Johansson. Both he and Nieminen acted so threateningly that I had no choice but to resort to my right of self-defence.

M
M. And thank God nobody yet knew that he was her brother. when he needed to restructure certain funds connected to a small financial firm that he owned in Liechtenstein. ??I tried to reach you earlier this week. Figuerola nodded and thought for a few seconds. a 26-year-old temp on the culture pages.?? Modig said. For a second he held his breath when the pilot seemed to have difficulty controlling the aircraft.?? ??Could he have recognized you from the papers? You??ve had a lot of publicity over several widely reported cases.?? He paused for a moment. He ordered a cup of black coffee and sat at a corner table near the entrance. so I??ll stay out of it. She had no idea where he was giving the lectures. The truth is that right now everything is a little confused. ??I was wondering when one of you was going to show up.?? He waved his hand. The Salander case demonstrated that something was out of joint inside the organization. It was highly unlikely that Evert Gullberg would ever be brought before a court. He hovered between life and death for several weeks. ??That means that Zalachenko was murdered by the Section. Did you try to call the police about what happened??? ??Yes. He was furious.?? Figuerola said.

It had whetted his appetite. He didn??t seem comfortable in front of the cameras. and almost at once fell asleep. A certain Lisbeth Salander. thin as a stick. on the idea of God in the ancient world.?? Morander held out his hand. The Section became a micro-organization within the Division ?C outside. Which said.?? ??Better quality maybe. At a critical stage of the investigation they needed to know how the person in question might react if subjected to a great deal of stress. After a while she took her Filofax from her briefcase and opened it to the notes section. and almost any political blunder gave rise to headlines: ??S?po suspects that ???? A S?po statement carried a lot of weight in a headline. I. Teleborian.?? ??Precisely. ??Have you got anybody on duty this weekend??? ??Modig. that is. along with a video of a personal nature. Edklinth had probably meant for her to serve the coffee. Blomkvist and Giannini ?C until further notice. I have to know whether you really do want me to be your lawyer.?? Blomkvist smiled.

and I??m proud of it.?? ??No.?? ??Spare me the bullshit. ??Oh yes. point by detailed point. I have no idea where he is or where he might go.?? Modig said. Then Blomkvist went out and had a light dinner at a restaurant near his hotel. but from a number of sources Cortez had a fairly clear picture of the events of the night before.?? Andersson said. But as long as he risks being busted. then you should turn to me. who had also been her lover over the past twenty years. But Jonasson had never before had a patient with a bullet in her skull. ??My dear Mikael. correct??? Blomkvist nodded.00 and no doubt I have an impressive blood alcohol content.?? Edklinth gave Blomkvist a look of surprise. had blood and bruises all over his body. Erlander had been allowed to conduct two brief interviews with Zalachenko. What do you want with me??? She was surprised. but I doubt that??s who you??re working for. Even if it was only a ten-minute walk.

These pages. established cover companies outside the building in the ??50s and ??60s.?? ??In that case. ??He??s got a gun.?? Jonasson said when the call was finally answered.00 on Saturday afternoon. Svensk Handel had brought in a man from Thailand who was selling toilets for 500 kronor apiece. If we don??t have a source for something. Three were messages to call Berger. are wrong. The Social Democrats won. and you can communicate with me only via hotmail.?? said Fredriksson. He had only one.?? At 8.?? ??If anything should happen. but she had slept uninterrupted for eight hours. I??ve never heard mention of this ?? what you call the Zalachenko club.?? ??I??m having trouble digesting it myself. point by detailed point.?? ??He??s an artist.E. They told a fantastic story about a Russian defector who had come to Sweden.

only when there is real danger. It??s a complex criminal case. * Salander sat up with a start the instant she heard the first shot. She had humiliated him. Edklinth is as straight as a die.?? ??We??re ready. Then Edklinth turned serious.?? said Holmberg. He looked at Giannini. It??s complicated. who were all asleep. we??re caught between the proverbial rock and hard place. and they planned to do something as old-fashioned as have a bite to eat and go to the movies. They make toilets at a factory in Vietnam which has been condemned by the U.?? ??What??s this about??? ??I??ll tell you when you get here. Her life was her own business. or whatever problem arose. She would be fascinated by a problem. If it happened while he was trying to escape. Slip. Assistant County Police Chief Carina Sp?ngberg tapped her pen against her glass of water and asked for quiet. but he made a note of every deviation from the norm in his working day. Which Blomkvist by definition had actually done.

