The Codebreakers

by Alli Sinclair

  ‘I personally think she enjoys wearing her helmet with the large W on it,’ said Kat. ‘And the gas mask. Quite the fashion statement.’

  ‘Nah,’ Ellie said, enjoying the banter she’d missed having with Kat, ‘Mrs Hanley just loves the clacker to warn if there’s an air raid.’

  ‘And you say I’m a five-year-old,’ said Louis. ‘Listen to you two.’

  ‘Seriously, though,’ said Ellie, ‘it would be nice for Mrs Hanley to get out and socialise. I’m sure she’d love the music.’

  ‘She says she’s too old,’ Kat said.

  ‘No one’s too old to dance.’ Louis raised his hands high and Kat and Ellie twirled under his arms.

  They moved further into the hall, the electricity in the air more palpable. Ellie halted as a couple holding hands raced in front of her on their way to the dance floor. The band started an upbeat tune and even though her mind was numb from deep concentration all week, the urge to dance took over.

  ‘What dance is that?’ Kat pointed at the GIs and women in civilian clothes, their fancy footwork in time with the fast-paced music. Their arms and legs swung wildly, their feet barely touching the ground as they spun and jumped.

  ‘The jitterbug,’ said Ellie.

  ‘Huh?’ Kat didn’t take her eyes off the gyrating couples. ‘It looks complicated.’

  ‘I’m willing to give it a go.’ Ellie turned to Louis. ‘How about we—’

  ‘Louis!’ Red-headed Maude bounced over.

  ‘Hello, Maude.’ Louis pulled his shoulders back.

  ‘Hi Maude,’ Ellie said. ‘This is our friend Kat.’

  ‘Hello, Kat.’ Maude didn’t take her eyes off Louis.

  ‘Hey, Kat,’ said Ellie, ‘how about we get some refreshments?’

  ‘But we only just got here and …’ She glanced at Maude and Louis. ‘Oh, yes, sure, sure. I’m quite parched.’

  ‘Bye.’ Ellie and Kat scooted to the other side of the room while Louis and Maude took a step closer to each other.

  Ellie and Kat grabbed a drink and sat at a small table.

  Kat took a long sip then put down her glass. ‘I’m being ridiculous.’

  ‘About what?’

  ‘I should be having fun but seeing all these couples just makes me miss Clifford more.’

  ‘I thought music and friends would help.’

  ‘I’m sorry. I love that you invited me. I’m just frustrated, that’s all. And I’m being overly dramatic. No news is good news, right?’

  ‘Exactly.’ Ellie didn’t have the heart to break it to Kat that writing a letter may not be the first thing on Clifford’s mind, especially when he was possibly enduring adverse weather, no shelter and little food, bombs going off and bullets flying all day and night.

  Kat bit her lip and stared at the dancers. ‘I can’t do anything about it, can I?’

  ‘No. And I’m sure Clifford wouldn’t want you spending time worrying about him. He’d want you to have some fun, right?’

  ‘I suppose …’ She stood and held out her hand. ‘Miss O’Sullivan, would you care to join me for this dance?’

  Ellie took her friend’s hand and got up. ‘Why yes, Miss Arnold, I would be delighted.’

  They giggled and made their way to the dance floor. Ellie didn’t care that she and Kat were the only all-female couple. They both needed some fun, and this was the place to do it. Thankfully, the music had slowed from the jitterbug to a waltz.

  ‘You be the man,’ said Kat.

  ‘No way! You be the man!’ laughed Ellie.

  ‘I can be the man.’

  Ellie turned to find Harry Kinsman standing behind her.

  ‘Here you go.’ Ellie quickly guided Kat’s hand into Harry’s. ‘Miss Katherine Arnold, this is Mr Harry Kinsman, a friend of our Mr Dutton.’

  Kat looked at Ellie with wide eyes before Harry twirled her across the dance floor. Ellie needed a moment to compose herself.

  She watched Harry and Kat dance and as they made conversation Kat’s body appeared to relax. Ellie wished Kat would hear from Clifford soon. It was difficult witnessing her friend suffer and worry the way she did, and she knew Kat often paced around the house in the middle of the night.

  ‘So …’ Louis sat on the chair opposite Ellie.

