Bergen enters the investigation as the destination of a planned journey by Harry Hole, not as the setting of a developed scene. Harry intends to travel there to consult an unemployed former colleague and hopes she can help the team pursue its search for connections without alerting anyone to the inquiry.

A Destination in the Investigation

Harry tells Kaja Solness and Björn Holm that he expects to be on a plane to Bergen in an hour and a half and speaking with his former colleague three hours later. The timing presents the trip as an immediate next step in the investigation; it establishes his intention, but does not itself confirm that he arrives or that the meeting takes place.

Method and Narrative Role

The journey follows Harry’s proposal to look for links without conducting interviews that might reveal the team’s work. He recalls using a NATO-based search engine in an earlier security role to scan for connections without speaking to anyone, and argues that the investigators should use the same broad, indirect approach now. Bergen therefore marks a practical move in that strategy: Harry is traveling to enlist a potential ally while the investigation remains deliberately discreet.