‘It was also thought that once I revealed the true nature of your work here, you would be more interested in hearing our proposals.’

‘What work?’ I said, rage suddenly sweeping over me. I leaned over and grabbed her by the wrists, then thrust my face into hers. ‘You can’t possibly know what my bloody work involves, you . . . you little Russian whore!’ I brought up my hand to slap her, then stopped myself. She hadn’t flinched.

‘I know more about it than you,’ she said quietly, her eyes facing the floor. ‘You have been deceived by your father. He was a prominent member of several British fascist groups before the war, and is now part of a secret movement intent on waging a new war against the Soviet Union. The men you were hunting down and murdering were not Nazi war criminals, but Soviet agents.’

She looked up at me for a moment, desperately trying to hold my gaze. But it was too late. There was nothing there for me any more: she wasn’t my Anna. I had an almost overwhelming desire to take the pillow from the bed and place it over her face so she wouldn’t be able to utter any more lies. ‘So that was meant to be enough to turn me, was it?’ I said, finally. ‘A few fireside chats about politics and a half-baked story about a fascist conspiracy and you thought I’d sign up for Uncle Joe’s brand of storm-troopers? How dare you accuse me of such a thing? And did you really expect me to believe that our side’s made up of blood-thirsty savages and you’re all pure as the driven—’

‘Oh, Paul,’ she said. ‘Don’t make me tell you it is true.’

‘It is not true,’ I said coldly. ‘And you are the one who has been deceived. I read the orders given by these men. I read the witness reports.’

She had recovered something of her old composure now, and was prepared to fight back. ‘Such documents can be easily forged, as you must know. Would anyone else be able to confirm that your mission was legitimate, or did your father perhaps tell you it had been deemed too secret to go through the usual channels?’ She looked up, saw the confirmation in my eyes, and continued. ‘The first couple of men would have been bona fide, to persuade you. But after that, did you see all the files of the men you killed?’

I didn’t answer.

‘Meier,’ she said. ‘Did you read the file on him?’

‘Yes, Anna, and he was a rapist! He raped children. How can you do this?’