ingchallenge,andSalanderdidnotlikeabortinganassignmentonceshehadstarted.Peoplealwayshavesecrets.It’sjustamatteroffindingoutwhattheyare.
PART2
ConsequenceAnalyses
JANUARY3–MARCH17
Forty-sixpercentofthewomeninSwedenhavebeensubjectedtoviolencebyaman.
CHAPTER8
Friday,January3–Sunday,January5
WhenBlomkvistalightedfromhistraininHedestadforthesecondtime,theskywasapastelblueandtheairicycold.Thethermometeronthewallofthestationsaid0°F.Hewaswearingunsuitablewalkingshoes.Unlikeonhispreviousvisit,therewasnoHerrFrodewaitingwithawarmcar.Blomkvisthadtoldthemwhichdayhewouldarrive,butnotonwhichtrain.HeassumedtherewasabustoHedeby,buthedidnotfeellikestrugglingwithtwoheavysuitcasesandashoulderbag,sohecrossedthesquaretothetaxistand.
IthadsnowedmassivelyallalongtheNorrlandcoastbetweenChristmasandNewYear’s,andjudgingbytheridgesandpilesofsnowthrownupbytheploughs,theroadteamshadbeenoutinfullforceinHedestad.Thetaxidriver,whosename,aordingtohisIDpostedonthewindow,wasHussein,noddedwhenBlomkvistaskedwhethertheyhadbeenhavingroughweather.InthebroadestNorrlandaent,hereportedthatithadbeentheworstsnowstormindecades,andhebitterlyregrettednottakinghisholidayinGreeceovertheChristmasperiod.
BlomkvistdirectedhimtoHenrikVanger’snewlyshovelledcourtyard,whereheliftedhissuitcasesontothecobblestonesandwatchedthetaxiheadbacktowardsHedestad.Hesuddenlyfeltlonelyanduncertain.
Heheardthedooropenbehindhim.Vangerwaswrappedupinaheavyfurcoat,thickboots,andacapwithearflaps.Blomkvistwasinjeansandathinleatherjacket.
“Ifyou’regoingtoliveuphere,youneedtolearntodressmorewarmlyforthistimeofyear.”Theyshookhands.“Areyousureyoudon’twanttostayinthemainhouse?No?ThenIthinkwe’dbetterstartgettingyousettledintoyournewlodgings.”
OneoftheconditionsinhisnegotiationswithVangerandDirchFrodehadbeenthathehavelivingquarterswherehecoulddohisownhousekeepingandeandgoashepleased.VangerledBlomkvistbackalongtheroadtowardsthebridgeandthenturnedtoopenthegatetoanothern