‘Ah,’ Major Clausen said, ‘then you have a problem. Or rather we do. Boden was here, but he has gone AWOL.’

Wilde and Heck looked at the major in disbelief. ‘Missing?’ they said as one.

‘Yup. Hell of a thing.’

‘Tell me this isn’t true,’ Wilde said.

‘I’m ashamed to say it really is true.’

‘We have travelled the length and breadth of Germany and you’ve let him escape? What happened?’

‘I wish we knew, Professor. He wasn’t in his bunk; he didn’t make roll call. We have asked the others in the block and none of them are saying a thing. The bastard just vanished and we don’t know how.’

Wilde had a pretty good idea. Who would know the weak points of this place better than the guards who used to run it – the very men who had become Boden’s fellow inmates?

‘When was this?’

‘Couple of weeks ago. As it turned out, he’s a native of Bavaria, so we sent a squad to his home village, but there was no sign of him. We’re not quite sure where else to look.’

‘Perhaps he was hiding in the barn?’ Wilde suggested.

Clausen bridled. ‘Are you making fun of me, Professor? I can assure you our men would have made a thorough search of the premises and asked stern questions throughout the village. His mother was there and seemed dismissive in the extreme. Apparently her words were “Do you think my son would be stupid enough to come here when he must know he is being hunted?”’

‘Fair point,’ Wilde said.

‘Anyway,’ Clausen continued, ‘an inquiry is under way. But he’ll probably turn up eventually.’

Wilde wished he shared the major’s optimism. ‘Where and when was he originally taken prisoner?’ he asked.

‘I don’t have that information to hand but I will check for you.’

‘I want to talk with the other men in his barrack room,’ Heck said.

‘You’ll get little enough out of them. Their only regret is that they lost the war. Few if any of them have any remorse or even acceptance of guilt.’

‘I want to go to the barrack room anyway, to see the belongings Boden left here. He could not have taken everything when he escaped.’

‘The barrack room is easily organised, but the inmates are allowed very little in the way of personal possessions. There is nothing left to see, I’m afraid.’

‘This is an outrage,’ Heck growled. ‘Call yourself guards? What sort of incompetent joint are you running here?’

‘Don’t take that tone with me, Lieutenant,’ Clausen said. ‘We may be in different armies, but I am your senior officer and I will have your respect.’

Wilde tried to calm the situation. ‘Lieutenant Heck has a personal interest in this, Major. Given that the Nazis murdered his family, I think you might agree that his anger is understandable.’