‘Or unlocking doors for them, if they’re searching room-to-room,’ suggested Miss Dunne.
‘If she is, it’s only because they made her,’ insisted Stella.
‘I know,’ said Johnny. ‘But if they do make her, we’re trapped here like fish in a barrel.’
‘Maybe we should just brazen it out,’ said Miss Dunne. ‘I know it’s risky, but so is being found here with our bags packed.’
Stella thought for a moment, then reached a decision. ‘I’ve a better idea.’
Johnny looked at her hopefully. ‘What?’
‘Move to my room,’ suggested Stella. ‘The Tans won’t know we’re friends. If they’re told my room is the permanent quarters of a British officer’s daughter, there’d be no reason to search it.’
‘That’s not guaranteed, Stella,’ said Miss Dunne.
‘Nothing’s guaranteed. But I reckon your chances are better in my room.’ Stella hoped that her argument had swayed Miss Dunne, who now turned to her son.
‘What do you say, Johnny?’
‘There’s a risk either way. But I think…I think Stella’s right. Being in a room hired by Commander Radcliffe might be our best bet.’
‘Can we get there without going through the lobby?’ asked Miss Dunne.
Stella nodded. ‘Yes, we can go by the back stairs.’
‘All right,’ said Johnny, reaching for his suitcase. ‘Let’s do it.’
‘I’ll just check there’s no one in the corridor,’ said Stella. She opened the bedroom door and stepped out. To her relief there was nobody about, and she stepped back into room nine. ‘The coast’s clear. Let’s go!’
* * *
Alice was trying hard to appear pleasant and helpful. The Tans had searched all the outhouses and storerooms and were now going through the kitchen. She had told the hotel staff to be co-operative and had even offered the Tans refreshments, which the Scottish sergeant had politely refused. Alice felt that she had won him over a little, but the real test would come if he still insisted on searching all the hotel bedrooms.
Alice’s fall-back position would be the suggestion that they check every room that had been vacated, but respect the privacy of guests in rooms that were occupied.
‘All clear in the kitchen, Sarge,’ reported one of the Tans, returning to the lobby.
‘Right, the rooms are next.’
‘Can I talk to you about that, Sergeant, please?’ said Alice.
‘We’ve already talked about it.’
Alice was about to make her case when her eye was caught by movement at the entrance door. To her surprise she saw Commander Radcliffe and Mrs Radcliffe approaching. They were back ahead of schedule, which could spell disaster. Presumably they would look for Stella. And if they found her with Johnny and his mother the game would be up. Before Alice could think it through any further they approached. Stella’s father was in his RAF uniform and the Scottish sergeant saluted him respectfully.
‘Wing Commander.’
‘Sergeant. What’s going on here?’
‘Premises search, sir.’
‘They’re looking for Johnny Dunne, Commander,’ said Alice. ‘They have this notion that he’s involved with the rebels. I told them that none of us have seen him in a month, and we know nothing about him ever being involved with the rebels.’ Alice looked at Stella’s father meaningfully. They both knew that Johnny had probably saved his life yesterday morning. Now Alice held her breath, praying that Commander Radcliffe would return the favour and sing dumb.
* * *
‘Can you do a Yankee accent, Mam?’ asked Johnny.
They were seated in Stella’s room, which they had reached without incident, although everyone was still on edge.
His mother looked at him bemusedly. ‘An American accent? Well, yes, I did one in a sketch once, in the Town Hall in Athlone. Why do you ask?’
‘If the Tans come in here we could pretend we’re Canadian friends of Stella’s.’
Johnny was rewarded with an approving nod from his mother. ‘That’s a really good idea.’
Stella looked slightly concerned. ‘The accent isn’t exactly the same.’
‘It’s close enough,’ said Johnny. ‘The Tans hardly know the difference between an American and a Canadian accent.’
‘No, I suppose not,’ Stella admitted.
‘We could claim to be friends from Ontario, getting the train to Dublin this afternoon,’ continued Johnny. He remembered the approach adopted by Mr O’Shea and by Michael Collins, and decided that he and his mother should have a back story. ‘How do we know you, Stella? And where would be a good place to come from, just in case it comes up?’