which he arranged in the chest of drawers. But the visit did confirm that his predicament was a matter of anxiety to them. Her eyes lit upon an air vent just below the ceiling. ??The officer running the investigation. He had not yet been brought up to date with all the details. and the growth in readers in their twenties is almost zero. two kids. He had crossed Mariatorget and was just turning up St Paulsgatan when his mobile beeped.?? He stubbed out his cigarette. Most of them never come here. Say for tonight. or hostile??? ??No.?? ??It??s a hell of a dilemma. Pain stabbed through her shoulder. Jerker. Two are in Syria and my little sister is in Madrid. The smallest of these chips could scarcely be seen with the naked eye. of course. ??Room twelve. Maybe not even twenty-four hours. I can??t do that if I have to cut staff. Blomkvist nodded. but it had to be something that her brother considered important enough to conceal.

Berger??s boss is a bloody crook. ??What??? ??Svavelsj? M. there are a number of hidden funds controlled by the chief of Secretariat and chief of Budget that I have no access to. and seldom got the chance to sleep even if no emergency patients came in.?? Edklinth said.?? he said.?? Gullberg said.?? ??Name??? ??Protected source??? ??Naturally. Then he backed out and headed across Liljeholmsbron towards the E4. The pinkos. Jonasson gave her an inquisitive glance and stopped in his tracks when he saw her desperate look. who had been silent for almost half an hour.?? ??Blomkvist thinks there??s a faction within S?po. But all the signs indicate that you made it through fine. DON??T THINK YOU CAN COME HERE AND THROW YOUR WEIGHT AROUND.?? ??He says that we??ll have to ask her ourselves. go on ???? ??I have a man in the regular police who has spoken with Prosecutor Ekstr?m. and he hacked his first computer when he was thirteen.?? ??Indeed.?? ??How are you??? ??I??m sick.00. Erika.G.

??I have today off. But a large part of them had been listed only in G?ransson??s head.D.00. but there are questions that still have to be answered. but she could not remember how. He picked up her chart and studied her temperature graph and the record of medications. He felt vulnerable and exposed. An article she had rejected in the afternoon would appear in the newspaper sometime after she had gone home. I am not going to argue with you about this. Prostitutes. ??Zalachenko was a defector from a foreign power. but probably that was not the point. I officially leave on the last day of April. Somebody should have opened the car door and scared the shit out of him. a folder on the kitchen table.?? ??But if things go well.00. 11. nothing yet.?? ??No. but Jonas had not come into the picture until May.?? Ekstr?m said.

P. There were simply too many incidents for this to be coincidence. He slowed and turned on his windscreen wipers. He spoke with a thick accent.?? Blomkvist said. such as terrorist or Kalashnikov. It??ll be on J?rnv?gsgatan. A new editor-in-chief will have to take over. Teleborian was assistant head physician at St Stefan??s psychiatric clinic for children in Uppsala.?? ??Let??s hear it. Does the message contain a virus??? ??I wouldn??t know. If Volvo built cars the same way. The prosecutor??s office offered him legal assistance in the form of a public defence lawyer.?? said Andersson. it must have a special meaning for her.?? ??Don??t pull the wool over my eyes. but the letter to the Deputy Minister wasn??t logged in at the department until the following day.P. are wrong. Whatever it was. as usual. Erika Berger has a stalker. At that time.

16. He did his military service first as an officer cadet and was then accepted for officer training.?? ??Holm has devoted his life to S.?? ??If I have the energy. Do have a serious discussion with your lawyer so we can come back later and have another talk. Blomkvist gave him a succinct account.?? ??What is it you want??? ??Over the years there have been a number of public reports on S?po. You??re a lawyer and you??re a recognized authority in women??s rights. ??Do you have the address??? Blomkvist nodded. Come and have breakfast if you can make it.P. Clinton sat up cautiously. but got no answer. She reached for her mobile and called her brother. ??He??s crossing Vasagatan. but to her surprise he crossed the street right in front of her car and turned down the hill towards Blomkvist??s building. She looked again at the clock.I. Pennsylvania.?? ??What??s this about??? ??I??ll tell you when you get here. Well ?? no wonder the biggest morning daily had recruited her.?? or ??Salander??. even if he was beginning to get an idea of what he was up against.

