Theo was familiar with the technique, employed by communists of every nation, of evading a specific point by enlarging the field to include other people’s failures.

‘My question wasn’t a trick,’ he said calmly. ‘I’ve always assumed it was a revenge killing for the hangings in Lepech Perdrissou, or for other atrocities that he had committed in his time in the region. I wondered, since the Secret Army was decimated by his action that day, whether the FTP had decided to dispense justice before the Germans fled.’

Like Nikola when he was asked this question, Vernhes hesitated, probably for the same reason. Would he claim the killing, for the glory of the action? Had he done it, in truth? It would have been a form of justice, but if he had really colluded with the major to destroy Henri, as Nikola had suggested, it would have been very useful for Vernhes to have the major dead, never able to bear witness against him. Vernhes had excellent reasons for killing the SS man.

‘No,’ Vernhes said. ‘I didn’t kill him, nor did I order his execution by the FTP. Although I knew the Germans couldn’t remain here indefinitely, I didn’t know that they were on the point of departure. I was reluctant to attack them, and I have to say it, I thought Henri Menesplier’s action that day was unwise, because of the danger of reprisals. Look what happened: Henri shot, six others hanged, not to mention the numbers of those killed earlier that day at Lepech and Bonnemort. We were lucky that the major didn’t decide to shoot the men who dug the graves, or to set fire to the church, which he seemed to be planning to do at one stage.’

Theo found that he believed him. Vernhes might have liked to have organised the killing of the man who had tyrannised the neighbourhood for more than two months, but he had not done so. His statement was credible, but not for the reasons he gave, which were Henri’s own arguments turned against him. Now that Henri was dead, Vernhes could be the protector of the people as well as the scourge of the Germans. The schoolmaster was a much harder character to read than Nikola. The latter’s prejudices were declared; they ran right through his personality like the rings through a tree trunk. Vernhes was protean; he would change any opinion or action from one moment to the next to achieve his advantage.

They paused, each assessing how the points should be distributed before the next round.

‘Have a glass of wine?’ Theo offered. He poured two glasses of Saussignac and handed one to his adversary. His own he put beside him without drinking.

‘You’re evidently not satisfied with what you have discovered so far,’ Vernhes commented. ‘Are your enquiries official, or personal?’

‘Oh, personal,’ Theo replied. ‘I have no official mandate, I assure you. Although if I discovered something out of the ordinary, beyond the usual rough and tumble of the liberation days, I would have no hesitation in directing the attention of the authorities to it. The executions of the maquisards may well make up part of the dossier of war crimes that I have no doubt is already being drawn up to the account of Major Knecht and his men, but that’s not my concern.’