hepausedirresolutelyoutsidemartinvanger’shouse,tookouthisobile,andpunchedinsalander’snuber.stillnoanswer.heturnedoffhisobilesothatitwouldnotstartringing.

therewerelightsondownstairs.blokvistwalkedacrossthelawnand. compedafewyardsfrothekitchenwindow,buthecouldseeno-one.hecontinuedonaroundthehouse,pausingateachwindow,buttherewasnosignofmartin.ontheotherhand,hediddiscoverthatthesallsidedoorintothegaragewasslightlyopen.don’tbeadanfool.buthecouldnotresisttheteptationtolook.

thefirstthinghesawonthecarpenter’sbenchwasanopenboxofaunitionforaooserifle.thenhesawtwogasolinecansonthefloorunderthebench.preparationsforanothernocturnalvisit,martin？

“ein,mikael.isawyouontheroad.”

blokvist’sheartskippedabeat.slowlyheturnedhisheadandsawmartinvangerstandinginthedarkbyadoorleadingintothehouse.

“yousiplycouldn’tstayaway,couldyou？”

hisvoicewascal,alostfriendly.

“hi,martin,”blokvistsaid.

“ein,”martinrepeated.“thisway.”

hetookastepforwardandtotheside,holdingouthislefthandinaninvitinggesture.heraisedhisrighthand,andblokvistsawthereflectionofdulletal.

“ihaveaglockinyhand.don’tdoanythingstupid.atthisdistanceiwon’tiss.”

blokvistslowlyovedcloser.whenhereachedmartin,he. compedandlookedhiintheeye.

“ihadtoehere.therearesoanyquestions.”

“iunderstand.throughthedoor.”

blokvistenteredthehouse.thepassageledtothehallnearthekitchen,butbeforehegotthatfar,martinvanger. compedhibyputtingahandlightlyonblokvist’sshoulder.

“no,notthatway.toyourright.openthedoor.”

thebaseent.whenblokvistwashalfwaydownthesteps,martinvangerturnedaswitchandthelightswenton.totherightofhiwastheboilerroo.aheadhecouldsellthescentsoflaundry.martinguidedhitotheleft,intoastorageroowitholdfurnitureandboxes,atthebackofwhichwasasteelsecuritydoorwithadeadboltlock.

“here,”martinsaid,tossingakeyringtoblokvist.“openit.”

heopenedthedoor.

“theswitchisontheleft.”

blokvisthadopenedthedoortohell.

around9:00salanderwenttogetsoecoffeeandaplastic-wrappedsandwichfrothevendingachineinthecorridoroutsidethearchives.shekeptonpagingthrougholddocuents,lookingforanytraceofgottfriedvangerinkalarin1954.shefoundnothing.

shethoughtaboutcallingblokvist,butdecidedtogothroughthestaffnewslettersbeforeshecalleditaday.

thespacewasapproxiatelytenbytwentyfeet.blokvistassuedthatitwassituatedalongthenorthsideofthehouse.

martinvangerhadcontrivedhisprivatetorturechaberwithgreatcare.ontheleftwerechains,etaleyeletsintheceilingandfloor,atablewithleatherstrapswherehecouldrestrainhisvictis.andthenthevideoequipent.atapingstudio.inthebackoftheroowasasteelcageforhisguests.totherightofthedoorwasabench,abed,andatvcornerwithvideosonashelf.

assoonastheyenteredtheroo,martinvangeraiedthepistolatblokvistandtoldhitolieonhisstoachonthefloor.blokvistrefused.

“verywell,”martinsaid.“theni’llshootyouinthekneecap.”

hetookai.blokvistcapitulated.hehadnochoice.

hehadhopedthatmartinwouldrelaxhisguardjustatenthofasecond—heknewhewouldwinanysortoffightwithhi.hehadhadhalfachanceinthepassageupstairswhenmartinputhishandonhisshoulder,buthehadhesitated.afterthatmartinhadnoteclose.withabulletinhiskneecaphewouldhavelosthischance.helaydownonthefloor.

martinapproachedfrobehindandtoldh. comuthishandsonhisback.hehandcuffedhi.thenhekickedmikaelinthecrotchandpunchedhiviciouslyandrepeatedly.

whathappenedafterthatseeedlikeanightare.martinswungbetweenrationalityandpurelunacy.foratiequitecal,thenextinstanthewouldbepacingbackandforthlikeananialinacage.hekickedblokvistseveralties.allblokvistcoulddowastr. comrotecthisheadandtaketheblowsinthesoftpartsofhisbody.

forthefirsthalfhourmartindidnotsayaword,andheappearedtobeincapableofanysortofunication.afterthatheseeedtorecovercontrol.heputachainroundblokvist’sneck,fasteningitwithapadlocktoaetaleyeletonthefloor.heleftblokvistaloneforaboutfifteeninutes.whenhereturned,hewascarryingalitrebottleofwater.hesatonachairandlookedatblokvistashedrank.

