and Mimmi had decided that most of the stuff had to go. Especially the disgusting dirt-brown sofa in the living room. Did Salander want to keep any of the things? No. Then Mimmi had spent a few long days as well as several hours each evening for two weeks throwing out bits of old furniture, cleaning cupboards, scrubbing the floor, scouring the bathtub, and repainting the walls in the kitchen, living room, bedroom, and hall. She also varnished the parquet floor in the living room.
Salander had no interest in such tasks, but she came several times to watch Mimmi at work, fascinated. Eventually the apartment was empty of everything except for a kitchen table of solid wood, much the worse for wear, that Mimmi intended to sand down and refinish, two stools that Salander had pounced on when an attic in the building was cleared, and a set of sturdy shelves in the living room that Mimmi thought she could repaint.
"I'm moving in this weekend, unless you're going to change your mind."
"I don't need the apartment."
"But it's a great apartment. I mean, there are bigger and better apartments, but it's slap in the middle of Soder and the rent is nothing. Lisbeth, you're passing up a fortune by not selling it."
"I have enough to get by."
Mimmi shut up, not sure how to interpret Salander's brusque dismissal.
"Where are you living now?"
Salander did not reply.
"Could a person come and visit you?"
"Not right now."
Salander opened her shoulder bag, took out some papers, and passed them over to Mimmi.
"I've fixed the agreement with the housing association. The simplest thing is to register you as my roommate and say I'm selling half of the apartment to you. The price is one krona. You have to sign the contract."
Mimmi took the pen and signed the contract, adding her date of birth.
"Is that all?"
"That's it."
"Lisbeth, I've always thought that you were a little weird. Do you realize that you just gave away half of this apartment to me? I'd love to have the apartment, but I don't want to end up in a situation where you suddenly regret it or it causes bad feelings between us."
"There will never be any bad feelings. I want you to live here. It feels right to me."
"But with nothing in return? You're nuts."
"You're taking care of my mail. That's the deal."
"That'll take me an average of four seconds a week. Do you intend to come over once in a while to have sex?"
Salander fixed her eyes on Mimmi. She was quiet for a moment.
"I'd like to very much, but it's not part of the contract. You can say no whenever you want."
Mimmi sighed. "And here I was just beginning to enjoy being a kept woman. You know, having somebody who gives me an apartment and pays my rent and comes over now and then to wrestle around in bed."
They sat in silence for a while. Then Mimmi stood up resolutely and went into the living room to turn off the bare bulb in the ceiling fixture.
"Come here."
Salander followed her.
"I've never had sex on the floor of a newly painted apartment with almost no furniture. I saw a movie with Marlon Brando once about a couple in Paris who did it."
Salander glanced at the floor.
"I feel like playing. Are you up for it?" Mimmi said.
"I'm almost always up for it."
"Tonight I think I'll be a dominating bitch. I get to make the decisions. Take off your clothes."
Salander smiled a crooked smile. She took off her clothes. It took at least ten seconds.
"Lie down on the floor. On your stomach."
Salander did as Mimmi commanded. The parquet floor was cool and her skin got goose bumps immediately. Mimmi used Salander's T-shirt with the slogan YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT to tie her hands behind her back.
Salander could not help thinking that this was similar to the way Nils Fucking Slimebag Bjurman had tied her up two years ago.
The similarities ended there.
With Mimmi, Salander felt only lustful anticipation. She was compliant when Mimmi rolled her over on her back and spread her legs. Salander watched her in the dim room as she pulled off her own T-shirt, and was fascinated by her soft breasts. Then Mimmi tied her T-shirt as a blindfold over Salander's eyes. She could hear the rustle of clothes. A few seconds later she felt Mimmi's tongue on her belly and her fingers on the inside of her thighs. She was more excited than she had been in a long