by CW Browning
She picked up the tray and turned to disappear through the door into the hallway. Evelyn watched her go and felt a wave of warmth go through her. Despite everything occurring around her and all the uncertainty of who she could trust, Evelyn felt instinctively that Else Kolstad was a true ally.
Sipping her coffee, she just hoped that one day she could return the kindness.
Evelyn looked up as a shadow fell across her small corner table in the cafe.
“Good morning,” Daniel greeted her, unbuttoning his coat. “You look well, all things considered.”
She smiled and watched as he seated himself across from her. “Thank you.”
“Any sign of your shadow today?”
“Yes. He was outside the house this morning. As far as I know, he’s still there. Have we heard anything from London?”
“Yes. You’ve been given the all clear to pursue all possible avenues.” Daniel reached into the inside pocket of his coat and pulled out an envelope, sliding it across the table. “In here are two train tickets to Stockholm and two thousand kronor. That should cover any expenses while you’re in Sweden. The train leaves tonight, and the tickets are for a sleeper car.”
She looked at the envelope for a moment, then raised bemused eyes to his face.
“Tickets and money? Just like that?”
He chuckled. “Just like that. This is how it works, my dear. They want to make sure there is nothing to prevent you from doing what you need to do.”
Evelyn shook her head and picked up the envelope, placing it in her purse.
“I have an additional message from William Buckley for you,” Daniel continued, making a motion with his hand to indicate to the waitress heading their way that he didn’t want any coffee. She nodded and turned away to go to another table. “He wants to know when you arrive in Stockholm. He said to send a telegram to your newspaper.”
She nodded. “Very well. Anything else?”
“Yes. When you arrive at the Strand Hotel, send a message to Horace Manchester at the embassy. Tell him that I send my regards. That will alert him to your presence in Stockholm and instruct him to provide any assistance you may require while you’re there. He is very limited in his resources, but he will be able to assist in travel arrangements, among other things, if needed.”
“Thank you.”
Daniel looked at her for a moment, then leaned forward.
“Where is the package from Shustov?” he asked, lowering his voice.
“It is safe.”
“Perhaps you should leave it with me until you return,” he said slowly. “It might not be the safest thing to carry with you when you are being followed by a Soviet agent.”
“Don’t worry. It won’t be found,” Evelyn assured him with a faint smile.
He studied her for a moment, then nodded. “Have you spoken with Anna yet?”
“No. I’ll speak with her this afternoon.”
“If she cannot accompany you, what will you do?”
“I’ll go on my own,” she said promptly. “While I agree that two women traveling together will garner less attention, I must go regardless.”
“Agreed. If she seems on the fence about it, tell her that I can arrange the time with her employer. She need only call me.”
“I’ll pass the message on.”
Daniel nodded, picked up his hat, and got up.
“Very well. I’ll see you when you return.” He held out his hand and Evelyn stood to grasp it. “Take very good care of yourself, Miss Richardson.”
“I will.”
He nodded once more and turned to leave the cafe, buttoning his coat as he went towards the door. Evelyn watched him go, then sank back into her seat and reached for her cup of coffee.
She felt rather dazed with the speed at which everything was happening. Yesterday morning, she was concerned about meeting with Lyakhov, and today she was preparing to depart for Stockholm with the equivalent of over two hundred pounds in Swedish currency in her purse. Her lips curved faintly. Bill had tried to warn her that things would move quickly once her training was over. He hadn’t been exaggerating. Although, she supposed she should have been prepared for this after her maiden mission in Strasbourg last summer. That also had not gone as planned.
She pressed her lips together and cradled her cup in her hands, considering her options. If Anna agreed to accompany her, it would make things easier. Not only did she know the language, but she could help allay suspicion if anyone began to question an English journalist traveling through Scandinavia. If she declined, Evelyn would have to go alone. While that made her nervous in the same way she had been nervous when her ship departed Scotland for its journey across the North Sea a few days ago, she prosaically accepted that this was something that had to be done. The potential benefits of meeting Niva far outweighed any lingering discomfort she might feel at traveling to a country she’d never visited before in her life.
She finished her coffee and set the empty mug down. There was nothing for it. Whether she was ready for this or not, tonight she would board a train bound for Sweden and an unknown Soviet agent who might or might not be an ally. Evelyn stood up and gathered her purse and gloves. She couldn’t think of what could happen, but could only focus on what she had to do.
And right now, that was to make preparations for another journey.
Chapter Fourteen
––––––––
“I hope you don’t mind having a window that faces the back. It overlooks the kitchen garden.” Else said over her shoulder, leading the way up the stairs to the second floor. “It’s the last available room at the moment. Now, I do have a room becoming available in two days if you’d like to switch then. We can certainly arrange it.”
“I’m sure this will be fine, Frau Kolstad,” the man behind her said pleasantly. “I prefer a quiet room.”
“That works out nicely, then.” She reached the top of the stairs and turned right. “There is very little noise from the road in the back of the house. You almost forget you’re in the middle of Oslo.”
