Malm looked uncomfortable. “I’ve always trusted you, Mikael. Does this mean that
you don’t trust me?”
Blomkvist laughed.
“Of course I trust you. But right now I’m involved in rather serious criminal activities
that could get me two years in prison. It’s the nature of my research that’s a little
dubious...I’m playing with the same underhand methods as Wennerström uses. I
don’t want you or Erika or anyone else at Millennium to be involved in any way.”
“You’re making me awfully nervous.”
“Stay cool, Christer, and tell Erika that the story is going to be a big one. Really big.”
“Erika will insist on knowing what you’re working on...”
Mikael thought for a second. Then he smiled.
“Tell her that she made it very clear to me in the spring when she signed a contract
with Henrik Vanger behind my back that I’m now just an ordinary mortal freelancer
who no longer sits on the board and has no influence on Millennium policy. Which
means that I no longer have any obligation to keep her informed. But I promise
that if she behaves herself, I’ll give her first option on the story.”
“She’s going to go through the roof,” Malm said cheerfully.
Blomkvist knew that he had not been entirely honest with Malm. He was
deliberately avoiding Berger. The most natural thing would have been to contact
her at once and tell her about the information in his possession. But he did not
want to talk to her. A dozen times he had stood with his mobile in his hand, starting
to call her. Each time he changed his mind.
He knew what the problem was. He could not look her in the eyes.
The cover-up in which he had participated in Hedestad was unforgivable from a
professional point of view. He had no idea how he could explain it to her without
lying, and if there was one thing he had never thought of doing, it was lying to
Erika Berger.