If her name came up, she would be a helpless, incompetent girl with documents
showing her to be mentally deficient. So it would be an advantage if Bjurman’s
death occurred in such a complicated manner that it would be highly unlikely that
a mentally handicapped girl could be the perpetrator.
She rejected the option of using a gun. Acquiring a gun would be no great
problem, but the police were awfully good at tracking down firearms.
She considered a knife, which could be purchased at any hardware store, but
decided against that too. Even if she turned up without warning and drove the
knife into his back, there was no guarantee that he would die instantly and without
making a sound, or that he would die at all. Worse, it might provoke a struggle,
which could attract attention, and blood could stain her clothes, be evidence
against her.
She thought about using a bomb of some sort, but it would be much too
complicated. Building the bomb itself would not be a problem—the Internet was
full of manuals on how to make the deadliest devices. It would be difficult, on the
other hand, to find a place to put the bomb so that innocent passersby would not
be hurt. Besides, there was again no guarantee that he would actually die.
The telephone rang.
“Hi, Lisbeth. Dragan. I’ve got a job for you.”
“I don’t have time.”
“This is important.”
“I’m busy.”
She put down the receiver.
Finally she settled on poison. The choice surprised her, but on closer consideration
it was perfect.
Salander spent several days combing the Internet. There were plenty to choose
from. One of them was among the most deadly poisons known to science—
hydrocyanic acid, commonly known as prussic acid.