Girl Who Played with Fire, The - Stieg Larsson [127]
Both men gave Armansky a sceptical look.
“I want you, Fräklund, to lead and keep track of the investigation. I want to know what happened and what would have induced Salander to murder her guardian as well as the couple in Enskede. There has to be a rational explanation.”
“Forgive my saying so, but this sounds like a job for the police,” Fräklund said.
“No question,” Armansky shot back. “But we have an advantage over the police. We knew Salander, and we have an insight into how she functions.”
“Well, if you say so,” Bohman said, sounding unsure. “I don’t believe anyone here at the firm has any idea what went on in her little head.”
“That doesn’t matter,” Armansky said. “Salander worked for Milton Security. In my view, we have a responsibility to establish the truth.”
“Salander hasn’t worked for us in … what is it, almost two years,” Fräklund said. “I don’t see us as responsible for what she may have done. And I don’t think the police would appreciate it if we interfered in their investigation.”
“On the contrary,” Armansky said. This was his trump card, and he had to play it well.
“How’s that?” Bohman wondered.
“Yesterday I had a couple of long conversations with the preliminary investigation leader, Prosecutor Ekström, and Criminal Inspector Bublanski, who’s in charge of the investigation. Ekström is under pressure. This isn’t some sort of showdown among gangsters; it’s an event with enormous media potential in which a lawyer, a criminologist, and a journalist were all—it would appear—executed. I explained that since the prime suspect is a former employee of Milton Security, we have also decided to start an investigation of our own.” Armansky paused to let this sink in before going on. “Ekström and I agree that the important thing right now is for Lisbeth Salander to be taken into custody as rapidly as possible—before she causes any more harm to herself or to others. Since we have more knowledge of her than the police do, we can contribute to the investigation. Ekström and I decided that you two”—he pointed at Bohman and Hedström—“will move over to Kungsholmen and be seconded to Bublanski’s team.”
All three of his employees looked astonished.
“Pardon me for asking a simple question … but we’re only civilians,” Bohman said. “Do the police really intend to let us into a murder investigation, just like that?”
“You’ll be working under Bublanski, but you’ll also report to me. You will be given full access to the investigation. All the material we have and that you turn up will go to Bublanski. For the police, this means that his team will get free reinforcements. And none of you are ‘only civilians.’ You two, Fräklund and Bohman, worked for the police for longer than you’ve worked here, and even you, Hedström, went to the police academy.”
“But it’s against the principles—”
“Not at all. The police often bring civilian consultants into investigations, whether psychologists in sex crimes or interpreters where foreigners are involved. You will simply participate as civilian consultants with particular knowledge of the prime suspect.”
Fräklund nodded slowly. “OK. Milton is joining the police investigation and trying to help catch Salander. Anything else?”
“Yes. Your principal assignment as far as Milton is concerned is to establish the truth. Nothing else. I want to know if Salander shot these three people—and if so, why.”
“Is there any doubt about her guilt?” asked Hedström.
“The circumstantial evidence the police hold is very damaging to her. But I want to know whether there’s another side to the story—whether there’s some accomplice we don’t know about, someone who may have been the one actually holding the gun, or whether there are any other as yet unknown circumstances.”
“It’s going to be hard work to find mitigating circumstances in a triple murder,” Fräklund