“I want to buy a year of your life. Give you a job. The salary is better than any offer
you’ll ever get in your life. I will pay you 200,000 kronor a month—that’s 2.4 million
kronor if you accept and stay the whole year.”
Blomkvist was astonished.
“I have no illusions. The possibility you will succeed is minimal, but if against all
odds you should crack the mystery then I’m offering a bonus of double payment, or
4.8 million kronor. Let’s be generous and round it off to five million.”
Vanger leaned back and cocked his head.
“I can pay the money into any bank account you wish, anywhere in the world. You
can also take the money in cash in a suitcase, so it’s up to you whether you want to
report the income to the tax authorities.”
“This is...not healthy,” Blomkvist stammered.
“Why so?” Vanger said calmly. “I’m eighty-two and still in full possession of my
faculties. I have a large personal fortune; I can spend it any way I want. I have no
children and absolutely no desire to leave any money to relatives I despise. I’ve
made my last will and testament; I’ll be giving the bulk of my fortune to the World
Wildlife Fund. A few people who are close to me will receive significant amounts—
including Anna.”
Blomkvist shook his head.
“Try to understand me,” Vanger said. “I’m a man who’s going to die soon. There’s
one thing in the world I want to have—and that’s an answer to this question that
has plagued me for half my life. I don’t expect to find the answer, but I do have
resources to make one last attempt. Is that unreasonable? I owe it to Harriet. And I
owe it to myself.”
“You’ll be paying me several million kronor for nothing. All I need to do is sign the
contract and then twiddle my thumbs for a year.”
“You wouldn’t do that. On the contrary—you’ll work harder than you’ve ever
worked in your life.”
“How can you be so sure?”