"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," Fraklund 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 Ekstrom, and Criminal Inspector Bublanski, who's in charge of the investigation. Ekstrom 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. "Ekstrom 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. Ekstrom and I decided that you two" - he pointed at Bohman and Hedstrom - "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, Fraklund and Bohman, worked for the police for longer than you've worked here, and even you, Hedstrom, 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."
Fraklund 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 Hedstrom.
"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," Fraklund said. "If that's what we're looking for, we'd have to suppose there's a possibility she's innocent. And I don't believe that."
"I don't either," Armansky said. "But your work will be to assist the police in every way and to help them take her into custody in the shortest time possible."
"Budget?" Fraklund said.
"Open. I want to be regularly updated on what this is costing, and if it gets out of hand we'll shut it down. But assume that you'll be on this for a week at least, starting today. And since I'm the one here who knows Salander best, I should be one of the people you interview."
Modig hurtled down the corridor and made it into the conference room just as her colleagues had settled in their seats. She sat down next to Bublanski, who had gathered the whole investigative team for this meeting, including the preliminary investigation leader. Faste gave her an annoyed look and then took care of the introduction; he was the one who had asked for the meeting.
He had gone on burrowing through the years of confrontation between the social welfare bureaucracy and Salander - what he called the "psychopath trail" - and he