Stella thought a moment. ‘Why don’t we stay with the chess club? Say that’s where we met when we both lived in Toronto?’
‘Where in Toronto?’ asked Johnny.
‘Yorkville,’ answered Stella. ‘We were neighbours. We lived on Admiral Road and you lived on…let’s say Lowther Avenue. All right?’
‘OK.’ Johnny looked enquiringly at his mother, who nodded.
‘Fine’ she said, ‘Yorkville, Admiral Road, Lowther Avenue.’
Johnny thought of the other things that had impressed him the night he had been questioned with Michael Collins, and he turned to his mother. ‘If it comes to bluffing our way as Canadians, the trick is to act as though we’re completely at ease.’
‘You’ve done stuff like this before?’ she asked.
‘A bit, yes. So if we’re questioned, we haven’t a worry in the world. We’re for the authorities, we know they’re doing what they have to, and we’re confident that soon we’ll be on our way.’
‘You make it sound easy, Johnny,’ said Stella.
‘My heart is beating like a drum, but they don’t know that. Mr O’Shea always says that people take you at your own valuation. Act innocent and you seem innocent.’
‘Fair enough,’ said Johnny’s mother, ‘though I’m praying it won’t arise.’
‘Absolutely,’ said Stella. ‘Let’s just hope…’
But what she hoped for never got said, as all three of them started, on hearing a knock on the bedroom door.
Johnny swallowed hard. He prayed that his disguise and their concocted story would be enough, and he watched anxiously as Stella rose and opened the door.
‘Mom! Dad!’ she cried in surprise as Commander and Mrs Radcliffe stepped into the room.
* * *
Alice accompanied the Tans, a master key in her hand as they arrived at the first bedroom on the ground floor. Perspiration had formed on her brow, and she wiped it away surreptitiously, as she prepared to make a final argument to prevent Johnny being found.
‘I really, think, Sergeant––’
‘Shut it!’ snapped the Tan. ‘We won’t disturb your precious guests more than we have to, but we’re searching each room. Now look lively and start opening up.’
Alice felt her heart sink, but she couldn’t think of any response.
‘Come on! The sooner we do this, the sooner it ends.’
Alice was afraid to delay any further. Instead she breathed out wearily and inserted the key in the lock of room one.
* * *
‘I can explain everything,’ said Stella.
‘You’d better!’ said her father.
‘Mom, Dad, this is Miss Dunne. Miss Dunne, my mother, Mrs Louise Radcliffe, and my father, Wing Commander Bernard Radcliffe.’
Despite the bizarre circumstances, the adults exchanged brief how-do-you-dos.
‘And of course you know Johnny,’ said Stella, ‘despite the dyed hair and the glasses.’
‘Yes, we know Johnny,’ replied her mother. ‘What’s he doing in your bedroom?’
‘He’s avoiding the Tans,’ answered Stella.
‘God above, Stella!’ said her father. ‘Have you any idea what you’re playing at?!’
‘Yes, Dad,’ she answered, trying to keep her voice calm. ‘I’m helping the best friend I ever had. He’s finally fo
und his mother,’ she said, pointing at Miss Dunne, ‘and they want to start a new life in Scotland.’
‘His mother?’ Stella could tell from her tone that Mom was confused. ‘Miss Dunne?’
‘Yes,’ answered Johnny’s mother. ‘It’s a long, complicated story, but Johnny is my son, and now we want to make a fresh start. I’m sorry that you and your family should be embroiled in it all.’
‘So well you might be,’ said Commander Radcliffe.
‘Dad, please,’ said Stella.
‘Do you realise there’s a truckload of Tans searching the hotel for Johnny right now?’ he said. ‘They could arrive here any minute, Stella. Have you any idea of the danger that puts us all in?’
‘Yes, Dad, I have. And I’m really scared. But it’s still less than the danger that Johnny put himself into yesterday morning. You might be dead now if it wasn’t for what he did.’
To his credit, she saw that her father looked abashed.
‘I am, of course, hugely grateful to you, Johnny,’ he said.
‘That’s OK, Commander.’
