He had not felt good about leaving Paula to deal with her neighbours and contact the French authorities, but he could see no option. There was nothing he, Wilde, could do to assist her. His presence in Almrosen would only confuse the issue.

Paula had accepted his decision with good grace, but he could see that she was terrified and lost. He hoped to God that her community was as close-knit and anti-Nazi as she had claimed.

Now, with Jerzy outside watching Lilly, he explained all this to Angie Gray and she listened without comment. When the whole story had spilled out, she smiled reassuringly. ‘I’ve got a bottle of whisky tucked away in my office if you’re interested.’

‘Angie, I can think of nothing I’d like more right now. But today, I’m going to have to decline the offer.’

‘Well if you need one later, it’ll be here, and so will I. We can get tight together and tell each other secrets.’

‘You’re asking an intelligence officer to tell secrets?’

‘Not military secrets, love secrets. The best kind.’

He laughed. ‘Why don’t you tell me what’s next for you. You said you’re posting was almost up – so where are you heading?’

‘Oh, I’ll just go where the wind blows me.’

That sounded very romantic, but he wasn’t sure he believed her. She’d want a family one day. Didn’t everybody? And then a regular job at a local cottage hospital somewhere in the Home Counties when the children were old enough for school, or perhaps join a general practice. He looked at her bright eyes and chided himself for such conventional thoughts. Angie Gray was never going to marry and settle down. Such things could not be talked about, but he had seen that much in her and hoped she would find happiness anyway.

‘Actually, if you must know I’d like to move into psychi-atry, do some research on the long-term effects of this bloody war. What are the lasting effects of concentration camps? What do constant bombing raids do to the brains of human beings? There’s also a great deal of work to be done on shell shock and battle fatigue.’

‘You have plenty of material for your research here.’

‘You’re right. Their bodies heal quickly, but their minds are another matter. I spend a lot of time talking to them. Some of them won’t talk, of course. They can’t bear to remember. The past is the past and they want to build new lives. But some let me in – and I have kept extensive notes.’

‘Enough for a book?’

‘I’ll see. But, please, don’t mention that to anyone. I’d want to use case histories, but not real names, so no one will get hurt more.’

The door swung open. Jerzy was standing there, arms raised. ‘He’s here, boss!’