by Sam Michaels
‘Are you ready for this?’ Johnny asked when they came to the steps that led down to the water’s edge.
‘Yes, ready as ever,’ she lied.
Johnny led the way and they descended the steps until Georgina felt shingle and mud underfoot. The tide was out but in the darkness it was impossible to see the water line. She looked around but there was no sign of anyone, though she supposed they could be lurking close by.
Johnny stumbled over a small rock but managed to keep his balance. ‘Where the fuck are they?’ he asked.
‘I dunno. Something doesn’t feel right,’ Georgina answered, her hand clasped firmly on her gun.
‘This stinking mud is gonna ruin my shoes,’ he moaned.
Georgina had a job not to laugh. They could be gunned down at any moment by men working for Hitler and Johnny was concerned about his shoes!
‘Go and check them boats out,’ Georgina said, gesturing towards some small rowboats lying further along the bank. ‘I’ll look over that way,’ she added, pointing in the opposite direction.
‘We should stick together,’ Johnny said.
‘If this is going to be an ambush, we’re better off apart.’
Johnny nodded and headed off and as Georgina went under the bridge she found she was stepping into further darkness, the moon shadowed by the expanse of the huge concrete structure overhead.
Then, from a few feet away, she was startled when she heard a voice.
‘Your friends are safe, Miss Garrett. Go home.’
Georgina spun around and looked from side to side, all the while holding her gun in front with her finger on the trigger.
‘Who’s there?’ she asked.
‘I said, go home. Your friends are safe.’
Georgina slowly moved towards where she thought the voice was coming from.
‘Show yourself,’ she demanded.
‘I can’t do that. I’m here to tell you that it’s over.’
‘Who are you? Where are Cuthbert and Aubrey?’
‘Safe. They’ll be dropped off to your office in the morning when they have finished helping us with our inquiries.’
Georgina stepped closer.
‘Please, Miss Garrett, respect my wish to remain anonymous and keep your distance. No harm will come to you or your friends. As I said, it’s over.’
‘Tell me who the fuck you are or I’ll shoot,’ Georgina said though she wasn’t clear on where exactly to aim.
She heard a match strike and saw the flickering flame as the man in the shadows lit a cigarette. His outline looked a lot like Johnny’s and he wore a fedora too. He’d deliberately given his position away and wasn’t holding a weapon to her.
‘I work for Churchill, intelligence. We’ve been monitoring the activities of the Fylfot group since communications were intercepted between them and Germany. You won’t be hearing from Harold Conte again.’
‘I see. And you can be sure of that?’
‘Yes.’
Georgina took a moment to think. It sounded plausible and though she had a thousand questions in her head, she turned and walked away. But then she heard the voice again.
‘There’s a job for you at MI5. We could do with a woman like you.’
Georgina glanced over her shoulder and caught a glimpse of the mystery man slipping away and back into the shadows. If what he’d told her was true, then she could relax, but not yet, just in case this was all some sort of double bluff. She’d keep her guard up for now and tell Johnny to do the same.
‘So, let me get this straight,’ Johnny said as they made their way to the car where Victor was waiting for them. ‘You’re telling me that Harold Conte – Nelly or Nancy’s sugar daddy – was a Nazi and MI5 have foiled his plans to run the British government on behalf of Adolf Hitler?’
‘Yep, that’s about it.’
‘I don’t bloody believe it. Honest, Miss Garrett, spies and Nazis and the like don’t run round Battersea and nor does the secret service. Someone’s pulling your leg or you’re winding me up.’
‘Straight up, Johnny, it all seems to be true.’
‘Well, who’d have thought it, eh?’
‘Certainly not me but strange things happen during wars.’
Victor dropped Johnny off before driving Georgina home. When she turned the key in her front door, she wished she’d found Lash at home waiting for her. She’d have loved to tell him about her encounter with MI5 and German collaborators. Things like that didn’t happen to ordinary women in Battersea. But the house was empty. Her children were gone. The people she had loved, dead. Her gran, father and husband, gone, leaving her alone and often more afraid of life than she’d ever admit.
