‘It was through no fault of my own. I thought you wouldn’t believe me if I told you what I saw, and it’s hard to be certain. It might sound strange, but I thought you would just laugh.’
I had started to get used to the fact that Konrad Jensen both thought and spoke slowly and awkwardly, but once again he came round to the matter at hand without prompting.
‘I said that I had never met Harald Olesen during the war, which is true, but I think that I did meet him once just before the war. And if that is the case, it was at an NS meeting, of all places.’
This time his pause for thought was a sore test of my patience. He was absolutely right: it did sound rather odd.
‘Or to be precise, outside an NS meeting. There was a party meeting in Asker in the summer of 1939 at which Quisling himself spoke, and I was there, loyal as ever, you see. An unusually attractive blonde woman a few years older than me was standing in front of me in the queue, on her own. So of course I took the chance to go in right behind her and sat down next to her. Tried to chat to her before the speech, but only got short, disinterested replies. I understood only too well that her mind was set on another and that I was no great temptation, in any case. All the same, I followed her out in the hope that I might be able to catch the same bus. But of course I didn’t get the chance. She was picked up right outside by a somewhat older man in a large car. I remember thinking enviously that there was someone who had everything I wanted in life: a big, fast car and a beautiful young blonde. I only caught a glimpse of him through the car window. But when I saw pictures of Harald Olesen in the newspapers after the war, I immediately thought, Crikey – that’s the same man who picked up the beautiful young woman from the NS meeting. And I had the same thought a few years later when I first met him here, on the stairs.’
I listened to the incredible story with growing bewilderment. Konrad Jensen gave a deprecating shrug when he had finished.
‘I said it was strange, and for many years I refused to believe it myself. I’ve never mentioned it to anyone before now. But no matter how strange it sounds, I am more or less certain that it was in fact Harald Olesen behind the wheel in the car. And then when you appeared and asked if I had ever met him before, I thought that I should mention it to you.’
I nodded in agreement.
‘You were absolutely right to mention it, and I take it very seriously indeed. But it would be almost impossible to prove or disprove now – unless you have a name for this woman.’