sagangster.”
“Iknow.”
“No,Imean,Iknowthathe’sagangster.HeworkswitheverybodyfromtheRussianmafiatotheColombiandrugcartels.”
“Whatdoyoumean?”
“WhenIturnedinmyreporttoFrodehegavemeanextraassignment.Heaskedmetotrytofindoutwhatreallyhappenedatthetrial.IhadjuststartedworkingonitwhenhecalledArmanskyandcancelledthejob.”
“Iwonderwhy.”
“IassumethattheyscrappedtheinvestigationassoonasyouaeptedHenrikVanger’sassignment.Itwouldnolongerhavebeenofimmediateinterest.”
“And?”
“Well,Idon’tlikeleavingthingsunresolved.Ihadafewweeks…freelastspringwhenArmanskydidn’thaveanyjobsforme,soIdidsomediggingintoWennerstr?mforfun.”
BlomkvistsatupandturnedonthelampandlookedatSalander.Hemethereyes.Sheactuallylookedguilty.
“Didyoufindoutanything?”
“Ihavehisentireharddiskonmyputer.Youcanhaveasmuchproofasyouneedthathe’sagangster.”
CHAPTER28
Tuesday,July29–Friday,October24
BlomkvisthadbeenporingoverSalander’sputerprintoutsforthreedays—boxesfullofpapers.Theproblemwasthatthesubjectskeptchangingallthetime.AnoptiondealinLondon.AcurrencydealinParisthroughanagent.Apanywithapost-officeboxinGibraltar.AsuddendoublingoffundsinanaountattheChaseManhattanBankinNewYork.
Andthenallthosepuzzlingquestionmarks:atradingpanywith200,000kronorinanuntouchedaountregisteredfiveyearsearlierinSantiago,Chile—oneofnearlythirtysuchpaniesintwelvedifferentcountries—andnotahintofwhattypeofactivitywasinvolved.Adormantpany?Waitingforwhat?Afrontforsomeotherkindofactivity?TheputergavenoclueastowhatwasgoingoninWennerstr?m’smindorwhatmayhavebeenperfectlyobvioustohimandsowasneverformulatedinanelectronicdocument.
Salanderwaspersuadedthatmostofthesequestionswouldneverbeanswered.Theycouldseethemessage,butwithoutakeytheywouldneverbeabletointerpretthemeaning.Wennerstr?m’sempirewaslikeanonionfromwhichonelayerafteranothercouldberemoved;alabyrinthofenterprisesownedbyoneanother.panies,aounts,funds,securities.Theyreckonedthatnobody—perhapsnoteve