‘I just wish…’ He broke off, lowering his eyes. ‘We heard that gunshot and I really didn’t know what to do.’
‘How could you know?’ Molly said. She leaned back against the wall, and a bitter note crept into her voice. ‘It was a setup, the whole bloody thing… and we walked right into it.’
Frank turned his head.
‘What?’
Molly hesitated, then looked away.
‘Tonight. Someone set us up. They were waiting for us.’
Frank was stunned.
‘But what about the guy you were meeting?’ he asked.
Molly shrugged to herself.
‘Dead, probably. I don’t know if they followed him to the rendezvous and killed him there, or if they picked him up earlier and…’ She shook her head.
‘There were two of them?’ Frank asked. ‘Bad guys, I mean.’
‘That’s right.’
‘And the gunshot we heard?’
Molly looked at him, then got to her feet and smoothed down her skirt.
‘The gunshot was mine.’
She turned on her heel and began pacing slowly back and forth along the corridor.
Frank watched her as she walked, her footsteps tapping out a steady rhythm, her fists clenching and unclenching as she moved. When she turned to come back, he looked away for a moment, then glanced up as she drew level with him.
‘I’m sure he’s gonna be okay,’ he told her.
Molly stopped and looked at him, then silently nodded.
‘I can tell you care about him,’ Frank said gently.
She stared down the corridor, her eyes distant.
‘Yes,’ she whispered. ‘Very much.’
Frank stared at her. He’d never seen this side of Molly before. Was there maybe something going on between her and Rafe?
‘You two are…’ He hesitated, unsure how to say it. ‘…close?’
Molly’s brow wrinkled briefly into a puzzled frown, then she seemed to catch his meaning and gave him a curious glance.
‘No,’ she said, a faint smiling playing on her lips. ‘I don’t think I’m quite his type.’
‘Sorry,’ Frank said. ‘I didn’t mean to–’
‘He’s like a little brother,’ Molly explained. She sat down again, a wistful expression on her face. ‘An infuriating, stupid little brother but…’
‘…but you care about him, right?’ Frank finished for her.
‘Yes,’ she said, softly. ‘I can trust him.’
They sat in silence for a moment, then Frank turned to look at her.
‘You trust me, don’t you?’ he asked.
Molly turned her face to his, then reached over and squeezed his arm.
‘I do now,’ she said.
Brisk footsteps echoed along the corridor, and Molly jerked her head up from resting on Frank’s shoulder. A nurse was approaching. They jumped to their feet, trying to read something in her expression as she made her way towards them, but then she smiled and they both sighed with relief.
‘Ihrem Freund wird es bald besser gehen,’ the nurse explained. Your friend is going to be fine.
‘Thank God,’ Frank said, grinning.
‘May we see him?’ Molly asked.
The nurse looked at her kindly.
‘The doctor has given him something to make him sleep, but I’ll show you where he is so you can see he is all right. You may visit him in the morning.’
They emerged from the hospital entrance and stood for a moment, looking out at the dark buildings silhouetted against the night sky. Molly pulled her coat tight around her and shivered.
‘I’m glad Groth told us to dress warmly.’
‘It’s gotten cold,’ Frank agreed. He glanced down at his watch. ‘C’mon, I’ll walk you home.’
Molly tilted her head to one side.
‘Are you sure?’ she asked. ‘I doubt it’s any more dangerous than where we were earlier, and I am armed.’
‘I just…’ Frank hesitated, realizing how foolish he sounded. ‘I was just trying to be gentlemanly.’
Molly’s expression softened.
‘That’s very sweet of you.’ She took his arm. ‘If you really don’t mind?’
‘It’d be my pleasure,’ he said. ‘Besides, I don’t really think I’m ready to turn in yet, after everything that’s happened. My head’s still spinning, you know?’
Molly looked up at him and nodded.
‘I know,’ she said quietly. ‘Come on, it isn’t far.’
They set off, passing out through the gates and into the sleeping city.
