“Aboutaweek,”shesaid,smiling.
“IsChristerinagreement?”
“Ofcourse.”
“Whydidn’tyoutellme?”
“WhyintheworldshouldIdiscussitwithyou?Youresignedaspublisher,youlefttheeditorialstaffandtheboard,andyouwenttoliveinthewoods.”
“SoIdeservetobetreatedlikeanidiot.”
“Ohyes,”shesaid.“Decidedlyyoudo.”
“Youreallyhavebeenmadatme.”
“Mikael,I’veneverfeltsofurious,soabandoned,andsobetrayedaswhenyouleft.I’veneverbeenthisupsetwithyoubefore.”Shetookafirmgriponhishairandthenshovedhimfartherdowninthebed.
BythetimeBergerleftHedebyonSunday,BlomkvistwasstillsoannoyedwithVangerthathedidnotwanttoriskrunningintoeitherhimoranyothermemberofhisclan.Instead,onMondayhetookthebusintoHedestadandspenttheafternoonwalkinginthetown,visitingthelibrary,anddrinkingcoffeeinabakery.IntheeveninghewenttothecinematoseeTheLordoftheRings,whichhehadneverbeforehadtimetosee.Hethoughtthatorcs,unlikehumanbeings,weresimpleandunplicatedcreatures.
HeendedhisoutingatMcDonald’sinHedestadandcaughtthelastbustoHedeby.Hemadecoffee,tookoutabinder,andsatatthekitchentable.Hereaduntil4:00inthemorning.
TherewereanumberofquestionsregardingtheinvestigationthatseemedincreasinglyoddthefurtherBlomkvistwentthroughthedocuments.Theywerenotrevolutionarydiscoveriesthathemadeallonhisown;theywereproblemsthathadpreoupiedInspectorMorellforlongperiods,especiallyinhisfreetime.
Duringthelastyearofherlife,Harriethadchanged.Insomewaysthischangecouldbeexplainedasthechangethateveryonegoesthroughinoneformoranotherduringtheirteenageyears.Harrietwasgrowingup.Classmates,teachers,andseveralmembersofthefamily,however,alltestifiedthatshehadturnedinonherselfandbeeunmunicative.
Thegirlwho,twoyearsearlier,wasalivelyteenagerhadbeguntodistanceherselffromeveryonearoundher.Inschoolshestillspenttimewithherfriends,butnowshebehavedinan“impersonal”manner,asoneofherfriendsdescribedit.ThiswordwasunusualenoughforMorelltohavemadeanoteofitandthenaskmorequestions.Theexplanationhegotwa