counselling. He did not feel any need at all for social rehabilitation, he had
completed his studies, he thought, and he already had a job. On the other hand, he
asked for permission to keep his iBook in his cell so that he could continue to work
on the book he was commissioned to write. His request was granted without
further ado, and Sarowsky arranged to bring him a lockable cabinet so that he
could leave the computer in his cell. Not that any of the inmates would have stolen
or vandalised it or anything like that. They rather kept a protective eye on him.
In this way Blomkvist spent two months working about six hours a day on the
Vanger family chronicle, work that was interrupted only by a few hours of cleaning
or recreation each day. Blomkvist and two others, one of whom came from Skövde
and had his roots in Chile, were assigned to clean the prison gym each day.
Recreation consisted of watching TV, playing cards, or weight training. Blomkvist
discovered that he was a passable poker player, but he still lost a few fifty-öre coins
every day. Regulations permitted playing for money if the total pot did not exceed
five kronor.
He was told of his release only one day before. Sarowsky summoned him to his
office and they shared a toast with aquavit.
Blomkvist went straight back to the cabin in Hedeby. When he walked up the front
steps he heard a meow and found himself escorted by the reddish-brown cat.
“OK, you can come in,” he said. “But I have no milk yet.”
He unpacked his bags. It was as if he had been on holiday, and he realised that he
actually missed the company of Sarowsky and his fellow prisoners. Absurd as it
seemed, he had enjoyed his time at Rullåker, but his release had come so
unexpectedly that he had had no time to let anyone know.
It was just after 6:00 in the evening. He hurried over to Konsum to buy groceries
before they closed. When he got home he called Berger. A message said she was
unavailable. He asked for her to call him the next day.
Then he walked up to his employer’s house. He found Vanger on the ground floor.
The old man raised his eyebrows in surprise when he saw Mikael.
“Did you escape?”