y,December20
Thetrialwasirretrievablyover;everythingthatcouldbesaidhadbeensaid,buthehadneverdoubtedthathewouldlose.Thewrittenverdictwashandeddownat10:00onFridaymorning,andallthatremainedwasasummingupfromthereporterswaitinginthecorridoroutsidethedistrictcourt.
“Carl”MikaelBlomkvistsawthemthroughthedoorwayandslowedhisstep.Hehadnowishtodiscusstheverdict,butquestionswereunavoidable,andhe—ofallpeople—knewthattheyhadtobeaskedandanswered.Thisishowitistobeacriminal,hethought.Ontheothersideofthemicrophone.Hestraightenedupandtriedtosmile.Thereportersgavehimfriendly,almostembarrassedgreetings.
“Let’ssee…Aftonbladet,Expressen,TTwireservice,TV4,and…whereareyoufrom?…ahyes,DagensNyheter.Imustbeacelebrity,”Blomkvistsaid.
“Giveusasoundbite,KalleBlomkvist.”Itwasareporterfromoneoftheeveningpapers.
Blomkvist,hearingthenickname,forcedhimselfasalwaysnottorollhiseyes.Once,whenhewastwenty-threeandhadjuststartedhisfirstsummerjobasajournalist,Blomkvisthadchanceduponagangwhichhadpulledofffivebankrobberiesoverthepasttwoyears.Therewasnodoubtthatitwasthesamegangineveryinstance.Theirtrademarkwastoholduptwobanksatatimewithmilitaryprecision.TheyworemasksfromDisneyWorld,soinevitablypolicelogicdubbedthemtheDonaldDuckGang.ThenewspapersrenamedthemtheBearGang,whichsoundedmoresinister,moreappropriatetothefactthatontwooasionstheyhadrecklesslyfiredwarningshotsandthreatenedcuriouspassersby.
Theirsixthoutingwasatabankin?sterg?tlandattheheightoftheholidayseason.Areporterfromthelocalradiostationhappenedtobeinthebankatthetime.Assoonastherobbersweregonehewenttoapublictelephoneanddictatedhisstoryforlivebroadcast.
Blomkvistwasspendingseveraldayswithagirlfriendatherparents’summercabinnearKatrineholm.Exactlywhyhemadetheconnectionhecouldnotexplain,eventothepolice,butashewaslisteningtothenewsreportherememberedagroupoffourmeninasummercabinafewhundredfeetdowntheroad.Hehadseenthemplayingbadmintonoutintheyard:fourblond,athletictypesinshortswiththeirshirtsoff.Theywereobvious