Winston's Spy

by Robert Webber

*

  It was about three-quarters of an hour later that Alex arrived home from the inquiry to discover that everybody was keen to hear how it had gone. When he told them that he thought things had gone well but he could not discuss the matter, there was a definite sense of deflation from his mother and uncle, almost as if he had denied them the purpose of their visit.

  ‘How is Simon?’ Alex’s mother asked suddenly.

  ‘He’s doing well, I understand,’ said Alex, ‘He’s got himself a plum job at the embassy in Stockholm, you know. He’s even asked permission to marry Cordelia as soon as possible so that she can join him.’

  ‘He’s a nice boy,’ said Alex’s mother, ‘I always did like Simon; he seemed to be a calming influence on you, Sasha. Please, if you speak with him, send him my best regards.’

  ‘I will, Mama,’ Alex assured her, ‘but I doubt our paths will cross, what with him being in Stockholm and me being in Scotland.’ Alex’s release of this piece of disinformation had been at Jeffers’s suggestion.

  ‘Scotland, is it? Whereabouts?’ Uncle Walter enquired.

  If Alex looked worried, he was; he hated lying to his nearest and dearest. ‘I really should not have said that. It is all very hush-hush, so please forget what I just said.’ There, he had planted the seed.

  Klara came to announce that dinner was ready, so they all moved into the dining room, where Teddy noticed that the usually square table had been extended by one of the inserts, making it rectangular. Teddy also noted that Klara had changed into a simple black skirt and white blouse, and was wearing a white pinafore; she was evidently taking her role seriously. Alex and Teddy were expected to sit one at either end, as master and mistress of the household.

  Klara served the vegetable soup from a tureen, and Teddy was surprised that all of the pieces of vegetable in the broth were cut to almost identical sizes. Although it was light in substance, it was incredibly rich in taste. A roasted shoulder of lamb followed, and Alex noticed that the blade bone had been removed skilfully to make his carving of the joint much easier. The skin of the lamb was covered with herbs and slivers of garlic, just like his mother used to cook many years ago. The vegetables were plentiful, making up for the relatively small size of the lamb shoulder, and the gravy was wonderfully intense and flavoursome. Dessert was a simple apple pie, served with custard, both of which were delicious.

  As she cleared away the dessert bowls, Teddy asked Klara, ‘That was lovely; wherever did you learn to cook like that?’

  ‘My grandmother was the cook for a noble family in Poland when she was young, and they liked French food; she taught me all that I know. I am glad you liked it.’

  After she had left, Uncle Walter commented, ‘I think she will fit in very well down in Gloucestershire, if she can cook like that!’

  Teddy smiled at the accolade and acknowledged the minor victory in the fact that Uncle Walter approved of their choice of a maid.

  *

  As Alex and Teddy lay in bed that evening, she told him of her earlier visit to Dr McLintock and the reasons why she had been sufficiently worried to go for a medical opinion. He was concerned immediately, but when she told him that Dr McLintock was not unduly anxious, although he had suggested that she get a second opinion with a consultant at the hospital, Alex was slightly less concerned. Nevertheless, although Alex was relieved, he insisted that he thought a second opinion might be a good idea.

  Teddy told him that she thought Uncle Walter had admonished them ever so slightly for having engaged Klara with the intention that she should accompany them to Gloucestershire, without prior consultation. She explained that perhaps he had been right and maybe they should have mentioned it; it was just an unfortunate circumstance that Uncle Walter and his mother had arrived unannounced and met Klara before Teddy had a chance to bring the matter up. Alex said he would try to smooth the waters.

  Teddy asked Alex for more details on how his day had gone. Much as he was itching to give her the gory details of the spat that had developed between the board chairman and Major Shakesheff, he knew that to do so would breach the specific covenant that the board chairman had placed them.

  Alex merely said that the day had been, ‘quite boring really’, although he did venture that he believed he had acquitted himself well when recounting his version of events.

