for a newspaper that can??t add a job to its sports desk.T.

but not a paranoid sociopath
but not a paranoid sociopath. I didn??t make all this mess. This recurred at around 3.?? ??Have you seen him??? ??Yes. ??As the situation stands. He scanned every face of every person standing or walking near the Ring. but he was starting to get a line on how the letters should be expressed. finally. Blomkvist could tell that Ekstr?m??s search for Niedermann was making no headway.?? ??We want to know your publication date. Alias Falun. Take a taxi. Even though he had lived there for large parts of his working life. He did not exist in any register or in any public document. She could tell from Salander??s reaction that something deadly was in the offing. Say for tonight. They??re sitting in the Tre Remmare pub on Vasagatan by the stairs down to the Akalla line. He showed Blomkvist the photograph of Evert Gullberg with Colonel Wennerstr?m. for God??s sake. Someone. He honestly did not give a damn about the man. listened in vain to a vast number of calls to and from police headquarters and the surrounding buildings.?? Ekstr?m flinched at the mention of the name Blomkvist.

?? Nystr?m leafed through his notes.?? ??Take your time. Quite elderly for a murderer. Then he said hello to Salander and asked her how she was feeling. Write it whenever you like. also a hacker. Is making coffee part of Milton??s service agreement??? He gave her a polite smile. He feels no pain. So when I finished school I studied to be a welder and I even worked as one for several years. But I may stumble a bit before I really get going. Gullberg had worked in Counter-Espionage. I can??t find Zalachenko in any public register.?? ??Is there any desk or ???? ??He seems to work at the kitchen table or sitting on the living-room sofa ?? wait. ??I??m a little miffed at my brother.P.?? Salander looked to be not particularly bothered by either the fever or the headache. But when it comes to policy he??s going to have to toe the line. but she still worked out obsessively at the gym five nights a week. But among the notes Blomkvist found several cryptic sentences. Well. much less drive safely for any distance. Frank. piecing together what had happened overnight.

?? She expected him to get up and say he would come back in a few days. She was imprisoned. She was feeling guilty because she had not contacted Blomkvist even once since the day she had walked into S. The two men discovered that they liked each other a good deal.?? ??Sounds good. Then F?lldin was re-elected and our meetings were resumed. Then she turned directly to the head of the Violent Crimes Division.?? ??Congrats. She was the one who got in touch with us after Lisbeth??s unexpected visit. He used clamps to secure the opening. ??You were lucky. unfortunately. then she wanted to face it first before anyone else got wind of it. Blomkvist assumed it was Figuerola herself. ??Here we are again. She saw to her dismay that it was just after 4. He??s out repairing the roof of the cabin. When her lawyer spoke to her she had listened with only half an ear. ??Salander is still suspected of G.000 kronor stashed in this cabinet. You are going to have some painful times ahead while your body heals. The Salander investigation is fake.50.

V. At 4. Gullberg and H. But the living-room window was so big that they did not have the glass in stock.?? Edklinth frowned.?? ??In what way??? ??Faste appears to have become obsessed by one newspaper story about a lesbian Satanist gang. But what did they do with him? Somebody must have made the decision. There had to be a group ?? a division or unit of some sort.?? Blomkvist said and sat up straight in his chair. Suddenly Borgsj? smiled. but she already knew it would be impossible to explain this away. Do you have any idea where he might hide??? ??I am not aware of the circles he moves in. But G?ransson and his girlfriend were murdered late on the night of April 9. Ingvar Carlsson had been Prime Minister at the time. listening.?? ??And if you did that. She glanced at Blomkvist. Jonasson picked up the telephone. He then described Zalachenko??s new identity and his criminal operations. As we know. Why should it cost 10. Out of this somewhat esoteric bureaucratic debate. room fourteen according to Jonas Sandberg.

and Salander would be buried in a hole in the ground. ??He??s got a gun. Blomkvist concluded that he was under surveillance. But every time she had decided to sleep at Blomkvist??s. She had brought a book with her.?? ??I need you. and she has to live with that.?? ??That??s no excuse. was a brand-new form of bandage. One quick look around told him that they were there too late. She took out the Palm and connected to the Net. the assistant editor. migraines. You can bill us for five days. I don??t want to turn it over to Annika without your approval. A detective named Hans Faste from Stockholm. was born in Dalarna to a family that had lived in Sweden at least since the time of Gustavus Vasa in the sixteenth century.. ??Why should that be a problem??? Eriksson said. thin girl had the physical strength for this sort of violent criminality. The ambassador finally relented and agreed to meet him at 10. He seems to be responsible for much of the mess tonight. You??re sitting here in the dark looking glum.

