvist.theirrelationshiphaddevelopedintoaridiculousbedroofarce,inwhichblokvisthadtotiptoearoundtryingtogettoherhouseunnoticed.sheinturnplayedalovesickteenagegirlwhocouldnotcontrolherself.herbehaviourthepastfeeekshadbeenreckless.

theprobleisthatilikehitoouch,shethought.he’sgoingtoenduphurtinge.shesatforalongtiewishingthatmikaelblokvisthadneveretohedeby.

shehadopenedabottleofwineanddrunktwoglassesinherloneliness.sheturnedonthetvtowatchrapportandtriedtofollowtheworldsituationbutverysoontiredofthereasonedentaryonwhypresidentbushhadtobobiraqtosithereens.insteadshesatontheliving-roosofaandpickedupgellerttaas’thelaserman.shereadonlyafewpagesbeforesheha. comutthedown.thatadeherinstantlythinkofherfather.whatkindoffantasiesdidhehave？

thelasttietheyreallysaweachotherwasin1984,whenshewentwithhiandbirger,hare-huntingnorthofhedestad.birgerwastryingoutanewhuntingdog—aswedishfoxhoundwhichhehadjustacquired.haraldvangerwasseventy-threeatthetie,andshehaddoneherverybesttoaepthislunacy,whichhadadeherchildhoodanightareandaffectedherentireadultlife.

ceciliahadneverbeforebeenasfragileasshewasthen.herarriagehadendedthreeonthsearlier.doesticviolence…theterwassobanal.forherithadtakentheforofunceasingabuse.blowstothehead,violentshoving,oodythreats,andbeingknockedtothekitchenfloor.herhusband’soutburstswereinexplicableandtheattackswerenotoftensoseverethatshewasactuallyinjured.shehadbeeusedtoit.

untilthedaywhenshestruckbackandhepletelylostcontrol.itendedwithhiflingingsoescissorsatherwhichlodgedinhershoulderblade.

hehadbeenreorsefulandpanickyanddrovehertothehospital,akingupastoryaboutaarreaidentwhichallthestaffintheeergencyroosawthroughatonce.shehadfeltashaed.theygavehertwelvestitchesandkeptherinthehospitalfortwodays.thenherunclepickedherupanddrovehertohishouse.sheneverspoketoherhusbandagain.

onthatsunnyautundayharaldvangerhadbeeninagoodood,alostfriendly.butwithoutwarning,alongwayintothewoods,hebegantoberateherwithhuiliatinginvectiveandrevoltingrearksaboutheroralsandsexualpredilections.hesnarledthatnowondersuchawhorecouldneverkeepaan.

herbrotherapparentlydidnotnoticethateverywordfrotheirfatherstruckherlikeawhiplash.instead,birgersuddenlylaughedandputhisararoundhisfatherandinhisownwayadelightofthesituationbyakingsoeenttotheeffectthatyouknowfullwellwhatwoenarelike.hegavececiliaacheerfulwinkandsuggestedthatharaldvangertakeupapositiononalittleridge.

forasecond,afrozeninstant,ceciliavangerlookedatherfatherandbrotherandrealisedthatshewasholdingaloadedshotguninherhand.sheclosedhereyes.heronlyoptionatthatoentseeedtobetoraisethegunandfirebothbarrels.shewantedtokilltheboth.insteadshelaiddowntheweaponatherfeet,turnedonherheel,andwentbacktowheretheyhadparkedthecar.sheleftthehighanddry,drivinghoealone.sincethatdaysherefusedtoletherfatherintoherhouseandhadneverbeeninhis.

youruinedylife,ceciliavangerthought.youruinedylifewheniwasjustachild.

at8:30shecalledblokvist.

bjuranwasinpain.hisuscleswerenousetohi.hisbodyseeedtobeparalysed.hecouldnotreeberifhehadlostconsciousness,buthewasdisoriented.whenheslowlyregainedcontroloverhisbodyhediscoveredthathewaslyingnakedonhisbed,hiswristsinhandcuffsandhislegsspreadpainfullyapart.hehadstingingburnarkswhereelectrodeshadtouchedhisbody.

salanderhadpulledthecanechairoverandwaspatientlywaiting,herbootsrestingonthebedasshesokedacigarette.whenbjuranbegantospeaktoherhefoundthathisouthwassealed.heturnedhishead.shehadpulledoutallhisdrawersanddupedtheandthecontentsonthefloor.

