Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Page #9

MARTIN:

What can’t.

LIV:

Harriet.

Martin doesn’t comment. Just nods. Silence. Then

Dragon Tattoo Final 9/1/11 SZ 43.

43.43.

BLOMKVIST:

Maybe we could talk about that

later.

MARTIN:

We can talk about it now.

(Blomkvist glances to Liv)

Liv knows everything about my crazy

family. Which is why she’ll never

marry me.

LIV:

That’s one reason.

She holds up her left hand. A wedding ring is on it.

The couple seems very comfortable with each other, not

unlike Blomkvist and Erika.

MARTIN:

Don’t put that in your book.

Anything else is fine. Harriet

certainly. Everything changed after

that. Not just the family, but the

company.

BLOMKVIST:

How so.

MARTIN:

We’re not Nordea or Ericsson, but

we’re still the largest family-owned

company in the country. At the

height, we had 40,000 employees. We

have about half that now, and that

downward slide - anyone can tell you -

began after my sister’s death. It

broke Henrik’s entrepreneurial

spirit, and his heart.

And Martin’s, too, clearly. Blomkvist dares to ask, as

innocently as possible

BLOMKVIST:

You were here that day?

MARTIN:

Everyone was here, though I didn’t

get in until after the accident on

the bridge. The 4:30 train.

BLOMKVIST:

I know it well.

Dragon Tattoo Final 9/1/11 SZ 44.

44.44.

MARTIN:

It was a terrible day. And the days

after - searching and not finding her

-were even worse.

Liv sets her hand atop her boyfriend’s.

MARTIN:

This event, Mikael, has to be a

big part of your book.

Blomkvist promises him with a nod that it will.

INT. STOCKHOLM METRO - DAY

83

As Salander moves with a crowd toward the doors of a

subway car, someone behind her roughly yanks the strap of

her messenger bag from her shoulder

She gives chase, pushes past people, catches up with the

junkie, grapples with him. He slugs her. She goes down,

but doesn’t give up. Catches up with him on the

escalator, throws him back down it. The bag slams onto

the metal stairs, too, but at least she has it now.

She doesn’t run. She waits at the top and watches the

junkie drag himself up and think about trying again. He

wisely decides to let it go, hops to the down-escalator

and disappears into the underground station.

INT/EXT. COTTAGE - DAY

84

Blomkvist sifts through a box containing some of

Harriet’s personal belongings: school papers, textbooks,

a Bible, the address book, her wallet and ID ...

A knock on the door. He puts the box in a closet on top

of others, kicks it closed, opens the front door to find

a not unattractive woman in her 50’s on his porch.

CECILIA:

Hi. I thought I’d come over and say

hello. I’m Cecilia.

INT. COTTAGE - DAY

85

Cecilia regards Blomkvist’s Vanger family tree on the

wall. Wherever he only has an old photo, there’s a Post-

It next to it that reads: Recent Photo?

INSERT of Cecilia’s photo, taken when she was a teenager,

and a Post-It with her name on it.

CECILIA:

We’re all uncomfortable with the

idea of a chronicle of our family.

Dragon Tattoo Final 9/1/11 SZ 45.

45.45.

BLOMKVIST:

It’s not about the family. It’s

about Henrik and the company.

CECILIA:

Like I said.

BLOMKVIST:

It’s not my intention to present a

malicious portrait of anyone.

CECILIA:

Unlike the one that landed you in

court.

BLOMKVIST:

Unlike that one. Correct.

CECILIA:

So, what you’re saying is, you’re

not really here to look into what

happened to Harriet.

Silence. Then

BLOMKVIST:

I can’t ignore such a dramatic event,

but no, that’s not by any means my

focus.

CECILIA:

So all those boxes Gunner carted

down here - which are where? - in the

closet now? - weren’t Henrik’s

private investigation.

(Blomkvist can’t think fast

enough to respond)

I wonder sometimes who’s crazier - my

Nazi father or my obsessed uncle.

INSERT of the photo of Young Harald in his Nazi uniform

on the wall.

BLOMKVIST:

Since we’re talking about it, since

you brought it up, what was Harriet

like?

CECILIA:

I’m sure Henrik has told you.

BLOMKVIST:

He was my age then, and so couldn’t

know what was really going on with a

teenager any more than I can with my

own daughter. You were her age.

Dragon Tattoo Final 9/1/11 SZ 46.

46.46.

CECILIA:

Actually, my sister Anita was closer

to her in age.

INSERT of the photo on the wall of Anita, taken when she

was about 17 years old.

CECILIA:

She knew Harriet better than anyone -

certainly better than I did. You

should talk to her.

BLOMKVIST:

I’d love to, where is she.

CECILIA:

If I had to guess - London.

BLOMKVIST:

You don’t know where your own sister

lives?

CECILIA:

I haven’t seen her in years. We

never really got along.

BLOMKVIST:

I’m getting used to that comment.

CECILIA:

That’s the way it is when you’re

always after the same boys.

BLOMKVIST:

People generally get over that sort

of thing at a certain point.

CECILIA:

Oh, I’m long over it, and won’t

ever have to worry about it again.

She hates this place even more than

I do. She left, moved to London and

that was it. You couldn’t pay her to

send a Christmas card, much less

visit.

BLOMKVIST:

I’ll try to track her down for you.

CECILIA:

Don’t bother.

BLOMKVIST:

For myself then.

He smiles. She studies him. Maybe he’s not so bad.

Dragon Tattoo Final 9/1/11 SZ 47.

47.47.

CECILIA:

If you do, and try talking to her

about us, don’t be surprised if she

tells you to f*** off.

INT. MACJESUS - DAY

86

A tech tries to get beyond the dreaded blinking “?” on

the laptop’s cracked screen.

TECH:

You backed up?

SALANDER:

Hard drives at home, yeah.

TECH:

That’s good. This one’s dead.

EXT. MACJESUS - DAY

87

Salander against the store window, cell phone to her ear.

SECRETARY V/O

I’m sorry, he’s booked all day.

SALANDER:

It’ll take five minutes. It’s

important.

SECRETARY V/O

Hold, please.

Salander waits. Watches people stare at her like they

always do. The secretary comes back on.

SECRETARY V/O

Seven o’clock.

INT. OFFICE BUILDING - STOCKHOLM - NIGHT

88

Salander comes past a janitor waxing a long, otherwise

empty corridor. At the far end, she opens her new

guardian’s office door.

INT. BJURMAN’S OFFICE - NIGHT

89

As Bjurman reviews a McJesus invoice, Salander waits.

The thick atmosphere reminds her of all the others she

has sat in with school principals, shrinks and cops.

BJURMAN:

Have you ever had an STD?

(nothing from her)

When’s the last time you were tested

for HIV?

(MORE)

Dragon Tattoo Final 9/1/11 SZ 48.

48.48.

BJURMAN:

(CONT'D)

(nothing)

How many partners have you had in the

last month?

(nothing)

How many were men?

That last one seems to amuse him; none amuse her.

BJURMAN:

I’m required to ask you these things.

It’s a matter of health.

SALANDER:

Write down anything you want.

Bjurman sighs. Sets the form aside and looks at the

McJesus invoice again.

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