She frowned. ‘That was probably a mistake. It’s a shame to waste a good identity. Never mind, Jesper Holm is good too. You don’t need to tell me about your life in England, but do tell me this: is this your first operation?’

‘Yes and no. It’s my first overseas operation, but I was involved in an operation back in England. I caught a Nazi spy and his British contact. I was a police officer; I suppose I still am a police officer. On secondment, I think you’d call it.’

‘A police officer – but so am I!’

‘Really?’

‘Don’t sound so surprised, Jesper Holm. In Denmark we have many female police officers and we don’t just look after cases to do with children. I investigate some very serious crimes. I hold a senior rank.’

‘What is that?’

‘It’s called a vicepolitiinspektor – I’m not sure what the equivalent is in England. Tell me your rank.’

‘I’m a superintendent – a detective superintendent. It sounds as if I might outrank you!’

She shot him a disapproving look. ‘Well, we’ll see about that. We need to talk about your mission. What have you been told?’

Prince hesitated. ‘I’m not sure how much I’m…’

‘Look: we have to trust each other. This is the only way the mission will work. Let me help you. Agent Horatio…’

‘I’ve been told he’s a Danish businessman whose work frequently takes him to Berlin. Apparently on a recent trip there he came across intelligence about the German rocket programme. Up to now he’s been handled by Stockholm, but London want him to be run from Copenhagen; they think that’ll be safer. My job – our job – is to find him, decide whether we think he’s genuine and then run him. London is desperate for whatever intelligence he has on the rockets.’

Hanne had turned the taps off as Prince spoke and walked back into the lounge. ‘And do you know any more about him?’

‘No. I don’t even know his name or where he lives; I was told you’d know that. Once we’re ready, I’m to approach him in the street and ask him where the Amalienborg Palace is and—’

‘Hang on. Jesper Holm is from Copenhagen and he doesn’t know where the Amalienborg Palace is? Couldn’t they have come up with something more imaginative?’

‘Maybe, but we can’t change it now. I ask him where the Amalienborg Palace is, and he is to reply asking whether I’d prefer to approach it from Frederiksgade or Amaliegade, then I say, whichever one is nearer to the church with the big dome.’