Jäger nodded grimly in the half-light. ‘So it’s as I suspected. But I needed the proof. I had heard on the grapevine that the director of the school was unhappy about the programme, and creating trouble. I just steered you in the right direction – because I knew of his close links, shall we say, with Frau Voights. If I’d have gone investigating myself, then my career – already in the doldrums, as you know – wouldn’t have lasted much longer.’

Müller didn’t entirely buy the sob story. When Jäger had been more of a power at the Ministry, he’d been ruthless – crushing those in his path. Getting Müller to do his dirty work for him wasn’t a particularly noble act, even though – with the twins as pupils too – Müller had her own reasons to get to the truth. She reached into her briefcase and pulled out the couple of sheets she’d photocopied of the summary of Schmidt’s findings.

‘What will you do with this information?’ she asked, as she handed the document over.

‘I will try to expose it and put an end to it.’

‘But won’t that mean an end to both our careers?’ Not that Müller was too concerned for her own part. This latest case, taken together with the ones in Rügen and Gardelegen three and four years ago, meant that she had already reached the end of her tether.

‘I will try to keep your name out of it. But as you’re aware, I don’t have much of a career left. I’m not sure you do either. And then we clearly each need to get our children out of that environment as soon as possible. By whatever means necessary, Karin. By whatever means.’

Chapter 44

44

Jäger waited till the next morning before trying to contact Normannenstraße to arrange an appointment to discuss Schmidt’s findings about the sports school. When he finally got through on the phone, he found himself being given the run around. No one was prepared to talk to him, or make time for him, another sign of how far he had fallen. Eventually he was told to try to arrange a meeting with Oberst Rainer Specht.

‘Well, can you put me through to Specht, then?’

‘I’m afraid we can’t do that, Comrade Oberstleutnant. Oberst Specht has gone on a mission to Dresden. If you want to talk to him, you would have to contact the district MfS headquarters there, at Bautzner Straße.’

*

Eventually, Jäger managed to arrange his meeting. But as soon as he entered the room – which looked more like one of the Ministry’s interrogation suites – he had an inkling it wasn’t going to proceed in the way he hoped.