mentheavoidedhergaze.Sheglancedathisneck.Shesawapaleredline,clearlydistinguishable.
“I’vebeenavoidingyou.It’saverylongstory,andI’mnotproudofmyroleinit.Butwe’lltalkaboutthatlater…NowIwanttointroduceyoutothisyoungwoman.Erika,thisisLisbethSalander.Lisbeth,ErikaBerger,editorinchiefofMillenniumandmybestfriend.”
SalanderstudiedBerger’selegantclothesandself-confidentmanneranddecidedaftertensecondsthatshewasmostlikelynotgoingtobeherbestfriend.
Theirmeetinglastedfivehours.Bergertwicemadecallstocancelothermeetings.ShespentanhourreadingpartsofthemanuscriptthatBlomkvistputinherhands.Shehadathousandquestionsbutrealisedthatitwouldtakeweeksbeforeshegotthemanswered.Theimportantthingwasthemanuscript,whichshefinallyputdown.Ifevenafractionoftheseclaimswereaurate,awholenewsituationhademerged.
BergerlookedatBlomkvist.Shehadneverdoubtedthathewasanhonestperson,butnowshefeltdizzyandwonderedwhethertheWennerstr?maffairhadbrokenhim—thatwhathehadbeenworkingonwasallafigmentofhisimagination.Blomkvistwasatthatmomentunpackingtwoboxesofprinted-outsourcematerial.Bergerblanched.Shewanted,ofcourse,toknowhowithadeintohispossession.
Ittookawhiletoconvinceherthatthisoddgirl,whohadsaidnotonewordduringthemeeting,hadunlimitedaesstoWennerstr?m’sputer.Andnotjusthis—shehadalsohackedintotheputersofseveralofhislawyersandcloseassociates.
Berge