  ‘Where’s Maude?’

  ‘Powdering her nose.’

  ‘Ah,’ she said. ‘You know powdering one’s nose means she’s probably in the ladies’ talking with her friends about you, right?’

  ‘Yes, yes.’ Louis drummed his fingers on the table. ‘I hope it’s nice things she’s saying.’

  ‘I doubt it. She’s likely to be complaining about how you smell like onions and have two left feet.’

  ‘Probably. And I’d say’—he nodded in the direction of Kat and Harry—‘Mr Kinsman is telling your friend Miss Arnold that he’s never met a woman uglier or meaner than Miss O’Sullivan.’

  Ellie threw a serviette at him. ‘You are uglier and meaner than me.’

  ‘You know it.’ Louis gave a lopsided grin.

  ‘You like her?’

  ‘Who?’

  ‘Maude, you fool.’

  Louis looked away. ‘I do like her. A lot.’

  ‘Well, that’s a first.’

  ‘What is?’ He faced her once more.

  ‘I’ve never seen you smitten.’

  Maude sauntered over and Louis said to Ellie, ‘I’m sorry, I was planning on asking you to dance but …’

  She waved her hand, releasing him from his duty. ‘Go on, you two. I’m happy here.’

  Louis mouthed ‘thank you’ then turned his attention to Maude who looked up at him with big blue eyes. His gaze was just as besotted.

  I wish someone looked at me like that.

  Ellie shook her head and refused to give in to self-pity. She had bigger things to worry about. Like whether she would ever master this new job at Central Bureau.

  ‘Your turn.’ Kat edged onto the chair and fanned her face.

  Harry held out his hand. ‘It would be an honour, Miss O’Sullivan.’

  Ellie placed her hand in his. Butterflies flapped in her belly.

  He guided her to the dance floor and when he held her in his arms, it was like she’d never left them.

  ‘You’re a really good dancer,’ Harry said.

  ‘Thanks. So are you.’

  ‘Louis tells me you’re in AWAS. What do you do with them?’

  ‘I … uh …’ Telling Harry an untruth or deflecting his question felt wrong, very wrong but she had to keep her work secret. ‘I do administration.’

  ‘About?’

  ‘All kinds of things.’ She wished he’d stop with the questions, although she loved that he was interested enough to ask.

  ‘Like?’

  ‘Making sure people know where they need to be and when.’ Which wasn’t exactly a lie. If one of the messages she deciphered was information about an attack, then the Australian and American forces would know exactly where they needed to go in order to thwart the Japanese. ‘It’s a lot of paper pushing, really.’

  ‘That doesn’t sound as exciting as your job at Qantas.’

  ‘How did you know I’d left my plane mechanic job?’

  He grinned. ‘I may have asked Louis about you.’

  The band was in full swing and the bodies crowding around made her short of breath.

  Harry stopped and held her hands. ‘Are you feeling all right?’

  Her throat constricted. Words wouldn’t surface.

  ‘Come on.’ Harry gently steered her out of the stifling hall. They exited through the main entrance, Harry nodding at the doorman on his way out.

  Ellie sat on one of the chairs out the front, the cool autumn evening helping lower her temperature. A small breeze raced across her skin and she took a deep breath.

  ‘Shall I get you some water?’ Harry’s concern was endearing.

  ‘I’ll be all right.’ Would she, though? What had brought it on? Surely it wasn’t Harry asking ques
tions about AWAS. If that was the case, she’d be in for a tough ride because no one knew how long this war would last.

  ‘Do you want me to get Kat or Louis?’

  ‘I’m fine, really.’ She patted the chair next to her. ‘Just keep me company.’

  Harry sat with Ellie in companionable silence. Around them people laughed and talked as music floated through the open doors of the dance hall.

  ‘I’m wondering …’ Harry started then shook his head.

  ‘Wondering?’

  ‘It doesn’t matter,’ he said.

  ‘Tell me, please.’

  Harry straightened his spine, as if summoning courage. ‘I’m wondering if I could take you to the pictures sometime.’

  A ripple of happiness washed over her. ‘I’d be delighted.’

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Ellie and Kat skipped arm in arm down the dark street, giggling. Louis trailed behind them, having parked half a block away. He’d suggested driving Kat home first so Ellie could say a quick hello to Mrs Hanley.

