secretary and asked her to pass on a cryptic message. The name Wennerström and
an address in Marbella. That was all.
She turned off the TV news halfway through a dramatic report about
Wennerström’s demise. She put on some coffee and fixed herself a liver pâté and
cucumber sandwich.
Berger and Malm were taking care of the annual Christmas arrangements while
Blomkvist sat in Erika’s chair, drinking glögg and looking on. All the staff and many
of the regular freelancers would receive a Christmas gift—this year a shoulder bag
with the new Millennium publishing house logo. After wrapping the presents, they
sat down to write and stamp about 200 cards to send to printing companies,
photographers, and media colleagues.
Blomkvist tried for the longest time to withstand the temptation but finally he
couldn’t resist. He picked up the very last card and wrote: Merry Christmas and
Happy New Year. Thanks for your splendid efforts during the past year.
He signed his name and addressed the card to Janne Dahlman, c/o the editorial
offices of Monopoly Financial Magazine.
When Blomkvist got home that evening there was a slip notifying him of a postal
package. He went to pick it up the next morning, opening it when he got to the
office. The package contained a mosquito-repellent stick and a bottle of
Reimersholms aquavit. The card read: If you don’t have other plans, I’ll be docked at
Arholma on Midsummer Eve. It was signed Robert Lindberg.
Traditionally the Millennium offices were closed the week before Christmas and
through the New Year’s holiday. This year it did not work out that way. The strain
on the small staff had been enormous, and journalists were still calling from all over
the world on a daily basis. It was the day before Christmas Eve when Blomkvist,
almost by chance, happened to read an article in the Financial Times summing up
the findings of the international banking commission that had been established in
all haste to scrutinise the collapse of the Wennerström empire. The article said that
the commission was working on the hypothesis that Wennerström had probably
been tipped off at the last minute about the impending disclosures.