‘No it’s not OK. You took an enormous risk, and I’ll be forever thankful. But you were also involved in an operation that ended up with twelve of my colleagues dead. I can’t just write that off.’
‘Fourteen civilians were dead after Croke Park,’ said Stella.
‘I know that, love, and it’s appalling. But I still have a duty. I took an oath of allegiance to the King.’
‘May I say something?’ said Miss Dunne, and Stella looked at her, curious to hear her view.
‘You mightn’t like his cause, Commander, but Johnny had a duty, as he saw it. And he had an allegiance too. But for your sake he put it on hold. Can you not do the same? The fight is over for Johnny. Couldn’t you let a fourteen-year-old boy leave the country, to make a new start?’
Stella could see that her father was conflicted. Johnny and Miss Dunne looked anxious, but said nothing further, and Stella’s mother, who had been listening carefully, opened her mouth to speak. Before she got a word out, however, there was a sharp knock on the door. Stella felt her stomach constricting in fear. Then she rose at once as she heard the heard a key being inserted into the lock.
* * *
Alice opened the door to Stella’s room and started in shock. ‘Stella!’ she said. She had expected her friend to be upstairs in room nine. Instead she got a glimpse into the room and saw Johnny and Miss Dunne, as well as Commander and Mrs Radcliffe. Johnny looked different with black hair and glasses, but it was the presence of Commander Radcliffe that gave Alice a ray of hope.
Acting on instinct, she blocked the door with her body and turned to the Scottish sergeant. ‘Wing Commander Radcliffe is in the room with his daughter. Clearly you won’t need to search it now.’
The Tan seemed to consider this, then he spoke firmly. ‘Stand aside.’
‘Really, Sergeant, he’s a British officer, so surely…’
‘Surely nothing! I say where we search. Now stand aside.’
The sergeant was carrying a Webley revolver and was backed up by heavily-armed Tans, and Alice knew that defying him was pointless. Sickened to think of what lay ahead, she slowly stepped aside.
* * *
Johnny felt his pulses throbbing as the leader of the Tans, a sergeant, stepped into the room. He was followed by Alice and two of the other Tans, and although Stella’s bedroom was spacious, it was beginning to feel crowded.
‘We meet again, sir,’ said the sergeant. ‘I’m sorry to disturb you, but you’ll understand that every room must be checked.’
‘Quite,’ answered Commander Radcliffe.
Johnny watched the RAF officer anxiously, trying to get a clue from his expression as to whether or not he would turn them in. Before Commander Radcliffe could say anything further, Johnny’s mother stepped forward, smilingly offering her hand for the Tan to shake.
‘Felicity Mackenzie,’ she said in a convincing North American accent.
The Tan looked slightly taken aback, but instinctively shook the proferred hand.
‘Sergeant Morris,’ he replied.
‘And this is my son, Wilfred,’ said Johnny’s mother.
Johnny gathered himself, then spoke up in the most convincing American accent he could produce. ‘How do you do, sir.’
Johnny sensed that the Tan wasn’t used to such courtesy during raids, and the man seemed a little surprised, but nodded back in greeting. Johnny was impressed by his mother’s initiative and grateful now for the hair dye and the glasses.
‘Can I ask what you’re doing here, Ma’am?’ said the Tan.
Johnny’s mother indicated the Radcliffes. ‘Saying goodbye to our old Yorkville neighbours, before travelling back to Canada. We were just about to say our farewells and head for the Dublin train, right, Wilf?’
‘Sure thing, Mom,’ answered Johnny in his American accent, using an expression he had heard from Stella.
‘Right,’ said the Tan. ‘Although…you don’t sound Canadian, sir,’ he said, turning to Commander Radcliffe.
Johnny swallowed hard. If Stella’s father was going to give them up, now was the moment. He could see Stella looking appealingly at him, but Johnny sensed from Commander Radcliffe’s demeanour that he was unsure about what to do.
For a second nobody spoke, and the agony of indecision seemed like an eternity to Johnny. Then, to his surprise, Stella’s mother intervened.
‘My husband is English, Sergeant, I’m the Canadian one,’ she said with a pleasant smile.
‘I see.’
‘Mrs Mackenzie and Wilfred were on holidays in Ireland, so we’ve been catching up on old times.’