‘I need to get myself a dog,’ she said to Victor. ‘Someone who’s pleased to see me when I come home. You can take me to the dogs’ home in the morning.’
24
Nancy couldn’t get used to being called Nelly and now that it appeared her life was no longer in danger from the Fylfots, she’d reverted back to Nancy. With each day that passed, she found her confidence growing. She’d been very unsure of the prostitutes at first but they’d shown themselves to be just ordinary women working for a living. They were a bit rough around the edges and lacked decorum but they were nice enough and mostly, she found them polite. It had taken her a couple of weeks to find the courage to tell them what to do and she’d been afraid of how they might react. But as it turned out, she’d worried needlessly. Her authority was never questioned and they seemed happy with the way she was arranging their work schedules.
A small office had been made for her. Nothing fancy, but it gave her a quiet space to concentrate on the diaries. She’d spent days hiding away in there, too scared to show her face and worried about bumping into the prostitutes or their customers. But now the house was beginning to feel more like home and she comfortably breezed around, almost like she owned the place.
She never saw much of Miss Garrett. She’d hoped they might have become friends but she’d got the impression that the woman preferred to keep her distance. That was fine with Nancy. She knew her place and was finding she preferred to be looked up to by the women rather than looked down on as weak by Miss Garrett. She was under no illusion of what her boss must think of her. She’d been a sniffling nervous wreck when she’d sat in front of Miss Garrett and literally begged the woman to protect her. She couldn’t imagine her boss ever putting herself in that sort of position. From what she’d heard, Miss Garrett carried a gun in her handbag and had used it many times. Nancy had never even seen a gun, let alone fired one. The more she thought about it, the more impossible it seemed that she and Miss Garrett could ever be friends. They came from different worlds and Miss Garrett’s had been very much an eye-opener.
Nancy carried her empty cup and saucer to the kitchen. The cleaner girl didn’t look up from her pot of laundry and Nancy carried on as if she wasn’t there. She felt the side of the teapot. It was still warm so poured herself another and took a couple of biscuits too. As she made her way back to her office, the front door opened and Johnny Dymond swaggered in. She refrained from grinning at his over-the-top ostentatious coat. It was so crass, bad taste as Harold would say. But when he flashed her a smile, she eagerly returned it.
‘Good day, Miss Austin. I hear you’re doing a fine job.’
‘Hello, thank you. And, please, less of the formalities. Call me Nancy. After all, you risked your life for me.’
‘Just doing me job,’ he said and gave her a cheeky wink.
‘Really? Is that all you were doing, your job? It doesn’t sound quite so chivalrous when you say it like that. Nonetheless, I’m grateful.’
‘Well, we couldn’t stand by and let them Nazi fuckers… sorry, I mean Nazi swines, kill you. This place looks in much better shape now that you’re around. I like what I’m seeing.’
Nancy felt her cheeks redden at his innuendo. ‘Thank you,’ she replied sweetly, and added, ‘Please don’t worry about offending me with bad language. I mean, g
olly, you should hear how some of the women talk!’
‘I’ve heard ’em and it ain’t pretty. Don’t you go picking up none of their bad habits. You’re far too classy to be effing and blindin’.’
Nancy giggled. She couldn’t imagine ever swearing like the prostitutes did. She might say damn or blast and had once called a taxi-cab driver an idiot and told him to bloody well slow down, but that was as far as her foul-mouthed vocabulary stretched.
Miss Garrett’s office door opened and he was summoned inside. ‘I’d better get on,’ he said and then the door closed behind him.
Nancy wondered what was being discussed in the office. Did they plot murders in there? Or high-stake bank robberies? She thought it must be terribly exciting but also terrifying. Miss Garrett was an exceptionally brave woman but Johnny was just as courageous and extremely good-looking to boot. She’d have to make discreet enquiries about him. He acted as though he was a single man but Nancy needed to be sure. After Harold, she’d vowed she’d never fall in love with a married man again. And she’d certainly never be controlled by one, married or single.
