“To be honest...I didn’t come over to ask questions. I think I just wanted to say
hello.”
She smiled. “You’re sentenced to prison, you move to Hedeby, clamber through all
the material of Henrik’s favourite hobby, you don’t sleep at night and take long
nighttime walks when it’s freezing cold...Have I left anything out?”
“My life is going to the dogs.”
“Who was that woman visiting you over the weekend?”
“Erika...She’s the editor in chief of Millennium.”
“Your girlfriend?”
“Not exactly. She’s married. I’m more a friend and occasional lover.”
Cecilia Vanger hooted with laughter.
“What’s so funny?”
“The way you said that. Occasional lover. I like the expression.”
Blomkvist took a liking to Cecilia Vanger.
“I could use an occasional lover myself,” she said.
She kicked off her slippers and propped one foot on his knee. Blomkvist
automatically put his hand on her foot and stroked the ankle. He hesitated for a
second—he could sense he was getting into unexpected waters. But tentatively he
started massaging the sole of her foot with his thumb.
“I’m married too,” she said.
“I know. No-one gets divorced in the Vanger clan.”
“I haven’t seen my husband in getting on for twenty years.”
“What happened?”
“That’s none of your business. I haven’t had sex in...hmmm, it must be three years
now.”