up.AreyousayingthatnopublicationinSwedenthathassignificanteconomicinterestsbehinditiscredible?”
“No,ofcoursenot.”
“ThenwhyareyouinsinuatingthatMillennium’scredibilitywouldbediminishedbecausewealsohavebackers?”
Thereporterhelduphishand.
“OK,I’llretractthatquestion.”
“No.Don’tdothat.IwantyoutoprintexactlywhatIsaid.AndyoucanaddthatifDNpromisestofocusalittleextraontheVangerCorporation,thenwe’llfocusalittlemoreontheBonnierGroup.”
Butitwasahicaldilemma.
BlomkvistwasworkingforHenrikVanger,whowasinapositiontosinkMillenniumwiththestrokeofapen.WhatwouldhappenifBlomkvistandVangerbecameenemies?
Andaboveall—whatpricedidsheputonherowncredibility,andwhenhadshebeentransformedfromanindependenteditorintoacorruptedone?
SalanderclosedherbrowserandshutdownherPower.Shewasoutofworkandhungry.Thefirstconditiondidnotworryhersomuch,sinceshehadregainedcontroloverherbankaountandBjurmanhadalreadytakenonthestatusofavagueunpleasantnessinherpast.Thehungershedealtwithbyswitchingonthecoffeemaker.Shemadethreebigopenrye-breadsandwicheswithcheese,caviar,andahard-boiledegg.Sheatehernighttimesnacksonthesofainthelivingroomwhilesheworkedonthermationshehadgathered.
ThelawyerFrodefromHedestadhadhiredhertodoaninvestigationofMikaelBlomkvist,thejournalistwhowasgivenaprisonsentenceforlibellingfinancierHans-ErikWennerstr?m.AfewmonthslaterHenrikVanger,alsofromHedestad,joinsBlomkvist’smagazine’sboardofdirectorsandclaimsthatthereisaconspiracytocrushthemagazine.Allthisonthesamedaythattheformergoestoprison.Mostfascinatingofall:atwo-year-oldbackgroundarticle—“Withtwoemptyhands”—aboutHans-ErikWennerstr?m,whichshefoundintheonlineeditionofMonopolyFinancialMagazine.ItseemedthathebeganhiscareerintheverysameVangerCorporationinthelatesixties.
Youdidn’thavetobearocketscientisttoseethattheseeventsweresomehowrelated.Therehadtobeaskeletoninoneoftheircupboards,andSalanderlovedhuntingskeletons.Besides,shehadnothingelseonatthemoment.
PART3
Merg