Girl Who Played with Fire, The - Stieg Larsson [106]
“I can reconstruct the unfinished text,” Blomkvist said. “Malin and I have to go through the unedited chapters line by line and see where more work still needs to be done. For most of it, all we have to do is follow Dag’s notes, but we do have a problem in chapters four and five, which are largely based on Mia’s interviews. Dag didn’t fill in who the sources were, but with one or two exceptions I think we can use the references in her thesis as a primary source.”
“What about the last chapter?”
“I have Dag’s outline, and we talked it through so many times that I know more or less exactly what he wanted to say. I propose that we lift the summary and use it as an afterword, where I can also explain his reasoning.”
“Fair enough, but I want to approve it. We can’t be putting words in his mouth.”
“No danger of that. I’ll write the chapter as my personal reflection and sign it. I’ll describe how he came to write and research the book and say what sort of person he was. I’ll conclude by recapping what he said in at least a dozen conversations over the past few months. There’s plenty in his draft that I can quote. I think I can make it sound dignified.”
“I want this book published more than ever,” Berger said.
Blomkvist understood exactly what she meant.
Berger put her reading glasses on the desk and shook her head. She got up and poured two cups of coffee from the thermos and sat down opposite Blomkvist.
“Christer and I have a layout for the replacement issue. We’ve taken two articles earmarked for the issue after this one and we’re going to fill the gaps with freelance material. But it’ll be a bit of this and a bit of that, an issue without any real focus.”
They sat quietly for a moment.
“Have you listened to the news?” Berger asked.
“No. I know what they’re going to say.”
“It’s the top story on every radio station. The second-place story is a political move by the Centre Party.”
“Which means that absolutely nothing else is happening in the country.”
“The police haven’t released their names yet. They’re being described as a ‘conscientious couple.’ No-one’s mentioned that it was you who found them.”
“I’ll bet the police will do all they can to keep it quiet. At least that’s to our advantage.”
“Why would the police want to do that?”
“Because detectives basically hate a media circus. I would guess something will leak out sometime tonight or early tomorrow morning.”
“So young and so cynical.”
“We aren’t that young anymore, Ricky. I thought about it while I was being questioned last night. The police inspector looked like she could still be at school.”
Berger gave a weak laugh. She had had a few hours’ sleep last night, but she was beginning to feel the strain. Still, in no time at all she would be editor in chief of one of the largest newspapers in Sweden. And no—this was not the right time to reveal that news to Blomkvist.
“Henry called a while ago. A preliminary investigation leader named Ekström held some sort of press conference this afternoon.”
“Richard Ekström?”
“Yes. Do you know him?”
“Political flunky. Guaranteed media circus. This is going to get plenty of publicity.”
“Well, he says that the police are already following up certain leads and hope to solve the case soon. Otherwise he pretty much said nothing. But apparently the place was jammed with reporters.”
Blomkvist rubbed his eyes. “I can’t get the image of Mia’s body out of my mind. Damn, I was just getting to know them.”
“Some crazy—”
“I don’t know. I’ve been thinking about it all day.”
“About what?”
“Mia was shot from the side. I saw the entry wound on the side of her neck and the exit wound in her forehead. Dag was shot from the front. The bullet went into his forehead, and came out the back of his head. Those looked to be the only two shots. It doesn’t feel like the act of a lone nutcase.”
Berger looked at her partner thoughtfully. “So what was it?”
“If it’s not a random killing, then there has to be a motive. And the more I think about