The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Page #2

Richard, was a

Nazi of the first order -

joining the

- Nationalist Socialist Freedom League

when he was 17.

Isnt it interesting how fascists

always steal the word freedom "freedom".

The 4:
30. Yes.

Okay...

Anyway, Richard died a martyr to the Nazi

cause -

in 1940, missed all the real

excitement -

but not the opportunity

to regularly beat his wife Margareta..

and their son, Gottfried.

Now, Gottfried - Harriets father -

was what people used to call

- a Good-Time-Charlie.

- Theyre still called that.

Are they? Okay.

He was a charmer, a ladies man,

a drunk.

In other words, a born salesman -

which is what he did for the company -

traveling around, taking clients

out to dinner and so forth.

- Well, Somebody has to do it.

- Thats right.

Anyway, he died in 1965.

Drowned. Drunk.

Here on theisland.

His wife Isabella - who was pretty

much useless as a parent before -

became even more so after his death -

which is when I began looking after

their children -

Martin - who runs Vanger Industries

now that Im retired -

- I've been with him.

- and Harriet.

She was bright and curious,

a winning combination in any person.

- And beautiful.

- Yeah.

Something happened to her?

Someone in the family

murdered Harriet.

And for the last forty years

has been trying to drive me insane.

It was September 24th, 1966.

A Saturday.

Harriet was 16.

My brothers - along with their

wives, children and grandchildren -

had gathered here

for our loathsome

annual board meeting and dinner.

It was also the day the Yacht Club held

its Autumn parade.

Harriet and a couple of school

friends had gone into town to see it.

She returned a

little after two oclock.

She came to the parlor.

She asked if she could talk to me.

I honestly

dont remember what I was doing

that I thought was more important, but I

told her to give me a few minutes.

It was during those few minutes,

that something else occurred.

The accident had

nothing to do with Harriet -

and yet, everything.

It was chaos as everyone put down

what they were doing.

Police, an ambulance,

fire brigade,

reporter, photographer and onlookers

quickly arrived from town,

just as those of us on the island - the family -

hurried to the bridge from our side.

The driver of the car -

a man named Aronsson -

was pinned and severely injured.

We tried desperately to pry him out

with our hands - since metal tools could spark.

It was an hour after the crash,

Harriet was in the kitchen.

Anna herself saw her.

We finally got poor

Aronsson out of his car

and off to the hospital,

Just us we from our side

slowly drifted back to the house.

The sun was down,

the excitement over,

we sat down to dinner.

It was then, that

I noticed Harriet wasnt there.

And she wasnt there the next

morning. Or the next.

Or the next forty years.

What was she going to tell me? Why

didnt I make time for her?

Why didnt I listen?

- And she couldnt have run away?

- Not without being seen.

Firemen stayed

on the bridge all night

pumping out the gasoline.

And no one swam across,

or took a row boat.

All of them were still tied up

on this side Sunday.

Believe me,

I checked.

She couldnt have just

fallen and drowned?

Oh, no. The currents

arent strong here.

Anything that falls into the water

turns up nearby.

Like her father.

His body didnt drift more

than ten meters

when he drowned

the year before.

No. No. Someone killed her,

Someone on the island

that day.

Someone close enough to know

what she used to give me each year

on my birthday.

Those were from her.

The rest...from her killer.

- Who knows about these?

- Just me, the police, the killer...

and now you.

After, the police investigation evaporated,

I kept at it -

studying all the information there was,

Ive spent half my life

examining the events of a single day.

I understand your frustration, But...

what youre asking me to do is

a waste of money

We havent discussed your fee.

We dont need to.

Thank you.

I cant find something you havent

been able to in forty years.

You dont know that.

You have a

very keen investigative mind.

Heres what I propose:

You come stay on the island. I have a nice little

cottage by the water you can use.

You study the material I give you.

You find something Ive missed- or you dont.

What you're asking me to do

is set aside my life and career....

Think of it as a well

deserved holiday.

A way of avoiding all the

people you want to avoid right now.

As for compensation, Ill pay you double

your salary for as many months as it takes.

Ill quadruple it if

you solve the mystery.

- Herr Vanger.

- Im not done.

Ill throw in one more thing -

even though youre a

terrible negotiator.

Its something you want more than anything else

and it cant be bought at any price.

So, let me give it to you ...

Hans-Erik Wennerstrom.

He began his career working for me.

And Ive followed it with interest,

shall we say, ever since.

You were right about him.

You just couldnt prove it.

Were in the middle of our worst crisis ever

and youre writing a memoir?

You fired me;

I need something to do.

You fired you;

I need you here,

not the North Pole.

Mikael, You know what this

is going to look like.

Like Ive been gutted. Like Im

running away. I am.

Wennerstrm wants to see me waving

a white flag, not a red one.

The more it looks like theres a problem

between you and me, the more itll satisfy him.

There is a problem between us. He

wont be satisfied until he shuts us down,

Youre leaving me to fight him alone?

Its four hours by train.

Its not the North Pole.

Hey, hey.

The network is busy,

please try again later.

The network is busy,

please try again later.

What?

Want some Milk?

The network is busy,

please try again later.

You are Palmgren's daughter?

His ward,

He doesn't have a daughter.

Please.

He's had a severe

cerebral hemorrhaging.

Either from the fall itself,

or a stroke that led to the fall.

His blood pressure is too high.

Im hopeful hell regain consciousness,

but thats not assured.

And its possible, even if he does,

there will be

neurological damage.

Hi, Im Gunner.

The caretaker.

Oh, hey, Gunnar.

Youre an author?

Well, I'm doing a biography

on Herr Vanger.

- I saw you on television.

- Thats unfortunate.

Bit of trouble, I guess.

No jail time, though.

Thats good.

Cost you a lot of money though, yeah?

There.

It's good.

The entire island is

owned by my family.

Your closest neighbor is

my brother

Harald, another Nazi if you can believe.

Two in the family.

Oh, yes. Hes quite detestable

to put it nicely,

but youll probably never see him.

Hes a recluse.

- He was there that day?

- Indeed, he was.

His daughter, Cecilia,

lives over there.

They dont speak.

Does anyone speak to

anyone on this island?

Isabella, Harriets mother

- who lives there - she speaks to Harald -

which is one of reasons

I dont speak to her

Cecilias brother Birger

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