‘We’re familiar with the ointment from the story of Hedda Bruun and the near-catastrophe in Italy,’ she said. ‘In September. We know that it contains Clostebol. We know there are athletes worldwide who have been caught doping with Clostebol in the past. If not very many of them. Some claim to have used the ointment for innocent complaints. From what I can see, that may well be the truth.’

Jan no longer seemed so stern. He was already more than halfway down his second glass of malt whisky, but seemed alert.

CLOSTEBOL

Black, this time, with a red ring around it.

‘So we both choose to believe Hege. At any rate I choose to believe that Haakon has not deliberately taken the substance either. In the first place, because I knew him, and I quite simply can’t get it to add up that he would cheat. Secondly because we know that he must have been exposed to the drug in the short period between last Monday and when he died on Friday. A minuscule, pointless, amount.’

‘This is only a summary. We already talked about all this on Monday. You said you had a hypothesis.’

‘Your list,’ Selma said quickly, thumbing through to the notes on her own phone. ‘Of people who knew about the episode in Italy.’

Rapid and slapdash, to avoid testing Jan Morell’s impatience again, she wrote up all the names. She did not need to glance at her notes as she used the pen:

Selma turned to Jan and said: ‘These ten people knew they were within walking distance of legal, over-the counter purchase of a preparation containing Clostebol during the trip to Italy. Hedda Bruun and Hege did also. Why aren’t they included on your list?’

Jan shrugged and stared at her, looking discouraged.

‘You think Hedda could have sabotaged Hege?’

‘Not really, but I’d like the list to be complete.’

She added Hedda’s name to the others.

‘You and I know about it too,’ he said angrily. ‘Are we among the suspects?’

‘No. We didn’t find out about it until Saturday.’

Again Selma bit the steel pen. Once again she received a sharp rebuke.

‘Which of these was in Italy in September?’ she asked.

‘All the trainers. Knut, Stian Bach and Bottolf Odda. The last of these for only a few days, admittedly, but after all he was the one who dealt with the incident when Hedda discovered what she had been given.’

He paused for a moment as he studied the list.

‘And Astrid Beita. She was there too.’

‘Why was she informed?’ she asked. ‘Isn’t she the cook?’

‘Yes. I don’t know. Maybe she overheard something. This is at least the list of names my security consultant came up with.’

‘Arnulf Selhus,’ she said, putting brackets around his name. ‘He wasn’t there. Then how did he know about it?’