The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest Chapter 9 Summary

How It All Goes Down

Wednesday, May 4

  • Håkan Morander has a heart attack and dies, there in the glass cage, on Berger's fourth day at SMP.
  • Morander was supposed to ease Berger into her new role, but now she has to immediately take charge.
  • Giannini is tired from going back and forth from Salander's hospital every day. She's also frustrated with Salander and Blomkvist because they're keeping secrets from her.
  • She's glad Salander doesn't talk to the police though – that way, they can't use her words against her. But, if Salander doesn't trust Giannini, they can't hope for victory in court.
  • Salander is frustrated with Giannini too – she doesn't want to talk to the woman about her feelings. None of this stuff is Salander's fault, and yet she's the one who has to deal with it.
  • She wonders about her friends, Armansky, Palmgren, and Miriam Wu (Mimmi).
  • Dr. Jonasson visits Salander and asks her why she has a dragon tattoo. She says, "I got it for reasons that I don't want to discuss" (9.118). He lets the matter drop.
  • Salander offers to show the full tattoo to him, and he accepts. He agrees it's beautiful.
  • Next, Peter Teleborian shows up and tries to bully Jonasson into letting him see Salander. Jonasson insists he sees no signs of mental illness in Salander and sends Teleborian on his way.
  • Jonasson calls his colleague, Dr. Martina Karlgren, and asks what she thinks of Salander.
  • He learns that Salander requested some heavy duty reading material about genetics and brain research. Karlgren agrees that Salander seems withdrawn, but not mentally ill or incompetent in any way.