Girl Who Kicked the Hornets Nest, The - Stieg Larsson [60]
Clinton gave him a feeble smile.
“The operation has to be carried out on two separate fronts. One part concerns Zalachenko. I have to get him to listen to reason, and I think I know how I’m going to do it. The second part has to be handled from here, in Stockholm. The problem is that there isn’t anyone in the Section who can actually run it. I need you to take command. One last job. Sandberg and Nyström will do the legwork, you control the operation.”
“You don’t understand what you’re asking.”
“Yes, I do. But you’re going to have to make up your mind whether to take on the assignment or not. Either we ancients step in and do our bit, or the Section will cease to exist a few weeks from now.”
Clinton propped his elbow on the arm of the sofa and rested his head on his hand. He thought about it for two minutes.
“Tell me your plan,” he said at last.
Gullberg and Clinton talked for a long time.
Wadensjöö stared in disbelief when Gullberg returned at 2.57 with Clinton in tow. Clinton looked like … a skeleton. He seemed to have difficulty breathing; he kept one hand on Gullberg’s shoulder.
“What in the world …” Wadensjöö said.
“Let’s get the meeting moving again,” Gullberg said, briskly.
They settled themselves again around the table in Wadensjöö’s office. Clinton sank silently on to the chair that was offered.
“You all know Fredrik Clinton,” Gullberg said.
“Indeed,” Wadensjöö said. “The question is, what’s he doing here?”
“Clinton has decided to return to active duty. He’ll be leading the Section’s operations department until the present crisis is over.” Gullberg raised a hand to forestall Wadensjöö’s objections. “Clinton is tired. He’s going to need assistance. He has to go regularly to the hospital for dialysis. Wadensjöö, assign two personal assistants to help him with all the practical matters. But let me make this quite clear … with regards to this affair it’s Clinton who will be making the operational decisions.”
He paused for a moment. No-one voiced any objections.
“I have a plan. I think we can handle this matter successfully, but we’re going to have to act fast so that we don’t squander the opportunity,” he said. “It depends on how decisive you can be in the Section these days.”
“Let’s hear it.” Wadensjöö said.
“First of all, we’ve already discussed the police. This is what we’re going to do. We’ll try to isolate them in a lengthy investigation, sidetracking them into the search for Niedermann. That will be Nyström’s task. Whatever happens, Niedermann is of no importance. We’ll arrange for Faste to be assigned to investigate Salander.”
“That may not be such a bright idea,” Nyström said. “Why don’t I just go and have a discreet talk with Prosecutor Ekström?”
“And if he gets difficult—”
“I don’t think he will. He’s ambitious and on the lookout for anything that will benefit his career. I might be able to use some leverage if I need to. He would hate to be dragged into any sort of scandal.”
“Good. Stage two is Millennium and Mikael Blomkvist. That’s why Clinton has returned to duty. This will require extraordinary measures.”
“I don’t think I’m going to like this,” Wadensjöö said.
“Probably not. But Millennium can’t be manipulated in the same straightforward way. On the other hand, the magazine is a threat because of one thing only: Björck’s 1991 police report. I presume that the report now exists in two places, possibly three. Salander found the report, but Blomkvist somehow got hold of it. Which means that there was some degree of contact between the two of them while Salander was on the run.”
Clinton held up a finger and uttered his first words since he had arrived.
“It also tells us something about the character of our adversary. Blomkvist is not afraid to take risks. Remember the Wennerström affair.”
Gullberg nodded. “Blomkvist gave the report to his editor-in-chief, Erika Berger, who in turn messengered it to Bublanski. So she’s read it too.