“so？”

“iwas…ihadalittletietoyselfthisspringandreadquiteabitaboutsadistsinaratherdifferentcontext.oneofthethingsireadwasanfbianual.itclaiedthatastrikingportionofconvictedserialkillerscaefrodysfunctionalhoesandtorturedanialsintheirchildhood.soeoftheconvictedaericanserialkillerswerealsoarrestedforarson.torturedanialsandarsoncropupinseveralofharriet’surdercases,butwhatiwasreallythinkingaboutwasthefactthattheparsonageburneddowninthelateseventies.”

“it’salongshot,”blokvistsaid.

lisbethnodded.“agreed.butifindnothinginthepolicereportaboutthecauseofthefire,anditwouldbeveryinterestingtoknowiftherewereotherunexplainedfireshereaboutsinthesixties.itwouldalsobeworthcheckingtoseeiftherewereanycasesofanialabuseorutilationintheareabackthen.”

whensalanderwenttobedonherseventhnightinhedeby,shewasildlyirritatedwithblokvist.foralostaweekshehadspentpracticallyeverywakinginutewithhi.norallyseveninutesofanotherperson’spanywasenoughtogiveheraheadache,soshesetthingsuptoliveasarecluse.shewasperfectlycontentaslongaspeopleleftherinpeace.unfortunatelysocietywasnotverysartorunderstanding；sheha. comrotectherselffrosocialauthorities,childwelfareauthorities,guardianshipauthorities,taxauthorities,police,curators,psychologists,psychiatrists,teachers,andbouncers,whowouldneverletherintothebareventhoughshewastwenty-five.therewasawholearyofpeoplewhoseeednottohaveanythingbettertodothantotrytodisruptherlife,and,iftheyweregiventheopportunity,tocorrectthewayshehadchosentoliveit.

itdidnogoodtocry,shehadlearnedthatearlyon.shehadalsolearnedthateverytieshetriedtoakesoeoneawareofsoethinginherlife,thesituationjustgotworse.consequentlyitwasuptohertosolveherproblesbyherself,usingwhateverethodsshedeeednecessary.soethingthatadvo

14

katbjuranhadfoundoutthehardway.

blokvisthadthesaetiresoehabitaseveryoneelse,pokingaroundinherlifeandaskingquestions.ontheotherhand,hedidnotreactatalllikeostotherenshehadet.

whensheignoredhisquestionshesiplyshruggedandleftherinpeace.astounding.

heriediateove,whenshegotholdofhisithatfirstorning,hadnaturallybeentotransferalltherationtoherownputer.thatwayitwasokifhedupedherfrothecase；shewouldstillhaveaesstotheaterial.

shehadexpectedafuriousoutburstwhenheappearedforhisbreakfast.insteadhehadlookedalostresigned,utteredsoethingsarcastic,andgoneofftotheshower.thenhebegandiscussingwhatshehadread.astrangeguy.sheightevenbedeludedintothinkingthathetrustedher.

thatheknewaboutherpropensitiesasahackerwasserious.salanderwasawarethatthelegaldescriptionofthekindofhackingshedid,bothprofessionallyandasahobby,was“unlawfuldatatrespassing”andcouldearnhertwoyearsinprison.shedidnotwanttobelockedup.inhercaseaprisonsentencewouldeanthatherputerswouldbetakenfroher,andwiththetheonlyoupationthatshewasreallygoodat.shehadnevertoldaranskyhowshegatheredtherationtheywerepayinghertofind.

withtheexceptionofplagueandafewpeopleonthewho,likeher,devotedtheselvestohackingonaprofessionallevel—andostoftheknewheronlyas“wasp”anddidnotknohoshewasorwhereshelived—kalleblokvistwastheonlyonewhohadstubledontohersecret.hehadetoherbecausesheadeablunderthatnotevenatwelve-year-oldwouldit,whichonlyprovedthatherbrainwasbeingeatenupbyworsandthatshedeservedtobeflogged.butinsteadofgoingcrazywithragehehadhiredher.

consequentlyshewasildlyirritatedwithhi.

whentheyhadasnackjustbeforeshewenttobed,hehadsuddenlyaskedherifshewasagoodhacker.

toherownsurpriseshereplied,“i’probablythebestinsweden.thereaybetwoorthreeothersataboutylevel.”

shedidnotdoubttheauracyofherreply.plaguehadoncebeenbetterthanshewas,butshehadpassedhilongago.

ontheotherhand,itfeltfunnytosaythewords.shehadneverdoneitbefore.shehadneverhadanoutsidertohavethissortofconversationwith,andsheenjoyedthefactthatheseeedipressedbyhertalents.thenhehadruinedthefeelingbyaskinganotherquestion:howhadshetaughtherselfhacking？

whatcouldshesay？i’vealwaysbeenabletodoit.insteadshewenttobedwithoutsayinggoodnight.

