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it!”
    â€œWhat?” I asked.
    He beckoned me back. “Come here, please. And close the door.”
    When I was finally sitting in front of him again, he cleared his throat, leaned over the desk and said, “He’s had a relationship with this Frau Fuchs for years. I don’t know exactly since when, but I think it began as soon as he’d given her the job.”
    â€œBut that was eleven years ago!” I said. “And he’d have been sixty-seven at the time, surely?”
    â€œYes, he was. But you needn’t think it was some kind of last-minute panic. The randiness of old age, or whatever you like to call it. He’d always slept around. Good old Herbert, never missed a chance. And when there wasn’t a chance, he
went looking for one. Usually found it, too.” He looked out of the window again, and then at me. “But this was different, this relationship with Frau Fuchs. I think he even bought her an apartment. Bought it and made a present of it to her, if I’m not mistaken.”
    After a little while, when he seemed to be thinking, he said, “He didn’t talk about this liaison, unlike his other conquests. He did drop a word to me now and then, though. Maybe to make me envious.” He smiled. “Or because he couldn’t help it. Remarks about his Käthchen, as he called her. Käthchen, who was so capable at work. Who cast all the men into the shade but was still so feminine. A dream woman.” He smiled, and fell silent, looking at his hands, which he had clasped on top of his desk.
    After a little while I said, “But the relationship seems to have foundered now.”
    He looked at me as if he didn’t understand. Then he said quickly, “Yes. Yes, that does seem to be so.”
    I said, “And when I think of the terms in which he spoke of her, I do very much doubt whether he ever really… really felt any deep affection for her.”
    He looked at me. “In what terms does he speak of her?”
    â€œWell… well, he doesn’t know me from Adam. But he literally talked about her bum, and that’s not all, he talked about her – er, sweet little arse. That doesn’t exactly sound as if he respects her.”
    â€œYes, well.” He rubbed his chin. I could hardly believe my eyes, but he was actually smiling, and he obviously had a lot of trouble in suppressing that smile. In the end, he said, “Well, you see, Alexander, maybe you don’t quite understand that. As he sees it, such expressions are a compliment. Her – the part of her body he described so coarsely…” – he shrugged his shoulders and smiled – “he loves her the way she is, in his own way. His Käthchen. And that part of the body is an important asset of hers. As he sees it.”

    I looked at him in silence for a while, and then said, “OK. If you say so.”
    He nodded, smiling. I asked, “So when you said that put the lid on it, you were talking about her?”
    He sighed. “Yes.” Then he leaned forward. “Of course I’m also assuming that she’s dumped him. He himself,” he added, shaking his head, “wouldn’t have parted from her of his own accord. Wouldn’t have thrown her out of her job. But maybe she’s found someone younger. Someone who suits her better. And I can well imagine that firing her may have meant nothing but his personal reaction to that. Over the top and out of control.” He slumped back in his chair. “And if I’m right there, you will certainly have problems with this case. He’ll lie through his teeth, not just to you but to any and every tribunal. He’ll even forge evidence if he has to, just to get his own back on the woman.”
    I thought about this for a while. Then I said, “Do you think it’s possible that he invented that order from a foreign customer? To give him a reason to say she couldn’t have