Inge laughed. ‘That’s what he said about Pfarr. He was pretty sure that Pfarr was cheating on his wife, and that he had a mistress. He saw him with a woman on several occasions at the same nightclub. He said that Pfarr seemed embarrassed at being discovered. Otto said she was quite a beauty, if a bit flashy. He thought her name was Vera, or Eva, or something like that.’

‘Did he tell the police that?’

‘No. He says that they never asked. On the whole he’d rather not get involved with the Gestapo unless he has to.’

‘You mean that he hasn’t even been questioned?’

‘Apparently not.’

I shook my head. ‘I wonder what they’re playing at.’ I thought for a minute, and then added, ‘Thanks for doing that, by the way. I hope it wasn’t too much of a nuisance.’

She shook her head. ‘How about you? You look tired.’

‘I was working late. And I didn’t sleep all that well. Then this morning there was a damned air-raid practice.’ I tried to massage some life into the top of my head. I didn’t tell her about Goering. There was no need for her to know more than she had to. It was safer for her that way.

That morning she was wearing a dress of dark-green cotton with a fluted collar and cavalier cuffs of stiffened white lace. For a brief moment I fed myself on the fantasy that had me lifting her dress up and familiarizing myself with the curve of her buttocks and the depth of her sex.

‘This girl, Pfarr’s mistress. Are we going to try and find her?’

I shook my head. ‘The bulls would be bound to hear about it. And then it could get awkward. They’re quite keen on finding her themselves, and I wouldn’t want to start picking that nostril with one finger already in there.’ I picked up the phone and asked to be connected to Six’s home telephone number. It was Farraj, the butler, who answered.

‘Is Herr Six, or Herr Haupthandler, at home? It’s Bernhard Gunther speaking.’

‘I’m sorry, sir, but they’re both away at a meeting this morning. Then I believe they’ll be attending the opening of the Olympic Games. May I give either of them a message, sir?’

‘Yes, you can,’ I said. ‘Tell them both that I’m getting close.’

‘Is that all, sir?’

‘Yes, they’ll know what I mean. And make sure that you tell both of them, Farraj, won’t you.’

‘Yes, sir.’

I put the phone down. ‘Right,’ I said.’ It’s time we got going.’