‘We make no apology for this visit to your village. We’re looking for one of your people, an SS officer named Julius Boden. I must tell you that if anyone has knowledge of his where-abouts it is your duty to come forward now and tell us all you know. By the same token, if you gain any information at a later date, you must make contact with the Counter Intelligence Corps in Garmisch. Do you understand?’

They made no sign that they understood.

‘I ask again, do you understand?’ He addressed the mayor personally. ‘Tell your people to respond to me, Herr Bürgermeister.’

The mayor simply shrugged. One of the soldiers prodded his chest with a rifle and the mayor turned and addressed a few desultory words to the villagers. Finally, there were a few reluctant nods of the head. All the adults stood with arms folded in front of their dressing gowns. Not utter defiance, but not cooperative.

‘Good. Because failure to give us any relevant information regarding Standartenführer Boden will result in your removal to an internment camp. Again, do you understand?’

A few more nods.

‘You should all be clear that whatever your former loyalties to Hitler and the National Socialist Party, they have been defeated and will not rise again. It must now be your mission to build a new Germany, ruled by law not fear. To do that, you would do well to assist the occupying powers. We have your best interests at heart. To help you, though, we have to tear Nazism out at its roots. That means that men like Julius Boden must face up to their actions during the past six years. If they are innocent, they will be freed. If they are found to have committed war crimes, they must face the full force of the law. I have no thoughts on the guilt or innocence of Boden, but as an SS officer, he must be investigated. So help us find him, for the sake of the new, civilised Germany.’

He stepped back. There was no applause, no noticeable reaction of any kind. Wilde signalled to Boden’s mother. ‘Come with me.’

‘And what exactly do you want with me this time?’

‘I want to talk with you, in your property.’

‘Very well, but I will talk better with a coffee. Perhaps Ingrid could come with us and make it?’

‘Yes, I will allow that.’

Wilde gestured to Heck to join them, and together they walked back to the Boden house. The interior of the property was not as they had left it. Tables and chairs had been turned over, rugs lifted, sideboards pulled away from the wall. In the big front room, Heck and Wilde returned the chairs to their upright position and indicated Ilse Boden to sit down. They sat facing her and the maid went off to prepare coffee for her mistress.

‘You haven’t told me your names,’ Frau Boden said.