‘That’s outrageous! So because the Americans have recruited Wolfgang Steiner, they’re leaning on Gilbey to call off the chase for his son? Steiner’s a bloody Nazi, and his son’s a…’

Bartholomew said nothing, but did raise his eyebrows. ‘I know, Prince, I know… But as I say, once you’re in London, Gilbey will tell you more.’

‘By which time it will be too late.’

Bartholomew shrugged and made a gesture with his hands to indicate he’d said enough.

‘We’ll need to go back to the hotel to collect our things,’ said Hanne. She was standing up and buttoning her raincoat.

‘Evans will meet you outside the hotel in, what… ten minutes?’

‘Make it twenty,’ said Prince.

‘Fifteen – and nothing clever, understand? The Field Security Section is still watching the warehouse, in case you had any ideas. And one other thing…’

‘Go on.’

‘Don’t take it out on Evans. This isn’t his fault either.’

‘We’re being followed, Richard.’

‘Of course we are. What should we do, Hanne? We can’t just allow Friedrich to go free… and what about Bormann? You don’t seem to be as angry as I’d thought you’d be.’

The rain had now turned into sleet, and Hanne linked her arm into her husband’s and moved closer to him. ‘The Slovenians are here.’

‘Who?’

‘The Slovenian partisans, the ones who were in Villach: they followed us to Trieste. When I said I went out for some fresh air this morning, I actually met Jožef and told him the Germans were in a warehouse in Porto Vecchio and we were going in this morning. I didn’t want them to stop us arresting the Germans, but of course now… If I can somehow get a message to them, maybe they can…’

‘What are you saying, Hanne?’

‘You know full well.’ They’d reached the hotel entrance and watched as the two men who’d been following them carried on past.

Prince nodded. Hanne said he should go up to the room and collect their things. ‘I’ll meet you down here. I just need ten minutes.’

‘Hanne, be…’

‘What Richard – careful? Come on, we don’t want Friedrich Steiner to escape, do we?’

‘I don’t want your Slovenians to be too rash. In any case, I have another plan.’

The journey to Klagenfurt was a largely silent one, other than the near-constant sound of Evans blowing his nose. Hanne and Prince were in the back of the British army car, Evans in the front next to the driver. When Hanne had returned to the hotel, she’d just had time to whisper to her husband that everything was fine and he wasn’t to worry before Evans bustled into the reception area.

They crossed the Southern Alps from Slovenia into Austria on the precarious Loibl Pass. An hour later, they stopped to refuel at the British base in Ferlach, south of Klagenfurt. When Evans went to find a toilet, Prince and Hanne left the car and made sure they were out of earshot of the driver.