Chapter 25 Chapter Twenty-Five

All the while Blomkvist could not figure out why the sound from the Magistrates Court loudspeaker was so faint, almost a whisper.He could barely hear the broadcast of Salander's case, which was due to start at ten o'clock in Court Five.But he arrived early, waiting by the court door, and was one of the first to be allowed in.He took a seat in the gallery on his left, where he had the best view of the defendant's table.The table was soon filled with people.As the date of the trial approaches, the media has paid more and more attention. In the past week, Prosecutor Extron has been interviewed every day.

Salander was charged with injury and grievous injury in Landing; intimidation, attempted homicide and grievous injury in Pottin (the late Zarachenko); two counts of trespassing: one A break-in at the late Biermann's lawyer's summer house in Stahlhermann, another in a Bierman home in Olden Square; accused of car theft: Niminan of the Sulfur Lake Motorcycle Club a Harley motorcycle owned by a man; three counts of possession of illegal weapons: a can of Macy's sprayer, a taser and a Polish-made 83wanard pistol, all found in Gosseberga; Charged with stealing or concealing exhibits: the statement was vague, but referring to documents she found at Bierman's summer cottage; and several other misdemeanor counts.Salander was charged with a total of sixteen crimes.

Extron hadn't been idle. He also leaked information implying that Salander's mental state was the cause of the panic.He cites first the psychiatric report written by Dr. Rodman on her eighteenth birthday, and secondly a report by Dr. Tyler Polian, which was consistent with the preliminary judgment of the district court.Because the mentally disturbed girl continued to refuse to communicate with psychiatric experts, during the month she was detained in the Kronoberg Detention Center before the trial, doctors could only analyze her on the basis of "observation".Tyler Polian, who had many years of experience with the patient, determined she was severely mentally ill and used terms such as psychopathy, pathological narcissism, and delusional schizophrenia.

The media also reported that the police interrogated Salander seven times, and each time the accused refused or even greeted the police officers who were interrogating her.The first few interrogations were carried out by the Gothenburg Police Department, while the rest took place at the Police Headquarters in Stockholm.The recording of the interrogation process shows that the police tried their best to persuade and asked repeated questions, but they still did not get any response. She didn't even clear her throat. Attorney Annika's voice is occasionally heard on the recording when she senses that the client is clearly not going to answer any questions.The charges against Salander are therefore based entirely on forensic evidence and the facts that the police were able to determine during the investigation.

Salander's silence sometimes puts the defense attorney in an awkward position, because she has to be as silent as her client.The contents of their private discussions are kept confidential. Extron made no secret that his primary goal was to place the accused in a psychiatric facility, and the actual prison sentence was secondary.Normally, the normal procedure should be the opposite, but he believes that the insanity in this case is so clearly visible, and the psychiatric evaluation report is so clear, he actually has no choice.It is almost impossible for a judge to issue a judgment that violates a psychiatric report.

He also believed that Salander's incapacity declaration should be revoked.He explained wistfully in one interview that there are so many sociopaths in Sweden who are so deeply deranged that they are a danger not only to themselves but also to others, and that the only thing modern medicine can do is to keep them safely isolated.He cites the example of violent Annette, a girl who attracted media attention in the 1970s and is still in a mental hospital 30 years later.Whenever she tried to lift the confinement, she became agitated and violent, attacking loved ones and caregivers, or attempting to hurt herself.According to Extron, Salander suffered from a similar mental illness.

Annika, Salander's defense lawyer, has not made any statement to the media, which alone is enough to attract the media's attention.She refused all interview requests, so the media repeatedly stated that "it is impossible to know the point of view of the prosecution and defense to make a balanced report."This made it difficult for reporters: the prosecution kept throwing out information, and the defense was unusually reticent to say anything about Salander's reaction to her indictment or what defense tactics the defense might employ. A legal expert who followed the court hearing for an evening newspaper commented on the situation.The expert wrote in the column that Attorney Annika was a respected women's rights lawyer, but had no experience in criminal proceedings before taking this case, so he inferred that she was not suitable to defend Salander.Blomkvist also learned from his sister that several well-known lawyers offered to help.Annika declined one by one on behalf of the parties involved.