?? ??On the other hand I??m afraid that if I don??t do something.?? the Minister of Justice said. Fredriksson looked up from his desk and she waved him in. 17. opened the door of his summer house in Sm?dalar? and looked up at a powerfully built. born in 1917. The incident in Stallarholmen was connected with the discoveries at Nykvarn. She sounded surprised. Lundin.?? ??Well.?? he said. Giannini had only been there for a few minutes.000 kronor. In the long term there was another worry. ??I thought you were a health-food fanatic.00??? ??That??ll be fine.?? ??Unhappily.C. rather idealistically. Gullberg was the chief. but heard nothing. ??Do you have any pain or discomfort in the shoulder??? She shook her head. I was supposed to take over from him in two months.

He should never have been allowed to have anything to do with Zalachenko. and about evaluating the political suitability of individuals in sensitive positions. ??I??m sorry. I can take you all down.?? It was fascinating that despite the collegial atmosphere they had shared for so many years at the Section. It had been Plague??s contacts on the Net who had provided her with a Norwegian passport in the name of Irene Nesser. ??I assume that this is bound to leak to the media. I told you that you would have to handle him like a live grenade. with whom?; three. personnel department that he was employed there.?? He scrubbed her back and soaped her shoulders.?? ??Next.?? he said. It simply could not have been the government.?? ??That is grossly unfair. do it.I. She wondered whether she ought to go into the city to spend the night at a hotel.?? Nieminen shut his eyes for ten full seconds.?? Baksi spoke for a short while before he hung up. She wanted to leap up and follow him.?? or ??Salander??. No matter what.

?? ??And if Ekstr?m is worried.P. It was nothing to him if people wanted to dress up in costume. and now his hand rested on the trousers that he had dropped on the floor next to the bench.?? said Ekstr?m. on Monday Blomkvist closed the lid on his iBook and got up from the kitchen table in his apartment on Bellmansgatan. But he did call Erika Berger on his mobile and told her the situation. what would you do??? ??I??d shut my eyes. Actually. stretches and sit-ups on the recommendation of her physiotherapist. Constitutional Protection. ??Sure. She had received nine emails. I know that you??ve worked together for twenty years or so and you??ve had your ups and downs.?? Blomkvist said. Classify TOP SECRET. to give a second example.?? ??Let him interrogate me. ??I haven??t got my bearings yet. the man who murdered your officer tonight. I don??t think I need to remind you who I am. Her second check was to consult a media archive. Which was entirely correct on his part.

but we??re going to have to act fast so that we don??t squander the opportunity. He had no will to react when calmly they took him in a firm grip under both arms. It??s the only way to explain the tapped telephones. Bublanski still had the report.?? ??Did you get the sense that he knew you or perhaps recognized you??? ??No. a father. ??Second. but it will take only a minute of your time.?? ??So I do need to visit her to do a first-hand evaluation of her condition.30 p. But Magge is in deep shit.?? Salander studied her for a long moment. I was born on 30 April 1978. has developed its own text editing system. the latest model would cost about one. Jonasson had no idea whether she was guilty or innocent. He did meet with the fair-haired man. Just like Berger. Gullberg would come back again and again to that list. The arrow went straight through her brain.?? Edklinth said. ??Dragan ?? this isn??t a practical joke??? ??I wish it were.?? ??The police suspect that I am involved.

You can give me hell tonight. but he??s bound to say that he was doing target practice two days ago. was dissolved. let alone both of them. But she could not remember what it was. I was told that we would have to wait until after the next election. Why don??t you reply? Don??t be afraid of me. said. but they never argued either. Gullberg sat down next to Clinton when their meeting was over. She did not even know if his mobile worked in other countries. Francke. He called Figuerola.?? Blomkvist said. ??Has something happened??? ??Something is happening right now. Blomkvist was the only one absent from the meeting. he received help from your family until he was granted a residency permit. It was supposed to be left on for a few more days until the wound in her head began to heal.7 million kronor for a staff of ninety-six people. there was a downpour. It??s cheap and far below what I would charge if I took the job for Milton. It was 7.?? ??Presumably in normal circumstances you would be doing everything you could to keep journalists away from a meeting like this.

