bergerandmalweretakingcareoftheannualchristasarrangeentswhileblokvistsatinerika’schair,drinkinggl？ggandlookingon.allthestaffandanyoftheregularfreelancerswouldreceiveachristasgift—thisyearashoulderbagwiththenewmillenniupublishinghouselogo.afterwrappingthepresents,theysatdowntowriteandstapabout200cardstosen. comrintingpanies,photographers,andediacolleagues.

blokvisttriedforthelongesttietowithstandtheteptationbutfinallyhecouldn’tresist.hepickeduptheverylastcardandwrote:merrychristasandhappynewyear.thanksforyoursplendideffortsduringthepastyear.

hesignedhisnaeandaddressedthecardtojannedahlan,c/otheeditorialofficesofmonopolyfinancialmagazine.

whenblokvistgothoethateveningtherewasaslipnotifyinghiofapostalpackage.hewen. comickitupthenextorning,openingitwhenhegottotheoffice.thepackagecontainedaosquito-repellentstickandabottleofreiersholsaquavit.thecardread:ifyoudon’thaveotherplans,i’llbedockedatarholaonmidsuereve.itwassignedrobertlindberg.

traditionallythemillenniuofficeswereclosedtheweekbeforechristasandthroughthenewyear’sholiday.thisyearitdidnotworkoutthatway.thestrainonthesallstaffhadbeenenorous,andjournalistswerestillcallingfroallovertheworldonadailybasis.itwasthedaybeforechristasevewhenblokvist,alostbychance,happenedtoreadanarticleinthefinancialtiessuingupthefindingsoftheinternationalbankingissionthathadbeenestablishedinallhastetoscrutinisethecollapseofthewennerstr？epire.thearticlesaidthattheissionwasworkingonthehypothesisthatwennerstr？hadprobablybeentippedoffatthelastinuteabouttheipendingdisclosures.

hisaountatbankofkroenenfeldinthecayanislands,containing￥260illion—approxiately2.5billionswedishkronor—hadbeeneptiedthedaybeforemillenniupublisheditsexposé.

theoneyhadbeenspreadoveranuberofaounts,andonlywennerstr？personallycouldakewithdrawals.hedidnothavetobepresentatthebank；itwasenoughforh. comresentaseriesofclearingcodesinordertotransfertheoneytoanybankintheworld.theoneyhadbeentransferredtoswitzerland,whereafealeassociatehadconvertedthefundsintoanonyousprivatebonds.alltheclearingcodeswereinorder.

europolhadlaunchedasearchforthewoanwhohadusedastolenbritishpassportinthenaeofmonicasholesandwhowassaidtohavelivedalifeofluxuryatoneofzurich’sostexpensivehotels.arelativelyclearpicture,consideringthatitcaefroasurveillancecaera,showedashortwoanwithablondepage-boy,widelips,andproinentbreastswearingfashionabledesignerclothesandgoldjewellery.

blokviststudiedthepicture,givingitfirstaquickglanceandthenlookingatitwithincreasingsuspicion.afterseveralsecondsheruagedinhisdeskforaagnifyingglassandtriedtoakeoutthedetailsofthefacialfeaturesinthenewspaper’sscreenediage.

atlastheputdownthepaperandsatthere,speechless,forseveralinutes.thenhestartedlaughingsohystericallythatmalstuckhisheadroundthedoortofindoutwhatwasgoingon.

ontheorningofchristaseveblokvistwentoutto？rstatoseehisex-wifeandhisdaughter,pernilla,andexchangegifts.pernillagottheputershewanted,whichblokvistandmonicahadboughttogether.blokvistgotatiefromonicaandadetectivenovelby？keedwardsonfrohisdaughter.unlikethepreviouschristas,theywereinhighspiritsbecauseoftheedia

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draathathadbeenplayingoutaroundmillenniu.

theyhadlunchtogether.blokviststoleasidelongglanceatpernilla.hehadnotseenhisdaughtersincesheturneduptovisithiinhedestad.herealisedthathehadfailedtodiscussheraniaforthatsectinskellefte？withherother.hecouldnottellthethatitwashisdaughter’sobviouslyprofoundknowledgeofthebiblethathadsethiontherighttrackregardingharrietvanger’sdisappearance.hehadnottalkedtohisdaughtersincethen.

hewasnotagoodfather.

hekissedhisdaughtergoodbyeafterthelunchandetsalanderatslussen.theywentouttosandhan.theyhadnotseenuchofeachothersincethemillenniubobexploded.theyarrivedlateonchristaseveandstayedfortheholidays.

blokvistwasentertainingpany,asalways,butsalanderhadanuneasyfeelingthathewaslookingatherwithanespeciallyoddexpressionwhenshepaidbacktheloanwithachequefor120,000kronor.

theytookawalktotrovillandback,hadchristasdinnerattheinn,andwentbacktothecabinwheretheylitafireinthewoodstove,putonanelviscd,anddevotedtheselvestosoeplainoldsex.whensalanderfrotietotiecaeupforair,shetriedtoanalyseherfeelings.

shehadnoproblewithblokvistasalover.therewasobviouslyaphysicalattraction.andhenevertriedtotutorher.

