got false eyelashes, more powder, rouge, and finally lipstick and other make-up. No
change from 8,000 kronor.
She paid with a credit card in the name of Monica Sholes, and she showed them
her British passport with that name.
Next stop was Camille’s House of Fashion down the street. After an hour she came
out wearing black boots, a sand-coloured skirt with matching blouse, black tights, a
waist-length jacket, and a beret. Every item bore an expensive designer label. She
had let the sales girl make the selection. She had also chosen an exclusive leather
briefcase and a small Samsonite suitcase. The crowning touches were discreet
earrings and a simple gold chain around her neck. The credit card had been
debited 44,000 kronor.
For the first time in her life Salander had a bustline that made her—when she
glanced at herself in the full-length mirror—catch her breath. The breasts were as
fake as Monica Sholes’ identity. They were made of latex and had been bought in
Copenhagen where the transvestites shopped.
She was ready for battle.
Just after 9:00 she walked two blocks to the venerable Zimmertal Hotel, where she
booked a room in Monica Sholes’ name. She gave a generous tip to a boy who
carried up her suitcase (which contained her travel bag). The suite was a small one,
costing 22,000 kronor a day. She had booked it for one night. When she was alone
she took a look around. She had a dazzling view of Lake Zürich, which didn’t
interest her in the least. But she did spend close to five minutes examining herself
in the mirror. She saw a total stranger. Big-busted Monica Sholes in a blonde page-
boy wig, wearing more make-up than Lisbeth Salander dreamed of using in a
whole month. She looked...different.
At 9:30 she had breakfast in the hotel bar: two cups of coffee and a bagel with jam.
The cost was 210 kronor. Are these people soft in the head?
Just before 10:00 Monica Sholes set down her coffee cup, opened her mobile, and
punched in the number of a modem uplink in Hawaii. After three rings, the
handshaking tone began. The modem was connected. Monica Sholes replied by
punching in a six-digit code on her mobile and texting a message containing