She ushered us into a comfortable sitting-room that wouldn’t have embarrassed a Potsdam lawyer, and stalked towards the enormous drinks tray.

‘What will you have, gentlemen? I have absolutely everything.’

Becker guffawed loudly. ‘There’s no doubt about that,’ he said.

I smiled thinly. Becker was starting to irritate me badly. I asked for a scotch whisky, and as Evona handed me my glass her cold fingers touched mine.

She took a mouthful of her own drink as if it were unpleasant medicine to be hurried down, and tugged me on to a big leather sofa. Becker chuckled and sat down on an armchair beside us.

‘And how is my old friend Arthur Nebe?’ she asked. Noting my surprise, she added: ‘Oh yes, Arthur and I have known each other for many years. Ever since 1920 in fact, when he first joined Kripo.’

‘He’s much the same,’ I said.

‘Tell him to come and visit me sometime,’ she said. ‘He can storm free with me any time he wants. Or just a nice massage. Yes, that’s it. Tell him to come here for a nice rub. I give it to him myself.’ She laughed loudly at the idea and lit a cigarette.

‘I’ll tell him,’ I said, wondering if I would, and wondering if she really cared one way or the other.

‘And you, Emil. Maybe you would like a little company? Maybe you would both like a rub yourselves, eh?’

I was about to broach the real purpose of our visit, but found that Becker was already clapping his hands and chuckling some more.

‘That’s it,’ he said, ‘let’s relax a little. Be nice and friendly.’ He glanced at me meaningfully. ‘We’re not in a hurry are we, sir?’

I shrugged and shook my head.

‘Just as long as we don’t forget why we came,’ I said, trying not to sound like a prig.

Evona Wylezynska stood up and pressed a bell on the wall behind a curtain. She made a tutting noise, and said: ‘Why not just forget everything? That’s why most of my gentlemen come here, to forget about their cares.’

While her back was turned Becker frowned and shook his head at me. I wasn’t sure exactly what he meant.

Evona took the nape of my neck in the palm of her hand and began to knead the flesh there with fingers that were as strong as blacksmith’s pincers.

‘There’s a lot of tension here, Bernhard,’ she informed me seductively.

‘I don’t doubt it. You should see the cart they’ve got me pulling down at the Alex. Not to mention the number of passengers I’ve been asked to take.’ It was my turn to glance meaningfully at Becker. Then I took Evona’s fingers away from my neck and kissed them amicably. They smelt of iodine soap, and there are better olfactory aphrodisiacs than that.