.Shehadastubbornlookinhereyes.Therewasnotanounceofsympathyinit.
“Martinhadexactlythesameopportunityasanyoneelsetostrikeback.Hekilledandherapedbecausehelikeddoingit.”
“I’mnotsayingotherwise.ButMartinwasarepressedboyandundertheinfluenceofhisfather,justasGottfriedwascowedbyhisfather,theNazi.”
“Soyou’reassumingthatMartinhadnowillofhisownandthatpeoplebeewhateverthey’vebeenbroughtuptobe.”
Blomkvistsmiledcautiously.“Isthisasensitiveissue?”
Salander’seyesblazedwithfury.Blomkvistquicklywenton.
“I’monlysayingthatIthinkthataperson’supbringingdoesplayarole.Gottfried’sfatherbeathimmercilesslyforyears.Thatleavesitsmark.”
“Bullshit,”Salandersaidagain.“Gottfriedisn’ttheonlykidwhowasevermistreated.Thatdoesn’tgivehimtherighttomurderwomen.Hemadethatchoicehimself.AndthesameistrueofMartin.”
Blomkvisthelduphishand.
“Canwenotargue?”
“I’mnotarguing.Ijustthinkthatit’spatheticthatcreepsalwayshavetohavesomeoneelsetoblame.”
“Theyhaveapersonalresponsibility.We’llworkitalloutlater.WhatmattersisthatMartinwasseventeenwhenGottfrieddied,andhedidn’thaveanyooguidehim.Hetriedtocontinueinhisfather’sfootsteps.InFebruary1966,inUppsala.”
BlomkvistreachedforoneofSalander’scigarettes.
“Iwon’tspeculateaboutwhatimpulsesGottfriedwastryingtosatisfyorhowhehimselfinterpretedwhathewasdoing.There’ssomesortofBiblicalgibberishthatapsychiatristmightbeabletofigureout,somethingtodowithpunishmentandpurificationinafigurativesense.Itdoesn’tmatterwhatitwas.Hewasacutanddriedserialkiller.
“Gottfriedwantedtokillwomenandclothehisactionsinsomesortofpseudo-religiousclap-trap.Martindidn’tevenpretendtohaveanexcuse.Hewasanisedanddidhiskillingsystematically.Healsohadmoneytoputintohishobby.Andhewasshrewderthanhisfather.EverytimeGottfriedleftabodybehind,itledtoapoliceinvestigationandtheriskthatsomeonemighttrackhimdown,oratleastlinktogetherthevariousmurders.”
“MartinVangerbuilthishouseintheseventies,”Salandersaidpensively.
“Ith