She led him down the hallway to the last door on the left and opened it, standing aside so that he could enter.
“Now, I do provide toast and cheese for breakfast, along with coffee. If you prefer tea, let me know and I will provide that as well,” she said as he set his suitcase down on the floor next to the bed. “The front door is locked at ten, but you may take a key if you will be out late.”
“Thank you.” He went over to glance out the small window that overlooked the back. “This will do nicely. It’s a very nice room.”
Else smiled. “I’m glad you like it, Herr Renner. I’ll leave you now. If you need anything, we’re just downstairs.”
“Thank you again.”
She departed, closing the door quietly. The congenial smile left his face as soon as the door closed and he went back to the window, peering out. The kitchen garden was small, surrounded by a fence that could be easily circumvented. A shed at the bottom of the garden drew his attention and he considered it for a moment, noting the open door. As he watched, the landlord came out and closed the door, locking it behind him. Renner watched him pocket the key and turn towards the house.
He turned away from the window and went over to his suitcase, lifting it onto the bed and unlatching it. Tossing it open, he moved a stack of neatly folded shirts and trousers to reveal a false bottom, which he lifted out of the case. Underneath was a square, portable radio. He pulled it out of the case and carried it over to the small desk near the window. It was time to contact Berlin.
He was in position.
Evelyn stepped in the small restaurant and looked around. Towards the back, a lone woman sat a table, eating an open sandwich. When Evelyn approached, she looked up in surprise and a smile of welcome crossed her face.
“Maggie!” she exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”
“Looki
ng for you,” Evelyn said with a smile, seating herself across from Anna. “I’m glad I caught you.”
“You’re lucky you did. I almost didn’t come out today. Have you eaten?”
“I had toast and cheese earlier.”
“If you’re hungry, I recommend the smoked salmon. It’s particularly good today.”
“I think I’ll pass. I’m not very hungry at the moment.” Evelyn removed her gloves and looked up as a waitress approached. “Perhaps some coffee, though.”
Anna nodded and ordered coffee, then looked across the table.
“What can I do for you? Do you need a translator?” she asked with a cheerful grin. “Or just another companion for dinner?”
“I need a translator,” Evelyn said slowly, “but it’s rather more involved than dinner.”
“Why does that not surprise me?” Anna asked with a short laugh. “What is it?”
“How’s your Swedish?”
Anna’s eyebrows flew into her forehead and she blinked. “My Swedish?” she repeated. “Sufficient, I’d say. Why?”
“I find myself heading to Stockholm,” Evelyn answered, smiling in thanks as a cup of coffee was set down before her. The waitress went away again and she turned her gaze to Anna’s face. “I was hoping you’d consider coming with me.”
“To Stockholm?” Anna stared at her. “When?”
“Tonight.”
The other woman sat back in her chair, a look of astonishment on her face.
“Tonight? What on earth for?”
“I completely understand if you’re unable to come,” Evelyn said, ignoring the question. “I know it’s very short notice. I don’t know any Swedish, but I’m sure I’ll be able to figure it out. There must be travel language books that will suffice.”
Anna frowned and leaned forward. “How long do you expect to be gone?”
“Only a few days.”
Anna was silent for a long time, finishing her lunch as Evelyn sipped her coffee.
“I need more information before I can consider this properly,” she finally said. “Why the sudden jaunt to Sweden?”
“There’s someone there I need to speak with,” Evelyn said, lowering her voice. “They’re only there for a few days, so timing is of the essence. I have tickets on a train leaving tonight.”
Anna studied her for a long moment. “Is Carew aware of this?”
“He’s the one who made the arrangements.”
She exhaled and nodded.
“Of course he was,” she muttered. “I must say, you’re turning out to be a very interesting and extraordinary woman, Maggie Richardson.”
Evelyn grinned. “Why is that?”
“I can’t think of a single other woman of my acquaintance who would be quite this sanguine about going to a country where she doesn’t speak the language, only to find that she now has to go another country where she also doesn’t speak the language.” Anna tilted her head and considered her. “Aren’t you the least bit intimidated?”
“Would it do any good to be?” Evelyn countered. “I am here, and this must be done. So I must do it.”
Anna pursed her lips thoughtfully and was silent for a long time.
“You’ll go whether I accompany you or not, won’t you?”
“Yes.”
The other woman shook her head. “As I said, you’re turning out to be an extraordinary woman.”
“If you’re not comfortable with coming...” Evelyn’s voice trailed off when Anna waved a hand impatiently.
“It’s not that I’m uncomfortable,” she said, “far from it. I think it’s all rather exciting, and I’d rather enjoy a little holiday into Sweden. That’s not what’s causing my hesitation. I don’t know that I can take the time from work.”
“Daniel thought of that,” Evelyn told her. “He said he can arrange it if you decide to come with me. Just let him know and he’ll take care of it.”
Anna raised her eyebrows, clearly surprised. “He said that? How on earth will he manage it, I wonder?”
“I have no idea.”
