‘Have you finished with us now, Professor?’ She stressed the word professor as though it were an insult.

‘Almost. Your maid Ingrid Zinke tells me your son has been here very recently,’ he lied. ‘I was hoping you would tell me more about the precise date and your knowledge of his plans.’

‘If my maid said that, she was mistaken. Julius has not been here this year.’

‘Thank you, Frau Boden. That will be all.’

Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Wilde arrived at the displaced persons camp alone and went straight to the medical hut. Dr Angie Gray was in her office teaching Jerzy some English. Her door was open and she ushered Wilde in with a warm smile. ‘Well, well, if it isn’t Tom Wilde.’

‘A great pleasure to see you again, Angie.’ He had almost forgotten how dramatically red her hair was, and her profusion of freckles almost seemed to have been painted on her face. ‘And you, Jerzy.’

‘Hello, boss. Has Mo shot more fucking Nazis?’

Angie was horrified. ‘You can’t say that, Jerzy!’

‘What, I can’t say “Nazi”?’

‘The word before that. It’s not a nice word.’

‘But Mo says it all the time.’

‘Well Lieutenant Heck is a law unto himself. You’ll get into trouble if you copy him.’ She grinned at Wilde. ‘Stupid, isn’t it? Which of the two words has caused more harm in the world?’

‘Better ask Mo Heck.’

‘Have you brought your trigger-happy friend with you?’

‘No, he’s elsewhere.’ In fact he would probably be halfway up a mountainside by now, but the doctor didn’t need to know that.

‘It’s probably safer that he stays away from here,’ she said. ‘Mr Heck may or may not be pleased to know that the man he shot in the arm survived and has indeed been transferred to an SS holding camp. I really understand the need for revenge – Mozes Heck is not alone in that – but it has to end. And now is a good time.’

‘I agree, but I need to work with him.’

‘Somehow I can’t quite imagine you two working together. Still, I’m looking forward to hearing all about your tourist trip around what remains of Germany.’ She turned back to Jerzy. ‘If you want to go out, we can continue our lesson later.’

‘No, I stay with you and boss Tom.’

‘It’s OK,’ Wilde said. ‘Let him remain. Look, I’ve got something I want to talk to you about, Angie. I know there are hundreds of people here, probably thousands, but I need to know whether you’ve come across a refugee named Lilly Marais.’