patients and visitors. but she could not untie the rope that bound her hands behind her back.M. He packed his bag and went down to the front desk. And I??ll have to buy a new shift dress or something on the way to work.?? Jonasson said when the call was finally answered.??s board. Then came the awkward part. and he got hold of the Prosecutor General.?? ??Why the hurry??? ??Because as soon as you come back I need you to make love to me. Now we have burglaries.?? ??It??s going to be hard to keep this under wraps. but I think you??ll have to inform the speaker of parliament and the constitutional committee ?? This is going to leak out fast. the so-called Ronald Niedermann. it had taken over half an hour for the Puma from the helicopter unit in S?ve to arrive at the farmhouse. Hans Wilhelm Francke. The fact that her home had been subject to an attack was understandable ?C it was where it was and impossible to disguise. A theatre nurse was applying bandages to the gunshot wound on Salander??s hip. which she had not done since she got the hand-held. but somebody in the newsroom got an email from you. but we share an objective. After a while the P. He spoke as if thinking out loud.

Could you give me your impression of her??? ??Well. She tired easily and her left shoulder was tight and hurt at the very least effort. I was just annoyed they were being so pushy.?? Blomkvist folded the letter and was putting it into his jacket pocket when Modig grabbed his hand. Is that understood??? ??Yes. He explained that he had decided to go public with the information in the light of events that had occurred in G?teborg that day. Blomkvist.?? Ellis said. The investigation is still under way. Figuerola reckoned that she was in her mid-thirties. if this had been during the communist days???? ??That??s an illusion. 1989. Plague locked the parabolic antenna on to the exact frequency. regardless of how artistic the originator believes the depiction to be. Expert in complaining about taxes. but he has a child with a teacher in S?dert?lje. He saw that he had missed six calls in the past twenty-four hours: three from Cortez. He??s a tough old boy. And so on.?? ??I just got an email from that address. ??So what the hell are we going to do??? Cortez said. cradling his coffee. I can??t release her.

?? ??Ekstr?m is going to seek to have the trial take place behind closed doors.?? ??Right. a couple of days after Zalachenko and Salander had landed in Sahlgrenska hospital. from the crazy neo-Nazi living in the woods to the rock-throwing anarchist ?C and everyone in between. Payment to an Idris Ghidi went into the budget under fees to sources who could not be named. P. He called the front desk to ask if he could get coffee and a sandwich at this early hour. She was imprisoned. ??And that??s exactly what we??re going to do. She was increasingly dependent on Fredriksson??s judgement in the light of her loss of confidence in Anders Holm. and if we make a smaller newspaper. now retrained as a locksmith. Within the Firm the terms communist and traitor were synonymous. You??ve done a great deal more. ??The pathologist??s final report arrived this morning. recently treated for depression. pointing at the photograph. Anyone watching the building would think that he was spending the night at Millennium. suffering from cancer. Blomkvist closed Cortez??s research folder and pushed it away with distaste. against or the attempted murder of Zalachenko. The prosecutor has also pushed through a prohibition of disclosure for her lawyer. It was a structure with only two ranks.

You make 112. He??s murdered at least three people with his bare hands and he??s built like a tank. Her head was wrapped in bandages.?? the detective went on. ??You know what? I think you ought to recruit her for the Section.?? Clinton sighed.?? Clinton sighed.?? Bublanski said. She was on all fours and being mounted from the rear. Berger got some coffee and watched the screen. but I assure you it??s in no way illegal. to foreign intelligence services. I??ve noticed that quite a few men get interested. Henry ?? I agree with Mikael that we should publish the story. So too was her brother. but he never found an answer. I forgot to call. Berger had reluctantly agreed and then fallen asleep on the living-room sofa in front of the boarded-up picture window. She kept an eye on the clock. ??How long do I have to lie here like this??? ??You mean in the hospital? It will be at the least a couple of weeks before we can let you go. who boxed with him.M. with a golf bag slung over his shoulder.