*
‘Nice of you to join us,’ Georgina said sarcastically to Johnny.
‘Yeah, sorry about that. I was just talking to Nancy.’
‘We know exactly what you was doing – it’s written all over your face.’
Johnny, looking sheepish, pulled out a seat opposite her and sat down before lighting a cigar.
‘Right, I’ve called you in because Ray has been nicked,’ she told Johnny, Victor, Benjamin, the Barker twins and Ned.
‘What’s the silly sod been up to now?’ Ned asked.
‘He did a smash and grab but his car got caught up on some twisted metal and the Old Bill nicked him when he was running away from the scene. Caught red-handed.’
‘Have you had a word with the sarge? Woodman will be able to get him out.’
‘Indeed, Ned, but Ray isn’t on our patch. I told him no shops here and gave him a list of the ones under our protection. So he went up west and drove into a jeweller’s window. Now, the problem is, Woodman has no jurisdiction in the West End and David Maynard is only running some of the clubs – he’s not involved in much else in that area. As you all know, since the Italians left, the Bradleys have been doing the protection there and they’re not happy that one of my blokes has targeted a shop they collect from. As far as they’re concerned, Ray can rot.’
‘So what’re you saying, Miss Garrett? Do you want us to spring him?’ One of the twins asked.
‘Yes. Ray was good friends with my dad for years and he’s one of our own. We can’t just leave him to go to prison. I want him out and then arrange for him to go Kent. Oppo will hide him away in a barn for a week or two and once the heat has died down, he’ll find him some local farm work. He can’t come back to Battersea. I’m in no mood for getting into any turf wars with the Bradleys.’ Georgina had met the formidable brothers on a couple of occasions. Their operation hadn’t impressed her. They were thugs, just like the Vauxhall mob but they did have a lot of muscle and weren’t afraid to use it. Not that they intimidated her. She just couldn’t be bothered with the agro.
‘Give me the details, Miss Garrett, and I’ll work out the plans,’ Ned offered.
‘No need, it’s all here,’ she said and handed them each a sheet of paper. ‘This details where he is, the station layout and when he’ll be moved. You’ll see from my notes that he’s due to be transported to court tomorrow morning. It shows the route, the vulnerable spots on the route, the firearms you’ll require and Johnny, here,’ she said and threw him a key, ‘that’s for your getaway car. It’s marked with the red cross on the map. Once you’ve got him and you get to Richmond, swap vehicles. You can see for yourself, it’s all there. Any questions?’
There was a quiet pause for several minutes whilst each of the men read through her notes.
‘Blimey, Miss Garrett, you’ve thought of everything,’ Ned said, shaking his head. ‘I couldn’t have done a better job meself.’
‘All agreed?’ she asked.
A unanimous yes resounded round the office and she looked at Benjamin. ‘Agreed?’
He pushed his glasses up his nose before answering. ‘There’s erm, just one small point,’ he said. ‘This route out of London directly passes two police stations, here and er, here.’ Benjamin pointed at the map and then continued. ‘I suggest you, erm, turn up here and take this road instead.’
‘Thank you, Benjamin, and good point. Right, are you all clear on that?’ she asked, pleased that she’d included Benjamin. He had a good eye for detail and she’d known he’d spot something she’d overlooked.
There were a few more trivial questions and once the plans had been finalised, the men, except Johnny, left the office.
‘Does Ray know we’re coming for him?’ he asked.
‘Yes. I’ve made sure word has got to him. He’ll be prepared.’
‘Any special rules?’
‘You know what to do. Shoot if you have to. If any of the coppers want to be a hero, kill them. But coppers only.’
Johnny drew a long puff on his cigar, leaned back and watched the smoke curl in the air. ‘It’ll be my pleasure, Miss Garrett,’ he said with a smile.
‘And how many times have I got to tell you? Put that bloody thing out in here,’ she said, the pungent smell of his cigar twitching her nose.