Johnny felt hugely relieved and wanted to hug Mrs Radcliffe in gratitude. Then he looked back at Stella’s father. The tight expression on his face told Johnny that as a British officer he struggled with the thought of helping an enemy of the Crown to escape.
‘Wilfred was a great friend to Stella,’ continued Mrs Radcliffe, ‘and indeed to the family. Wasn’t he, Bernard?’ she said looking her husband in the eye.
Johnny knew that she was reminding him of what had happened at The Eastwood Hotel and he held his breath, unsure how Stella’s father would respond. There was a short pause, although again it seemed to Johnny to stretch interminably. Then Commander Radcliffe nodded curtly.
‘Yes, Wilfred was a true blue,’ he said.
Johnny felt like pumping his fist in victory, but settled for a modest smile of acknowledgement. ‘Thank you, Commander,’ he answered. He felt a flood of relief coursing through his system and had to tell himself not to relax – that they still had to talk their way out of the room.
‘So, you’re Stella?’ said the Tan, turning to face her.
‘Yes.’
‘And you would have known Johnny Dunne?’
‘Yes, we were friends.’
‘Friends?’
‘Well, we were in the same band, and we lived under the same roof, so we became pals.’
Johnny was surprised that Stella wasn’t playing down her association with him, and he wondered what her game was.
‘When was the last time you saw him?’ asked the Tan.
‘About a month ago.’
The Tan looked at her directly. ‘You’re sure you haven’t spoken to him since then?’
‘That was the last time I saw him, but I spoke to him today,’ said Stella.’
‘What?’
‘He rang me from Dublin to say a final goodbye. He was getting the train to Queenstown and then the boat to America.’
Johnny realised that Stella was deliberately laying a false trail, and he felt a surge of affection for her.
‘When was this telephone call?’ asked the Tan excitedly.
‘Earlier this morning.’
He turned to his men. ‘Private Barrett!’
‘Sarge?’
‘Go to reception and get on the phone. Put out an alert for Johnny Dunne at Queenstown. Both the train station and the harb
our.’
‘Yes, sarge,’ said the man, hurrying from the room.
‘Why are you looking for Johnny?’ asked Stella innocently.
‘You didn’t know he was involved with the rebels?’ said the Tan.
‘No! Gosh. That’s…that’s terrible.’
Stella looked genuinely shocked, and Johnny was impressed both by her coolness and her acting skills.
‘We’re eager to talk to him,’ said the Tan, then he turned from Stella and addressed her father. ‘Forgive me, sir, but for form’s sake you’ll understand that we complete our search of the hotel. Including a quick search of these quarters.’
‘If you must,’ said Commander Radcliffe.
At a nod from the sergeant the other Tans moved to begin checking the bathroom and the wardrobes.
‘Well, we’ll say our farewells,’ said Johnny’s mother, and she kissed Mrs Radcliffe on the cheek, then shook hands with her husband.
Johnny followed suit, and Commander Radcliff locked eyes with him as they shook hands. There was a charged moment, with each of them aware of the risks that they had taken on each other’s behalf. Then Commander Radcliffe gave a quick nod, which Johnny returned.
‘Goodbye, Wilfred,’ said Alice. ‘And the very best of luck back in Canada. It’s been great meeting you.’
Even though she was trying to keep her tone light, as befitting a goodbye to a boy she didn’t know well, Johnny could hear the emotion in her voice. He wished that they could have a proper farewell, but he had to settle for squeezing her hand as he shook it.
‘Thanks, Alice,’ he said warmly. ‘You’ve…you’ve helped make my stay really special.’
‘Safe trip, Wilf,’ said Stella, approaching.
‘Thanks for everything, Stella,’ answered Johnny, looking at her meaningfully and trying to convey just how much he meant it. He could see a hint of tears welling up in her eyes and he felt a lump in his own throat. He squeezed hard as they shook hands, then Stella quickly reached out and hugged him. ‘Safe journey, Johnny,’ she whispered. ‘You’re a great friend.’
‘You too, Stella,’ he answered, then they separated, and Johnny turned away, afraid that his eyes too might well up.
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