He had a nagging worry about Lydia; Eaton should not have imposed the Russian on her. But while there didn’t seem to be an immediate threat to his wife, the same could not be said about Paula Jaeger or, indeed, Lilly Marais. In different ways, both women were trapped in the heart of a conspiracy of blood.

Wilde needed to find answers. All he knew was that Heck had shot Boden and had killed a man in the woods. But he couldn’t be sure whether Boden was alive or dead, or how that might affect Lilly’s safety or the hunt for Hitler.

Nor could he be sure that the assassins who had killed August Jaeger might not now go after his brother’s daughter-in-law, Paula. So he needed help, boots on the ground to stamp out this insurgency.

He went to see John Appache again. If anything the colonel was in a worse mood than the night before. He sat with his feet on the desk eyeing up Wilde as though he were some unpleasant insect that needed swatting.

‘What?’

‘Just give me half a dozen men, Colonel. I have to see what’s happening in Schwarzenkirche. We know a senior SS officer – a wanted man – is wounded or dead. We know that someone up there ordered the murder of the maidservant, Ingrid Zinke. We know that there are dozens of uncompromising Nazis stamping around in jackboots and helmets. This is something the US Army has to look into. This is your job, Colonel.’

‘Dozens of uncompromising Nazis? The way I understood your testimony, it was a bunch of old men and Boy Scouts play-acting. And as for the murder of the maidservant, we’ve got her killer interned. He’ll hang, end of story. Look, Wilde, you heard me last night and the answer’s the same today. If you think you’ve got unfinished business at Schwarzenkirche then go there yourself. My men have more important matters to deal with.’

‘But what if Boden’s alive – we can get information from him. If anyone knows the whereabouts of Adolf Hitler, Boden is the man.’

‘Oh really? You think he would have stayed there after what happened? You and that goddamned Jew lieutenant blundering in like a couple of crazed buffaloes would have scared him off good and proper.’

‘Let’s find out then. You have to act, Colonel.’

Appache’s brow darkened. ‘No one but a US Army general or the President himself tells me what I have to do, Wilde. When you have solid evidence that you’ve found Hitler’s hideout, you can have all the troops you want – tanks, planes, a thousand airborne, you name it. Until then, forget it.’

Wilde was not intimidated by this man. ‘Your role in this is to help me and Heck, give us all assistance necessary. I say again, we need to find out what happened to Boden.’