They heard a tap on the door and Victor opened it to Nancy. She had a tray of coffee prepared and came in, wriggling her hips and looking sideways at Johnny. Georgina sensed the chemistry between them and worried there would be trouble ahead.
‘I thought you might appreciate refreshments,’ Nancy said and placed the tray on a table, bending down rather obviously for Johnny to admire her rear view. ‘Is there anything else I can get you?’ she asked.
Georgina was about to tell her no thank you when Big H barged in. ‘Miss Austin, come quick. Fleur’s been hurt, she’s bleeding all over the stairs.’
‘What’s happened?’ Georgina asked and noticed Nancy looked rigid with fear, her mouth agape. She’d thought this might happen and had doubted from the off that Nancy would be capable of dealing with any emergencies.
‘Her punter shafted her. I caught him before he got away. But Fleur’s been cut up bad.’
‘Nancy, take Fleur back to her room. Big H, get the doctor. Victor, get bandages.’
Big H bundled out the door, Victor headed to the kitchen and Nancy remained on the spot.
‘GO,’ Georgina shouted, but Nancy flapped in a panic.
‘I’ll see to the punter,’ Johnny said and pushed his chair back. ‘Fucking geezers, when will they learn that they can’t mess with our girls? I’ll cut his fucking nuts off if Big H ain’t already done it.’
‘You do that, and make the bastard eat them,’ Georgina replied and followed Johnny from the office, dragging Nancy with her.
Fleur was slumped against the bannister about five steps down from the top. Her pale blue satin robe was stained crimson with her blood. She looked weak and the colour had drained from her face. Two of the other woman were fussing around her but stepped aside when they saw Georgina.
‘She needs the doctor,’ Babs cried.
‘Big H has gone for him.’
‘Am I dying, Miss Garrett?’ Fleur asked, her voice barely a whisper and her eyes half-closed.
Georgina looked for the wounds. She could see one just below Fleur’s right breast, and one on her shoulder. ‘No, you’re not dying,’ she answered, thinking Fleur was lucky; it didn’t appear that any vital organs had been hit. ‘Let the girls help you up,’ she said.
Babs and Tilly gently manoeuvred Fleur to her room as she moaned in obvious discomfort. Victor ran up the stairs with bandages. Georgina took them from him and shoved them roughly into Nancy’s hands. ‘Get in there and patch her up,’ she ordered.
‘But…’
‘Do your fucking job,’ Georgina hissed.
Nancy looked lik
e she might burst into tears and, though flummoxed, she dashed into Fleur’s room.
Georgina shook her head. ‘Bloody woman, she needs to toughen up,’ she said to herself and then noticed the blood on the stairs. ‘Victor, tell Charlotte this needs cleaning immediately,’ she said and stomped back to her office, slamming the door behind her.
Benjamin jumped.
‘Sorry,’ she said. ‘But I’m furious that a man could do that to Fleur. She’s lucky to be alive.’
‘Will she erm, be all right?’
‘Yes, but the man who did this won’t be.’
Twenty minutes later, Nancy tapped on the door before entering. ‘I thought you’d like to know that the doctor is with Fleur now and he is confident she’ll make a full recovery.’
‘Good. Take a seat, Nancy.’
The woman sat opposite her, nervously tapping her fingernails on her teeth.
‘This isn’t a common occurrence but there are often disturbances in the house and at Livingstone Road. I need to know that you can deal with whatever comes your way. The women need someone who they can rely on. Someone who’s got their backs. You failed today. Don’t let it happen again or you’ll be out of here on your arse. Understood?’
Nancy nodded and her bottom lip quivered. Please don’t start crying, Georgina thought, with no time for the woman’s pathetic tears. Nancy had no reason to burst into tears but if she let the women down again, Georgina would give her something to cry about.
Johnny came in, slightly out of breath.
‘Has he been dealt with?’ she asked.
‘Yep. I’m surprised you didn’t hear him screaming when I sliced his balls off.’
‘That’s why we use the basement,’ Georgina replied with a wry smile and noticed Nancy had her hand over her mouth, probably to stop herself from throwing up.