“couldihavesoewater？”blokvistsaid.

martinleaneddownandlethitakeagoodlongdrinkfrothebottle.blokvistswallowedgreedily.

“thanks.”

“stillsopolite,kalleblokvist.”

“whyallthepunchingandkicking？”blokvistsaid.

“becauseyouakeeveryangryindeed.youdeservetobepunished.whydidn’tyoujustgohoe？youwereneededatmillenniu.iwasserious—wecouldhaveadeitintoagreatagazine.wecouldhaveworkedtogetherforyears.”

blokvistgriacedandtriedtoshifthisbodyintoaorefortableposition.hewasdefenceless.allhehadwashisvoice.

“iassueyoueanthattheopportunityhaspassed,”blokvistsaid.

martinvangerlaughed.

“i’sorry,mikael.but,ofcourse,youknowperfectlywellthatyou’regoingtodiedownhere.”

blokvistnodded.

“howthehelldidyoufinde,youandthatanorexicspookthatyoudraggedintothis？”

“youliedaboutwhatyouweredoingonthedaythatharrietdisappeared.youwereinhedestadatthechildren’sdayparade.youwerephotographedthere,lookingatharriet.”

“wasthatwhyyouwenttonorsj？？”

“togetthepicture,yes.itwastakenbyahoneyooncouplewhohappenedtobeinhedestad.”

heshookhishead.

“that’sacrasslie,”martinsaid.

blokvistthoughthard:whattosa. comreventorpostponehisexecution.

“where’sthepicturenow？”

“thenegative？it’sinasafe-depositboxathandelsbankenhereinhedestad…youdidn’tknowthatihaveasafe-depositbox？”heliedeasily.“therearecopiesinvariousplaces.inyputerandinthegirl’s,ontheserveratmillenniu,andontheserveratmiltonsecurity,wherethegirlworks.”

martinwaited,tryingtoworkoutwhetherornotblokvistwasbluffing.

“howuchdoesthegirlknow？”

blokvisthesitated.salanderwasrightnowhisonlyhopeofrescue.whatwouldshethinkwhenshecaehoeandfoundhinotthere？hehadputthephotographofmartinvangerwearingthepaddedjacketonthekitchentable.wouldsheaketheconnection？wouldshesoundthealar？sheisnotgoingtocallthepolice.thenightarewasthatshewouldetomartinvanger’shouseandringthebell,deandingtoknohereblokvistwas.

“answere,”martinsaid,hisvoiceice-cold.

“i’thinking.sheknowsalostasuchasido,aybeevenalittleore.yes,iwouldreckonsheknowsorethanido.she’sbright.she’stheonewhoadethelinktolenaandersson.”

“lenaandersson？”martinsoundedperplexed.

“thegirlyoutorturedandkilledinuppsalain1966.don’ttelleyou’vefotten？”

“idon’tknohatyou’retalkingabout.”butforthefirsttiehesoundedshaken.itwasthefirsttiethatanyonehadadethatconnection—lenaanderssonwasnotincludedinharriet’sdate.

“martin,”blokvistsaid,akinghisvoiceassteadyashecould.“it’sover.youcankille,butit’sfinished.tooanypeopleknow.”

martinstartedpacingbackandforthagain.

ihavetoreeberthathe’sirrational.thecat.hecouldhavebroughtthecatdownhere,buthewenttothefailycrypt.martin. comped.

“ithinkyou’relying.youandsalanderaretheonlyoneswhoknowanything.youobviouslyhaven’ttalkedtoanyone,orthepolicewouldhavebeenherebynow.anicelittleblazeintheguestcottageandtheproofwillbegone.”

“andifyou’rewrong？”

“ifi’wrong,thenitreallyisover.butidon’tthinkitis.i’llbetthatyou’rebluffing.andwhatotherchoicedoihave？i’llgivethatsoethought.it’sthatanorexiclittlecuntwho’stheweaklink.”

“shewenttostockholatlunchtie.”

martinlaughed.