‘Nothing to do now, but hope,’ Wilde said.

He got no response. The woman and girl were busy bringing up the contents of their stomachs into their buckets. Wilde stretched out on one of the top bunks, closed his eyes and hoped for sleep to come. He heard the deep rumble and clank of the anchor chain being reeled in and then the throaty roar of the engines firing up. Had he really got this far? He was still in German territorial waters, but he was off the mainland. Strangely, he actually felt rather hungry.

And then he dared to think of Lydia and little Johnny again. She would be decorating the house for Christmas soon, buying a toy or two for the boy. Until this moment, he had almost given up hope of ever seeing them again.

Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

Otto Kalt could not believe the Dietrich woman was alive. He would kill Johanna for this. How had she let this happen? More importantly, where exactly was the midwife? Jung had told him he had seen a woman matching her description entering the American diplomat’s apartment. But he didn’t want her dead, he had said. Not yet. First he needed information about the American envoy and his contacts.

‘You must talk to your friends, Kalt. You have friends in the SD and Gestapo, don’t you?’

‘Perhaps. Why?’

‘Because I want you to use them.’

‘How can they help?’

‘Do I need to explain this to you like a child? They monitor the mail, Kalt. They listen in to telephone conversations. I want to know the names of those with whom this American has conversed or corresponded in the past few months. The conversations and letters will seem innocuous enough – nothing will be revealed. But I want to know the identities and locations of those he has dealt with. That is enough. Do you understand, Kalt? Your life depends on this, so don’t let me down again.’

‘I could lift this American. I am good at persuasion.’

‘I know you are, Kalt. But that could cause a whole new set of problems, I’m afraid. Try the SD first. There is always a paper trail – you’ve just got to find it.’

Now Kalt was here in Berlin, alone. He guessed Brunner was dead; he had seen no sign of life in the body the Luftwaffe officers had carried away, before they removed the van.