herproblewasthatshecouldnotinterpretherownfeelingsforhi.notsincebeforereachingpubertyhadsheloweredherguardtoletanotherpersongetsocloseasshehadwithhi.tobequitehonest,hehadatryingabilit. comerateherdefencesandtogethertotalkaboutpersonalattersandprivatefeelings.eventhoughshehadenoughsensetoignoreostofhisquestions,shetalkedaboutherselfinawaythatshewouldnever,evenunderthreatofdeath,haveiagineddoingwithanyotherperson.itfrightenedherandadeherfeelnakedandvulnerabletohiswill.

atthesaetie—whenshelookeddownathissluberingforandlistenedtohisnoring—shefeltthatshehadneverbeforeinherlifehadsuchatrustinanotherhuanbeing.shekneithabsolutecertaintythatmikaelwouldneverusewhatheknewabouthertohurther.itwasnotinhisnature.

theonlythingtheyneverdiscussedwastheirrelationshiptoeachother.shedidnotdare,andblokvistneverbroachedthesubject.

atsoepointontheorningoftheseconddayshecaetoaterrifyingrealisation.shehadnoideahowithadhappenedorhowshewassupposedtocopewithit.shewasinloveforthefirsttieinherlife.

thathewasalosttwiceheragedidnotbotherher.nordidthefactthatattheoenthewasoneoftheostnewsworthypeopleinsweden,andhispicturewasevenonthecoverofnewsweek—thatwasalljustsoapopera.butblokvistwasnoeroticfantasyordaydrea.itwouldhavetoetoanend.itcouldnotpossiblyworkout.whatdidheneedherfor？maybeshewasjustawa. comassthetiewhilehewaitedforsoeonewhoselifewasnotafuckingrathole.

whatshehadrealisedwasthatlovewasthatoentwhenyourheartwasabouttoburst.

whenblokvistwokeuplatethatorning,shehadadecoffeeandbeenouttobuybreakfastrolls.hejoinedheratthetableandnoticedatoncethatsoethinginherattitudehadchanged—shewasabitorereserved.whenheaskedherifanythingwaswrong,shegavehianeutral,unprehendinglook.

onthefirstdaybetweenchristasandnewyear’s,blokvisttookthetrainuptohedestad.hewaswearinghiswarestclothesandhisproperwintershoeswhenfrodeethiatthestationandquietlycongratulatedhiontheediasuess.itwasthefirsttiesinceaugustthathehadvisitedhedestad,anditwasalostexactlyoneyearagosincehehadvisiteditforthefirsttie.theychattedpolitely,buttherewasalsoagreatdealthathadgoneunsaidbetweenthe,andblokvistfeltunfortable.

everythinghadbeenprepared,andthebusinesswithfrodetookonlyafewinutes.frodeofferedtodeposittheoneyinaconvenientforeignbankaount,butblokvistinsistedthatitshouldbepaidlikeanoral,legitiatefeetohispany.

“ican’taffordanyothertypeofpayent,”hesaidcurtlywhenfrodepersisted.

thepurposeofhisvisitwasnotsolelyfinancial.blokvisthadleftclothes,s,andanuberofhisownthingsinthecottagewhenheandsalanderhadabandonedhedebyingreathaste.

vangerwasstillfrailafterhisillness,buthewasathoe.hewasbeinglookedafterbyaprivatenurse,whorefusedtoallowhitotakelongwalks,orwalkupstairs,ordiscussanythingthatightupsethi.duringtheholidayshehadalsoedownwithaslightcoldandwasorderedtobed.

“besideswhich,she’sexpensive,”vangerplained.

blokvistknewthattheoldancouldaffordanysuchexpense—consideringhowanykronorhehadwrittenoffhistaxesallhislife.vangergavehiasullenlookuntilhestartedlaughing.

“whatthehell,youwerewortheverykrona.iknewyouwouldbe.”

“totellyouthetruth,ineverthoughti’dsolveit.”

“ihavenointentionofthankingyou,”vangersaid.

“ididn’texpectyouwould.i’justheretotellyouthaticonsiderthejobdone.”

vangercurledhislips.“youhaven’tfinishedthejob,”hesaid.

“iknowthat.”

“youhaven’twrittenthevangerfailychronicle,whichwasagreed.”

“iknowthat.i’notgoingtowriteit.infact,ican’twriteit.ican’twriteaboutthevangerfailyandleaveouttheostcentraleventofthepastdecades.howcouldiwriteachapteraboutmartin’speriodasceoandpretendthatidon’tknohat’sinhisbaseent？ialsocan’twritethestorywithoutdestroyingharriet’slifealloveragain.”

“iunderstandyourdilea,andi’gratefulforthedecisionthatyou’veade.”

“congratulations.you’veanagedtocorrupte.i’goingtodestroyallynotesandthetaperecordingsi’veadeofourconversations.”

“idon’tthinkthatyou’vebeencorrupted,”vangersaid.

“that’swhatitfeelslike.andithinkthat’swhatitis.”

“youhadtochoosebetweenyourroleasajournalistandyourroleasahuanbeing.icouldneverhaveboughtyoursilence.andi’quitecertainthatyouwouldhaveexposedusifharriethadturnedoutinsoewaytohavebeeniplicated,orifyouthoughtiwasacretin.”

blokvistdidnotreply.

“we’vetoldceciliathewholestory.frodeandiwillsoonbegone,andharrietisgoingtoneedsupportfrosoeoneinthefaily.ceciliawillplayanactiveroleontheboard.sheandharrietwillbeinchargeofthefirfronowon.”