  Kat ran her hand along the hedges that separated the houses from the street, her loud voice punctuating the darkness. ‘He is rather dishy.’

  ‘Shh.’ Ellie looked around but none of the neighbours had come out to tell them off—yet. ‘Who?’

  ‘Your Mr Kinsman.’

  ‘He’s not mine.’ Although the idea was rather nice. Ellie opened the front gate and they walked up the path.

  A lone figure sat in the dark on the verandah.

  ‘Is that …?’ Kat squinted. ‘Mrs Hanley?’

  Mrs Hanley stood, arms at her side. One hand clutched a small envelope. ‘I’m so sorry, Kat.’

  Kat fell to her hands and knees, her gut-wrenching sobs piercing the quiet neighbourhood.

  Ellie kneeled next to her friend, whose body shuddered as she gasped for air. Mrs Hanley came down the stairs and, with Ellie and Louis, they lifted Kat and guided her onto the verandah and into a chair.

  No one spoke.

  Kat clung to Ellie, who desperately tried to hold in her own tears. She needed to be strong for her friend who had just been thrown headfirst into what would be one of the darkest moments of her life. Ellie knew the desperation, the disbelief. The bargaining with God about being a better person, the willingness to do anything that would bring back your loved one. Then the anger. Oh, the soul-destroying rage about the unfairness of it all. That wouldn’t come for a few days, though. When it did, Ellie needed to be there to guide Kat through it.

  All Ellie could do for now, though, was hold Kat as the tears and grief shook her friend’s body.

  It had been a week since Kat had received the telegram that had changed her life. Since then she’d barely left her room, except to go to Clifford’s memorial service. Ellie finished making the cup of tea in Mrs Hanley’s kitchen and made her way down the hall to Kat’s bedroom. Her friend lay in the dark, clutching the necklace Clifford had given her the previous Christmas.

  Ellie quietly placed the cup and saucer on the bedside table then turned to leave.

  ‘Don’t go,’ said a small voice from the darkness.

  She went over and sat on the bed. ‘How are you doing?’

  ‘Terrible.’ Kat’s voice trembled.

  Ellie gently rubbed her friend’s arm. ‘I’m here. Whatever you need.’

  ‘Thank you.’ She slowly brought herself to a sitting position and Ellie passed the cup of tea. Kat took a sip then put it back on the table.

  ‘Please try to drink some more.’

  Kat lifted the cup with a shaking hand and brought it to her lips. ‘You do know how to make a good cuppa.’

  The small smile in Kat’s voice and attempt at normal conversation warmed Ellie’s heart. Her friend would get through this. She just needed time and love and understanding.

  ‘It was a nice service today,’ Kat said.

  ‘Yes, it was. He was a special man loved by many.’ Although Clifford’s death had been confirmed by the military, his body lay in a grave on the other side of the world. The only thing his family and friends could do was hold a service in Australia in his honour. Just like Kat, Ellie had endured the heartbreak of acknowledging a loved one’s death but not being able to bury them in the soil of the country they’d died fighting for.

  Kat put down the cup and snuggled under the blankets. Ellie lay down and wrapped her arms around her friend until the tears stopped and she finally fell into an exhausted sleep.

  Clack-clack-clack. Ellie’s fingers pounded the keyboard with precision. Although she’d initially been overwhelmed by how much she had to learn, she’d adapted to her new work in the three weeks she’d been with Central Bureau.

  She rolled her shoulders, stretched her neck and blinked hard. Concentrating for extended periods took its toll but Ellie had a job to do and she couldn’t let anyone down.

  Keep going …

  Ellie consulted the codebook for the right key then adjusted the machine. She checked and triple-checked it was right, then started on the intercept taken near Timor.

  Her fingertips tingled.

  Sleep was all she needed. When she got back to the barracks she’d skip dinner and go straight to bed.

  Ellie worked on decoding the message then printed it out. She plucked the paper from the canister and read it to figure out who it needed to go to.

  My grandmother has a beautiful lemon tree QQQQQ Yamamoto down over Bougainville. Direct hit. Retaliation imminent. QQQQQ It always rains in April

  Ellie stripped the message of filler then stood and waved Florry over. She handed her the paper.

