ngitwhilehe’sstillalive.CouldyouputitintheletterboxatKonsumonyourwayhome?”
Blomkvistwasinbedbymidnight,buthecouldnotsleep.UntilnowhisworkonHedebyIslandhadseemedlikeresearchonahistoricalcuriosity.Butifsomeonewassufficientlyinterestedinwhathewasdoingtobreakintohisoffice,thenthesolutionhadtobeclosertothepresentthanhehadthought.
Thenitourredtohimthattherewereotherswhomightbeinterestedinwhathewasworkingon.Vanger’ssuddenappearanceontheboardofMillenniumhadnotgoneunnoticedbyWennerstr?m.Orwasthisparanoia?
Mikaelgotoutofbedandwenttostandnakedatthekitchenwindow,gazingatthechurchontheothersideofthebridge.Helitacigarette.
Hecouldn’tfigureoutLisbethSalander.Shewasaltogetherodd.Longpausesinthemiddleoftheconversation.Herapartmentwasmessy,borderingonchaotic.Bagsfilledwithnewspapersinthehall.Akitchenthathadnotbeencleanedortidiedinyears.Clotheswerescatteredinheapsonthefloor.Shehadobviouslyspenthalfthenightinabar.Shehadlovebitesonherneckandshehadclearlyhadpanyovernight.Shehadheavenknowshowmanytattoosandtwopiercingsonherfaceandmaybeinotherplaces.Shewasweird.
Armanskyassuredhimthatshewastheirverybestresearcher,andherreportonhimwasexcruciatinglythorough.Astrangegirl.
SalanderwassittingatherPower,butshewasthinkingaboutMikaelBlomkvist.Shehadneverinheradultlifeallowedanyoocrossherthresholdwithoutanexpressinvitation,andshecouldcountthoseshehadinvitedononehand.Blomkvisthadnonchalantlybargedintoherlife,andshehadutteredonlyafewlameprotests.
Notonlythat,hehadteasedher.
Undernormalcircumstancesthatsortofbehaviourwouldhavemadehermentallycockapistol.Butshehadnotfeltaniotaofthreatoranysortofhostilityfromhisside.Hehadgoodreasontoreadhertheriotact,evenreporthertothepolice.Insteadhehadtreatedevenherhackingintohisputerasajoke.
Thathadbeenthemostsensitivepartoftheirconversation.Blomkvistseemedtobedeliberatelynotbroachingthesubject,andfinallyshecouldnothelpaskingthequestion.
“YousaidthatyouknewwhatIdid.”
“You’vebeeninsidemyputer.Y