While waiting for the hearing to begin, Blomkvist quickly glanced around at the other spectators, just in time to catch a glimpse of Armansky sitting near the exit, and the two stared at each other for a moment. There was a large stack of papers on Extron's desk.He greeted several reporters. Annika sat across from Extron and was sorting out the files with her head bowed.Blomkvist thought his sister looked a little nervous.Stage fright, he thought. Then the judge, associate judges and jury entered the courtroom.Judge Jorgen Iverson was fifty-seven years old, white-haired, thin-cheeked, and light in his walk.Blomkvist checked Iverson's background and found him to be an experienced and upright judge who had presided over many high-profile cases.

In the end it was Salander who was brought into court. Although Blomkvist was used to Salander's outlandish attire, he was still surprised to see his sister allowing her to appear in court like this.She wore a black leather miniskirt with frayed skirts and a black top with "I'm pissed off" emblazoned on it, barely revealing her many tattoos.In addition to the ten holes pierced in the ears, the lower lip and left eyebrow are also pierced.The short, uneven hair on his head was the result of having left it three months after the surgery.She wore gray lipstick, her eyebrows were drawn thick and black, and her mascara was darker than Blomkvist had ever seen.During his time with Salander, she had shown little interest in makeup.

She looked, to put it mildly, vulgar, almost gothic, and reminded him of a vampire in some B-movie from the sixties.Blomkvist noticed that several reporters in the press box were either holding their breath in surprise or showing big smiles. After writing so much about this scandal-ridden woman, now that she finally saw the true face of Lushan, she really was Live up to expectations. Then he realized it was Salander's costume.Her style is usually scruffy and tasteless, and Blomkvist guesses she's not really interested in fashion, just trying to accentuate her personality.Salander seemed to have always regarded her private sphere as a dangerous place, and he thought of the rivets on her leather jacket as a self-defense mechanism, like the bristles of a hedgehog.This is tantamount to telling everyone around: Don't try to touch me, it will hurt.

But today in the court, she was not only exaggerating, but even comical. This is not a coincidence, but part of Annika's strategy. If Salander had come in with her hair cut and her suit and demure shoes, she would have looked like a liar about to come to court to make up stories.It's a question of credibility.She showed herself as herself instead of others, and even went too far, which made people see it more clearly.She doesn't intend to pretend to be someone else.Her message to the court was that she had no reason to be ashamed or to act.If the court has a problem with her appearance, that's not her problem.The state had charged her with numerous crimes, and prosecutors had dragged her into court, and the attire alone indicated that she intended to dismiss the prosecutor's charges as nonsense. Confidently, she walked up to the lawyer and sat down. She looked around the auditorium. There was no curiosity in her eyes. Instead, she seemed to be challenging to observe and write down the reporters who had convicted her. Today was the first time Blomkvist had seen her since seeing her lying on the bench like a bloody rag doll in Gosseberga, and it had been a month since he last saw her under normal circumstances. A year and a half—if "normal" could be used to describe the relationship with Salander.Their eyes met for a few seconds, and her gaze stayed on him, as if looking at a stranger.But she seemed to be contemplating Blomkvist's bruised cheek and temple, and his taped right eyebrow.Blomkvist vaguely felt a smile in her eyes, but doubted it was his fantasy.At this time, Judge Iverson knocked down the gavel and announced the opening of the trial. The audience stayed in the courtroom for a full thirty minutes, listening to Extron's presentation of the gist of the prosecution. Every reporter—except Blomkvist—was busy copying notes, even though everyone already knew what charges Extron was planning to charge.And Blomkvist had already written his report. Extron's presentation took twenty-two minutes, and Annika's turn took thirty seconds.Her tone was very firm. "The defense denies all but one of the charges. My client has admitted possession of an illegal weapon, namely a can of Macy's spray. As to the other counts, my client has denied