Molly’s lodgings were in an imposing old villa on Waldheimstrasse, five stories tall with ornate stone detailing around the doors and windows, ringed with black iron railings.
‘Nice place,’ Frank said, staring up at the building as they stood together on the sidewalk.
‘My room’s at the back, on the third floor,’ Molly explained. She gazed at him for a moment, then added, ‘Did you want to come up for a drink? I think we both probably deserve one.’
Frank hesitated, glancing up at the shuttered windows. What would people think if they saw Molly taking a man upstairs so late at night?
‘Are you sure it’s okay?’ he stammered. ‘I wouldn’t want to… you know… get you into any trouble.’
Molly gave him a bashful smile.
‘There’s a fire escape at the rear of the building,’ she told him. ‘It’s very discreet.’
They made their way around to the back of the villa and slipped through a small gate in the railings. Molly led the way as they crept up the steep metal steps, then paused at a darkened window and placed the palms of her hands flat on the glass.
‘There’s no latch,’ she whispered, then gave an upward shove. The window slid up a little, and she bent down, slipping her fingers into the gap to haul it fully open. Frank watched as she ducked inside, then reappeared at the window and beckoned him in.
Glancing back over his shoulder, Frank lifted his foot over the sill and climbed through into the shadowy room.
‘Close the window and get the blind,’ Molly told him, ‘then I can put the light on.’
‘Sure.’ Frank slid the window shut, then found the blackout blind and pulled it into place. ‘All done.’
‘Thanks,’ Molly said, and there was a click as warm light filled the room. She was standing beside a beautiful old writing desk with a tall electric lamp perched on it. ‘Well? What do you think?’
Frank turned around. Molly’s lodgings appeared to be a single high-ceilinged room, with a makeshift blue curtain dividing the narrow space into living and sleeping areas. At this end, there was a little round table with a white vase of drooping wildflowers and, by the door, a tall closet made of dark wood with elegantly carved double doors. To his right, he noted a small stove, with an enamel sink beside it. The exposed pipework looked recent.
‘It’s a lot nicer than my place over on Bantigerstrasse,’ he told her.
‘Thanks.’ She smiled. ‘But don’t stand there, looming by the window. Have a seat and make yourself comfortable.’
There was a pile of folded clothes on the chair by the table, so he sat by the desk, turning his chair to face into the room.
‘Sorry!’ Molly gathered up the clothes and took them over to the closet. ‘I don’t have many guests here, I’m afraid.’
‘It’s okay.’ Frank grinned. His gaze drifted past her, to the bed, just visible behind the blue curtain. There appeared to be a small rug on the polished wooden floor, and she’d hung a tiny picture on the wall above, but he couldn’t make out what it was.
‘Is gin all right?’ Molly said, walking over and setting a bottle on the table. ‘I’m afraid it’s that or nothing.’
‘Gin is fine,’ Frank told her, reaching over and turning the bottle round so he could read the label. ‘I got introduced to it while I was stationed over in England.’
‘It reminds me of parties before the war,’ Molly said softly, her back to him a
s she rinsed a couple of glasses in the sink. ‘Whereabouts in England were you?’
‘A town called Salisbury, but we weren’t there long before they shipped us out again.’
‘Oh, Wiltshire’s lovely.’ Molly brought the glasses over to the table, and poured them each a generous measure. ‘Here’s to home.’
Frank took his glass and clinked it against hers.
‘Home,’ he said, and knocked the gin back.
Molly sat down and sipped her drink, looking at him thoughtfully.
‘How are you feeling now?’ she asked. ‘Head still spinning?’
Frank smiled and stared down at his glass.
‘I’m okay, I guess,’ he said, images of the clearing still flashing in his mind. ‘It was… well, it was quite an evening, that’s all.’
Molly nodded.
‘Were you scared?’ she asked softly.
Frank glanced up to meet her steady gaze, then looked away again.
‘It’s different than I expected,’ he murmured. ‘We saw plenty of action when our unit was in France, but this…’
He trailed off.