When the hook came out and his body fell. He saw immediately the need to create a new structure around the defector. In a broader sense. Swedish democracy is based on a single premise: the Right to Free Speech (R. ??That??s possible. To cancel it you??ll have to give a password that will be registered with us. Monica pondered this turn of events for a few seconds. Then they go back to their regular jobs in S. through her report. walk the fifteen metres to Frisk??s desk. which was a factor since he was paying for the journey himself. What do you want us to do??? Cortez said. shook his head. Dragan Armansky. You were the one who called the paramedics. She started by checking whether Fleming was online and at work. The woman turned the corner at McDonald??s and Figuerola hurried after her.I. and apparently the media had taken him for an innocent victim. ??Erika. He came back with sushi and light beer and passed the food around the conference table. So ?? two emails with the word ??whore?? and a phoney sender from the world of mass media.?? ??He succeeded in getting a policeman killed tonight.

Two are in Syria and my little sister is in Madrid. We??ll take care of Giannini??s and the Millennium office telephones today. Blomkvist supposed that she had not planned to come back. Salander lapsed into such inexhaustible silence that it seemed she might never utter a word again. now retrained as a locksmith. With such cretinous leadership it was no wonder that scandals occurred. They were southern European.?? ??Interesting thought. You??ve had an operation and you??re in the intensive care unit. Her clinical status also includes periods of manic depression and she lacks empathy.M. And it was even more sensible of you to carry your client to the bathroom. ??Before we begin to discuss anything. It was a young blond man who was usually there two or three days a week. Berger had expected the ??Poison Pen?? to strike. disappeared. A promise he kept for more than six months before he turned up at Agneta Sofia Salander??s place and beat her so savagely that she ended up in a nursing home where she would be for the rest of her life. She forced herself to relax. Then she got a bedpan.?? ??It??s about Lisbeth Salander??s future and wellbeing. and Blomkvist heard the inspector report over his radio that Salander had evidently attempted to kill yet another person.?? Sonny froze. But both of them were part of the circle closest to Zalachenko.

I saw him in a press conference on T.?? ??So I start by getting the person who recruited me fired. for G. It was 2. and two officers whose job it was to compile and analyse any intelligence information that Zalachenko might contribute. Blomkvist went straight to the dining car and ordered more coffee and sandwiches. possibly three. One of Erlander??s colleagues joined them with an update on the hunt for Niedermann. nothing yet. It took her 17 steps to reach the room. In the event. By any interpretation that would be attempted murder. 3. she was a psychopathic mass murderer.?? Giannini was both tired and irritated on Wednesday evening as she boarded the X2000 at G?teborg Central Station. The shard of glass had penetrated so deeply that the bleeding would not stop.?? ??Or else she shot him in the foot out of sheer sadism. something that was not right.?? Edklinth said.?? She poked him in the stomach. and he had never been in prison. No notes were taken at the meeting.P.

Then he gently raised her shoulder and located the entry wound in her back. ??Last night he also murdered a police officer from Trollh?ttan. with a mandate to see to it that authorities do not ride roughshod over the democratic process. Figuerola. She had mixed feelings.?? ??Did you write a report??? ??No. said. Morander put a great deal of trust in you. Besides.?? Modig cocked her head to one side. As soon as he closed the door Figuerola was on her feet and back out on Kungsgatan. She had reported the matter to the head of her party. whether I could bring her books of any sort. I have all the documentation.?? ??Lisbeth Salander has become a government matter. Vinge (Wahlstr?m & Widstrand. she needs this. There was no exit wound: the round was still inside her shoulder.?? ??It is.C. He got abuse from five directions at once. five times before he was still.?? ??Fair enough.

At the age of forty Gullberg consequently found himself in a situation where he did not have to explain his actions to any living soul and could initiate investigations of anyone he chose. But she was an oddly resourceful young woman. She stood up. With the authorization from the highest level. If people in government are mixed up in this. And when it came down to it. He pushed away the sheet of paper with the nine succinct points that Berger had presented at the weekly meeting of the budget committee. Edklinth had probably meant for her to serve the coffee.?? ??And she lived to tell the tale??? ??Obviously her condition was critical. We??ve reorganized.?? Blomkvist said in a tone that indicated he had scant trust in the Prime Minister??s assurances.I. G?tgatan was full of life at all hours of the day and night. This Amazon reign was a gynaecocracy. where he asked to used the fax machine. I??m looking for Fredrik Clinton. nor could she see him in the newsroom. He checked that nobody else was in the corridor. But Jonasson had never before had a patient with a bullet in her skull. She assumed that he would be in the restaurant car and that is where she found him. and access to cutting-edge technology in I. and thereby hope to persuade him to resign before the story was published. he??s the link to the past.

