His account at Bank of Kroenenfeld in the Cayman Islands, containing $260
million—approximately 2.5 billion Swedish kronor—had been emptied the day
before Millennium published its exposé.
The money had been spread over a number of accounts, and only Wennerström
personally could make withdrawals. He did not have to be present at the bank; it
was enough for him to present a series of clearing codes in order to transfer the
money to any bank in the world. The money had been transferred to Switzerland,
where a female associate had converted the funds into anonymous private bonds.
All the clearing codes were in order.
Europol had launched a search for the woman who had used a stolen British
passport in the name of Monica Sholes and who was said to have lived a life of
luxury at one of Zürich’s most expensive hotels. A relatively clear picture,
considering that it came from a surveillance camera, showed a short woman with a
blonde page-boy, wide lips, and prominent breasts wearing fashionable designer
clothes and gold jewellery.
Blomkvist studied the picture, giving it first a quick glance and then looking at it
with increasing suspicion. After several seconds he rummaged in his desk for a
magnifying glass and tried to make out the details of the facial features in the
newspaper’s screened image.
At last he put down the paper and sat there, speechless, for several minutes. Then
he started laughing so hysterically that Malm stuck his head round the door to find
out what was going on.
On the morning of Christmas Eve Blomkvist went out to Årsta to see his ex-wife and
his daughter, Pernilla, and exchange gifts. Pernilla got the computer she wanted,
which Blomkvist and Monica had bought together. Blomkvist got a tie from Monica
and a detective novel by Åke Edwardson from his daughter. Unlike the previous
Christmas, they were in high spirits because of the media drama that had been
playing out aroundMillennium.
They had lunch together. Blomkvist stole a sidelong glance at Pernilla. He had not
seen his daughter since she turned up to visit him in Hedestad. He realised that he
had failed to discuss her mania for that sect in Skellefteå with her mother. He could
not tell them that it was his daughter’s obviously profound knowledge of the Bible