‘No. It would be best for Hedda, he claimed. If this got out, her name would come up in conjunction with a doping case. On the internet, you know. When people did a search on her name. Bottolf said it was vital not to tell a soul, and he’d take care of the rest.’

‘Search on the internet?’ Selma said, perplexed.

It was completely illogical. If you conducted a search on, for example, ‘Ole Einar Bjørndalen’ and ‘doping’ in the same field, then it was dead certain that you’d end up with a shedload of results. Because he’d been staunchly opposed to that kind of thing. Not because he’d been suspected of or caught cheating.

She fished out her mobile and rapidly keyed in three words on Google.

‘Look at this,’ she said, holding the display up to Hege. ‘More than 1,100 hits on my name cross-referenced with ‘doping’. Because I’ve dealt with drugs cases, both for Anti-Doping Norway and the Court of Arbitration for Sport. No one has ever, on any occasion, accused me of taking drugs for that reason! Did he really say that?’

‘Yes.’

‘And you both went along with that?’

‘Yes. What should we have done?’

Selma slumped back in the settee. With a loud sigh.

‘What about confronting the doctor? As far as I know, he’s still the national team doctor. Do you know what consequences this had for him? If any?’

‘No. Apart from Hedda refusing to have anything further to do with him. Me too, for that matter. To be on the safe side.’

‘Has nobody ever reacted to that, then?’

‘No. Hedda went home from Italy before the rest of us to receive treatment for her herpes sores. When we got back, another doctor had already been appointed to the team. Both Hedda and I have used her ever since.’

Something occurred to Selma. Her fingers tapped in another search on her mobile.

‘19 September,’ she muttered before raising her voice: ‘The Norwegian Cross-Country Skiing Federation has employed Vibeke Stenshaug as a new assistant national team doctor. “This consolidates our efforts at every level,” commented Bottolf Odda at a press conference, and continued: “Vibeke will contribute to the further professionalization of the medical care provided for our athletes in a steadily more demanding and physically exhausting sport.” My God. They buried the whole foul-up.’

Jan Morell sat bolt upright. Without a word, he crossed the living room to a door. Selma had no idea where it led.

‘You’re phoning no one,’ she said sharply at the top of her voice. ‘Jan! You’re phoning no one, do you hear me!’

He came to a sudden halt.