‘Can I just add, sir,’ Kempka said, ‘that I did go into the Führer’s sitting room, and I saw the Führer’s blood on the floor. Also his gun. So, whatever you care to believe, I am certain that someone died in that room. And I truly have no reason to believe that it was anyone other than the boss and his new wife. You know, he is painted now as some sort of devil, but to us he was like a kindly father. He was much loved by those who worked for him and saw him every day. His death is a great sadness and loss for the nation. If I believed for a moment that he was still alive, I would shout it from the rooftops.’

Wilde saw Heck’s fists bunching and quickly tried to put a stop to the chauffeur’s paean to his leader. ‘There were many other people in the bunker?’

‘Of course. Dozens of senior officers, generals, guards, secretaries, cooks. It was like a vast underground garrison. And no one had any doubt what had happened. None of them. They had all been told by Hitler that he intended to kill himself, and all were agreed that that was what had happened. The Goebbels family had no doubts – they followed their master to the next world.’

‘Hitler could have escaped. He could have been flown out of Berlin hours earlier, and you could have burnt the body of an impostor, dressed in his uniform.’

‘But that would not have been his way. He would never have cowered away like a rat. He wanted to die in the front line and he insisted that his remains be destroyed. He told us clearly that he would never allow his body to be displayed in a glass case by the Russians so that it could be mocked and spat on by everyone for years to come.’

Wilde handed the plate of sandwiches to Kempka, who hesitated only a moment before greedily thrusting them into his mouth. Wilde signalled to Heck. ‘Come with me a moment, Lieutenant.’ They left Kempka stuffing his face under the watchful eye of an armed guard, then retreated outside the office. ‘What do you think?’

‘I think I want to shoot the bastard in the face. He smirks at us; he bullshits us.’

‘You’re right. He’s an unreliable witness. But that doesn’t mean he’s not telling the truth – as he sees it. However, he plainly couldn’t identify Hitler from his trousers and a lick of grey hair. No one could, whatever he says. So he was relying on the word of the men who wrapped the body in the blanket. We know their names: Bormann, Linge, Dr Stumpfegger and Günsche. Two are missing, two are with the Soviets. None of them is available to be questioned. A very convenient fact.’

‘I agree.’