“I’ll give you one more chance, Torhus. If you don’t take it I’ll make sure the Ministry advertises your job faster than you can say ‘Norwegian police intentionally misled by Foreign Office Director.’ Or ‘Norwegian ambassador victim of gay murder.’ Both make for passable headlines, don’t you think?”
Torhus sat down. “Where are you, Hole?” he asked, for lack of anything better to say.
“I’ve just had a long conversation with my boss at Crime Squad. I’ve asked him in fifteen different ways what on earth this Atle Molnes was doing in Bangkok. All I’ve uncovered so far suggests he’s the least likely ambassador this side of the outspoken Reiulf Steen. I was unable to lance the boil, but I was able to confirm that there is one. He’s sworn to secrecy, I suppose, so he referred me to you. Same question as before. What don’t I know that you do? For your information, I’m sitting here with a fax machine beside me and the numbers of Verdens Gang, Aftenposten and Dagbladet newspapers.”
Torhus’s voice brought the winter cold all the way to Bangkok. “They won’t print unsupported claims from an alcoholic policeman, Hole.”
“If it’s an alcoholic celebrity policeman they will.”
Torhus didn’t answer.
“By the way, I think they’re going to cover the case in Sunnmørsposten as well.”
“You’ve taken the oath of confidentiality,” Torhus said in a subdued tone. “You’ll be prosecuted.”
Hole laughed. “Rock and a hard place, eh? Knowing what I know and not following it up would be a dereliction of duty. That’s punishable too, you know. For some reason I have the feeling I have less to lose than you if confidentiality is broken.”
“What guarantee—” Torhus started, but was interrupted by crackling on the line. “Hello?”
“I’m here.”
“What guarantee do I have that you’ll keep what I say to yourself?”
“None.” The echo made it sound as if he had emphasized his answer three times.
Silence.
“Trust me,” Harry said.
Torhus snorted. “Why should I?”
“Because you’ve got no choice.”
The Director saw from the clock that he was going to be late for lunch. The roast beef on rye in the canteen was probably already gone, but that didn’t matter much, he had lost his appetite.
“This must not get out,” he said. “And I mean that in all seriousness.”
“The intention isn’t that it will get out.”
“OK, Hole. How many scandals involving the Christian Democratic Party have you heard about?”
“Not many.”
“Exactly. For years the Christian Democrats had been this cozy little party no one had bothered about much. While the press was digging up stuff on the power elite in the Socialist Party and the weirdos in the Progress Party, the Christian Democrat MPs were largely allowed to lead their lives without much scrutiny. With the change of government that was no longer possible. When there was a reshuffle it soon became clear that Atle Molnes, despite his undoubted competence and long experience of Storting, would not be considered as a minister. Rooting around in his private life would entail a risk that a Christian party with personal values on its agenda could not take. The party can’t reject the ordination of homosexual priests and at the same time have homosexual ministers. I believe even Molnes could see that. But when the names of the new government were presented there were several reactions in the press. Why wasn’t Atle Molnes included? After he stepped aside some time ago to give the Prime Minister room as party leader most observers saw him as a number two, or at least a three or four. Questions were asked and the homosexuality rumors which had first arisen when he resigned as a candidate for party leader were rekindled. Now of course we know that there are many MPs who are gay, so why the fuss, one might ask. Well, the interesting thing about this case, apart from the fact that the man was a Christian Democrat, is that he was a close friend of the Prime Minister; they had studied together, even shared a bedsit. And it was just a matter of time before the press got hold of it. Molnes wasn’t in the government, but still it was becoming a personal strain on the PM. Everyone knew the PM and Molnes had been each other’s most important political supporters right from the start, and who would believe him if he said he’d been unaware of Molnes’s sexual inclinations all those years? What about all the voters who had supported the PM because of the party’s clear views on civil partnerships and other depravity, when he himself nurtured a viper in his bosom, to be a bit biblical? How would that help to create trust? The PM’s personal popularity had so far been one of the most important guarantees for a minority government to continue, and what they least needed was a scandal. It was obvious they had to get Molnes out of the country as swiftly as possible. It was decided that a post as an ambassador abroad would be best because then you couldn’t accuse the PM of pushing a party colleague with long and faithful service into the cold. That was the point at which I was contacted. We moved fast. The ambassador post in Bangkok still hadn’t been formally appointed and that would put him far enough away for the press to leave him in peace.”