mens rea. We will prove The prosecutor's claim is invalid, and my client's civil rights have been seriously violated. I will ask the court to acquit my client, revoke his incapacity declaration, and release him in court." There were whispers from the press box.Annika's lawyer's strategy was finally made public, but it was clearly beyond the expectations of the reporters, who mostly speculated that Annika would use her client's mental illness to some extent to excuse her.Blomkvist smiled. "Okay." Judge Iverson wrote shorthand, then looked at Annika and asked, "Have you finished?" "I have finished my statement." "Does the prosecutor have anything to add?" Judge Iverson asked. At this time, Extron requested a private meeting in the judge's office.After arriving at the office, he argued that the key to this case is the mental state and well-being of a physically and mentally vulnerable person, and that some matters involved in the case may endanger national security if they are made public in court. "I assume you're referring to the so-called Zarachenko incident?" the judge said. "Exactly. Zarachenko came to Sweden from a horrible totalitarian state to seek political asylum. Although he has passed away, some elements of the process of handling his case, such as personal relationships, etc., are still classified. I therefore request that this case not be heard in public, and that any particularly sensitive parts of the trial should be kept confidential." "I think I understand your point." Judge Iverson said, frowning. "In addition, most of the deliberations will touch on the defendant's guardianship issues. These matters are almost automatically classified as confidential in normal cases, so I request the exclusion out of respect for the defendant." "Does Ms. Annika agree to the prosecutor's request?" "It doesn't matter to us." After discussing with the bench judges, Judge Iverson announced that he had accepted the prosecutor's request, much to the annoyance of the reporters present.So Blomkvist left the courtroom. Armansky waited for Blomkvist on the stairs below the courthouse.This July day was so sweltering that Blomkvist could feel the sweat under his armpits.As soon as he walked out of the courthouse, two bodyguards came forward, nodded to Armansky, and then focused on the surrounding environment. "It's weird to have bodyguards hanging around," Blomkvist said. "How much does it all cost?" "It's all about the company, and I personally want to keep you alive. But since you asked, we've spent about two hundred and fifty thousand crowns on this charitable work over the past few months." "Coffee?" Blomkvist asked, pointing to the Italian cafe on Ball Street. Blomkvist ordered a latte, Armanski ordered double espresso with a teaspoon of milk.The two sat outside in the shade on the sidewalk, while the bodyguards drank Cokes at the next table. "No audience," Armansky said. "It's expected, and it doesn't matter, because it means we have a better grasp of the flow of information." "You're right, it didn't affect us, it's just that my opinion of Prosecutor Extron took a turn for the worse," Armansky said. They drank coffee and watched the court that would decide Salander's future. "The Last Stand," said Blomkvist. "She was fully prepared," Armansky replied. "I have to say that the girl's performance was impressive. When she started planning her strategy, I thought it didn't make sense, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed to work." "This trial will not be decided inside," Blomkvist said.Over the past few months, he has repeated this sentence countless times, like a mantra. "You're going to be called to testify," Armansky said. "I know, and I'm ready, but not before the day after tomorrow. At least we hope so." Extron had left his reading glasses at home and had to push them to his forehead and squint to see the last-minute handwritten supplementary data.He twirled his golden goatee before putting on his glasses and looking around the courtyard. Salander sat with her back straight and looked at the prosecutor with an unfathomable expression.Her face and eyes were expressionless and absent-minded.Now it was the prosecutor's turn to question her. "I want to remind Miss Salander that she was sworn to tell the truth," Extron said at last. Salander remained motionless.Extron seemed to expect her reaction, and waited a few seconds, watching her. "You swore to tell the truth," he added. Salander tilted her head slightly.Annika was busy reading the preliminary investigation materials, as if she didn't care what the prosecutor said.Extron arranged the order of the papers.After an awkward silence, he cleared his throat. "Very well," Extron said, "then we go straight to the events that took place on April 6th of this year at the late Attorney Biermann's holiday cottage on the outskirts of Stallehermann, as I stated this morning. First indictment point. We're going to try to figure out how you drove into Stahlhermann and shot Landing." Extron looked at Salander with provocative eyes.She remained motionless.The prosecutor suddenly had no choice but to raise his hands high as a sign of surrender, and looked at the judge for help.Judge Iverson appeared cautious.He glanced at Annika, who was still buried in the papers, as if oblivious to what was going on around her. Judge Iverson coughed lightly, looked at Salander and asked, "Does your silence mean that you are unwilling to answer any questions?" Salander turned her head, looking directly into the judge's eyes. "I'm happy to answer questions," she said. Judge Iverson nodded. "Then maybe you can answer my question," Extron interrupted. Salander looked at Axon without saying a word. "Can you answer the questions?" the judge urged her. Salander looked back at the judge, raised her eyebrows, and spoke clearly. "What's the problem? Until now the man"—she said, lifting her chin at Extron—"has made a lot of unsubstantiated claims, but I haven't heard the problem yet." Annika looked up, her elbows resting on the table, her chin resting on her hands, and she looked interested. Extron was confused for a moment. "Can you repeat the question?" Judge Iverson said. "I said . . . did you drive to Lawyer Bierman's summer cottage in Stahlhermann and try to shoot Landing?" "No, you're saying you're trying to figure out how I could have driven into Stahlhermann and shot Landing. It's not a question, it's a generic statement that you expect me to respond to. I'm not responsible for the statements you make." "Don't talk nonsense, answer the question." "no." silence. "Not what?" "No is my answer." Exxon sighed, today was a tough day.Salander watched him for the next question. "We'd better start from the beginning," he said. "Were you at the late lawyer Biermann's summer cottage in Stahlhermann on the afternoon of April 6th this year?" "yes." "How did you get there?" "I'll take the regional train to Sodertalje first, and then take the bus from Strännäs." "What was your reason for going to Stalherman? Did you arrange a meeting with Landin and his friend Niminan?" "No." "How did they appear there?" "You'll have to ask them that." "I'm asking you." Salander didn't answer. Judge Iverson cleared his throat again. "I think Miss Salander didn't answer because—purely semantics—you used the declarative sentence again." The judge offered to help explain. Annika suddenly giggled, just loud enough for everyone present to hear, but she immediately put her smile back and read the data again.Extron gave her an exasperated look. "Why do you think Landing and Niminan went to the cottage?" "I don't know, I suspect they set it on fire. Landing put a liter of gasoline in a plastic bottle in the saddle bag of his Harley." Axon pursed his lips. "Why did you go to Lawyer Bierman's summer cottage?" "I'm looking for information." "What information?" "I suspect that the information that Lan Ting and Niminan are going to burn is also information that can help clarify who killed that bastard." "You think Lawyer Bierman is a bastard? Am I reading that correctly?" "right." "Why do you think so?" "He's a sadistic pig, he's a pervert, he's a rapist, so he's a bastard." She quoted the text stabbed in Bierman's stomach, which was an indirect admission that she did it.However, Salander was not charged with the dispute because Bierman never called the police, and it is now impossible to prove that he got the tattoo voluntarily or by force. "In other words you are accusing your guardian of raping you. Can you tell the court when he raped you?" "Tuesday, February 18, 2003 and Friday, March 7, 2003 respectively." "When the police tried to question you, you kept refusing to answer. Why?" "I have nothing to say to them." "Your lawyer sent me a so-called 'autobiography' without warning a few days ago. I have read it. I have to say that it is a strange document, the details of which we will talk about later. But you in the article Alleges that Attorney Bierman forced you to perform oral sex the first time, and raped you in an abusive manner repeatedly throughout the night the second time." Salander didn't respond. "Is that right?" "yes." "Did you call the police after