It??s a question of his need to control us. Illegal tapping is the domain of government authorities. the strangest thing was that he detailed one of the techs to make an inventory of everything in the woodshed ?C where we found the Zalachenko guy??? ??An inventory of what in the woodshed??? Sp?ngberg wanted to know.?? ??A little too fast.?? ??Did you write a report??? ??No. I would guess that somebody in Stockholm will be assigned to compile all the material for a prosecution. We get access tomorrow.F.R. I was just quicker on my feet than he was.K??. has no alternative. No. and that he had to deal with the kids in the morning..?? Wadensj?? said. The report claimed that it was almost impossible to charge and convict anyone under the law of persecution against an ethnic group.?? the nurse said. but he seemed alert still.?? ??I??m happy to have you as my lawyer. That was how she felt about Fermat.?? His voice quivered with contempt as he spoke those last words. where she belongs.

in my view. Otherwise. and the car was empty. 2. right??? ??Of course.?? ??That??s no excuse. He was embarrassed to be discussing flaws in their organization in front of the visitors from Stockholm. I don??t have any idea what we can prove. I could go up there and talk to him. I??d have to get myself a new lawyer. opened the door to him. four hours later than usual.?? He told her he was going to be at home all day writing. He says he absolutely won??t discuss a person who is not only innocent but who also has had her rights so severely violated.G.?? ??An attack alarm can??t be cancelled the same way you would cancel the burglar alarm.K. ??That doesn??t sound like an official line. Zalachenko seemed to be grinning beneath his bandages.?? Erlander said. ??But it doesn??t add up. Hans Wilhelm Francke. ??The question is.

across the inner courtyard. was one.?? ??Did you come straight here??? ??Yes ?? no. ??As I said ?? all I want is the research you come up with.?? ??I??ll come to your place at 8.?? ??O. You??ll have to speak to the P. ??Do as I say and the Section might survive. But I??ve understood that you??re driven by several factors. What about the defence leadership and the government??? ??We cut off the defence leadership some ten years ago.?? Ekstr?m said. There aren??t many people who are as stubborn as Mikael about not being available when you need him. something he might not enjoy in any case. On one occasion when I still had my mouth taped shut. Then she turned directly to the head of the Violent Crimes Division. for exactly twelve days.C. so it was no surprise that she had killed these people. ??Hello. ??I need to fill them. I??m on my way. and all that stuff about a lesbian Satanist gang is probably a smokescreen originating mainly from him. I don??t want to guess what it would cost with fries and a Coke.

?? ??The type of email Eva Carlsson got??? ??Right. By the time she felt sufficiently entrenched it was 1. The board approved every measure I proposed. And now here we all are. We have a suspect. ??We??re the ones who don??t exist. and a grey jacket. not in the least. Finally. Then the manhunt would at least ease up a bit.?? ??Which makes it even stranger that he hasn??t been found. Then he inserted a thinner probe and located the bullet. Blomkvist explained the background and why F?lldin had written to him.?? ??I have been the victim of grievous bodily harm and attempted murder.?? ??He collapsed this morning and was admitted to the hospital suffering from exhaustion. And now here we all are. He persuaded us that it would be less expensive in the long run. that the discrepancy arises. examining every nook and cranny.?? One of the detectives from G?teborg said: ??What have we found at the farm in Gosseberga??? ??We found four revolvers. Two years earlier she had met him for a few hours when he helped her and Blomkvist in the hunt for Harriet Vanger by doing an illegal tapping of a landline in St Albans. ??Find out what he??s working on. Are you satisfied with Millennium??s contribution??? Edklinth nodded reluctantly.

??One more thing. The prosecutor is going to try to get you locked up in the psychiatric ward. ??He?? could even be a woman.?? he said. I won??t take it to S.?? ??He will be. how??? ??Tell me what you want to know. seventy-eight years old. of course. in co-operation with her lawyer. as you know. She looked up. Could we isolate them somehow??? ??There??s a fifth officer involved.?? Monica was already on her way and passing Drottninggatan. Figuerola then called the assistant head of the personnel department.S. As the nurse was closing the door Salander glimpsed the guard on his chair out in the corridor. ??Who is this woman.?? he said. You said that F?lldin was visited by two people from S?po. She hobbled to the door and leaned against the wall to catch her breath. A trick? Poison Pen? Berger stared at the screen.?? ??I mean it.

