Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The - Stieg Larsson [113]
“From about the time Vanger became part owner.”
“Aha.”
“What do you mean, aha?”
“Just curious.”
“Cecilia’s a good woman. I like her.”
“I’m not criticising. I’m just pissed off. Candy within reach and then I have to go on a diet. How was prison?”
“Like an uneventful holiday. How are things at the magazine?”
“Better. For the first time in a year the advertising revenue is on the rise. We’re way below this time last year, but we’ve turned the corner. Thanks to Henrik. But the weird thing is that subscriptions are going up too.”
“They tend to fluctuate.”
“By a couple of hundred one way or the other. But we’ve picked up three thousand in the past quarter. At first I thought it was just luck, but new subscribers keep coming in. It’s our biggest subscription jump ever. At the same time, our existing subscribers are renewing pretty consistently across the board. None of us can understand it. We haven’t run any ad campaigns. Christer spent a week doing spot checks on what sort of demographic is showing up. First, they’re all brand-new subscribers. Second, 70 percent of them are women. Normally it’s the other way around. Third, the subscribers can be described as middle-income white-collar workers from the suburbs: teachers, middle management, civil service workers.”
“Think it’s the middle-class revolt against big capital?”
“I don’t know. But if this keeps up, it’ll mean a significant shift in our subscriber profile. We had an editorial conference two weeks ago and decided to start running new types of material in the magazine. I want more articles on professional matters associated with TCO, the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees, and also more investigative reporting on women’s issues, for instance.”
“Don’t change too much,” Blomkvist said. “If we’re getting new subscribers then it means that they like what we’re running already.”
Cecilia had also invited Vanger to dinner, possibly to reduce the risk of troublesome topics of conversation. She had made a venison stew. Berger and Vanger spent a good deal of the time discussing Millennium’s development and the new subscribers, but gradually the conversation moved on to other matters. Berger suddenly turned to Blomkvist at one point and asked him how his work was coming along.
“I’m counting on having a draft of the family chronicle complete in a month for Henrik to look at.”
“A chronicle in the spirit of the Addams family,” Cecilia said.
“It does have certain historical aspects,” Blomkvist conceded.
Cecilia glanced at Vanger.
“Mikael, Henrik isn’t really interested in a family chronicle. He wants you to solve the mystery of Harriet’s disappearance.”
Blomkvist did not say a word. Ever since he had begun his relationship with Cecilia he had talked fairly openly about Harriet with her. Cecilia had already deduced that this was his real assignment, even though he never formally admitted it. He had certainly never told Henrik that he and Cecilia had discussed the subject. Vanger’s bushy eyebrows drew together a bit. Erika was silent.
“My dear Henrik,” Cecilia said. “I’m not stupid. I don’t know what sort of agreement you and Mikael have, but his stay here in Hedeby is about Harriet. It is, isn’t it?”
Vanger nodded and glanced at Blomkvist.
“I told you she was sharp.” He turned to Berger. “I presume that Mikael has explained to you what he’s working on here in Hedeby.”
She nodded.
“And I presume you think it’s a senseless undertaking. No, you don’t have to answer that. It is an absurd and senseless task. But I have to find out.”
“I have no opinion on the matter,” Berger said diplomatically.
“Of course you do.” He turned to Blomkvist. “Tell me. Have you found anything at all that might take us forward?”
Blomkvist avoided meeting Vanger’s gaze. He thought instantly of the cold, unplaceable certainty he had had the night before. The feeling had been with him all day, but he had had no time to work his way through the album again. At last he looked up at Vanger and shook his head.
“I haven’t found a single thing.