eaveforhisownsake.Weowehimthatmuch.”
TheystaredatMalminastonishmentandhegaveBlomkvistanembarrassedlook.
“Youbothknowthatit’syoutwowhoareMillennium.I’mapartnerandyou’vealwaysbeenfairwithmeandIlovethemagazineandallthat,butyoucouldeasilyreplacemewithsomeotherartdirector.Butsinceyouaskedformyopinion,thereyouhaveit.AsfarasDahlmanisconcerned,Iagreewithyou.Andifyouwanttofirehim,Erika,thenI’lldoitforyou.Aslongaswehaveacrediblereason.Obviouslyit’sextremelyunfortunatethatMikael’sleavingrightnow,butIdon’tthinkwehaveachoice.Mikael,I’lldriveyoutothestation.ErikaandIwillholdthefortuntilyougetback.”
“WhatI’mafraidofisthatMikaelwon’tevereback,”Bergersaidquietly.
ArmanskywokeupSalanderwhenhecalledherat1:30intheafternoon.
“What’sthisabout?”shesaid,drunkwithsleep.Hermouthtastedliketar.
“MikaelBlomkvist.Ijusttalkedtoourclient,thelawyer,Frode.”
“So?”
“HecalledtosaythatwecandroptheinvestigationofWennerstr?m.”
“Dropit?ButI’vejuststartedworkingonit.”
“Frodeisn’tinterestedanymore.”
“Justlikethat?”
“He’stheonewhodecides.”
“Weagreedonafee.”
“Howmuchtimehaveyouputin?”
Salanderthoughtaboutit.“Threefulldays.”
“Weagreedonaceilingoffortythousandkronor.I’llwriteaninvoicefortenthousand;you’llgethalf,whichisaeptableforthreedaysoftimewasted.He’llhavetopaybecausehe’stheonewhoinitiatedthewholething.”
“WhatshouldIdowiththematerialI’vegathered?”
“Isthereanythingdramatic?”
“No.”
“Frodedidn’taskforareport.Putitontheshelfincaseheesback.Otherwiseyoucanshredit.I’llhaveanewjobforyounextweek.”
SalandersatforawhileholdingthetelephoneafterArmanskyhungup.Shewenttoherworkcornerinthelivingroomandlookedatthenotesshehadpinneduponthewallandthepapersshehadstackedonthedesk.WhatshehadmanagedtocollectwasmostlypresscuttingsandarticlesdownloadedfromtheInter.Shetookthepapersanddroppedtheminadeskdrawer.
Shefrowned.Blomkvist’sstrangebehaviourinthecourtroomhadpresentedaninterest