“Well, I suppose I’m out of objections, then,” she said after another moment of consideration. “If he will arrange my time from work, it must be fairly important, this trip of yours.”
Evelyn was silent for a moment, then she raised her eyes to Anna’s.
“I think it is,” she said slowly, “but it’s not without risk. I don’t know how much risk, but I feel it only fair to warn you.”
Anna smiled slowly, a glint coming into her eyes.
“When do we leave?”
Evelyn finished folding the last blouse and laid it in the suitcase before looking around the room to see if there was anything she’d missed. She had never fully unpacked, not knowing how quickly Vladimir would contact her, so there wasn’t much to re-pack. Not seeing any forgotten objects lurking in the corners, she closed the case, doing up the leather straps.
The sun had set outside and a fire blazed cheerfully in the hearth, throwing warmth out into the room. Turning, she went to stand before it, staring down into the flames thoughtfully. She had no idea how long she would be gone. It all depended upon how quickly this Risto Niva would meet with her, or even if he would meet with her.
Bill had anticipated that she would only be away from Scotland for a week or two, but it could very well be longer now. Evelyn frowned as a thought came into her head. She had only written enough letters to cover an absence of three weeks at most. Anything longer than that and her mother would start to wonder why she wasn’t hearing from her.
And Miles would think she wasn’t writing after all.
Her lips twisted and she sighed, staring into the fire. And why did that bother her so much? He was just a pilot who flew with her brother, after all. A very handsome pilot, it was true, and one whom she found interesting and fun to talk to, but an acquaintance just the same. If he thought she wasn’t returning his letters, it really shouldn’t matter to her.
And yet it did. For some reason that she couldn’t understand, Evelyn desperately wanted to extend their acquaintance and get to know him better. It didn’t matter that they were a country at war, or that his job ensured that he was in the first line of defense should Hitler attempt to invade England. It didn’t matter that he thought she was a WAAF in Scotland training other WAAFs to work in the plotting stations, which was perfect really. She hadn’t had to say very much at all regarding what she supposedly did in Scotland. He had made an assumption and run with it, leaving any further prevarication on her part unnecessary.
If she had an ounce of sense, she would stop writing to him and make it clear that she wasn’t interested. This was a doomed friendship, all things considered. She lived a life he could never know about, and he went up in a Spitfire everyday with no guarantee that he would return.
Evelyn pressed her lips together. Of course, there was no guarantee that she would return either. There were no guarantees for anyone anymore, except that they all would have to do things they never dreamt of in order to get through each day and, with a bit of luck, the war. That was becoming increasingly obvious.
Sighing, she turned away from the fire and went over to the desk near the window where her toiletries case sat. Opening it, she removed the insert and ran her fingers along the inside lining until she came to the small tab concealed in the folds. The inside of the case lifted out to reveal a compartment in the bottom where the microfilm Vladimir had passed her was concealed.
Evelyn stared at it thoughtfully for a long moment. She could leave it there and it would be perfectly safe, or she could remove it and leave it here, ready to be collected when she returned. If she left it here, there would be no risk of anyone discovering it with her while she traveled to Sweden. While there was no reason any border agent would search her belongings so thoroughly, there was also no reason to take the added risk of carrying the microfilm to Stockholm with her.
Especially if she was to be meeting another Soviet agent. For all she knew, Risto could be a trap for the Soviets to ensnare her. Did she really want to be carrying stolen secrets from Moscow with her if that was the case?
Turning, she slowly looked around the room. She could probably conceal the microfilm easily enough in this room, ensuring its safety. Daniel had warned against it, but if she hid it well where could be the harm? She was sure she could convince Else and Josef to reserve the room for her and not allow another guest to stay there. Perhaps that would be the wiser course of action.
Biting her bottom lip, Evelyn hesitated. Regardless of the dangers of being caught by a Soviet NKVD agent with stolen Soviet documents, the thought of leaving that information behind made her uncomfortable. No one knew what happened when her father had the same information. Had he done this very thing? Left it somewhere? Was that how it had been lost? Or had he kept it with him and it was stolen after he died?
At the thought of her father, Evelyn felt her chest grow tight and she blinked back sudden tears. The wave of sorrow took her by surprise and she sank into the chair next to the desk, taking a deep breath. What if he hadn’t died in Switzerland? She wouldn’t be here, worrying over the best course of action to take with secret Soviet documents.
After taking a few deep breaths, forcing the grief aside, Evelyn glanced into the case on the desk. After another long moment of indecision, she stood up and replaced the insert, concealing the compartment with the microfilm once again. She would carry them with her. They had been lost once, as Vladimir had so coldly pointed out. They wouldn’t be lost again.
Evelyn watched as Josef picked up her suitcase and turned to carry it out of her room. He had offered in halting English to take the toiletries case as well, but she refused. She would carry it with her. As soon as he left the room, she turned to make one last check, ensuring that she had gathered everything. It was done more out of nervousness than anything else, for she knew she hadn’t left anything behind. She was far too thorough for that.