‘I was scared too,’ Molly told him. ‘I think there’d be something wrong with us if we weren’t.’
She picked up the bottle and leaned across with it.
‘Another?’
Frank raised his head, then pushed his glass towards her.
‘I just don’t know how I feel about it,’ he said, wearily rubbing his eyes. ‘I thought this was going to be some real death and glory stuff, you know, make a real difference to the war… and it kinda was, and we took out the Nazis, but…’ He shook his head, remembering the dead weight of the corpse, the body whose life he’d snuffed out. ‘It doesn’t feel glorious, that’s for sure.’
Molly poured another shot of gin. Her eyes shone as she slid his glass back across the table.
‘You’re a good man, Frank.’
He took the glass and raised it to her with a shy smile.
‘To absent glory,’ he said.
‘Absent glory,’ she repeated.
They sat quietly, sipping their drinks, until Frank glanced down at his watch.
‘Well,’ he said, swallowing the last of his gin. ‘I should probably…’ He nodded towards the window.
Molly set her glass down on the table.
‘Oh dear,’ she said. ‘I feel bad that I’ve brought you all the way over to the wrong side of the city.’
Frank’s heart sank as it dawned on him how far he’d have to walk.
‘It’s no problem,’ he assured her, getting to his feet.
Molly lowered her eyes.
‘You could always sleep here,’ she suggested. ‘If you wanted to.’
Caught off guard, Frank stared at her for a moment, then glanced around the room.
‘Er, I guess,’ he said, looking doubtfully at the hard wooden floor. ‘I could curl up in a corner somewhere.’
‘If you like,’ Molly said slowly. ‘Or you could sleep in my bed if you’d rather?’
‘In your bed?’ he stammered.
Molly stood up and walked over to him.
‘But I think you should probably kiss me first,’ she said, her eyes twinkling as she took his hand. ‘If we’re going to sleep together.’
Her lips were soft and warm, and he closed his eyes, feeling her hands on his face as she pulled him close. For a moment, he was lost, overwhelmed by the sensation of her, then he felt himself growing hard and kissed her eagerly.
When he opened his eyes, her upturned face was close, and he could feel her breath on his skin. Arms around his neck, her eyes sparkled with a joyous mischief, and she suddenly drew him forward again, kissing him and playfully biting his lower lip.
‘Take your clothes off,’ she whispered.
He lost all sense of time. Later, when he finally gasped and collapsed on top of her, he felt her hands pressing down on his back, her legs wrapped around him, holding him tight for a moment more, before she relaxed and slumped back onto the sheets. Breathing hard, Frank propped himself up to gaze down at her.
Molly’s eyes were closed, an expression of calm settling on her face as she sighed, stretching her arms up against the bed frame and slowly pointing her fingers towards the ceiling.
He stared at her for a long time, noticing the slight curve of her eyelashes, the shape of her mouth, the way her hair shone as it spilled out across the pillow. Then he leaned down to gently kiss her forehead. Molly’s eyes fluttered open, and she gazed up at him with a smile.
‘I just…’ He hesitated, lost in her eyes. ‘I don’t know what to say.’
Molly’s expression changed.
‘Oh, Frank.’ She put a hand to her mouth, covering her smile. ‘That wasn’t your first time, was it?’
‘Of course not.’ Blushing deeply, he bowed his head beside hers, thinking back to teenage fumbling at the county fair, and that long afternoon with Emily Walker in the hayloft on her father’s farm.
‘Frank?’ Molly’s finger traced a lazy spiral in the small of his back.
‘No, really. It’s just…’ He faltered, suddenly aware of being still inside her.
‘Just what?’ she pressed.
Frank withdrew himself, then sat back on the bed, looking at her.
‘You’re so… calm,’ he said. ‘So matter-of-fact about it.’
Molly arched an eyebrow at him.
‘Didn’t you want to do it?’ she asked.
Frank smiled helplessly.
‘Yes of course, I just…’
‘I wanted to do it too,’ she soothed him. ‘So what’s the problem?’
