udits.TheAmericanfirmwassolid,andabankinNewYorkservedasthebaseforallliquidcapital.Thestorywasinthebusinesswiththepost-office-boxpaniesinplacessuchasGibraltarandCyprusandMacao.Wennerstr?mwaslikeaclearinghousefortheillegalweaponstrade,moneylaunderingforsuspectenterprisesinColombia,andextremelyunorthodoxbusinessesinRussia.
AnanonymousaountintheCaymanIslandswasunique;itwaspersonallycontrolledbyWennerstr?mbutwasnotconnectedtoanypanies.AfewhundredthsofapercentofeverydealthatWennerstr?mmadewouldbesiphonedintotheCaymanIslandsviathepost-office-boxpanies.
Salanderworkedinatrance-likestate.Theaount—click—email—click—balancesheets—click.Shenoteddownthelatesttransfers.ShetrackedasmalltransactioninJapantoSingaporeandonviaLuxembourgtotheCaymanIslands.Sheunderstoodhowitworked.Itwasasifshewerepartoftheimpulsesincyberspace.Smallchanges.Thelatestemail.Onebriefmessageofsomewhatperipheralinterestwassentat10:00p.m.ThePGPencryptionprogrammewasajokeforanyonewhowasalreadyinsidehisputerandcouldreadthemessageinplaintext:
Bergerhasstoppedarguingabouttheads.Hasshegivenupordoesshehavesomethingcooking?Yoursourceattheeditorialofficesassuredusthattheywereonthebrinkofruin,butitsoundsasiftheyjusthiredanewperson.Findoutwhat’shappening.BlomkvisthasbeenworkingatSandhamnforthepastfewweeks,butno-oneknowswhathe’swriting.He’sbeenseenattheeditorialofficesthepastfewdays.Canyouarrangeforanadvancecopyofthenextissue?/HEW/
Nothingdramatic.Lethimworry.Yourgooseiscooked,oldman.
At5:30inthemorningsheturnedoffherputerandgotoutanewpackofcigarettes.Shehaddrunkfour,no,fiveCokesduringthenight,andnowshegotoutasixthandwenttositonthesofa.Shewaswearingonlyknickersandawashed-outcamouflageshirtadvertisingSoldierofFortunemagazine,withthesloganKILLTHEMALLANDLETGODSORTTHEMOUT.Sherealisedthatshewascold,soshereachedforablanket,whichshewrappedaroundherself.
Shefelthigh,asifshehadconsumedsomeinappropriateandpresumablyillegalsubstance.Shefocusedhergazeonthestreetlampoutsidethewindowandsatstill