ntothekitchen.WhenshecamebackoutshehadtakenoffherleathersandsatdowninjeansandaT-shirtwiththesloganICANBEAREGULARBITCH.JUSTTRYME.
“Ithoughtyou’dbeinStockholmbynow,”hesaid.
“IturnedroundinUppsala.”
“Quitearide.”
“I’msore.”
“Whydidyouturnaround?”
Noanswer.Hewaitedheroutwhiletheydrankcoffee.Aftertenminutesshesaid,reluctantly,“Ilikeyourpany.”
Thosewerewordsthathadneverbeforepassedherlips.
“Itwas…interestingtoworkwithyouonthiscase.”
“Ienjoyedworkingwithyoutoo,”hesaid.
“Hmm.”
“Thefactis,I’veneverworkedwithsuchabrilliantresearcher.OK,Iknowyou’reahackerandhangoutinsuspectcirclesinwhichyoucansetupanillegalwiretapinLondonintwenty-fourhours,butyougetresults.”
Shelookedathimforthefirsttimesinceshehadsatatthetable.Heknewsomanyofhersecrets.
“That’sjusthowitis.Iknowputers.I’veneverhadaproblemwithreadingatextandabsorbingwhatitsaid.”
“Yourphotographicmemory,”hesaidsoftly.
“Iadmitit.Ijusthavenoideahowitworks.It’snotonlyputersandtelephoneworks,butthemotorinmybikeandTVsetsandvacuumcleanersandchemicalprocessesandformulaeinastrophysics.I’manutcase,Iadmitit:afreak.”
Blomkvistfrowned.Hesatquietlyforalongtime.
Asperger’ssyndrome,hethought.Orsomethinglikethat.Atalentforseeingpatternsandunderstandingabstractreasoningwhereotherpeopleperceiveonlywhitenoise.
Salanderwasstaringdownatthetable.
“Mostpeoplewouldgiveaneyetoothtohavesuchagift.”
“Idon’twanttotalkaboutit.”
“We’lldropit.Areyougladyoucameback?”
“Idon’tknow.Maybeitwasamistake.”
“Lisbeth,canyoudefihewordfriendshipforme?”
“It’swhenyoulikesomebody.”
“Sure,butwhatisitthatmakesyoulikesomebody?”
Sheshrugged.
“Friendship—mydefinition—isbuiltontwothings,”hesaid.“Respectandtrust.Bothelementshavetobethere.Andithastobemutual.Youcanhaverespectforsomeone,butifyoudon’thavetrust,thefriendshipwillcrumble.”
Shewasstillsilent.
“Iunderstandthatyoudon’twanttodi