?? ??And you were the one who operated to remove the bullet??? ??That??s right. She said that she wanted to have a complete alarm package installed the next morning. Blomkvist??s problem was that the account still had gaping holes in it. so you could let me have the opportunity to visit her on medical grounds. But I can see to it that you get a nicotine patch or some gum. I??m a workout fanatic. or who he might go to for protection.?? She felt someone touch her forehead and tried to brush away the intrusive hand. He carefully closed the door.T.m. But I want to play it safe. He turned left on to Tavastgatan at the Bishop??s Arms pub and parked at the corner. Unfortunately. but she read through it again anyway.M.?? Edklinth said. I can??t recall having any discussion about it at the two o??clock meeting. Jan. ??But we have other urgent problems. he shouldn??t have had a clue that she was Zalachenko??s daughter; it??s not in any public records. When she left her office she locked the door. With the possible exception of President Nixon??s lunatic break-in at Watergate.

to get up. Millennium was going to publish the story.?? Figuerola said.?? She smiled sweetly. in other words.?? ??So. Power Struggle for S?po by Erik Magnusson.?? ??And what the fuck would that be? We??re the ones who took the job for the sake of the club. * Holmberg parked his father??s Ford in the drive of former Prime Minister Thorbj?rn F?lldin??s house in ?s just outside Ramvik in H?rn?sand county. which was even now disappearing over the treetops in the direction of G?teborg. puzzled. She opened her handbag and unfolded a map of Stockholm which she placed on the passenger seat. But I do know that no psychiatric evaluations have been done. because pain flew through her left shoulder. and put her through. ??Come in. ??It??s a shame that you should be having this setback when you??ve been recovering so well over the past few weeks. The difference is that it locks automatically when you close it.?? ??I??m on my way.?? Cortez said. The activity may for all I know be legitimate and sanctioned by the government.?? ??Aren??t there any positive aspects??? ??Of course there are.??? ??Are you bullshitting me??? Ellis had lived in Sweden for many years and was fluent in Swedish ?C albeit with an American accent ?C but when Jonasson spoke to him in Swedish.

You??re all members. but she steadied herself against the bedhead and concentrated her gaze on the table in front of her. Yet it was not a particularly good place because any alert observer would see her in her car. As far as I understand it. She then saw that the woman with the camera had stopped filming and was heading past the Laurinska building in her direction. never alone. They went straight to the front desk. of which the first concerns the skills he discovered in Hedestad. This Amazon reign was a gynaecocracy. I??m looking for Fredrik Clinton. and to have the strength to get up and finish the job once and for all. Presumably the reduced frequency of the nurse??s visits meant that the doctors had decided her condition had improved; over the weekend the nurses had checked on her at least once every fifteen minutes. Blomkvist concluded that he was under surveillance. Blomkvist would have to be a witness for the prosecution. ??I??m going to Kungsholmen now. have already done me in. When Andersson had left for the day. I??ll be O. But there??s a total of thirty-one employees of the Section within S. Then.I. ??And what are you going to do with that? Shoot me? You??ll spend the rest of your miserable life in prison. Who else but S?po would have taken charge of him? Then the question of a co-ordinated strategy to get Salander locked away in an institution.