  Teddy was glad, and she was further pleased that Simon and Cordelia were going to tie the knot, commenting that she thought they would be very happy together.

  They yawned, kissed each other lovingly and fell asleep almost instantly.

  *

  The following morning, Alex woke almost at the same time as the chorus of songbirds heralded the dawn of the new day. He turned slightly and was troubled to see Teddy lying awake, her brow furrowed and unmistakably deep in thought.

  ‘What’s worrying you?’ he asked.

  ‘It’s nothing; it is just my silliness,’ she replied, ‘It is only that I thought that, in a few short days, you will be on your way to Scotland, and God alone knows when, or even if, I shall see you again.’

  Alex snuggled into her, and said, ‘You know that I should not have told you where I was going, and I certainly cannot tell you what I shall be doing, but I can reassure you that my role is not considered to be dangerous. Many young couples are lying together and having similar thoughts, where the young man is about to join a ship on the North Atlantic convoys, about to start flying from a frontline aerodrome, or to be posted to join the army and serve at the front. I am luckier than them, as my role is to be working on the fringes of military intelligence, helping to formulate the strategy that will finish this war quickly. So, my sweetheart, please do not worry yourself; pray for all those who are facing greater dangers.’

  ‘My darling, the fact that we will be apart is just too painful. I want to spend all of my time with you, until the day that I die, so I hate this bloody war because it is going to separate us.’

  He kissed away her tears tenderly, and together they held each other gently in a loving embrace until it was time for Alex to get out of bed and get ready for the second day of the board of inquiry.

  XXXVI

  Alex arrived at Whitehall on Thursday morning in good time for the resumption of the board of inquiry, so he made his way downstairs to the refectory at the War Office, hopeful that he might wile away the remaining time until the board reconvened by relaxing. He let himself into the senior officers’ mess and was not surprised to find that he was the only one present; he concluded, somewhat unjustly, that it must be too early in the day for senior officers to be up and about. He ordered a pot of tea from the steward before settling in a deep leather armchair with the day’s newspaper.

  Herman Goering, once thought to have been moderate, was keen to set his Luftwaffe against England. ‘War to the death against England, a war that will shower down on the British Islanders themselves,’ the German Field-Marshall was reported to have said.

  How kind, thought Alex.

  Other news suggested that two German pocket battleships and a cruiser had slipped out of the North German ports and were now at large in the North Atlantic. Another more ridiculous story was about how food aid sent from America on the Cunard liner Aquitania had been sent back to America because the paperwork for the importation was incorrect.

  ‘Well, God bless England,’ Alex thought to himself, ‘bugger that food is in short supply and people are starving, just so long as the paperwork is right!’

  As a hand rested on Alex’s shoulder, he turned to see Charles smiling down at him.

  ‘Hello, you old dog!’ Charles greeted him, ‘How’s married life?’

  ‘Charles!’ Alex was pleased to see him. ‘Excellent! You should try it.’

  ‘God, no!’ Charles exclaimed, ‘That’s not for me, not until this lot’s over, and then only if she comes with bucketloads of cash as a dowry!’

  ‘Wha
t about love?’ Alex asked.

  ‘Overrated! Just so long as they can produce an heir and a spare while not interfering with life, that’s the only criteria!’ Charles said. ‘I’m only joking, of course. Did you know that Beattie has snared her Russian prince, and they are planning to get wed in the spring? Poor bloke!’

  ‘Good Lord! Really?’ Alex was astounded. ‘So, what brings you here?’

  ‘You, dear boy; you,’ he responded, ‘and this blasted board of inquiry. It seems that they’re rounding up anybody who even remotely knew Stefan Horváth.’

  ‘Did you?’ Alex asked.

  ‘No,’ Charles confessed, ‘but I did read through his file before he was accepted, to see if I could spot any inaccuracies. I couldn’t, as MI(Q) had done a fine job in bulling him up; I thought he was clean and said so.’

  ‘It seems he pulled the wool over many eyes,’ Alex commented.

  ‘Indeed!’ Charles responded reflectively.

