But it may be that Stolpe is. So wait a little. And thanks for the moment.’

Tredup is hardly out of the door before the mayor is ringing his bell.

‘Listen to me, Piekbusch. Will you pick up a few files, and cross the corridor as casually as you can. There’s a young man there, black hat, trousers out at the knees, briefcase, pale, the laces on his right shoe are undone. Take a casual look at him and see if you know him. Come straight back and report to me.’

Secretary Piekbusch goes.

The mayor picks up the telephone: ‘Get me the district president. Personal and urgent. While you’re waiting to get him on the line, get me Commander Frerksen. And then County Judge Grumbach.—Is that you, Frerksen?—Yes, please come and see me right away. Get yourself driven. You will be taking someone to Stolpe in fifteen minutes.—Yes, right away.—Well, Piekbusch, do you know the man?’

‘I’ve seen him before, Herr Mayor, but—’

‘So you don’t know him. Will you go down to the Criminal Investigation Department. Get whoever’s there to step out into the corridor, go to this office or that, go to the toilet. As soon as anyone can identify him, call me. Or, no, better report in person.

‘Yes, who is it? Judge Grumbach?—Yes, Judge, this is Mayor Gareis. I wanted to ask you, if possible, to delay the hearing at Gramzow by a couple of hours, if you can do such a thing.—Interesting new lead.—Local hearing is probably unnecessary. Why? Well, you’ll see.—We have our sources.—I can’t tell you yet, but I’m about to call Stolpe.—Yes, on my say-so.—The Revenue? Pah, what those gentlemen come up with. It’s not enough to sentence anyone, maybe not even enough to mount a case.—It’s either all or nothing.—Well, you’ll be hearing from me. Or from the district president.—What’s it to do with Temborius? He has to pay. It costs money, money and more money.—That’s right, I’ll leave him the bill, and will be happy with the renown. Ha, bye-bye now!’

He puts down the telephone. The secretary walks into the office.

‘Piekbusch, leave me. Once someone can identify him, I said.’

‘The young man has disappeared, Herr Mayor.’

‘Disappeared?! You mean he’s gone?’ The mayor gives a start. He thinks: If some enemy of mine has played me false, then I’m really in the soup. He could have been a spy, trying to find out what the government has up its sleeve. Then I’m done for. Ach, that wasn’t a spy. He will have been scared off. And, aloud: ‘Go and check the toilet, Piekbusch.