’spartowners,andatthesametime,idioticallyenough,hewasbothawriterandthemagazine’spublisher.Thedamagesof150,000kronorhewouldpayhimself,althoughthatwouldjustaboutwipeouthissavings.Themagazinewouldtakecareofthecourtcosts.Withprudentbudgetingitwouldworkout.
Heponderedthewisdomofsellinghisapartment,thoughitwouldbreakhisheart.Attheendofthego-goeighties,duringaperiodwhenhehadasteadyjobandaprettygoodsalary,hehadlookedaroundforapermanentplacetolive.Heranfromoneapartmentshowingtoanotherbeforehestumbledonanatticflatof700squarefeetrightattheendofBellmansgatan.Thepreviousownerwasinthemiddleofmakingitliveablebutsuddenlygotajobatadot-panyabroad,andBlomkvistwasabletobuyitinexpensively.
Herejectedtheoriginalinteriordesigner’ssketchesandfinishedtheworkhimself.Heputmoneyintofixingupthebathroomandthekitchenarea,butinsteadofputtinginaparquetfloorandinteriorwallstomakeitintotheplannedtwo-roomapartment,hesandedthefloor-boards,whitewashedtheroughwalls,andhidtheworstpatchesbehindtwowatercoloursbyEmanuelBernstone.Theresultwasanopenlivingspace,withthebedroomareabehindashelf,andthediningareaandthelivingroomnexttothesmallkitchenbehindacounter.TheapartmenthadtwodormerwindowsandagablewindowwithaviewoftherooftopstowardsGamlaStan,Stockholm’soldestsection,andthewaterofRiddarfj?rden.HehadaglimpseofwaterbytheSlussenlocksandaviewofCityHall.Todayhewouldneverbeabletoaffordsuchanapartment,andhebadlywantedtoholdontoit.
Butthathemightlosetheapartmentwasnothingbesidethefactthatprofessionallyhehadreceivedarealsmackinthenose.Itwouldtakealongtimetorepairthedamage—ifindeeditcouldeverberepaired.
Itwasamatteroftrust.Fortheforeseeablefuture,editorswouldhesitatetopublishastoryunderhisbyline.Hestillhadplentyoffriendsinthebusinesswhowouldaeptthathehadfallenvictimtobadluckandunusualcircumstances,buthewasneveragaingoingtobeabletomaketheslightestmistake.
Whathurtmostwasthehumiliation.Hehadheldallthetrumpsandyethehadlosttoasemi-gangsterinanArmanisuit.Adespicablestock-marketspeculator.Ayup