lybodybuilders,andtherehadbeensomethingaboutthemthathadmadehimlooktwice—maybeitwasbecausethegamewasbeingplayedinblazingsunshinewithwhatherecognisedasintenselyfocusedenergy.
Therehadbeennogoodreasontosuspectthemofbeingthebankrobbers,butneverthelesshehadgooahilloverlookingtheircabin.Itseemedempty.ItwasaboutfortyminutesbeforeaVolvodroveupandparkedintheyard.Theyoungmengotout,inahurry,andwereeachcarryingasportsbag,sotheymighthavebeendoingnothingmorethaningbackfromaswim.Butoneofthemreturnedtothecarandtookoutfromthebootsomethingwhichhehurriedlycoveredwithhisjacket.EvenfromBlomkvist’srelativelydistantobservationposthecouldtellthatitwasagoodoldAK4,theriflethathadbeenhisconstantpanionfortheyearofhismilitaryservice.
Hecalledthepoliceandthatwasthestartofathree-daysiegeofthecabin,blanketcoveragebythemedia,withBlomkvistinafront-rowseatandcollectingagratifyinglylargefeefromaneveningpaper.ThepolicesetuptheirheadquartersinacaravaninthegardenofthecabinwhereBlomkvistwasstaying.
ThefalloftheBearGanggavehimthestarbillingthatlaunchedhimasayoungjournalist.Thedownsideofhiscelebritywasthattheothereveningnewspapercouldnotresistusingtheheadline“KalleBlomkvistsolvesthecase.”Thetongue-in-cheekstorywaswrittenbyanolderfemalecolumnistandcontainedreferencestotheyoungdetectiveinAstridLindgren’ssforchildren.Tomakemattersworse,thepaperhadrunthestorywithagrainyphotographofBlomkvistwithhismouthhalfopenevenasheraisedanindexfingertopoint.
ItmadenodifferencethatBlomkvisthadneverinlifeusedthenameCarl.Fromthatmomenton,tohisdismay,hewasnicknamedKalleBlomkvistbyhispeers—anepithetemployedwithtauntingprovocation,notunfriendlybutnotreallyfriendlyeither.InspiteofhisrespectforAstridLindgren—whosesheloved—hedetestedthenickname.Ittookhimseveralyearsandfarweightierjournalisticsuessesbeforethenicknamebegantofade,buthestillcringedifeverthenamewasusedinhishearing.
Rightnowheachievedaplacidsmileandsaidtothereporterfromtheeveningpaper:“Oheon,thinkofsomethingyourself.Youusuallydo.”