‘Aren’t you forgetting something? I work for the Gestapo.’

‘Rienacker, I may be easy to slug, but I’m not stupid. We both know that Goering has lots of friends in the Gestapo. Which is hardly surprising, since he set it up.’

‘You know, you should have been a detective.’

‘My client thinks much the same way as yours about involving the bulls in his business. Which means that I can level with you, Rienacker. My man is missing a picture, an oil painting, which he acquired outside any of the recognized channels, so you see, it would be best if the police didn’t know anything about it.’ The big bull said nothing, so I kept on going.

‘Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, it was stolen from his home. Which is where I fit in. I’ve been hanging around some of the dealers, and the word I hear is that Hermann Goering is a keen art buyer - that somewhere in the depths of Karinhall he has a collection of old masters, not all of them acquired legitimately. I heard that he had an agent, Herr Von Greis, in all matters relating to the purchase of art. So I decided to come here and see if I could speak to him. Who knows, the picture I’m looking for might very well be one of the ones stacked up against that wall.’

‘Maybe it is,’ said Rienacker. ‘Always supposing I believe you. Who’s the painting by, and what’s the subject?’

‘Rubens,’ I said, enjoying my own inventiveness. ‘A couple of nude women standing by a river. It’s called The Bathers, or something like that. I’ve a photograph back at the office.’

‘And who is your client?’

‘I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.’

Rienacker wielded a fist slowly. ‘I could try persuading you perhaps.’

I shrugged. ‘I still wouldn’t tell you. It’s not that I’m the honourable type, protecting my client’s reputation, and all that crap. It’s just that I’m on a pretty substantial recovery fee. This case is my big chance to make some real flea, and if it costs me a few bruises and some broken ribs then that’s the way it will have to be.’

‘All right,’ said Rienacker. ‘Take a look at the pictures if you want. But if it is there I’ll have to clear it first.’ I got back onto my wobbly legs and went over to the paintings. I don’t know a great deal about Art. All the same, I recognize quality when I see it, and most of the pictures in Goering’s apartment were the genuine article. To my relief there was nothing that had a nude woman in it, so I wasn’t required to make a guess as to whether Rubens had done it or not.