"There Are Things I Want You to Know" About Stieg Larsson and Me (20 page)

I could imagine what happened then. After Stieg’s death, when Norstedts discovered the problem, they had Erland and Joakim sign a new contract so that they’d have a free hand and could get the books out quickly. Further contracts must have been signed later to allow the publisher to sell the film rights. All supposition, of course. Anyway, no one who knows Stieg would believe that he’d let his family or publisher control his work or his image. That’s completely absurd—he was way too independent for that! Which is why it’s so important to me to obtain contol of the intellectual property rights to all his work. I’m thinking above all of his articles for
Expo
, for
Searchlight
, his books on the far right, and so forth.

I’VE FINISHED
packing for my second week of vacation. Tomorrow I take off into the archipelago. I’m supplied with half a pound of Lipton tea, some mustard, tomato pasta, couscous, salt and pepper, oil, vinegar, and dishwashing liquid, which I’ve put into little jars from my pantry.

Plus my Koala Macintosh and a pad of paper in a leatherette folder. I have of course hooked the compass and survival knife onto my Klättermusen jacket. And slipped the can of mace into a pocket.

Thursday, August 4

A PERVASIVE
melancholy came over me on July 19 during my first week of vacation without Stieg, and I can’t escape it anymore. It’s everywhere. I see it in the summer evening light as orange melts into gold, ocher, and copper. The life I knew is over. The one I used to imagine will never be. I’d like all this to end quickly. Rather than wait for nothing in particular.…

Wednesday, August 10

PER-ERIK NILSSON
phoned to ask me if I’d read his agreement proposal. He says he did his best to look after my interests. “You’re sure that your chief concern is control of the intellectual property, and not the money?” Yes, I assured him, once again.

Friday, August 12

TOWARD THE
end of the day, Svante Weyler finally answered my question about the film rights: Erland and Joakim did in fact sign a contract with Norstedts. Absolutely infuriated, I left a message for Per-Erik Nilsson to let him know that contrary to what he’d been told at
Norstedts, the contract had definitely been signed.

A FEW
days later, I would read an article in the
Sydsvenska Dagbladet
announcing that
The Millennium Trilogy
would soon be adapted for film by the Swedish film company Yellow Bird.

Tuesday, August 16

I FINALLY
called Joakim to find out about the apartment. He suggested something that was simply beyond belief, saying the problem would be solved if we were to use the apartment jointly … but that this certainly wouldn’t interest me!

Only then did he tell me they were finally going to give me their half of the apartment—and added that he was so fed up with handling all of Stieg’s paperwork that I would have to cope with the red tape involved. Do I dare believe him?

DURING THE
following week I went with Britt to see our old neighbors in Önnesmark, where we grew up, not far from Umeå. We wanted to see Stieg’s father and brother, but every time Britt called them, they said they were too busy. We were finally able to meet with them in a restaurant in town. They kept sticking to small talk, so after an hour of that I bluntly announced that we had something to discuss:
the best way to manage Stieg’s work. After a moment’s thought, Joakim explained that they were afraid that if I had control of the intellectual property, this might be in conflict with the film company’s rights to develop the characters in
The Millennium Trilogy
. No matter what Britt and I brought up, he kept replying that he would have to talk first with Svante Weyler. Then he reaffirmed their decision to give me their half of the apartment, but repeated that I would have to take care of the formalities.

As we were saying goodbye near the bus stop, Erland began to explain to me that the problem lay in the fact that I might get married someday, which posed a risk for them. “Stieg was the one I wanted to marry,” I replied. Then Joakim suggested that I marry Erland, which would solve all of the problems concerning the division of the estate. I just
froze
 … and Britt stared at him in horror. Of course, he added, this marriage would only be on paper!

Tuesday, August 23

AN EMAIL
from Svante Weyler. Ole Søndberg, a producer at Yellow Bird, which bought the
Millennium
film rights, would like to meet me. They’re about to begin writing the screenplay and are eagerly seeking any information that might help them. Weyler also said that the reviews of Stieg’s first book are fantastic, that he couldn’t imagine a better début.

So from now on, I know:

Consequences: