The chief inspector had never worked with 8mm film before but he found it remarkably easy to operate the Bell & Howell projector Torres had sourced. He attached the first reel of film and angled the lens towards the white wall behind his desk. He flicked off the office lights, instantly creating his own personal cinema. The film only ran for three minutes but offered up even more remarkable secrets that had lain hidden for over half a century. The first thirty seconds of footage showed Hitler and Bormann sitting in a garden, sharing drinks with yet another two of the most notorious figures of the twentieth century, Juan and Eva Perón. It was well known that the former president of Argentina had been a Nazi sympathiser and this footage, although silent, clearly showed him and his revered wife laughing and joking with the Führer.

The film cut to an interior scene, which Vargas assumed was the kitchen in the farmhouse. Eva Braun was sitting on a wooden chair, breastfeeding a small baby. A few seconds later, Hitler walked into the shot and stood behind the pair, staring straight at the camera. Another scene portrayed Hitler walking through a large field, accompanied by two Alsatian dogs. In the background, he could make out a large farmhouse which he assumed was Hitler’s home, El Blondi. The Führer threw a rubber ball past the camera and the two dogs bounded out of shot in pursuit. The final scene showed Hitler enjoying lunch in the garden along with Bormann and three guests. Vargas instantly recognised the men from the photo he had seen earlier, in which they were pictured giving a Nazi salute.

He quickly changed reels, sat back and wondered what further revelations were about to be offered up from the second film. He was slightly disappointed when the next three minutes of footage concentrated on what was evidently the fifth birthday party of Richard Franklin. The patio at the back of the farmhouse was decked out with balloons and a giant blue wooden number five hung from the porch in the back of the shot. Eva Braun was clearly acting as the party hostess to about a dozen adult guests and eight children who looked to be of a similar age to Richard. There was no sign of either Gerald or Ronald Franklin.

The 8mm Kodak film spun off the end of the reel and the office fell into complete darkness. Vargas looked at his watch and the luminous dial told him it was nearly five thirty in the morning, which meant it was gone midnight in California. He reached for his phone and his finger tapped on a familiar contact. Troy Hembury was enjoying a deep sleep when his mobile ringtone kicked into life. He rolled over to grab it from the bedside table and checked the caller ID before answering.