atrulyrealisticalternative.TheeasiestthingwouldbeforBjurmansimplytodisappearfromherlife.Aquickheartattack.Endofproblem.Thecatchwasthatnotevendisgustingfifty-three-year-oldmenhadheartattacksatherbeckandcall.
Butthatsortofthingcouldbearranged.
BlomkvistcarriedonhisaffairwithHeadmistressCeciliaVangerwiththegreatestdiscretion.Shehadthreerules:shedidn’twantanyooknowtheyweremeeting;shewantedhimtoeoveronlywhenshecalledandwasinthemood;andshedidn’twanthimtostayallnight.
Herpassionsurprisedandastonishedhim.WhenheranintoheratSusanne’s,shewasfriendlybutcoolanddistant.Whentheymetinherbedroom,shewaswildlypassionate.
Blomkvistdidnotwanttopryintoherpersonallife,buthehadbeenhiredtopryintothepersonallivesofeveryoneintheVangerfamily.Hefelttornandatthesametimecurious.OnedayheaskedVangerwhomshehadbeenmarriedtoandwhathadhappened.HeaskedthequestionwhiletheywerediscussingthebackgroundofAlexanderandBirger.
“Cecilia?Idon’tthinkshehadanythingtodowithHarriet.”
“Tellmeaboutherbackground.”
“Shemovedbackhereaftergraduatingandstartedworkingasateacher.ShemetamanbythenameofJerryKarlsson,whounfortunatelyworkedfortheVangerCorporation.Theymarried.Ithoughtthemarriagewasahappyone—anywayinthebeginning.ButafteracoupleofyearsIbegantoseethatthingswerenotastheyshouldbe.Hemistreatedher.Itwastheusualstory—hebeatherandsheloyallydefendedhim.Finallyhehitheroimetoomany.Shewasseriouslyhurtandendedupinthehospital.Iofferedmyhelp.ShemovedoutheretoHedebyIslandandhasrefusedtoseeherhusbandsince.Imadesurehewasfired.”
“Buttheyarestillmarried?”
“It’saquestionofhowyoudefineit.Idon’tknowwhyshehasn’tfiledfordivorce.Butshehasneverwantedtoremarry,soIsupposeithasn’tmadeanydifference.”
“ThisKarlsson,didhehaveanythingtodowith…”
“…withHarriet?No,hewasn’tinHedestadin1966,andhewasn’tyetworkingforthefirm.”
“OK.”
“Mikael,I’mfondofCecilia.Shecanbetrickytodealwith,butshe’soneofthegoodpeopleinmyfamily.”
SalanderdevotedaweektoplanningNilsBjurman