thbirthdayuntilthepreviousyear,whenafewweeksbeforeChristmasshehadgooseePalmgrenathomeafterhemissedoneoftheirscheduledmonthlymeetings.
Whenhedidnotopenthedooreventhoughshecouldhearsoundsingfromhisapartment,shebrokeinbyclimbingupadrainpipetothebalconyonthefourthfloor.Shefoundhimlyingonthefloorinthehall,consciousbutunabletospeakormove.ShecalledforanambulanceandacpaniedhimtoS?derHospitalwithagrowingfeelingofpanicinherstomach.Forthreedaysshehardlyleftthecorridoroutsidetheintensivecareunit.Likeafaithfulwatchdog,shekeptaneyeoneverydoctorandnursewhowentinoroutofthedoor.Shewanderedupanddownthecorridorlikealostsoul,fixinghereyesoneverydoctorwhocamenear.Finallyadoctorwhosenamesheneverdiscoveredtookherintoaroomtoexplainthegravityofthesituation.HerrPalmgrenwasincriticalconditionfollowingaseverecerebralhaemorrhage.Hewasnotexpectedtoregainconsciousness.Hewasonlysixty-fouryearsold.Sheneitherweptnorchangedherexpression.Shestoodup,leftthehospital,anddidnotreturn.
FiveweekslatertheGuardianshipAgencysummonedSalandertothefirstmeetingwithhernewguardian.Herinitialimpulsewastoignorethesummons,butPalmgrenhadimprintedinherconsciousnessthateveryactionhasitsconsequences.ShehadlearnedtoanalysetheconsequencesandsoshehadetotheconclusionthattheeasiestwayoutofthispresentdilemmawastosatisfytheGuardianshipAgencybybehavingasifshecaredaboutwhattheyhadtosay.
Thus,inDecember—takingabreakfromherresearchonMikaelBlomkvist—shearrivedatBjurman’sofficeonSt.Eriksplan,whereanelderlywomanrepresentingtheboardhadhandedoverSalander’sextensivefiletoAdvokatBjurman.ThewomanhadkindlyaskedSalanderhowthingsweregoing,andsheseemedsatisfiedwiththestifledsilenceshereceivedinreply.AfterabouthalfanhoursheleftSalanderinthecareofAdvokatBjurman.
SalanderdecidedthatshedidnotlikeAdvokatBjurman.Shestudiedhimfurtivelyashereadthroughhercase.Age:overfifty.Trimbody.TennisonTuesdaysandFridays.Blond.Thinninghair.Aslightcleftinhischin.HugoBossaftershave.Bluesuit.Redtiewithagoldtiepinandostentatiouscufflinkswithth