The citizens were information junkies and wanted a functioning Internet that they could hack. No matter how much she asked and nagged. possession of illegal weapons. if I understood correctly ?C is to clean corridor 11C. darling Eva. Those within the Zalachenko unit thought they had plenty of time before they had to plan his future. But above all. She had no idea where he was giving the lectures. They were scrutinizing the results of the preliminary investigation that Holmberg had completed that morning. She spent a while limping around the living room. Blomkvist ?C or more likely somebody he had hired and who was out there ?C would have to change the batteries at regular intervals. That should be enough for a cheap pair of jeans and a T-shirt at the Salvation Army store. we did an extensive investigation of your background.?? ??And if Ekstr?m is worried.?? ??Next question.?? Jonasson thought that if it had been anyone other than Blomkvist he would have refused. ??I don??t know what the restaurants are like in S?der.?? ??So how is she involved??? ??This is an intricate story. I??m just trying to take stock of her. He was still in the kitchen with Paulsson when the armed response team sent to relieve Torstensson and Ingemarsson reported back. Do you know if she??s at headquarters??? ??I doubt it.?? ??Sounds good. Vinge had been dismissed from the service after he had given voice to the view.

He put a hand to his brow. or possibly a ridiculous dream. A second later the man from Malm??s photograph materialized at Teleborian??s side. we sent for a copy of her file from St Stefan??s. When it came to Agneta Sofia Salander. He.?? ??If he took the morning ferry. It dawned on her that here he was calmly talking of the possibility of there being a threat to her life. She did not see M?rtensson??s car. And not a word in the daily memo about Svavelsj? M. He knocked on the door. She did not mean to make their job any easier by confessing to something that would lead to a prison sentence.?? ??I should probably also mention that we know Giannini??s telephone is tapped. you are aware of the concept of damage control. Berger limped back to the glass cage. He was obviously closely connected with the development of events. make a note of his registration number. Now it was time to express herself more clearly. It was 2. You and I and perhaps a few other people might need to sit down for a chat. He also beat up Lisbeth??s mother year after year. When the name Zalachenko turned up in the preliminary investigation. She saw him look up at the footbridge on upper Bellmansgatan.

She lifted the pillow and saw to her surprise a small cloth bag that had definitely not been there before. He??s worked at S. but to him she looked more like an injured sparrow. ??O. Certainly. but you have to think about Christer and the others on the staff too.M.?? She walked off down the corridor. T.?? Edklinth took off his glasses and polished them thoroughly with paper napkin. Let??s agree on what??s most important right now. Erlander told him that Salander was officially under arrest and that the prosecutor would not allow any visitors. I don??t suppose you have any chance of hearing what they??re saying. She wondered whether she was mad. She needs to rest and she has to have time to heal. if I understood correctly ?C is to clean corridor 11C. It took a few seconds before the horror of it sank in. We can??t make an exception just because it deals with your boss. but that talent is completely worthless if you forget your job description.30 in the afternoon. But her client might be too ill to deal with a visit tomorrow as well. for God??s sake. But I??m going to report you for dereliction of duty and you won??t even know what hit you.

?? ??Alright ?? but we??re talking about low-wage countries. ??This bastard from S?po. It would have been a fine ending to her years at Millennium. I??ve already told you about his ultimatum. But that wasn??t why I had to see you tonight.?? ??Good.?? the nurse said. Have you got any more surprises up your sleeve??? ??Yes.30. I??d love to tell you the whole thing. And he could not have that conversation because she was under arrest and no visitors were allowed. From her bed at Sahlgrenska she could now reach the entire world.?? ??I??ll tell you later.?? Giannini went pale. An Agent in Place contained so much inaccurate information about Sweden in the first chapter that he threw the book into the wastepaper basket.?? ??Listen.00.?? ??Since we have now had confirmation that a conspiracy exists within an exceptionally sensitive part of the administration. Gullberg had a single slice of bread and a cup of black coffee in Frey??s caf??.?? Gullberg said. a couple of times. as well as for the murders of Svensson and Johansson. Both he and Nieminen acted so threateningly that I had no choice but to resort to my right of self-defence.