“ifoundyourtoys,”salandersaid.shehelduparidingwhipandpokedaroundintheheapofdildos,harnessbits,andrubberasksonthefloor.“what’sthisonefor？”sheheldupahugeanalplug.“no,don’ttrytospeak—iwon’thearwhatyousay.wasthiswhatyouusedonelastweek？allyouhavetodoisnod.”sheleanedtowardshiexpectantly.

bjuranfeltcoldterrorpiercinghischestandlosthisposure.hetuggedathishandcuffs.shehadtakencontrol.ipossible.hecoulddonothingtoresistwhensalanderbentoverandplacedtheanalplugbetweenhisbuttocks.“soyou’reasadist,”shesaidatter-of-factly.“youenjoyshovingthingsinsidepeople,isthatit？”shelookedhiintheeyes.herfacewasexpressionless.“withoutalubricant,right？”

bjuranhowledintotheadhesivetapewhensalanderroughlyspreadhischeeksandraedtheplugintoitsproperplace.

“. comwhipering,”salandersaid,iitatinghisvoice.“ifyouplain,i’llhav. comunishyou.”

shestoodupandwenttotheothersideofthebed.hefollowedherhelplesslywithhiseyes…whatthehellwasthis？salanderhadrolledinhisthirty-two-inchtvfrothelivingroo.shehadplacedhisdvdplayeronthefloor.shelookedathi,stillholdingthewhipinherhand.

“doihaveyourundividedattention？don’ttrytotalk—justnod.didyouhearwhatisaid？”henodded.

“good.”shebentdownandpickedupherrucksack.“doyourecognisethis？”henodded.“it’stherucksackihadwhenivisitedyoulastweek.apracticalite.iborroweditfromiltonsecurity.”sheunzippedthebo. comocket.“thisisadigitalvideocaera.doyoueverwatchinsiderontv3？thisisthegearthatthosenastyreportersusewhentheyhavetorecordsoethingwithahiddencaera.”shezippedthepocketbackup.

“where’sthelens,you’rewondering.that’sthegreatthingaboutit.wideanglefibreoptics.thelenslookslikeabuttonandsitshiddeninthebuckleonashoulderstrap.maybeyoureeberthatiputtherucksackhereonthetablebeforeyoustartedtogropee.iadesurethatthelenswasdirectedstraightatthebed.”

sheheldupadvdandslippeditintotheplayer.thensheturnedthecanechairsothatshecouldsitandwatchthescreen.shelitanothercigaretteandpressedthereote.advokatbjuransawhiselfopenthedoorforsalander.

haven’tyouevenlearnedtotellthetie？

sheplayedthewholediscforhi.thevideoendedafterniyinutes,intheiddleofascenewhereanakedadvokatbjuransatleaningagainstthebedsteaddrinkingaglassofwineashelookedatsalander,curledupwithherhandsfetteredbehindher.

sheturnedoffthetvandsatinthechairforagoodteninuteswithoutlookingathi.bjurandidnotdareoveauscle.thenshegotupandwentintothebathroo.whenshecaebackshesatagaininthechair.hervoicewaslikesandpaper.

“iadeaistakelastweek,”shesaid.“ithoughtyouweregoingtoakeegiveyouablowjobagain,whichisdisgustingenoughinyourcase,butnotsodisgustingthaticouldn’tdoit.ithoughticouldeasilyacquiregooddocuentatio. comroveyou’reafilthyoldprick.iisjudgedyou.ididn’tunderstandhowfuckingsickyouwere.

