randtriedtorepairthedamagebyassumingafriendly,avunculartone.
“Iwouldbegratefuliftheyoungladywouldgivemeaverbalsummaryoftheresults.”
ForamomentherexpressionwassosurprisinglyhostilethatitsentacoldshiverdownFrode’sspine.ThenjustasquicklyherexpressionsoftenedandFrodewonderedwhetherhehadimaginedthatlook.Whenshebegantospeakshesoundedlikeacivilservant.
“Allowmetosayfirstthatthiswasnotaveryplicatedassignment,apartfromthefactthatthedescriptionofthetaskitselfwassomewhatvague.Youwantedtoknow‘everythingthatcouldbedugup’abouthim,butgavenoindicationofwhethertherewereanythinginparticularyouwerelookingfor.Forthisreasonit’ssomethingofapotpourriofhislife.Thereportis193pageslong,but120pagesarecopiesofarticleshewroteorpressclippings.Blomkvistisapublicpersonwithfewsecretsandnotverymuchtohide.”
“Buthedoeshavesomesecrets?”Frodesaid.
“Everyonehassecrets,”sherepliedneutrally.“It’sjustamatteroffindingoutwhattheyare.”
“Let’shear.”
“MikaelBlomkvistwasbornonJanuary18,1960,whichmakeshimforty-twoyearsold.HewasborninBorl?ngebuthasneverlivedthere.Hisparents,KurtandAnitaBlomkvist,werearoundthirty-fivewhenthechildwasborn.Bothhavesincedied.Hisfatherwasamachineryinstallerandmovedaroundagooddeal.Hismother,asfarasIcouldsee,wasneveranythingbutahousewife.ThefamilymovedhousetoStockholmwhenMikaelstartedschool.HehasasisterthreeyearsyoungernamedAnnikawhoisalawyer.Healsohassomecousins,bothmaleandfemale.Wereyouplanningtoservecoffee?”
ThislastwasdirectedatArmansky,whohastilypumpedthreecupsofcoffeefromthethermoshehadorderedforthemeeting.HemotionedforSalandertogoon.
“Soin1966thefamilylivedinLillaEssingen.BlomkvistwenttoschoolfirstinBlommaandthentoprepschoolonKungsholmen.Hehaddecentgraduatingmarks—therearecopiesinthefolder.DuringhisprepschooldayshestudiedmusicandplayedbassinarockbandnamedBootstrap,whichactuallyputoutasinglethatwasplayedontheradiointhesummerof1979.Afterprepschoolheworkedasaticketcollectorinthetunnelbana,savedsomemoney,andtravelledabroad.H