Müller considered a radio call back to Schriver at the People’s Police HQ to ask for reinforcements from uniform to help mount a surveillance operation of the three places Bahlow had highlighted: the hill tramway and the two passenger ferries. But then she decided the best approach was to keep the information in a close circle. So instead, she hauled Schmidt away from his code-cracking duties temporarily.

‘I think I’ve nearly solved it, Comrade Hauptmann. Another day or so and you will get your answer.’

‘I need you for something else, Jonas. Get a tram to Körnerplatz in Loschwitz. We’ll meet you there.’

‘Of course, Comrade Hauptmann. I’ll have to check which tram I need.’

‘Number four from Pirnaischer Platz just by the back of the People’s Police HQ, Jonas. It goes straight there.’

*

They divided the three points between the three of them. Müller took the hill tramway, while Tilsner took the furthest ferry crossing and dropped Schmidt off at the nearer one on the way. They would keep in touch via their handheld radios, but just using a number for each site – Müller at one, Schmidt at two, Tilsner at three – and not discussing anything else about the operation over the open line. If any one of them saw Lotti, or anyone who could be her, they would simply state ‘target sighted’ and give their location number. That way, hopefully, others would not take too much of an interest.

Müller wasn’t quite sure why she’d chosen the tramway – although Tilsner claimed it was because she wanted the luxury of a covered tram car for her surveillance activities, rather than a freezing cold river bank.

The tramway was the less interesting of the two historic hillside lifts at Loschwitz that connected the riverside settlement and its beautiful traditional architecture with the settlements on the northern terraces above the Elbe – in her case the Weißer Hirsch. The settlement where, as Schmidt had explained, leading Nazis escaped the firebombing of Dresden during the war. What was Lotti’s connection with the area, if indeed she had one? Did bigwigs still live there, but from a different party and political persuasion – officials from the Republic’s ruling SED party, rather than Hitler’s National Socialist party?

There were only five other passengers getting the tramway – and Müller knew immediately none of them was Lotti, not even in disguise. Nevertheless, she continued with the trip, the Standseilbahn trundling at little more than walking pace up the hillside. At the top, she exited and looked around. There wasn’t a lot to see other than the upper station and a few surrounding houses, save for an inn, the Luisenhof. She’d heard of this. It was reputed to be a Stasi meeting place. Perhaps that was why Lotti made this journey regularly? The restaurant also enjoyed a panoramic view of Dresden and the Elbe Valley below.