  ‘Anyway,’ Alex continued, ‘do you want to come back and meet the wife later? I’m sure she would love to see you again!’

  ‘I can’t, old chap,’ Charles apologised, ‘After this, it’s back to Buckinghamshire for me; the war effort will have ground to a halt while I am wasting my time up here!’

  ‘You’re based in Buckinghamshire now?’

  ‘Yes, it’s all very hush-hush, so don’t tell anyone, will you?’

  ‘Of course not; perish the thought,’ assured Alex.

  ‘I suppose we ought to go on up.’ Charles consulted his watch.

  ‘Yes, round two,’ said Alex, reverting to boxing parlance, ‘seconds out!’

  *

  A short time later, once more in Room 5, Alex sat next to Commander Jeffers, and Charles sat in the next seat. The board of inquiry reconvened with a whole range of evidence and opinions presented by all sorts of specialists, who were trying to analyse the situation that had occurred.

  Charles gave his testimony that he had been asked to check the paperwork relating to Horváth’s recruitment, and he said that, from an administrative perspective, everything was in order; in fact, it was faultless.

  Colonel Hadley asked whether that was unusual. Charles thought for a moment before commenting that it was not uncommon for paperwork to be so precise when submitted from specific departments, but he added that it was generally quite usual for paperwork to be incomplete or incorrectly completed.

  ‘So, are you saying that the MI(Q) are better administrators than many other departments?’ asked Colonel Hadley.

  ‘I would not say they are “better”,’ Charles responded, ‘They are certainly more thorough; there are fewer inaccuracies.’

  ‘That’s good, then,’ persisted the colonel.

  ‘Well, yes… and no,’ Charles responded enigmatically. ‘Let me explain. Paperwork comes in from many different sources with inaccuracies apportioned randomly; when paperwork is consistently exemplary, that creates a pattern, almost a pattern of perfection, which is where my department comes in as we are there to try to spot patterns that could be symptomatic of a problem. The flawless nature of the paperwork submitted from a single source meets that criteria, and, consequently, we start to try to find flaws, which we could not in this or several other cases. That, in itself, is suspicious. It might show that there is somebody who is submitting paperwork that is so meticulous that they are an administrative genius, and those are few and far between in the services.’

  All the board members smiled at this.

  Charles went on, ‘But it might also mean that somebody is double- or triple-checking submissions, so that slip-ups are corrected. In short, I contend that Horváth’s application was “managed” through the system, so that it would not seem remarkable, but such careful management has made it stand out instead.’

  ‘I see,’ Colonel Hadley continued, ‘have you identified any other applications that have been this meticulous?’

  ‘Yes, sir, at least twelve,’ Charles revealed to a sharp intake of breath from all those gathered at the board of inquiry. ‘I am not saying that there are twelve “problems”, as some would have been fed through in this manner as camouflage, but my guess is that there are between three and six potential enemy agents who have passed through our system undetected.

  ‘Of course, this all gelled together after Horváth was unmasked; until then, we did not know for certain that there might be a problem. It could, justifiably, have been a super-efficient clerk at MI(Q), but now we have to consider alternative implications. I would say that all twelve, and possibly others, need to be thoroughly investigated.’

  ‘I agree,’ said Brigadier Danvers, ‘Thank you for your most comprehensive responses, Captain.’

  Commander Jeffers muttered under his breath, ‘Bloody hell!’ as Charles resumed his seat next to Alex.

  The board of inquiry heard from two other experts before it adjourned to consider its recommendations at 12:15 hours. Allowing for lunch during the recess, the clerk stated that the board of inquiry would reconvene at 15:00 hours, but if there were to be a further delay, he would place a notice on the door of the committee room.

  Alex, Charles and Commander Jeffers went to the senior officers’ mess for lunch, at which Charles stumped up for a halfway decent bottle of claret to enjoy with their roast beef, which was on the menu that day.

