disappear for a while, as publisher, reporter, and board member. Wennerström
knows that I know what he did, and I’m absolutely sure that as long as I’m
anywhere near Millennium he’s going to try to ruin us.”
“So why not publish everything we know? Sink or swim?”
“Because we can’t prove a damn thing, and right now I have no credibility at all.
Let’s accept that Wennerström won this round.”
“OK, I’ll fire you. What are you going to do?”
“I need a break, to be honest. I’m burned right out. I’m going to take some time for
myself for a while, some of it in prison. Then we’ll see.”
Berger put her arms around him and pulled his head down to her breasts. She
hugged him hard.
“Want some company tonight?” she said.
Blomkvist nodded.
“Good. I’ve already told Greger I’m at your place tonight.”
The street lights reflecting off the corners of the windows were all that lit the room.
When Berger fell asleep sometime after 2:00 in the morning, Blomkvist lay awake
studying her profile in the dimness. The covers were down around her waist, and
he watched her breasts slowly rising and falling. He was relaxed, and the anxious
knot in his stomach had eased. She had that effect on him. She always had had.
And he knew that he had the same effect on her.
Twenty years, he thought. That’s how long it had been. As far as he was concerned,
they could go on sleeping together for another two decades. At least. They had
never seriously tried to hide their relationship, even when it led to awkwardness in
their dealings with other people.