the rape?" "No." "why?" "I wanted to tell the police before, but they never listened, so it seemed useless to call the police at that time." "Have you ever talked to a friend about this? With a female friend?" "No." "why?" "Because it has nothing to do with them." "Have you tried to get a lawyer?" "No." "You said you were injured, did you go to the doctor for treatment?" "No." "You didn't go to any women's shelters either." "You used declarative sentences again." "Sorry. Did you go to any women's shelters?" "No." Extron turned to the judge and said, "Please note the court that the defendant claims that she was sexually assaulted twice, the second time should be considered quite serious. She alleges that these rapes were committed by her guardian, the late Bill. Lawyer Man. At this juncture, the following facts should be taken into consideration..." He pointed to the article in front of him. "During the investigation conducted by the Violent Crimes Unit, Attorney Bierman has never said or done anything in the past to substantiate what Salander said. Bierman has never been sentenced, has a criminal record, and has never been investigated. He has previously Served as guardian or trustee to several other youths, none of whom claimed to have been assaulted in any way. Instead, they all insisted that Bierman always behaved well and kindly towards them." Extron turned the page. "It is also my duty to remind the court that Salander has been diagnosed as a delusional schizophrenic. This lady has a history of violence and severe interpersonal interaction problems since early adolescence. She has spent several years in a children's psychiatric institution Years, and has been under guardianship since the age of eighteen. However, although regrettable, there is a reason for this. Salander is a danger to herself and those around her, and I am convinced that what she needs is not a prison sentence, but mental health care treat." He pauses briefly for effect. "Discussing a young man's mental state is an extremely unpleasant job. Not only does it invade too much privacy, but her mental state has also become the focus of explanation. However, in this case, we have Salander's own chaotic worldview as a judgment This is particularly clear in her essay titled 'Autobiography'. Nothing demonstrates her unrealism more than this essay. We do not need witnesses or explanations that often contradict each other here, we With her own words, we can judge for ourselves the credibility of her words." His eyes fell on Salander, and the two of them happened to meet. She smiled slightly, with a sly look on her face.Extron couldn't help frowning. "Does Ms. Annika have anything to say?" Judge Iverson asked. "No," said Annika, "but Prosecutor Extron's conclusion is ridiculous." The trial began in the afternoon with cross-examination of witnesses.The first was Urika von Libenstadt of the Guardianship Service.Exstrom subpoenaed her to testify whether Bierman's attorney had ever been sued.Von Liebenstadt vehemently retorted that this was slander at all. "Guardianship cases have a very strict oversight regime. Attorney Bierman had served the Guardianship Service for nearly two decades prior to his shocking death." She gave Salander a terrified look, but in fact Salander was not charged with murder; the facts have proved that Bierman was killed by Niedermann. "For so many years, Attorney Bierman has never been complained about. He is an honest and conscientious person, and he has always given his ward wholeheartedly." "So you don't think it's credible that he would have seriously sexually assaulted Salander, do you?" "I think it's ridiculous. Attorney Bierman reports to us every month, and I've met him a few times in person to discuss individual cases." "Ms Annika asked the court to revoke Salander's guardianship, effective immediately." "No one would be happier if the guardianship could be revoked than us at the Guardianship Service. It's just a pity that we have a responsibility, which means we have to follow the proper rules. As far as the Guardianship Service is concerned, we have to follow the normal procedure for psychiatric experts to certify Salander is indeed healthy, and we may talk about a change of legal status later." "clear." "That means she has to take a mental test. But everyone knows she won't." Von Liebenstadt's interrogation lasted about forty minutes, during which time Bürmann's monthly reports were reviewed. Annika asked only one question before letting von Liebenstad go. "Were you in Lawyer Bierman's bedroom during the night of March 7-8, 2003?" "of