‘Why the hell would you do that?’

‘Because they’d once been best friends. Because I thought he would want to know.’

‘Of all the goddam, stupid, ignorant, dangerous things to do! You foolish girl!’ All softness is gone. Vati jumps up, rigid with fury.

‘I’m sorry…’

‘You damn well will be, girl! Can you imagine if this gets out?’ He begins to pace the room. ‘My daughter, fraternising with a Jew? This is my reputation at stake!’ He jabs his finger into his chest. ‘How could you be so stupid?’ He quickens his pace. ‘Pig-shit Jews! That boy has turned your head. I knew you had too much freedom. This was exactly what I was worried about. Let those vermin out?’ He is clammy and grey. His face scrunches up. ‘No chance. That boy can rot in hell.’

I force myself to breathe slowly; make sure I don’t say the words screaming inside my head: You’re wrong! You are the vermin, not them! How can you talk about human beings like this? I remember Walter’s warning. I must not reveal my true thoughts.

‘He has a visa for England. If you let him free and arrange to take care of the exit tax, he’ll go. That family have nothing left. Their house burnt down—’

Vati is pacing, shaking with anger. ‘Over my dead body!’

Everything is going wrong, slipping out of my control.

He stops near the window. Looks out at the block of flats on the other side of the road.

‘You know that Ingrid’s leaving us soon?’ he tells me, his tone suddenly calm and quiet.

‘What?’

‘Yes. She’s going after Christmas. With my blessing. She wants to do her bit for the Reich.’

‘Why are we talking about Ingrid?’

‘She’s going to a Lebensborn home. Do you know what that is?’

I shake my head. I have no wish to talk about the sow, Ingrid, although I’ll be glad to see the back of her.

‘It’s a state-sponsored programme – the Source of Life – for providing the Führer with Aryan children. The children will be raised with one sole intention: to fight Hitler’s war against the Jews. Ingrid has passed all the medical and family history tests to ensure she is pure of blood and has no inheritable diseases. She has proved herself to be of good character. She will be matched to an equally good specimen of an SS officer. Together they will make a baby and, when he is born, she will hand him over to be raised as a child of the Führer, along with many others like him. She is doing a marvellous thing – selfless, and for the good of our country. When she has finished, she will of course be welcome to come back and work for us again or get married. The choice is hers.’

My insides curdle.

‘Why are you telling me this?’

Vati takes a few steps towards me.

‘Perhaps, Herta, we should consider enrolling you in the same programme. Sadly, you don’t have the ideal hair colour or stature, but perhaps they would make an exception for a daughter of mine.’