His plan, Specht felt, was brilliant in its simplicity. He’d heard about the academic from his old Ministry contact in Dresden, Rüdiger Bahlow. Of course, it had been Bahlow’s idea, but there was no point giving the credit to a lower-ranked officer. Specht himself had shaped the plan, finessed it, and would now present it as his own. He would of course congratulate Bahlow himself personally when it succeeded, recommend him for a minor promotion for the part he had played, that sort of thing. But the real rewards, the possibility of higher office here – at Normannenstraße – would be reserved for Specht himself.

He straightened his olive-green tie in the mirror. It gave him satisfaction that he could see the Weißer See reflected behind him, which he and his wife Monika’s detached house overlooked. Perhaps if he played his cards right their next move could be to the forest settlement, the Waldsiedlung, where all the bigwigs lived. Although maybe he was getting ahead of himself.

‘You look very smart darling,’ said his wife, brushing some fluff off his lapel with her hand. ‘I’m sure the meeting will go well.’

‘Of course it will, Liebling. We will have to go out and celebrate this evening. I’ll book us a table. Where would you like to go?’

Monika held both his cheeks and kissed him lightly on the lips.

‘Whoops!’ she said, wiping away some red lipstick. ‘Surprise me, Rainer.’ She gently squeezed his crotch. ‘If you know what I mean.’

‘You’ve got a date, honeybee.’ He picked up his briefcase, and felt a renewed spring in his step as he made his way to his car.

*

Nearly all of those at the meeting in the wood-panelled room were his superiors. Major generals, colonel generals and the like. Sadly, Mielke himself was otherwise engaged. But these were officers who had already had stellar careers in the Ministry for State Security. Yes, there were a few colonels like himself, but he was determined to outshine them.

It was Generaloberst Udo Fischer who spoke first. ‘Comrade Specht, we’ve all read your briefing note with interest and in principle there is a willingness to support your plan. Perhaps you could outline it in a little more detail, with emphasis on how it’s going to work in practice.’

The signs were positive, thought Specht. How it’s going to work in practice. It sounded as though the meeting was merely a matter of rubber-stamping. That the decision to go ahead had already been made.

‘Thank you, Comrade Generaloberst. As you’ll have read in the briefing document, the plan revolves around the research of a British academic, who is a visiting fellow at Dresden University of Technology. Now this man—’

‘Dr Arnold Southwick,’ said Fischer.

‘That’s correct, Comrade Generaloberst. Dr Southwick. Now, he is an expert both in history and international law. He holds doctorates in each.’