course not." "In other words, you don't know whether my client's confession is true or not?" "The accusations against Bierman's lawyers are outrageous." "That was your idea. Can you provide an alibi for him, or in any way prove that he did not assault my client?" "Of course it's impossible, but that chance..." "Thank you. I'm fine," Annika said. Around seven, Blomkvist and his sister met at Milton's office near Slusen to discuss the course of the day. "It's pretty much what we expected," Annika said. "Extram bought the account of Salander's autobiography." "Very well. Is she all right?" Annika laughed. "She's so good, she looks like a complete psycho. She's just being herself." "great." "Most of today is talking about what happened at Staller Herman's Lodge. Tomorrow there will be mention of Gosseberga, the arraignment of the forensic team, etc. Extron will try to prove that Salander went there to kill Her father." "This..." "There might be a technicality, though. This afternoon Extron summoned von Liebanstadt of the Custody Service. And this woman just kept saying I had no right to defend Liz." "why?" "She said that Liz is currently under guardianship and cannot choose her own lawyer. So strictly speaking, I cannot be her lawyer without the permission of the Guardianship Bureau." "The results of it?" "Judge Iverson will make his decision tomorrow morning. I spoke to him after the hearing today. I think he should let me continue her defense. My argument is that the Guardianship has three full months to present Protesting, making such a protest now that the court is in session is actually a provocation without justification." "I guess Tyler Pollyan will testify on Friday. You'll have to cross-examine him." On Thursday, Prosecutor Extron explained to the judge and jury that after studying maps and photographs and hearing the conclusions of forensic experts about the Gosseberga incident, he determined that the evidence showed Salander went to Gosseberga The farm was to kill the father.The strongest link in the chain of evidence is that she carried a handful of Polish eighty-three wanaders with her. Either Zarachenko (according to Salander's confession) or Niedermann (according to Zarachenko's testimony before Sogenska's death), the alleged policeman's killer, took turns trying to kill Salander and bury her alive in a nearby The fact that she was in a pothole in the woods could not cancel the fact that she tracked her father to Gothabaga and deliberately killed him.What's more, when she hit her father's face with an ax, she almost succeeded.Extron asked the judge to charge Salander with attempted murder or premeditated murder and grievous assault. Salander's own statement claimed that she had come to Gosseberga to confront her father and convince him to confess to killing Dag and Mia.This statement is very important in determining mens rea. After Extron questioned Melk Hansen, a member of the identification team of the Gothenburg Police Station, Attorney Annika also asked a few brief questions. "Mr. Hansen, is there any evidence in your investigation or in all the identification materials you have collected that Salander lied about the reason for her visit to Gothberga? Can you prove that she did it to kill her?" Is it from my father?" Han Sen thought for a moment. "No," he finally said. "Have you anything to say about her intentions?" "No." "So, although Prosecutor Extron's eloquent conclusions were drawn, they were only speculations?" "should be." "Salander claimed that it was purely a coincidence that she was carrying the Polish-made 83 Vanade pistol, because Stahlerherman put it in her bag the day before after she did not know what to do with it from Niminan. May I ask if there is any identification evidence to prove that what she said is not true?" "No." "Thank you," Annika said and sat down.Han Sen was questioned for an hour, but she only asked these few sentences. When Waddenshire turned onto Rinnai Street and walked towards the parking space he had found the day before, he felt a faint heaviness in his chest.He disarmed the anti-theft device and was about to open the door when he suddenly heard a sound behind him, so he turned his head to face the sun and squinted his eyes. It took a few seconds before he recognized the tall man standing on the sidewalk in front of him. "Hello, Mr. Waddenshire." Aiklint said, "I haven't been out in person for ten years, but today I think it is necessary." Wadenshe looked at the two plainclothes beside Aiklint in confusion.He recognized Boblanski, but not the other. Suddenly, he probably