nyproblemworkingwithyou,butIwillhaveahellofaproblemwithyouifyoukickmeout.”
“Butwehardlyknoweachother.”
Shelaughed,anabruptlaughthatsoundedalmostlikeacough.
“You’veneverletanythinglikethatstandinyourwaybefore.Infact,asIdidn’tsayinmybackgroundreport,you’reoneoftheseguyswhocan’tkeephishandsoffwomen.Sowhat’swrong?Aren’tIsexyenoughforyou?”
Blomkvistshookhisheadandtriedtothinkofsomethingclevertosay.Whenhecouldn’tshepulledthesheetoffhimandsatastridehim.
“Idon’thaveanycondoms,”hesaid.
“Screwit.”
Whenhewokeup,heheardherinthekitchen.Itwasnotyet7:00.Hemayonlyhavesleptfortwohours,andhestayedinbed,dozing.
Thiswomanbaffledhim.Atabsolutelynopointhadsheevenwithaglanceindicatedthatshewastheleastbitinterestedinhim.
“Goodmorning,”shesaidfromthedoorway.Sheevenhadthehintofasmile.
“Hi.”
“Weareoutofmilk.I’llgotothepetrolstation.Theyopenatseven.”Andshewasgone.
Heheardhergooutofthefrontdoor.Heshuthiseyes.Thenheheardthefrontdooropenagainandsecondslatershewasbackinthedoorway.Thistimeshewasnotsmiling.
“You’dbettereandlookatthis,”shesaidinastrangevoice.
Blomkvistwasonhisfeetatonceandpulledonhisjeans.
Duringthenightsomeonehadbeentothecottagewithanunwelepresent.Ontheporchlaythehalf-charredcorpseofacat.Thecat’slegsandheadhadbeencutoff,thenthebodyhadbeenflayedandthegutsandstomachremoved,flungnexttothecorpse,whichseemedtohavebeenroastedoverafire.Thecat’sheadwasintact,onthesaddleofSalander’smotorcycle.Herecognisedthereddish-brownfur.
CHAPTER22
Thursday,July10
Theyatebreakfastinthegardeninsilenceandwithoutmilkintheircoffee.SalanderhadtakenoutaCanondigitalcameraandphotographedthemacabretableaubeforeBlomkvistgotarubbishsackandcleaneditaway.HeputthecatinthebootoftheVolvo.Heoughttofileapolicereportforanimalcruelty,possiblyintimidation,buthedidnotthinkhewouldwanttoexplainwhytheintimidationhadtakenplace.
At8:30IsabellaVangerwalkedpastandontothebridge.Shedidnotseethemoratleastp