piewithacelebritylawyerwhosneeredhiswaythroughthewholetrial.
HowinGod’snamehadthingsgonesowrong?
TheWennerstr?maffairhadstartedoutwithsuchpromiseinthecockpitofathirty-seven-footM?lar-30onMidsummerEveayearandahalfearlier.Itbeganbychance,allbecauseaformerjournalistcolleague,nowaPRflunkyatthecountycouncil,wantedtoimpresshisnewgirlfriend.HehadrashlyhiredaScampiforafewdaysofromanticsailingintheStockholmarchipelago.Thegirlfriend,justarrivedfromHallstahammartostudyinStockholm,hadagreedtotheoutingafterputtinguptokenresistance,butonlyifhersisterandhersister’sboyfriendcouldetoo.NoneofthetriofromHallstahammarhadanysailingexperience,andunfortunatelyBlomkvist’soldcolleaguehadmoreenthusiasmthanexperience.Threedaysbeforetheysetoffhehadcalledindesperationandpersuadedhimtoeasafifthcrewmember,onewhoknewnavigation.
Blomkvisthadnotthoughtmuchoftheproposal,buthecamearoundwhenpromisedafewdaysofrelaxationinthearchipelagowithgoodfoodandpleasantpany.Thesepromisescametonaught,andtheexpeditionturnedintomoreofadisasterthanhecouldhaveimagined.TheyhadsailedthebeautifulbutnotverydramaticroutefromBulland?upthroughFurusundStraitatbarely9knots,butthenewgirlfriendwasinstantlyseasick.Hersisterstartedarguingwithherboyfriend,andnoneofthemshowedtheslightestinterestinlearningtheleastlittlethingaboutsailing.ItquicklybecameclearthatBlomkvistwasexpectedtotakechargeoftheboatwhiletheothersgavehimwell-intentionedbutbasicallymeaninglessadvice.Afterthefirstnightinabayon?ngs?hewasreadytodocktheboatatFurusundandtakethebushome.Onlytheirdesperateappealspersuadedhimtostay.
Atnoonthenextday,earlyenoughthattherewerestillafewspacesavailable,theytiedupatthevisitors’wharfonthepicturesqueislandofArholma.TheyhadthrownsomelunchtogetherandhadjustfinishedwhenBlomkvistnoticedayellowfibreglassM-30glidingintothebayusingonlyitsmainsail.Theboatmadeagracefultackwhilethehelmsmanlookedforaspotatthewharf.BlomkvisttooscannedthespacearoundandsawthatthegapbetweentheirScampiandanH-boatonthestarboardsidewastheonly