Dead of Night

Copyright © 2023 Simon Scarrow The right of Simon Scarrow to be identified as the Author of the Work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988. Apart from any use permitted under UK copyright law, this publication may only be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means, with prior permission in writing of the publishers or, in the case of reprographic production, in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. First published in Great Britain in 2023 by HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP First published as an Ebook in 2023 by HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP All characters in this publication – other than the obvious historical figures – are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. Cataloguing in Publication Data is available from the British Library Jacket design by Patrick Insole. Jacket images © Dmitry Modestov/Shutterstock (castle), fran_kie/Shutterstock (figure), Separation51/Shutterstock (gates) and a_v_d/Shutterstock (car) eISBN: 978 1 4722 5857 1 Map and artwork by Tim Peters HEADLINE PUBLISHING GROUP An Hachette UK Company Carmelite House 50 Victoria Embankment London EC4Y 0DZ www.headline.co.uk www.hachette.co.uk Contents Title Page Copyright Page About the Author Also by Simon Scarrow Praise About the Book Dedication Map of Central Berlin Nazi Chain of Command Author Note Prologue Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three Chapter Four Chapter Five Chapter Six Chapter Seven Chapter Eight Chapter Nine Chapter Ten Chapter Eleven Chapter Twelve Chapter Thirteen Chapter Fourteen Chapter Fifteen Chapter Sixteen Chapter Seventeen Chapter Eighteen Chapter Nineteen Chapter Twenty Chapter Twenty-One Chapter Twenty-Two Chapter Twenty-Three Chapter Twenty-Four Chapter Twenty-Five Chapter Twenty-Six Chapter Twenty-Seven Chapter Twenty-Eight Chapter Twenty-Nine Chapter Thirty Chapter Thirty-One Chapter Thirty-Two Chapter Thirty-Three Chapter Thirty-Four Chapter Thirty-Five Chapter Thirty-Six Chapter Thirty-Seven Chapter Thirty-Eight Chapter Thirty-Nine Historical Note About the Author SIMON SCARROW is the bestselling author of Blackout, which introduced Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke, and of the Eagles of the Empire novels, most recently Death to the Emperor, the Wellington and Napoleon Quartet, and many other acclaimed works of fiction. Simon shared his passion for history as a teacher for many years before becoming a full-time writer. Simon lives in Norfolk with his wife. Find out more at www.simonscarrow.co.uk and on Facebook /officialsimonscarrow and Twitter @SimonScarrow By Simon Scarrow and available from Headline The Berlin Wartime Thrillers Blackout Dead of Night The Eagles of the Empire Series The Britannia Campaign Under the Eagle (AD 42-43, Britannia) The Eagle’s Conquest (AD 43, Britannia) When the Eagle Hunts (AD 44, Britannia) The Eagle and the Wolves (AD 44, Britannia) The Eagle’s Prey (AD 44, Britannia) Rome and the Eastern Provinces The Eagle’s Prophecy (AD 45, Rome) The Eagle in the Sand (AD 46, Judaea) Centurion (AD 46, Syria) The Mediterranean The Gladiator (AD 48-49, Crete) The Legion (AD 49, Egypt) Praetorian (AD 51, Rome) The Return to Britannia The Blood Crows (AD 51, Britannia) Brothers in Blood (AD 51, Britannia) Britannia (AD 52, Britannia) Hispania Invictus (AD 54, Hispania) The Return to Rome Day of the Caesars (AD 54, Rome) The Eastern Campaign The Blood of Rome (AD 55, Armenia) Traitors of Rome (AD 56, Syria) The Emperor’s Exile (AD 57, Sardinia) Britannia: Troubled Province The Honour of Rome (AD 59, Britannia) Death to the Emperor (AD 60, Britannia) The Wellington and Napoleon Quartet Young Bloods The Generals Fire and Sword The Fields of Death Sword and Scimitar (Great Siege of Malta) Hearts of Stone (Second World War) The Gladiator Series Gladiator: Fight for Freedom Gladiator: Street Fighter Gladiator: Son of Spartacus Gladiator: Vengeance Writing with T.J. Andrews Arena (AD 41, Rome) Invader (AD 44, Britannia) Pirata (AD 25, Adriatic) Writing with Lee Francis Playing With Death Praise for Simon Scarrow’s novels: ‘Taut and chilling – I was completely gripped’ Anthony Horowitz ‘A great read’ Bernard Cornwell ‘What an amazing roller-coaster of a ride’ Manda Scott ‘Scarrow’s rank with the best’ Independent ‘Gripping’ Sunday Times ‘Tremendous’ Daily Express ‘An engrossing read’ Financial Times About the Book BERLIN. JANUARY 1941. Evil cannot bring about good . . . After Germany’s invasion of Poland, the world is holding its breath and hoping for peace. At home, the Nazi Party’s hold on power is absolute. One freezing night, an SS doctor and his wife return from an evening mingling with their fellow Nazis at the concert hall. By the time the sun rises, the doctor will be lying lifeless in a pool of blood. Was it murder or suicide? Criminal Inspector Horst Schenke is told that under no circumstances should he investigate. The doctor’s widow, however, is convinced her husband was the target of a hit. But why would anyone murder an apparently obscure doctor? Compelled to dig deeper, Schenke learns of the mysterious death of a child. The cases seem unconnected, but soon chilling links begin to emerge that point to a terrifying secret. Even in times of war, under a For my friend Bharat Goswami,who taught me how to think about thinking Author note Writing about life in Germany during the Third Reich inevitably brings an author face to face with some of the darkest aspects of human nature. It’s impossible to write honestly about the time without referring to some of the attitudes of and terminology used by those in the regime. I hope that I have handled this aspect of the novel with sensitivity. Prologue Berlin, 28 January 1940 The choir and orchestra reached the end of the reprise of ‘Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi’, and with a final sweep of his baton the conductor brought the performance to an end, bowing his head as if in exhaustion. At once the audience at the Philharmonie let out a cheer and applause thundered through the hall. As the conductor turned, some of the audience rose to offer a standing ovation and the rest began to follow. Dr