“Lisbeth,wehavetocallthepolice.”
“No,”sherepliedwithsuchvehemencethatBlomkvistopenedhiseyesinsurprise.“Ifyoucallthepolice,I’mleaving.Idon’twanttohaveanythingtodowiththem.MartinVangerisdead.Hediedinacaraident.Hewasaloneinthecar.Therearewitnesses.Letthepoliceorsomeoneelsediscoverthatfuckingtorturechamber.YouandIarejustasignorantaboutitsexistenceaseveryoneelseinthisvillage.”
“Why?”
Sheignoredhimandstartedmassaginghisachingthighs.
“Lisbeth,wecan’tjust…”
“Ifyougoonnagging,I’lldragyoubacktoMartin’sgrottoandchainyouupagain.”
Asshesaidthis,Blomkvistfellasleep,assuddenlyasifhehadfainted.
CHAPTER25
Saturday,July12–Monday,July14
Blomkvistwokewithastartat5:00inthemorning,scrabblingathisnecktogetridofthenoose.Salandercameinandtookholdofhishands,keepinghimstill.Heopenedhiseyesandlookedatherblearily.
“Ididn’tknowthatyouplayedgolf,”hesaid,closinghiseyesagain.Shesatwithhimforacoupleofminutesuntilshewassurehewasasleep.Whileheslept,SalanderhadgonebacktoMartinVanger’sbasementtoexamineandphotographthecrimescene.Inadditiontothetortureinstruments,shehadfoundacollectionofviolentpornographicmagazinesandalargenumberofPolaroidphotographspastedintoalbums.
Therewasnodiary.Ontheotherhand,shedidfindtwoA4binderswithpassportphotographsandhandwrittennotesaboutthewomen.SheputthebindersinanylonbagalongwithMartin’sDellPClaptop,whichshefoundonthehalltableupstairs.WhileBlomkvistsleptshecontinuedherexaminationofMartin’sputerandbinders.Itwasafter6:00bythetimesheturnedofftheputer.Shelitacigarette.
TogetherwithMikaelBlomkvistshehadtakenupthehuntforwhattheythoughtwasaserialkillerfromthepast.Theyhadfoundsomethingappallinglydifferent.ShecouldhardlyimagihehorrorsthatmusthaveplayedoutinMartinVanger’sbasement,inthemidstofthiswell-ordered,idyllicspot.
Shetriedtounderstand.
MartinVangerhadbeenkillingwomensincethesixties,duringthepastfifteenyearsoneortwovictimsperyear.Thekillinghadbeendonesodiscreetlyandwassowellplanned