The first in was Erich Bagge, a serious, bespectacled young man in his early thirties. He wore a striped tie and his shoulders were stiff. He was clearly nervous. He shook his head vigorously when offered tea and biscuits. Wilde explained that he was not being accused of anything and nor was he being singled out in any way. It was simply a fact-finding mission.

‘But I have never met Hitler,’ Bagge protested.

‘And no one has ever spoken to you about where he might be?’

‘I have read the papers, of course. The Russians said he shot himself in the bunker with his new wife. Other newspapers since then have suggested he escaped and might be hiding abroad.’

‘Thank you, Dr Bagge,’ Wilde said. ‘That’s all we wanted to know. You may go now.’

Bagge was wringing his hands. He seemed close to tears and had not moved from his seat.

‘Is something the matter, Doctor?’ Wilde asked.

‘This is unbearable, this captivity, sir. How long must we stay here? I am terrified for my wife and daughters. They are in the French sector, and I heard their soldiers have been raping our women in my hometown of Hechingen. What has happened to my wife and my girls? I can’t bear it. Please, can you get me out of here?’

‘I will make inquiries on your behalf,’ Eaton said. ‘Major Rittner will give me your home details.’

‘Thank you, sir, thank you. You know I never wished to join the Nazi Party. It was my mother – she applied on my behalf in 1936, and I was accepted. What could I do? They were in power then. If I had quit the party I would have lost my career, probably been consigned to Dachau. I hated them.’

‘We understand,’ Wilde said.

Professor Werner Heisenberg was next. Rittner had told Wilde that this was the most cooperative of the professors and that he genuinely wished to help the Allies. If Diebner had whispered anything to him about Hitler’s whereabouts, there would be a good chance he would reveal it. The problem was, Heisenberg and Diebner were not on the best of terms.

‘If I believed Hitler was alive and if I knew where he was, I would go and kill him myself, Mr Wilde.’ Heisenberg smiled warmly. ‘It would be my pleasure.’

‘Do you believe he is alive?’

The German scientist thought for a moment, then spread his hands. ‘Of course it is possible. Likely even. There are still plenty of Nazis in Germany and other countries who would happily give him shelter. But why do you ask me these questions? Has someone said something?’

‘As I explained,’ Eaton said, ‘we are questioning all senior Germans, whether or not they were ever party members. You are all just names that must be ticked off. Who knows, someone might have something useful to tell us.’

‘Well, I wish you the best of luck.’

‘What about your colleagues here?’

‘Oh, I’m sure that the only one of us who might be able to help you is Dr Diebner. He claims to repent his Nazi past, but I don’t believe a word of it. If anyone here has any idea of Hitler’s whereabouts, Diebner is your man.’