hatsomehowImanagedtogetaway.Ijumpeddownfromtheloftandfled.IwasnakedandIranwithoutthinking,andendeduponthejettybythewater.Hecamestaggeringafterme.”
Blomkvistsuddenlywishedthatshewouldnottellhimanythingmore.
“Iwasstrongenoughtoshoveanolddrunkintothewater.Iusedanoartoholdhimunderuntilhewasn’tstrugglinganymore.Itdidn’ttakelong.”
Whenshestopped,thesilencewasdeafening.
“AndwhenIlookedup,therestoodMartin.Helookedterrified,butatthesametimehewasgrinning.Idon’tknowhowlonghewasoutsidethecabin,spyingonus.FromthatmomentIwasathismercy.Hecameuptome,grabbedmebythehair,andledmebacktothecabin—toGottfried’sbed.Hetiedmeupandrapedmewhileourfatherwasstillfloatinginthewater.AndIcouldn’tevenofferanyresistance.”
Blomkvistclosedhiseyes.HewasterriblyashamedandwishedthathehadleftHarrietVangerinpeace.Buthervoicehadtakenonanewforce.
“Fromthatdayon,Iwasinhispower.Ididwhathetoldmetodo.Ifeltparalysed,andtheonlythingthatsavedmysanitywasthatIsabella—ormaybeitwasUncleHenrik—decidedthatMartinneededachangeofsceneryafterhisfather’stragicdeath,soshesenthimtoUppsala.Ofcoursethiswasbecausesheknewwhathewasdoingtome,anditwasherwayofsolvingtheproblem.YoucanbetthatMartinwasdisappointed.DuringthenextyearhewashomeonlyfortheChristmasholiday.Imanagedtokeepawayfromhim.IwentwithHenrikonatriptoCopenhagenbetweenChristmasandNewYear’s.Andduringthesummerholiday,Anitawasthere.Iconfidedinher,andshestayedwithmethewholetime,makingsurethathedidn’tenearme.”
“UntilyousawhimonJ?rnv?gsgatan.”
“Iwastoldthathewouldn’tbeingtothefamilygathering,thathewasstayinginUppsala.Butobviouslyhechangedhismind,andsuddenlytherehewasontheothersideofthestreet,staringatme.Hesmiledatme.Itfeltlikeahideousdream.Ihadmurderedmyfather,andIrealisedthatIwouldneverbefreeofmybrother.Upuntilthen,Ihadthoughtaboutkillingmyself.Ichoseinsteadtoflee.”ShegaveBlomkvistwhatwasalmostalookofrelief.“Itfeelsfantastictotellthetruth.Sonowyouknow.”
CHAPTER27
Saturday,July26–Monday,July28
Blomkvistpic