The United States Embassy to the Kingdom of Norway was located in a bucolic neighborhood called Makrellbekken, about three and a half miles from the city center.

Set among tall trees and rolling hills, the modern multistory compound had been constructed from gray stone.  Its sleek rooftops, as well as its polished windows, were a pale green that amplified the pastoral setting.

Hayes waited while Harvath was screened and then led him to her section.  At a heavy security door, they placed their phones in a cubby and she swiped her ID through a card reader.  There was a hiss of air as the locks released.  Hayes pointed at a conference room, told him to help himself to coffee, and that she'd be there in a moment.

He had been in a lot of embassies around the world and one thing was for certain: the decorating budgets all worked from the outside in.  The deeper down you drilled, the cheaper the furnishings became.  It was no different here in Oslo.  The only saving grace was that, while inexpensive, everything at least had a degree of Scandinavian chic to it.

Helping himself to a cup of coffee, he grabbed a seat at the conference table and waited for Hayes.  No doubt, she had as many questions for him as he did for her.  What he would have to settle on was how much he was willing to tell her.

When she walked in, she came carrying her laptop and a stack of files.  Dropping everything on the table, she poured herself a cup of coffee and then took the seat next to him.

"Hell of a start to the day," she remarked.

"I've had worse."

"Knowing you, I don't doubt it.  Nice haircut, by the way."

"Okay if I ask some questions now?" he inquired, ignoring the compliment.

She leaned back in her chair and took a sip of her coffee.

"Go ahead."

"I assume Sølvi told you I had been brought in for questioning?"

Hayes nodded.  "She did."

"Did she also tell you that I didn't want a lawyer?"

"Yes."

"So?"

"So Astrid Jensen is like dog shit: Once you've stepped in it, it's important to get rid of it as quickly as possible.  If you don't, the stink will follow you everywhere."

"But you said yourself that the police don't want to bring this case.  Not only do we have a witness, whom I saved, but the attackers probably have rap sheets as long as my arm.  I'm also going to assume that the ATM has a camera, and if it doesn't, this is Oslo, which means there's gotta be one close by.  Even if we don't have perfect footage of what went down, I'd say we've got a near airtight case."

"What you need to understand is that this isn't about being airtight.  I already told you.  This is about headlines - for her.  She doesn't care that you doled out an ass-kicking to a couple of small-time hoods.  All she cares about is that Norwegians at large think she cares.  It's about building up her political capital.  Nothing more."

"She's a typical politician, then.  How about I apply for asylum?  Then the story becomes immigrant-on-immigrant violence.  It'll be like magic.  Poof!  She'll instantly lose interest."

"Very funny," said Hayes.

"You're too worried about this.  What's the worst that could happen?  If the cops don't want to bring the case, the police prosecutor isn't going to bring it."