“i’goingtospeakplainly,”shesaid.“thisvideoshowsyourapingaentallyhandicappedtwenty-four-year-oldgirlforwhoyouwereappointedguardian.andyouhavenoideahowentallyhandicappedicanbeifpushestoshove.anyonewhoseesthisvideowilldiscoverthatyou’renoterelyapervertbutaninsanesadist.thisisthesecondandihopethelasttiei’lleverhavetowatchthisvideo.it’squiteinstructive,don’tyouthink？myguessisthatyou’retheonewho’sgoingtobeinstitutionalised,note.areyoufollowingesofar？”

shewaited.hedidnotreact,butshecouldseehiquivering.shegrabbedthewhipandflickeditrightoverhisgenitals.

“areyoufollowinge？”shesaidoreloudly.henodded.

“good.sowe’resingingfrothesaesongsheet.”

shepulledthechairupclosesoshecouldlookintohiseyes.

“whatdoyouthinkweshoulddoaboutthisproble？”hecouldnotgiveherananswer.“haveyouanygoodideas？”whenhedidnotreactshereachedoutandgrabbedhisscrotuandpulleduntilhisfacecontortedinpain.“haveyougotanygoodideas？”sherepeated.heshookhishead.

“good.i’goingtobeprettyfuckingadatyouifyoueverhaveanyideasinthefuture.”

sheleanedbackandstubbedhercigaretteoutonthecarpet.“thisiswhat’sgoingtohappen.nextweek,assoonasyouanagetoshitoutthatoversizedrubberpluginyourarse,you’regoingtorybankthati—andialone—haveaesstoyaount.doyouunderstandwhati’saying？”bjurannodded.

“goodboy.youwillneverevercontacteagain.inthefuturewewilleetonlyifidecideit’snecessary.you’reunderarestrainingordertostayawayfroe.”henoddedrepeatedly.shedoesn’tintendtokille.

“ifyouevertrytocontacteagain,copiesofthisdvdwillwindupineverynewsrooinstockhol.doyouunderstand？”

henodded.ihavetogetholdofthatvideo.

“onceayearyouwillturninyourreportonywelfaretotheguardianshipagency.youwillreportthatylifeispletelynoral,thatihaveasteadyjob,thati’supportingyself,andthatyoudon’tthinkthereisanythingabnoralaboutybehaviour.ok？”

henodded.

“eachonthyouwillprepareareportaboutyournon-existenteetingswithe.youwilldescribeindetailhowpositiveiaandhoellthingsaregoingfore.youwillpostacopytoe.doyouunderstand？”henoddedagain.salandernoticedabsent-indedlythebeadsofsweatforingonhisforehead.

“inayearorso,let’ssaytwo,youwillinitiatenegotiationsinthedistrictcourttohaveydeclarationofinpetencerescinded.youwilluseyourfakedreportsfrooureetingsasthebasisforyourproposal.youwillfindashrinkwhowillswearunderoaththatiapletelynoral.you’regoingtohavetoakeaneffort.youwilldopreciselyeverythinginyourpowertoensurethatiadeclaredpetent.”

henodded.

“doyouknohyyou’regoingtodoyourverybest？becauseyouhaveafuckinggoodreason.ifyoufaili’goingtoakethisvideoextreelypublic.”

helistenedtoeverysyllablesalanderwassaying.hiseyeswereburningwithhatred.hedecidedshehadadeaistakebylettinghilive.you’regoingtowindupeatingthis,youfuckingcunt.soonerorlateri’goingtocrushyou.buthecontinuednoddingasvigorouslyashecouldinreplytoeveryquestion.

“thesaeappliesifyoutrytocontacte.”sheiedathroat-slittingotion.“goodbyetothiselegantlifestyleandyourfinereputationandyourillionsinthatoffshoreaount.”

hiseyeswidenedinvoluntarilywhensheentionedtheoney.howthefuckinghelldidsheknowthat…

shesiledandtookoutanothercigarette.

“iwantyoursparesetofkeystothisapartentandyouroffice.”hefrowned.sheleanedforwardandsiledsweetly.