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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Chapter 3 Summary

How It All Goes Down

Friday, December 20 – Saturday, December 21

  • Around 5pm, Blomkvist comes into Erika Berger's office at Millennium.
  • They commiserate over the guilty verdict, and Blomkvist tries to convince Berger that she should fire him. His reputation as a journalist is shot right now, and he'll just be a liability to the magazine.
  • He also needs some time off to collect himself since he feels terrible now.
  • Finally, she gives in and agrees to temporarily fire him.
  • They plan for her to spend the night at his place.
  • Berger falls asleep around 2am and Blomkvist watches her, musing about their relationship.
  • They've been together since they met in journalism school, twenty years ago.
  • They are addicted to each other's love, and it's hurt some of their relationships, including Blomkvist's marriage.
  • He feels very lucky that Greger Beckman doesn't mind their arrangement.
  • It's 4am and Blomkvist can't sleep. He muses about Millennium now and eventually goes to the computer.
  • The press release announcing his departure from Millennium is already posted on Aftonbladet.
  • He and Erika drafted it together in the office.
  • (Brief flashback)
  • Berger is totally against Blomkvist leaving, and doesn't like putting out the press release.
  • He promises her that it's temporary, and that one day he'll expose Wennerström for the corrupt financier that he is.
  • For now, he needs to back off, for the sake of the magazine. Berger eventually goes along, though she doesn't quite buy it.