Chapter 28

Monday morning Major Richards approached me while I was eating my breakfast.

‘Will you please join the Colonel and me in his office after you have finished your breakfast? Elizabeth will not be coming in today, so we don’t have to conceal what we are up to.’

‘Thank you Sir, I will be there at around 9:30 am.’

‘The same scene as usual greeted me when I knocked and entered the Colonel’s office. They were both seated on the other side of a round table waiting for me.

‘I gather that you have seen Boris and Elizabeth on two occasions at the pub,’ the Colonel commenced.

‘That’s right. I have had two conversations with them, and Boris asked me to supply him with information.’

‘Have you agreed to his request,’ the Colonel continued.

‘I told them that I didn’t have access to any information but that I would see what I could get.’

‘Good. Did they ask you about any particular agent?’ the Major asked.

‘They asked me if I could get any information on Francette.’

‘That’s very good and activates the next stage in our plan,’ the Major said looking extremely serious.

‘We will give you the information you need on Francette. It will be entirely fabricated of course, but will be good enough to take Boris in,’ the Colonel was taking charge.

‘I am seeing them tomorrow evening. Will you have the information ready by then?’

‘We have already worked out what we want to say so it won’t take us long to have it written down. You can then transpose it in your hand and bring your piece of paper to the meeting,’ the Colonel said.

‘If you give it to me by lunchtime tomorrow I will have it transposed in time for the meeting.’

‘OK Markus let us tell you what will happen then.’ The Colonel was particularly forceful.

‘It is essential that Boris is caught with the information on him,’ the Colonel went on. ‘As explained, you must re-write the information that we provide you with as it must be in your own hand. When you meet Boris it is essential that you give him the paper with the secret information. We will then arrest him as he leaves the pub, and we will also arrest Elizabeth as his accomplice.’

‘Do you want me to follow him out,’ I asked.

‘Absolutely not; if he makes a run for it, we may have to open fire, and we don’t want you caught in the cross fire.’ The Major emphasised.

It all seemed extremely simple, and my involvement was minimal, once I had handed over the information.

The following day I set off for the pub, “The Cat and Fiddle”, at 5:30 pm, feeling a lot more anxious than the previous times as this was the night they would be apprehended. Walking to the pub was the easy part, as I now knew the way and the hazards I had to avoid. When I went into the snug, to my immense relief, Boris and Elizabeth were sitting in their usual places.

‘Let me get you a drink Markus,’ Boris asked. ‘What would you like?’

‘A pint of Watney’s would do me fine thanks Boris.’

Boris went up to the bar and attracted the attention of the landlady and purchased my beer.

Back at the table he placed the pint in front of me.

‘How has it been for you Markus since we met last Saturday?’ Boris asked me.

‘Oh as busy as usual and as boring,’ I replied.

‘What movie did you see on Saturday night?’ Elizabeth asked.

‘An excellent one actually called “The Grapes of Wrath” with Henry Fonda staring. It was excellent.’

‘They also show you the Pathe News don’t they?’ she asked.

‘I don’t believe all that it shows us. It seems to be made up of a lot of propaganda showing victories by the allies over Germany and Italy. I’m sure that it’s a load of lies.’ I wanted Boris to believe that I was still on the side of the Germans.

‘That is the problem of living with the enemy. You are going to hear his side of the story,’ Boris added.

‘I have managed to get some information on Francette Tranquet for you. You seemed to be more interested in her situation than you were in the others, so I concentrated on her’

‘You’re a star Markus. Have you written it down for me?’

I took the piece of paper with the information on it out of my back pocket

‘Here it is. Make sure that it doesn’t fall into the wrong hands otherwise I will be in trouble.’ I handed him the paper which he glanced at and then put into a pocket in the inside of his overcoat.

‘If it checks out I will bring you the money the next time that I see you. I should be back here on Thursday as usual.’

‘Boris we had better go, otherwise we are going to be late,’ Elizabeth chipped in.

‘Yes Beth, I know. I am finished here so we can go now.’

They both got up. Boris shook my hand, and they left the snug.

I remained, but I strained to hear any noise outside the pub. There was nothing beyond the crackle of the fire in the main bar and the murmur of the old men talking amongst themselves.

After ten minutes, my curiosity got the better of me, and I went out of the front door of the pub into the car park. The place was deserted, and there was no sign of Boris, Elizabeth, Major Richards or any police. What had happened? Had everything gone wrong at the last minute? At least the information that I had supplied was false, but there would be one seriously unhappy German out gunning for me.

I walked back to Witley Park feeling decidedly nervous and insecure. As I was finishing my dinner Major Richards came into the dining room with a big grin on his face. He came over to me and gave me a hefty slap on my back.

‘Well done Markus. That couldn’t have gone better. The two spies are locked up safely and can’t do any more harm.’

The news banished my anxiousness, and I started to feel elated just like the Major.

‘When I came out of the pub I saw nobody, so I assumed that they had got away. How did you do it so quietly and without any fuss?’

‘We jumped on them as they left the car park and were fifty yards from the entrance. It was a bit of a risk, but we needn’t have worried as they were taken totally by surprise.’

‘Well I didn’t hear a thing and assumed that it had all gone wrong. I assumed I was now a marked man.’

‘You don’t have to worry. Those two won’t be out for another ten years.’

‘I am so relieved and happy that it worked out so well’

‘Come on I will buy you a drink to celebrate,’ the Major suggested.

I had finished my meal, so we retired to the room that doubled as a bar and had our celebratory drink.

The following day the Colonel called all the trainee agents together and filled them in on what had been going on and how his secretary had been responsible for leaking information that had led to the death of Vic Biddlecome. He also spelt out what could have happened if it hadn’t been discovered that his secretary was giving key information to the enemy. He praised me for my role in the exposure and capture.

After the meeting Francette sidled up to me.

‘So that’s why you went to the pub Markus. It wasn’t another woman you were after.’ She smiled and poked me in the shoulder.

‘Well it was another woman, but not in the sense that you thought,’ I replied.

‘You are very brave to have volunteered as the bait.’

‘The thought of you being in danger unless I did something was all the motivating force that I needed. You can now leave safely on your mission.’

‘Oh, that’s sweet Markus. As a bonus for looking after me you can come to my room this evening.’

‘That’s the best offer that I have had all day Francette and the only reward that I need.’

‘You can supply the drink, and I will supply the room?’ She smiled.

‘Do you not think that we might spill it or do you plan on a quiet chat?’

‘A quiet chat might be agreeable, but a little “amour” might be better.’

‘I must get back to my work now. I’ll see you at lunch.’ I left and went to where I was studying some books on jet engines.