‘When you were here before, I don’t think you told us your name.’

Once again, she was reluctant to reply.

‘Well?’

‘Paula, sir, my name is Paula.’

‘Do you have a second name?’

‘Why do you want to know?’

He patted the seat at his side. ‘Come and sit down. Talk to me a bit while I wait for Herr Jaeger.’

‘I can’t, I have work to do and then I must go home to feed the chickens and turn out the goats on to the pasture.’

‘You still haven’t told me your second name.’

‘It is . . . it is Jaeger.’

‘Well, I am very pleased to meet you Fräulein Jaeger – or should that be Frau?’

‘Yes, I am Frau Jaeger. And before you ask, my husband Peter was August Jaeger’s nephew, the son of his younger brother. Peter died in May, defending Berlin.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that.’

She looked down and smoothed her apron.

‘Forgive me for asking, but are you with child?’

She shook her head sadly. ‘No. And I never will be, for the few men left alive have their choice of women, and I am no movie star.’

‘I’m sorry, Frau Jaeger. But perhaps you are unhappy to find me alive?’

‘Why would I think such a thing?’

‘My colleague and I were almost killed when we were last here. Two other vehicles seemed keen to make a sandwich of us, which suggests they might have known who we were. As it happened, their drivers died for their troubles. You must have heard of it?’

She nodded. ‘Yes, of course. It was an awful tragedy. But I don’t understand what you mean by sandwich?’

‘I mean that one or both of them were trying to kill us – either crush us or force us off the road.’

‘No, that can’t be so. I was told the brakes failed on the timber lorry.’

‘Did both the dead men come from this village?’

‘No, sir, one was Richter from Grünegg, the other was a stranger. Richter’s brakes failed as he was going down hill towards his farm. It is assumed the driver of the other vehicle wasn’t paying attention to the road, for they collided and both went into the ravine. But it sounds as if you know that? Did you see what happened?’

‘Yes, and it wasn’t quite the way you describe.’

‘But why would they want to harm you?’

‘They knew who we were and didn’t like us asking questions. And they’re not alone in that. Take you, for instance. You told us you had never heard of Walter Schellenberg, yet you were married to his relative – some sort of cousin, I presume.’