‘He was young and he appeared willing to change. He said the right things. In particular, he made it clear from the start when he was arrested at Zell am See that he was eager to work for us. His name went forward, he was approved and I received orders to protect him. No internment, no investigation into possible atrocities, no prosecution.’

‘Dear God, you’re supping with the devil.’

Appache shrugged. ‘I can’t argue with that. But I’m a soldier. I do what I’m told.’

‘I suppose it was you who sprang Boden from Dachau.’

The colonel grunted. ‘Boden’s not even the only one, nor perhaps the worst. I know of at least one Gestapo torturer who has agreed to spy for Uncle Sam in return for liberty and immunity from war crimes prosecution. It makes me sick to my stomach.’

‘And I guess you warned Boden about our raid on Schwarzenkirche?’

‘I had to, Wilde.’

‘He really did play you like a trout, didn’t he? So why are you telling us this now?’

‘Well, for one thing, he’s dead.’ Appache was breathing heavily. He sounded close to broken. ‘Let me put Lieutenant Heck on the line. I’ve said enough.’

‘Professor?’

‘What the hell’s going on, Lieutenant? It sounds like a madhouse over there.’

‘I, uh, forced the issue.’ He briefly told Wilde about his night excursion – finding Boden and then his disappearance. ‘Two hours ago, I gave the colonel an ultimatum. Unless he told me what was going on, he could shoot me or I would go to British High Command and let them know exactly what their American allies were up to. Fortunately, he chose to come clean. In truth, I think he was beginning to fear the project might come back to bite him one day. That’s the problem when you obey unwritten orders.’

‘Then what?’

‘He admitted Boden was here and being protected. It seems that after I shot him, he was driven here from Schwarzenkirche and left at the door.’

‘Go on.’

‘Boden was dying and he knew it. He asked to phone home to his bitch of a mother. The colonel acceded, but he was already becoming queasy and so he bugged the call.’ Heck chuckled. ‘That was most enlightening. Boden spoke to Mutti and his brother Siegfried. We heard all about the death of someone called Opa, a woman called Frau Fuchs and a girl called Hildy.’

Wilde wasn’t about to tell them that he knew all this. Nor was he going to mention his confrontation with Adolf Hitler. These were matters for Allen Dulles to consider and rule on. ‘And Boden’s dead now?’ he demanded.

‘Died of a bullet wound. A shooting incident of unknown origin.’

‘Unknown origin? Really, Lieutenant?’