Fabel slipped out a black-and-white photograph of an arrogant young man, no older than twenty-one but trying to affect the look of someone more authoritative. He was wearing an SS uniform. Fabel had expected to see the double-lightning-bolt Ss on the collar. Suddenly Fabel remembered that, had they been there, he would again have been looking at an ancient Germanic rune. The Sigrunen – the ancient rune for victory – had been appropriated by the Nazis and used as the double-S insignia of the Schutzstaffel. But they were absent in this photograph. Instead Eitel’s right collar patch was of a white lion rampant against a black background. Fabel turned the photograph to Maria. ‘What does this insignia mean?’

Maria smiled broadly. ‘Now that takes us into interesting territory. I have no doubt that this is coincidental, but that is the insignia of the Fourteenth Waffen-Grenadier Division der SS. Also known as the Division-Galizien – the Galician Division. And as you know, Galicia was the historical region that encompasses part of modern Ukraine. The Galician Division of the SS was made up of Ukrainians who saw it as a way of liberating their country from Stalin.’

‘Ukrainian men but mostly German officers.’

‘Exactly. And Eitel was one of them. After its defeat at the battle of …’ Maria paused and consulted her notes – ‘Brody, the division made its way back to Austria. It was there that Eitel surrendered to the Allies, desperate to stay out of Soviet hands. After the war he was imprisoned for four years. He began Eitel Importing in Munich in 1956 and was a multi-millionaire by the mid-sixties. His late wife was from Hamburg and he moved his headquarters here in seventy-two. He helped his son set up the Eitel Media Group and sold Eitel Importing to the Group ten years ago. That allowed him to concentrate on his “political” career. He established the BDD – the Bund Deutschland-für-Deutsche – in 1979. It didn’t make much of a mark until the fall of the Wall and the Wende. Even then its support was weak and sporadic. In short, a nasty piece of work.’

Fabel stared at Maria as if studying her would help him to process the information she had supplied. Then he said: ‘It’s odd the number of times a Ukrainian connection comes up in this case.’

‘This time, as I said, it’s more than likely just coincidental,’ said Maria.

Fabel shrugged. ‘I suppose so.’ He paused. ‘What about the son – Norbert?’

‘A tabloid publisher with political ambitions. He studied at Hamburg and Heidelberg and set up SCHAU MAL! with his father’s support, including financial help. Through acquisition and growth the Eitel Group is involved in all forms of communication media, including the Internet …’

‘That’s why they’ll use someone like MacSwain,’ Werner interrupted.

Maria continued. ‘The Group also has interests in tabloid publishing in the Netherlands, Poland and the Czech Republic. As well as media, there is a property-management business and a small-scale development company. Added to all of that is the import-export business Norbert bought from his father. Politically, his stance is right of centre. Way right of centre. But he stands as an independent. He obviously realises affiliation with the BDD would be a liability. He insists he is no neo-Nazi or extreme-rightist. But his platform is primarily anti-immigration and pro law and order. He is married to some aristo. Martha Von Berg.’