The Girl Who Kicked The Hornets Nest Page 0,167

the alarm, but use your good judgement."

"I promise."

"I notice that you have golf clubs planted here and there around the house."

"Yes. I slept here alone last night."

"I myself would have checked into a hotel. I have no problem with you taking safety precautions on your own. But you ought to know that you could easily kill an intruder with a golf club."

"Hmm."

"And if you did that, you would most probably be charged with manslaughter. If you admitted that you put golf clubs around the place with the intent of arming yourself, it could also be classified as murder."

"If someone attacks me then the chances are that I do intend to bash in that person's skull."

"I understand you. But the point of hiring Milton Security is so that you have an alternative to doing that. You should be able to call for help, and above all you shouldn't end up in a situation where you have to bash in someone's skull."

"I'm only too happy to hear it."

"And, by the way, what would you do with the golf clubs if an intruder had a gun? The key to good security is all about staying one step ahead of anyone who means you harm."

"Tell me how I'm supposed to do that if I have a stalker after me?"

"You see to it that he never has a chance to get close to you. Now, we won't be finished with the installations here for a couple of days, and then we'll also have to have a talk with your husband. He'll have to be as safety-conscious as you are."

"He will be."

"Until then I'd rather you didn't stay here."

"I can't move anywhere else. My husband will be home in a couple of days. But both he and I travel fairly often, and one or other of us has to be here alone from time to time."

"I understand. But I'm only talking about a couple of days until we have all the installations ready. Isn't there a friend you could stay with?"

Berger thought for a moment about Blomkvist's apartment but remembered that just now it was not such a good idea.

"Thanks, but I'd rather stay here."

"I was afraid of that. In that case, I'd like you to have company here for the rest of the week."

"Well..."

"Do you have a friend who could come and stay with you?"

"Sure. But not at 7.30 in the evening if there's a nutcase on the prowl outside."

Rosin thought for a moment. "Do you have anything against a Milton employee staying here? I could call and find out if my colleague Susanne Linder is free tonight. She certainly wouldn't mind earning a few hundred kronor on the side."

"What would it cost exactly?"

"You'd have to negotiate that with her. It would be outside all our formal agreements. But I really don't want you to stay here alone."

"I'm not afraid of the dark."

"I didn't think you were or you wouldn't have slept here last night. Susanne Linder is also a former policewoman. And it's only temporary. If we had to arrange for bodyguard protection that would be a different matter - and it would be rather expensive."

Rosin's seriousness was having an effect. It dawned on her that here he was calmly talking of the possibility of there being a threat to her life. Was he exaggerating? Should she dismiss his professional caution? In that case, why had she telephoned Milton Security in the first place and asked them to install an alarm?

"O.K. Call her. I'll get the spare room ready."

It was not until after 10.00 p.m. that Figuerola and Blomkvist wrapped sheets around themselves and went to her kitchen to make a cold pasta salad with tuna and bacon from the leftovers in her fridge. They drank water with their dinner.

Figuerola giggled.

"What's so funny?"

"I'm thinking that Edklinth would be a little bit disturbed if he saw us right now. I don't believe he intended for me to go to bed with you when he told me to keep a close eye on you."

"You started it. I had the choice of being handcuffed or coming quietly," Blomkvist said.

"True, but you weren't very hard to convince."

"Maybe you aren't aware of this - though I doubt that - but you give off the most incredible sexual vibrations. Who on earth do you think can resist that?"

"You're very kind, but I'm not that sexy. And I don't have sex quite that often either."

"You amaze me."

"I don't, and I don't end up in bed