‘No problem, I just didn’t expect it.’
Molly propped herself up into a sitting position, then scooted her naked body closer to his.
‘You’re very sweet,’ she said, a hint of sadness in her eyes as she stretched out her hand to caress his cheek. ‘And life is so very short. Don’t you think we ought to enjoy the time we have?’
Frank met her gaze, then nodded.
‘Yes,’ he said, softly. ‘I do.’
She smiled and reached down between his legs.
‘Then kiss me again, Frank.’
23
Frank slowly surfaced into wakefulness. He was lying in a strange position, sheets bunched up against his back and his arm draped over something warm. He opened his eyes, blinking against the sliver of bright light that streamed in from a gap at the edge of the blackout blind… and remembered.
Molly. Her bare shoulder was just visible above the sheets, a mass of dark hair tangled on the pillow. He became aware of her breathing, the warmth of her naked body curled against his skin, and he sighed with contentment.
Had this really happened? It seemed impossible, and yet, here they were…
He went to lean back, but felt the chill of cold plaster on his shoulder, and remembered that Molly’s bed was pushed up against the wall. Turning his head, he gazed up at the little picture, pinned above the bed: a blurry photograph of a small house – English, by the look of it – set on a grassy hill above a rocky sea shore. He squinted at it in the gloom, wondering about it, then felt Molly stir beneath his arm.
‘Morning,’ he whispered, gently hugging her.
She rolled over, a slight frown relaxing into a sleepy smile as she peered up at him.
‘Good morning,’ she said, hesitating for a moment, then lifting her head to kiss him lightly. ‘What time is it?’
Frank turned to search for his watch, bumping into the wall again before remembering to check his wrist.
‘Five after seven,’ he yawned. ‘Man, I feel like I’ve hardly slept at all.’
Molly groaned and slumped back onto the pillow, staring up at the shadows on the ceiling.
‘We did hardly sleep at all,’ she reminded him with a sheepish grin. ‘But I suppose we’d better get up.’
Yawning, she threw the sheets aside and twisted away from him, rolling herself slowly into a sitting position on the edge of th
e small bed. Frank watched as she reached up and stretched, staring at the smooth lines of her silhouette.
‘Oh damn, these are all crumpled.’
She stooped, retrieving her skirt and jacket from the floor, then stood up stiffly, trying to shake the creases out.
Frank sat up, rubbing one hand through his hair, the other keeping the sheets in place to cover his morning erection. Molly finished draping her clothes over the back of the chair, then turned towards him and smiled.
‘It’s a bit late for us to be shy with one another, don’t you think?’
Frank gazed at her naked body, then lowered his eyes.
‘I guess so.’
Sliding out from under the sheets, he twisted himself around and dropped his feet onto the small rug. If Molly noticed his arousal, she was too polite to mention it, busying herself around the room, taking a silk robe from the closet and slipping it on. Frank gathered up his things from the floor and quickly started to dress.
‘Oh…’ Molly was staring at him, a frown on her face.
Frank looked up from pulling on his pants.
‘What is it?’ he asked.
Molly bit her lip.
‘I’m just wondering how we’re going to sneak you along the hall to the bathroom without anyone seeing you.’
It was a bright, crisp morning as Frank stepped down from the fire escape and walked calmly round to the street. Standing on the sidewalk, he lit a cigarette and glanced along the road. There was a low wall around the front of the building opposite, so he crossed over and sat down to wait for Molly. She emerged from the front door a few minutes later, smartly dressed and professional-looking, falling in beside him and explaining the quickest route to the hospital. Suddenly she was the Molly he’d known before; just like that, the woman he’d woken up with was gone.
They walked down the quiet, tree-lined road and along the side of a sunken railroad yard, not really speaking now, just two colleagues going to visit a friend. As they followed the sidewalk up onto the bridge, a train passed beneath them, rattling along the tracks that curved away through the town. Not far ahead, the familiar shape of the hospital building was visible above the railroad sheds.
Molly slowed her pace a little.
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