enshelaughedoutloud.
Armanskyhadneveronceheardherlaughbefore,andforyearshehadbeentryingtowinhertrust.Blomkvisthadknownherforfiveminutesandshewaspracticallygigglingwithhim.HefeltsuchaloathingforBlomkvistatthatmomentthathesurprisedhimself.Heclearedhisthroatashestoodinthedoorwayandputdownthefolderwiththecontract.
BlomkvistpaidaquickvisittotheMillenniumofficeintheafternoon.Itwashisfirsttimeback.Itfeltveryoddtoberunningupthosefamiliarstairs.Theyhadnotchangedthecodeonthedoor,andhewasabletoslipinunnoticedandstandforamoment,lookingaround.
Millennium’sofficeswerearrangedinanLshape.Theentrywasahallthattookupalotofspacewithoutbeingabletobeputtomuchuse.Thereweretwosofasthere,soitwasbywayofbeingareceptionarea.Beyondwasalunchroomkitchete,thencloakroom/toilets,andtwostorageroomswithshelvesandfilingcabis.Therewasalsoadeskforanintern.TotherightoftheentrywastheglasswallofMalm’sstudio,whichtookupabout500squarefeet,withitsownentrancefromthelanding.Totheleftwastheeditorialoffice,enpassingabout350squarefeet,withthewindowsfacingG?tgatan.
Bergerhaddesignedeverything,puttinginglasspartitionstomakeseparatequartersforthreeoftheemployeesandanopenplanfortheothers.Shehadtakenthelargestroomattheverybackforherself,andgivenBlomkvisthisownroomattheoppositeend.Itwastheonlyroomthatyoucouldlookintofromtheentry.No-onehadmovedintoit,itseemed.
Thethirdroomwasslightlyapartfromtheothers,anditwasoupiedbySonnyMagnusson,whohadbeenforseveralyearsMillennium’smostsuessfuladvertisingsalesman.Bergerhadhandpickedhim;sheofferedhimamodestsalaryandamission.Overthepastyear,ithadnotmadeanydifferencehowenergetichewasasasalesman,theiradvertisinginehadtakenabeatingandMagnusson’sinewithit.Butinsteadoflookingelsewhere,hehadtightenedhisbeltandloyallystayedput.Unlikeme,whocausedthewholelandslide,Blomkvistthought.
Hegatheredhiscourageandwalkedintotheoffice.Itwasalmostdeserted.HecouldseeBergeratherdesk,telephonepressedtoherear.MonikaNilssonwasatherdesk,anexperiencedgeneralreporterspeciali