  Throughout the lunch, the discussion centred on what had happened that morning, with the commander being extremely concerned at the hypothesis that Charles had presented, not least because they had several other agents who had gone through the same procedures as those that Charles had concerns over. Had they been compromised? Were they in danger of being unmasked? The commander resolved to discuss the matter with Colonel Swann with the utmost urgency, but, in the interim, he tried to gather as much supplementary information as possible from Charles, not that the latter was being particularly forthcoming.

  At 15:00 hours, there was indeed a note posted to say that the board of inquiry would reconvene at 16:00 hours, and all those who had returned went away again. In the case of Alex, Charles and Commander Jeffers, it was back to the Senior Officers Mess, where there were tea and sandwiches for those that had foregone lunch.

  At 16:00 hours, the doors to the board of inquiry were opened punctually, allowing all those who had business before the board to take their seats. The sergeant-at-arms arrived with Major Shakesheff, who looked suitably contrite after his night in detention. Shortly afterwards, the board members took their positions before Brigadier Danvers gavelled and called the board of inquiry to order.

  The brigadier announced, ‘This board of inquiry has deliberated the facts as presented to it by means of verbal testimony and written evidence. We shall now submit our written findings to the Judge Advocate General.’

  Did Alex spot that the brigadier glanced slightly at Major Shakesheff?

  ‘But, in summary,’ Brigadier Danvers continued, ‘this board believes that it has been held in contempt by certain individuals representing clandestine departments whose methods and involvement in this affair remain shrouded in a cloak of secrecy.

  ‘The veracity of the statements made by those representing these departments were not tested due to the absence and unavailability of key personnel. The board of inquiry even has doubts about the very existence of certain alleged witnesses, which, if proven, would be a fundamental contempt of this board of inquiry’s due process. This board of inquiry will be recommending earnestly that these matters are investigated, and should these investigations show that individuals or departments lacked integrity, then these individuals or departments shall be brought to account.

  ‘The board of inquiry commends Captain Phipps for his clear and fulsome account of his department’s concerns, which have been set forth to this board of inquiry, and the board of inquiry has already instructed that an investigation is instigated at once into the ramificati
ons of this, should these anxieties prove founded.’

  Brigadier Danvers continued his summary for a further fifteen minutes before concluding, ‘Finally, the board of inquiry finds that the actions of Lieutenant Carlton are beyond reproach, and have, although unintended at the time, sought to highlight an anomaly in procedure that could have significantly damaged the efforts of this country’s military in securing victory. Lieutenant Carlton’s quick-witted actions, although unorthodox and motivated by personal survival, have resolved swiftly a shameful episode that should not have arisen. The board of inquiry rules that no further action be taken against Lieutenant Carlton, and recommends that he is reinstated immediately and commended for his quick action when discovering a traitorous act.

  ‘This board of inquiry’s findings shall be prepared in writing and categorised as “Most Secret” under the precepts of this board of inquiry. This board of inquiry is adjourned sine die.’

  The brigadier gavelled, and all those present rose as the board members trooped out.

  As they left the board of inquiry, Alex saw two burly gentlemen wearing military-issue raincoats approach Major Shakesheff, accompanied by a third. The burly men each took hold of one of the major’s arms as they led him away. Alex recognised the third as his old sparring partner Captain Treves, from when his recruitment procedure had commenced, and, in a small way, he felt a slight pang of concern for Shakesheff, but that concern was short-lived.

  The commander shook both Charles’s and Alex’s hands, congratulating them both on the commendations that they had received from the board. He even suggested that they might return to the office and then go on somewhere to celebrate, but Charles demurred, saying that he had to get back to Buckinghamshire, and Alex said that he wanted to go and set Teddy’s mind at rest.

  In Alex’s case, the commander pulled rank and insisted that there were some plans to discuss with Alex at the office, so a short detour to Broadway Buildings was necessary on the way to seeing his wife. How the commander could consider going to Broadway Buildings to be a “short detour” was beyond Alex’s whit; it was almost twice the distance than to Onslow Gardens, but he did not object too strenuously.