‘Because he has nothing to lose?’ Hanne sounded as if she was negotiating.

‘But he hates us – he hates communists and is still a committed Nazi. If you ask him about the man you’re hunting, he’ll just clam up.’

The room fell silent. The governor lit another cigarette and Gurevich drummed his fingers on the arm of his chair. Through the open window came the sound of orders being shouted and large numbers of people moving. In the distance a fighter plane flew low over the northern suburbs.

‘There is another possibility,’ said Gurevich, leaning back with his eyes half shut as he spoke, ‘but we need to buy some time. Remind me when you said Schweitzer is due to be executed?’

‘Monday morning, Comrade sir. The executions always take place at dawn. We use a firing range at the barracks to the north of this complex.’

‘We must delay that.’

‘He’ll suspect something.’

Gurevich said nothing for a minute or so and then nodded his head. ‘Who is the most senior Soviet official in Moscow, Comrade Orlov?’

‘Marshal Zhukov, of course, sir.’

‘That’s right: so how about you wait until Sunday and then offer Prisoner Schweitzer the option of applying for a… what shall we call it… a petition to the Soviet commander? How does that sound?’

‘I’m afraid I’ve never heard of it, Comrade sir.’

‘Of course you haven’t, Comrade Orlov! I’ve just made it up, but it will buy us time and will enable us to find a way of getting the information out of the prisoner. Don’t look so worried, I’ll square it with Marshal Zhukov’s office.’

‘This way of getting the information we need.’ Prince was looking worried. ‘Did you have something in mind?’

‘I have an idea actually.’ Hanne stood up and walked over to the window, where she gazed at the parade ground below. When she turned round, she was silhouetted against the late-afternoon sun. ‘I was thinking about it because we were asked the other day about Irène – about whether we trusted her. I said I did, that my time in Ravensbrück had taught me how to spot a stooge.’

‘I’m not sure I understand.’ Gurevich had leaned forward, curious.

Hanne returned to her seat. ‘We find someone we can trust but who will also be someone Schweitzer instinctively trusts.’ She paused while Gurevich translated into Russian for the governor. ‘And that person tricks Schweitzer into revealing the name.’

‘Ah – I understand you. In Russian we have a word for this type of person; we call it a provokator! Well done, Hanne, that is a very clever idea!’ Gurevich clapped his hands, and for the first time the governor looked animated and allowed himself a smile. ‘Of course, we need to find this provokator; we don’t have long.’

‘Actually,’ said Prince, ‘I think I know the ideal person.’

Chapter 11

Berlin, September 1945

In the minutes approaching midnight on Sunday 30 September, the block containing the condemned cells at the Hohenschönhausen prison complex in Berlin was as silent as anywhere in a prison housing thousands of inmates could ever be.