ent.Ithasbroughtanenormouscrisisforthepanytoahead.”
“Icanunderstandthat.”
“Thereisnonaturalheir,butHarrietisstayinginHedestadforawhile.Thefamilywillworkoutwhoownswhat,howtheinheritanceistobedividedandsoon.Sheactuallyhasashareofitthatwouldhavebeenquitelargeifshehadbeenherethewholetime.It’sanightmare.”
Mikaellaughed.Frodewasnotlaughingatall.
“Isabellahadacollapseatthefuneral.She’sinthehospitalnow.Henriksayshewon’tvisither.”
“GoodforHenrik.”
“However,AnitaisingoverfromLondon.Iamtocallafamilymeetingfornextweek.Itwillbethefirsttimeintwenty-fiveyearsthatshe’sparticipated.”
“WhowillbethenewCEO?”
“Birgerisafterthejob,buthe’soutofthequestion.What’sgoingtohappenisthatHenrikwillstepinasCEOprotemfromhissickbeduntilwehireeithersomeonefromoutsideorsomeonefromwithinthefamily…”
Blomkvistraisedhiseyebrows.
“Harriet?Youcan’tbeserious.”
“Whynot?We’retalkingaboutanexceptionallypetentandrespectedbusinesswoman.”
“ShehasapanyinAustraliatolookafter.”
“True,buthersonJeffCochranismindingthestoreinherabsence.”
“He’sthestudsmanageronasheepranch.IfIunderstoodthemattercorrectly,heseestoitthatthecorrectsheepmatewitheachother.”
“HealsohasadegreeineconomicsfromOxfordandalawdegreefromMelbourne.”
Blomkvistthoughtaboutthesweaty,muscularmanwithhisshirtoffwhohaddrivenhimintoandthroughtheravine;hetriedtoimaginehiminapinstripesuit.Whynot?
“Allofthiswilltaketimetoworkout,”Frodesaid.“ButshewouldbeaperfectCEO.Withtherightsupportteamshecouldrepresentawholenewdealforthepany.”
“Shedoesn’thavetheexperience…”
“That’strue.Shecan’tjustpopupoutofmoreorlessnowhereandstartmicro-managingthepany.ButtheVangerCorporationisinternational,andwecouldcertainlyhaveanAmericanCEOwhodoesn’tspeakawordofSwedish…it’sonlybusiness,whenall’ssaidanddone.”
“Soonerorlateryou’regoingtohavetofaceuptotheproblemofMartin’sbasement.”
“Iknow.Butwecan’tsayanythingwithoutdestroyingHarriet…I’mgladI’mnotth