guessed what was going on. "Unfortunately, it is my duty to tell you that the Attorney General has decided to arrest you because there are so many charges that it will surely take weeks to list them all." "What's going on now?" Wadenshey asked angrily. "Now you are arrested on suspicion of assisting in murder, in addition to extortion, bribery, illegal wiretapping, repeated forgery, embezzlement, break and enter, abuse of power, espionage, and a long list of lesser charges, A crime of equal magnitude. The two of us have to find a quiet place on Kings Island and have a good talk." "I didn't kill anyone." Wadenshe was breathless. "I'll find out after the investigation." "It's Clinton. It's Clinton all the way," Vaddenshey said. Ai Kelinte nodded with satisfaction. Every cop knows that there are two typical interrogation methods for suspects: bad cop and good cop.Bad cops threaten, swear, punch their fists on a table, and generally act violently in an attempt to scare a suspect into submission.Good police officers are mostly short, gray-haired elderly men who can pass cigarettes, pour coffee, nod empathetically, and speak in a normal tone. Many (but not all) cops also know that the interrogation techniques of good cops are far more effective when it comes to getting results.Bad cops are least effective against hard-boiled, seasoned thieves, vacillating rookies who may confess when threatened, but are also likely to confess, no matter what interrogation technique is used. Blomkvist listened to Waddenshire's interrogation in the next room.His presence sparked much internal controversy, and in the end Aiklint decided to let him in. His observations were likely to come in handy. Blomkvist discovered that Aiklint was using a third interrogation tactic: disinterested police, which seemed to work better in this particular case.Aiklinte leisurely wandered into the interrogation room, poured coffee out of a porcelain cup, pressed the tape recorder and leaned back in his chair. "The thing is, we have all the conceivable forensic evidence against you, so we don't want to hear anything from you unless you corroborate it. But there is one question we would like to ask: that is Why? Or how are you stupid enough to decide to kill people in Sweden like in Chile under the Pinochet dictatorship? The tapes are running, if you have something to say, do it now. If you don't want to say it, I'll turn off the tape recorder, remove your tie and shoelaces, and put you upstairs in a cell while you await your lawyer, court hearing, and sentencing shortly thereafter." Aikelint took a sip of coffee and sat quietly.Seeing that he didn't speak for two minutes, he reached out to turn off the tape recorder and stood up. "I'll send someone to take you upstairs later, good night." "I didn't kill anyone." Aiklint had already opened the door, and stopped at the door when he heard Wadenshey's voice suddenly. "I am not interested in small talk with you. If you want to explain your behavior and position, I will sit down and turn on the tape recorder. All the officials in Sweden, especially the Prime Minister, are eager to hear what you have to say. If you tell me, I will Then you can go to the Prime Minister and pass on your statement. If you refuse to speak, you will still be prosecuted and sentenced in the end.” "Sit down, please," said Waddenshire. Everyone could see that he had resigned himself to his fate.Blomkvist exhaled.Besides him there were Figuelaura, Prosecutor Gustafson, the secret police known only as Stephen, and two other completely unknown persons.Blomkvist suspects at least one of them is representing the attorney general. "Those murders have nothing to do with me." After Aiklint pressed the recorder again, Wadenshe said. "Those murders?" Blomkvist whispered to Figuelaura. She hissed him. "It's Clinton and Gulbo. I swear, I really don't know their intentions. When I heard that Gulbo shot Zarachenko, I was petrified. I couldn't believe it... Really couldn't believe it . Then I heard about Björk and I thought I was going to have a heart attack.” "Tell me about Björk's murder." Aiklint asked without changing his tone, "How did it happen?" "Clinton hired a few people. I don't even know what happened, just two Yugoslavs. If I remember correctly, Serbs. Newstrom signed a contract with them and paid after the fact. I knew it when I found out Things are not going to go well." "Can we start from the beginning?" Ai Kelinte said, "When did you start working for the 'group'?" Once Wadenshe opened his mouth, he couldn't stop.The interrogation lasted nearly five hours.