‘For months she survived as a wet nurse to an orphaned child,’ Dr Gray continued. ‘When the war ended and the child was weaned, she made her way eastwards – walking, hitching lifts – trying to find Julius Boden. All she knew was that he lived in the mountains in southern Bavaria, which isn’t a great deal of help in the present chaos. He had told her that she would be welcomed with open arms by his people, that she would be feted like a queen. Highly unlikely, I think. Don’t you?’

‘I can imagine she might be disappointed.’

‘I feel sorry for her, because she’s a lovely young woman who has had an extremely hard time and she has obviously invested a great deal in this man. Probably too much. She truly loves her German – it wasn’t a case of selling herself for perfume and food. Whether he loves her is another matter. Soldiers promising marriage to young girls is a story as old as warfare. Lilly’s only crime was to be an incorrigible romantic, incredibly beautiful and not terribly bright.’

‘The perfect target for a soldier on the prowl for some fun.’

‘Yes. And I’m still concerned for her.’

‘Well, I don’t wish her any harm. So will you help us?’

‘The thing is, it might not end well.’

‘I’ll do everything I can to protect her.’

‘What do you want from her? Are you planning to interrogate her, to persuade her to help you?’

Wilde shook his head. ‘Absolutely not. Her loyalty clearly lies with Boden, so if she has a chance to tip him off, she will. I don’t want her to know anything about us or this conversation. All we can do is observe her and hope she leads us to him. His family knows she is here. If they have contact with Boden, there is every chance they will pass on this information. Whether he will want anything to do with her is another matter, but it’s our best shot.’

‘OK, I’ll help. If there’s any hope of bringing Hitler to justice, count me in. What do you want me to do?’

‘In the first instance I’d like you to talk to her. Find out if anyone has approached her from outside. Just talk casually – nothing to alert her to your true motive. Could you do that?’

Angie Gray looked uneasy. ‘I suppose so.’

Wilde wasn’t sure what to say, because he understood the doctor’s fears. It was not his aim to reunite the Frenchwoman with her love. He had other plans for Boden. ‘I can’t claim I have any perfect solution for Lilly Marais.’