“I’dliketodiscussitovercoffee.Rightnow.”
TheymetatKaffebaronHornsgatan.SalanderlookedsoseriouswhenBlomkvistsatdownonthebenchnexttoherthathefeltapangofconcern.Asusual,shecamestraighttothepoint.
“Ineedtoborrowsomemoney.”
Blomkvistgaveheroneofhismostfoolishgrinsandreachedforhiswallet.
“Sure.Howmuch?”
“120,000kronor.”
“Steady,steady.”Heputhiswalletaway.
“I’mnotkidding.Ineedtoborrow120,000kronorfor…let’ssaysixweeks.Ihaveachancetomakeaninvestment,butIdon’thaveanyoneelsetoturnto.You’vegotroughly140,000kronorinyourcurrentaountrightnow.You’llgetyourmoneyback.”
NopointmentingonthefactthatSalanderhadhackedhisbankpassword.
“Youdon’thavetoborrowthemoneyfromme,”hereplied.“Wehaven’tdiscussedyourshareyet,butit’smorethanenoughtocoverwhatyouwanttoborrow.”
“Myshare?”
“Lisbeth,IhaveaninsanefeetocashinfromHenrikVanger,andwe’regoingtofinalisethedealattheendoftheyear.Withoutyou,therewouldn’tbeameandMillenniumwouldhavegoneunder.I’mplanningtosplitthefeewithyou.Fifty-fifty.”
Salandergavehimasearchinglook.Afrownhadappearedonherbrow.Blomkvistwasusedtohersilences.Finallysheshookherhead.
“Idon’twantyourmoney.”
“But…”
“Idon’twantonesinglekronafromyou,unlessitesintheformofpresentsonmybirthday.”
“etothinkofit,Idon’tevenknowwhenyourbirthdayis.”
“You’reajournalist.Checkitout.”
“I’mserious,Lisbeth.Aboutsplittingthemoney.”
“I’mserioustoo.Ionlywanttoborrowit,andIneedittomorrow.”
Shedidn’tevenaskhowmuchhersharewouldbe.“I’llbehappytogotothebankwithyoutodayandlendyoutheamountyouneed.Butattheendoftheyearlet’shaveanothertalkaboutyourshare.”Hehelduphishand.“Andbytheway,whenisyourbirthday?”
“OnWalpurgisNight,”shereplied.“Veryfitting,don’tyouthink?That’swhenIgadaroundwithabroombetweenmylegs.”
ShelandedinZürichat7:30intheeveningandtookataxitotheMatterhornHotel.ShehadedaroomunderthenameofIreneNesser,andsheidentifiedherselfusingaNorwegianpassportinthatname.Ire