  ‘Isn’t he the Marshal Admiral of the Japanese navy?’ asked Ellie.

  ‘Yes.’ Florry looked over at the desk where Lieutenant Andrews was normally chained.

  He wasn’t there.

  ‘Where are the despatchers?’ asked Ellie.

  ‘No idea. Get up to the house. This needs to go to Commanding Officer Buckley.’

  Ellie grabbed the message and scooted out of the garage to the back door of the house. She hesitated for a second then pulled the door open, and hurried through the corridor and past a ballroom that had been converted into office space. She dashed up the stairs and found two men sitting at desks either side of Commanding Officer Buckley’s office.

  The Rottweilers.

  Ellie had heard about these men who guarded the commanding officer so fiercely that no one, no matter the rank, got past unless they gave permission.

  She stopped in front of them. Perspiration ran down her back and pooled on her spine.

  ‘I need …’ pant ‘… to see …’ gasp ‘… the commanding officer …’

  The men exchanged a look that Ellie couldn’t quite decipher.

  ‘He cannot be disturbed.’ It came out like a growl.

  ‘It’s urgent. I’ve been sent from the garage.’

  ‘He’ll talk to you when he’s finished.’ The officer pointed to a couch on the other side of the room.

  ‘This cannot wait. It. Is. Urgent.’ What did she have to do to convince them? Handstands?

  The door to the office opened and a man with broad shoulders, a moustache and a balding head strode out. ‘What’s the commotion?’

  Ellie rushed over and shoved the paper at him. ‘You need to see this.’

  He waved for her to come into the office and he sat at his desk scrutinising the message.

  Commanding Officer Buckley picked up the green handset of the Secraphone. Ellie had heard about them from Florry but she hadn’t seen one until now. These regular-looking phones were designed to scramble the voice of the caller at one end and unscramble it at the other—much like the TypeX machines.

  The commanding officer waved her away, mouthing ‘thank you’ before she left the office and closed the door. She walked past the Rottweilers who stopped typing, their steely gaze burning a hole in her back. Once out of sight in the hallway, she leaned against the wall and took a few deep breaths. It was out of her hands now and what Commanding Office
r Buckley did next was anybody’s guess.

  Ellie took her time going down the stairs, back through the ballroom offices and out into the bright sunlight. She crossed the yard to the garage and entered the darkness, the hot air stifling.

  Florry waved her over. ‘What happened?’

  ‘I think he called Canberra.’

  ‘Jeez.’ Florry put down her pencil. ‘We need to get through these other messages quickly in case there’re more pieces of the puzzle.’

  Ellie sat at her desk and picked up the next message with shaking hands. Was Australia about to be bombed again? Would Japanese submarines appear in the Brisbane River?

  She methodically worked through the rest of the messages, trying to calm her mind. There was no time for suppositions and long-held fears to surface. Emotions had to be kept at bay.

  The next two hours went by without further event, the room silent except for the clack-clacking of the TypeX keyboards and pencils scratching against paper. At the end of the shift Ellie grabbed a broom and swept the floor, putting used papers in a box. She picked it up and went outside where Florry was tending to the incinerator. They silently put the papers in, ensuring each one burned, removing any chance of it getting into the wrong hands.

  ‘That was an excellent find back there,’ Florry said.

  ‘What will happen?’

  Florry shrugged. ‘You did your job and now it’s in the hands of the people who are experienced enough to deal with it.’

  Ellie rested against the garage. ‘It feels strange being such a small cog in this wheel.’

  ‘Why?’

  ‘When I worked at the post office and for Qantas, I had a job that I started and finished. I worked with my team servicing the planes and we saw them take off and land, knowing we’d completed our work. But this …’ She puffed out her cheeks. ‘This just feels disjointed, like I’m only doing half a job.’

  ‘What you did today could change everything.’

  ‘But I’ll never really know.’

  ‘No, you probably won’t. And I won’t, either. We just have to be content that we’re doing what we’re here to do and that’s it.’

  The familiar rumbling of the truck arriving buoyed Ellie’s mood somewhat. By the time Ellie and Florry climbed in, the rest of the women were on board.