irritatingheryetfurther,hedidnotreactwhensheleftsoabruptly.shelaylisteningtohiovingaboutinthekitchen,clearingthetableandwashingthedishes.hehadalwaysstayeduplaterthanshedid,butnowhewasobviouslyonhiswaytobedtoo.sheheardhiinthebathroo,andthenhewentintohisbedrooandshutthedoor.afterawhilesheheardthebedcreakwhenhegotintoit,notayardawayfroherownbutontheothersideofthewall.

shehadbeensharingahousewithhiforaweek,andhehadnotonceflirtedwithher.hehadworkedwithher,askedheropinion,slappedherontheknucklesfigurativelyspeakingwhenshewasonthewrongtrack,andacknowledgedthatshewasrightwhenshecorrectedhi.dait,hehadtreatedherlikeahuanbeing.

shegotoutofbedandstoodbythewindow,restlesslypeeringintothedark.thehardestthingforherwastoshowherselfnakedtoanotherpersonforthefirsttie.shewasconvincedthatherskinnybodywasrepulsive.herbreastswerepathetic.shehadnohipstospeakof.shedidnothaveuchtooffer.apartfrothatshewasaquitenoralwoan,withthesaedesiresandsexdriveaseveryotherwoan.shestoodthereforthenexttwentyinutesbeforesheadeupherind.

blokvistwasreadinganovelbysaraparetskywhenheheardthedoorhandleturnandlookeduptoseesalander.shehadasheetwrappedroundherbodyandstoodinthedoorwayforaoent.

“youok？”hesaid.

sheshookherhead.

“whatisit？”

shewentovertohisbed,tookthe,andputitonthebedsidetable.thenshebentdownandkissedhiontheouth.shequicklygotintohisbedandsatlookingathi,searchinghi.sheputherhandonthesheetoverhisstoach.whenhedidnotprotestsheleanedoverandbithionthenipple.

blokvistwasflabbergasted.hetookhershouldersandpushedherawayalittlesothathecouldseeherface.

“lisbeth…idon’tknowifthisissuchagoodidea.wehavetoworktogether.”

“iwanttohavesexwithyou.andiwon’thaveanyprobleworkingwithyou,butiwillhaveahellofaproblewithyouifyoukickeout.”

“butwehardlyknoweachother.”

shelaughed,anabruptlaughthatsoundedalostlikeacough.

“you’veneverletanythinglikethatstandinyourwaybefore.infact,asididn’tsayinybackgroundreport,you’reoneoftheseguyswhocan’tkeephishandsoffwoen.sowhat’swrong？aren’tisexyenoughforyou？”

blokvistshookhisheadandtriedtothinkofsoethingclevertosay.whenhecouldn’tshepulledthesheetoffhiandsatastridehi.

“idon’thaveanycondos,”hesaid.

“screwit.”

whenhewokeup,heheardherinthekitchen.itwasnotyet7:00.heayonlyhavesleptfortwohours,andhestayedinbed,dozing.

thiswoanbaffledhi.atabsolutelynopointhadsheevenwithaglanceindicatedthatshewastheleastbitinterestedinhi.

“goodorning,”shesaidfrothedoorway.sheevenhadthehintofasile.

“hi.”

“weareoutofilk.i’llgotothepetrolstation.theyopenatseven.”andshewasgone.

heheardhergooutofthefrontdoor.heshuthiseyes.thenheheardthefrontdooropenagainandsecondslatershewasbackinthedoorway.thistieshewasnotsiling.

“you’dbettereandlookatthis,”shesaidinastrangevoice.

blokvistwasonhisfeetatonceandpulledonhisjeans.

duringthenightsoeonehadbeentothecottagewithanunwelepresent.ontheporchlaythehalf-charredcorpseofacat.thecat’slegsandheadhadbeencutoff,thenthebodyhadbeenflayedandthegutsandstoachreoved,flungnexttothecorpse,whichseeedtohavebeenroastedoverafire.thecat’sheadwasintact,onthesaddleofsalander’sotorcycle.herecognisedthereddish-brownfur.

chapter22

thursday,july10

theyatebreakfastinthegardeninsilenceandwithoutilkintheircoffee.salanderhadtakenoutacanondigitalcaeraandphotographedtheacabretableaubeforeblokvistgotarubbishsackandcleaneditaway.heputthecatinthebootofthevolvo.heoughttofileapolicereportforanialcruelty,possiblyintiidation,buthedidnotthinkhewouldwanttoexplainwhytheintiidationhadtakenplace.

at8:30isabellavangerwalkedpastandontothebridge.shedidnotseetheoratleastpretendednotto.

“howareyoudoing？”blokvistsaid.

“oh,i’fine.”salanderlookedathi,perplexed.ok,then.heexpectsetobeupset.“whenifindtheotherfuckerwhotorturedaninnocentcattodeathjusttosendusawarning,i’goingtoclobberhiwithabaseballbat.”

“youthinkit’sawarning？”

“haveyougotabetterexplanation？itdefinitelyeanssoething.”