n’tyouclever?Yes,Iwasthere.Ionlywatched,butIwasthere.”
“1964.SaraWittinRonneby.”
“Iwassixteen.ItwasthefirsttimeIhadawoman.Myfathertaughtme.Iwastheonewhostrangledher.”
He’sbragging.GoodLord,whatarevoltinglysickfamily.
“Youcan’thaveanynotionofhowdementedthisis.”
“Youareaveryordinarylittleperson,Mikael.Youwouldnotbeabletounderstandthegodlikefeelingofhavingabsolutecontroloversomeone’slifeanddeath.”
“Youenjoytorturingandkillingwomen,Martin.”
“Idon’tthinksoreally.IfIdoanintellectualanalysisofmycondition,I’mmoreofaserialrapistthanaserialmurderer.Infact,mostofallI’maserialkidnapper.Thekillingisanaturalconsequence,sotospeak,becauseIhavetohidemycrime.
“Ofcoursemyactionsaren’tsociallyaeptable,butmycrimeisfirstandforemostacrimeagainsttheconventionsofsociety.Deathdoesn’teuntiltheendofmyguests’visitshere,afterI’vegrownwearyofthem.It’salwayssofascinatingtoseetheirdisappointment.”
“Disappointment?”
“Exactly.Disappointment.Theyimagihatiftheypleaseme,they’lllive.Theyadapttomyrules.Theystarttotrustmeanddevelopacertaincamaraderiewithme,hopingtotheveryendthatthiscamaraderiemeanssomething.Thedisappointmenteswhenitfinallydawnsonthemthatthey’vebeenwellandtrulyscrewed.”
Martinwalkedaroundthetableandleanedagainstthesteelcage.
“Youwithyourbourgeoisconventionswouldnevergraspthis,buttheexcitementesfromplanningakidnapping.They’renotdoneonimpulse—thosekindsofkidnappersinvariablygetcaught.It’sasciencewiththousandsofdetailsthatIhavetoweigh.Ihavetoidentifymyprey,mapoutherlife,whoisshe,wheredoessheefrom,howcanImakecontactwithher,whatdoIhavetodotobealonewithmypreywithoutrevealingmynameorhavingitturnupinanyfuturepoliceinvestigation?”
Shutup,forGod’ssake,Blomkvistthought.
“Areyoureallyinterestedinallthis,Mikael?”
HebentdownandstrokedBlomkvist’scheek.Thetouchwasalmosttender.
“Yourealisethatthiscanonlyendoneway?WillitbotheryouifIsmoke?”
“Youcouldoffermeacigarette,”hesaid.
Martinlit