Gullberg hesitated. the court will appoint a defence lawyer on your behalf. ??I think we??ll hold off on the press conference for the time being.?? There was absolute silence in the room.?? ??That??s the story I??m going to publish. Paolo Roberto got it through a boxing club in Germany. She went around the car and got into the driver??s seat. ??Goddamnit. The media and the public assumed for the most part that the main function of the Constitutional Protection Unit was to keep track of Nazis and militant vegans. with an address near Norrtull in Stockholm. Yet it was not a particularly good place because any alert observer would see her in her car. She tired easily and her left shoulder was tight and hurt at the very least effort.?? ??I know. Was he alive or dead? She could not clearly remember what had happened with Niedermann. ??Forget the bodies. He spoke with a thick accent. If we don??t lift all the copies simultaneously. The only thing he seemed capable of grasping was that the badly damaged girl being cared for by the medics on the floor next to the kitchen bench was the triple murderer Lisbeth Salander. so it was not easy to prove that his work was a fabrication.?? ??I see.?? Clinton waited. now a well-known psychiatrist often seen on T. At the same time he was supposed to keep his eyes peeled for anyone who might follow Blomkvist.

he would not have given the car a second glance. May I come in??? Holmberg sat at the kitchen table while F?lldin poured them some coffee.?? ??Who are they??? ??Lindstr?m on the second floor. We??ve been friends so long ?C nothing can destroy that.?? Ekstr?m nodded. come what may. ??Borgsj? is coming in this afternoon and wants a meeting with you.?? ??Listen.?? Blomkvist told her the details of the story that Cortez had compiled. First of all. Now Annika. ??So that??s our strategy??? ??Herr Zalachenko. ??Erika hasn??t altogether left here. I??ll let you know. Bj?rck was the key; he had been one of the people who handled Zalachenko.I. ??Even though crucial evidence is lacking. I??ve had cameras installed to record what happens when I??m not home. ??And you have seen her only for a short period when she has been forced to be passive because of her injuries. When. and her job included tracking violence against persons born abroad to decide whether or not the crime was racially motivated. he had joined the navy.?? Berger said.

At first she said no.?? ??Precisely.?? ??But Blomkvist managed to overpower Niedermann all by himself.?? Blomkvist said. or whether she was off her rocker or why the police kept her locked up. What??s going on??? ??He??s working in G?teborg.?? ??It seems to be a modest group. if I??ve understood correctly. You know I??m not a criminal lawyer.??? ??Are you bullshitting me??? Ellis had lived in Sweden for many years and was fluent in Swedish ?C albeit with an American accent ?C but when Jonasson spoke to him in Swedish. At first she said no. (No. Nils Bjurman. exposed Wennerstr?m and eventually got him a life sentence for treason at L?ngholmen prison. 9. That was when he started making calls and decided it was time to go to Stockholm. Hello. He??s a very approachable person.?? ??Berger. He had no knowledge of the circles Niedermann moved in. is Bjurman.?? Gullberg put his briefcase on to his lap. It was Fredrik Malmberg from the investigative team.

M. But no amount of speculating could change the fact that the crime scene investigation offered no grain of support to the theory that a third party had helped Bj?rck on his way. and then he went to a pharmacy to buy a toothbrush and other toiletries. and large parts of it will seem preposterous. He listened at the door.S. She heard footsteps outside the door and saw a nurse open it to admit a woman wearing black trousers.?? ??That??s rubbish. Where is everybody??? Waltari told him where the other five members of Svavelsj? M. Zalachenko was a Soviet defector.?? Blomkvist hesitated before he said: ??Can I trust you??? ??How do you mean exactly??? ??Are you on Salander??s side or not? Can I believe that you want the best for her??? ??I??m her friend. For three years after his nineteenth birthday he had worked as an engineer for British Telecom. He picked up the telephone and called Martina Karlgren.?? ??When they leave the pub.00 on Saturday morning to the ringing of his telephone.S.M. She had told Giannini everything that had happened in Gosseberga. but Asperger??s patients do not generally set fire to their parents. the country might survive.?? ??But the officers who??ve read Bj?rck??s report are a big problem. but he claims it was in self-defence.A.

She had no criminal record. but you??ve given your word not to take any initiatives that could interfere with the investigation. She poured black coffee into a paper cup and ate a lettuce and cheese baguette. but now they??re working for us. I have to have you.?? Erlander said.S.?? ??But now we??re getting a little too close to poaching on S?po??s preserves. PART III DISK CRASH 27. I spoke to Margareta and she said that she clearly explained to you what her interview was going to focus on. Fredrik Clinton. I would never. they??re given a leave of absence for a time to go to our school. He had the authority to make it happen. WHORE! THE SOONER YOU DISAPPEAR THE BETTER. hangs himself. ??Yes. What you call the Zalachenko club cannot exist without the support of key people in this building.O. He??s a tough old boy. Everything she had written was true. which is utter insanity for a newspaper that can??t add a job to its sports desk.T.