3.10 this morning.
She had tracked him to Gosseberga fully intending to kill him. She had failed, with the result that Zalachenko was alive and tucked up in bed barely ten metres from where she was. And she was in hot water. She could not tell how bad the situation was, but she supposed that she would have to escape and discreetly disappear abroad herself if she did not want to risk being locked up in some nuthouse again with Teleborian as her warder.
The problem was that she could scarcely sit upright in bed. She did notice improvements. The headache was still there, but it came in waves instead of being constant. The pain in her left shoulder had subsided a bit, but it resurfaced whenever she tried to move.
She heard footsteps outside the door and saw a nurse open it to admit a woman wearing black trousers, a white blouse, and a dark jacket. She was a pretty, slender woman with dark hair and a boyish hairstyle. She radiated a cheerful confidence. She was carrying a black briefcase. Salander saw at once that she had the same eyes as Blomkvist.
"Hello, Lisbeth. I'm Annika Giannini," she said. "May I come in?"
Salander studied her without expression. All of a sudden she did not have the slightest desire to meet Blomkvist's sister and regretted that she had accepted this woman as her lawyer.
Giannini came in, shut the door behind her, and pulled up a chair. She sat there for some time, looking at her client.
The girl looked terrible. Her head was wrapped in bandages. She had purple bruises around her bloodshot eyes.
"Before we begin to discuss anything, I have to know whether you really do want me to be your lawyer. Normally I'm involved in civil cases in which I represent victims of rape or domestic violence. I'm not a criminal defence lawyer. I have, however, studied the details of your case, and I would very much like to represent you, if I may. I should also tell you that Mikael Blomkvist is my brother - I think you already know that - and that he and Dragan Armansky are paying my fee."
She paused, but when she got no response she continued.
"If you want me to be your lawyer, it's you I will be working for. Not for my brother or for Armansky. I have to tell you too that I will receive advice and support during any trial from your former guardian, Holger Palmgren. He's a tough old boy, and he dragged himself out of his sickbed to help you."
"Palmgren?"
"Yes."
"Have you seen him?"
"Yes."
"How's he doing?"
"He's absolutely furious, but strangely he doesn't seem to be at all worried about you."
Salander smiled lopsidedly. It was the first time she had smiled at Sahlgrenska hospital.
"How are you feeling?"
"Like a sack of shit."
"Well then. Do you want me to be your lawyer? Armansky and Mikael are paying my fee and - "
"No."
"What do you mean, no?"
"I'll pay your fee myself. I don't want a single ore from Armansky or Kalle Blomkvist. But I can't pay before I have access to the Internet."
"I understand. We'll deal with that problem when it arises. In any case, the state will be paying most of my salary. But do you want me to represent you?"
Salander gave a curt nod.
"Good. Then I'll get started by giving you a message from Mikael. It sounds a little cryptic, but he says you'll know what he means."
"Oh?"
"He wants you to know that he's told me most of the story, except for a few details, of which the first concerns the skills he discovered in Hedestad."
He knows that I have a photographic memory... and that I'm a hacker. He's kept quiet about that.
"O.K."
"The other is the D.V.D. I don't know what he's referring to, but he was adamant that it's up to you to decide whether you tell me about it or not. Do you know what he's referring to?"
The film of Bjurman raping me.
"Yes."
"That's good, then." Giannini was suddenly hesitant. "I'm a little miffed at my brother. Even though he hired me, he'll only tell me what he feels like telling me. Do you intend to hide things from me too?"
"I don't know. Could we leave that question for later?" Salander said.
"Certainly. We're going to be talking to each other quite a lot. I don't have time for a long conversation now - I have to meet Prosecutor Jervas in forty-five minutes. I just wanted to confirm