As Romy passed her father’s office she started to push the heavy wooden door open, then stopped. Hearing voices, she glanced through the crack and saw Delma from the Café Louis and Miss Schwartz. They must have arrived when Romy was cooking with Amah. There was no sign of Mutti. Romy presumed she was with Wilma Ho at one of her clandestine theatre group meetings. The Japanese oppression of the Chinese had aroused her sense of justice. Whenever Romy begged her to be careful, Mutti smiled serenely and insisted she was an amateur ‘who just trying a new skill to cheer up the locals’ by performing huaju.

Delma was sitting quietly in the leather club chair as Miss Schwartz paced. It was the first time Romy had seen her since the day at the Cathay; Miss Schwartz and her boss, Laura Margolis, along with other international diplomats, had been detained there for two weeks.

‘All our money and supplies from America have been cut off since we entered the war,’ she was saying now. ‘But Laura had already secured permission to borrow money.’

‘From whom?’

‘Russians. Japanese. Anywhere we can get it. Some wealthy local families are helping with the schools. We have a letter saying once the Pacific War is over the JDC will repay this amount in full to anyone who lends it.’

She handed Papa a sheet of paper. ‘This is what we need, Oskar. I’m still trying to chase medical supplies. But Laura needs me working full time in the JDC kitchens. We’re feeding over four thousand people lunch and dinner every day. Finding enough rice, flour and millet is a huge challenge. And it’s going to get worse—thousands of Jews and Chinese will starve to death. Laura wants us to be sure we have everything in place in case—’

‘Eva thinks it’s only a matter of time before the Americans and British are interned in camps,’ said Delma softly, wringing her hands.

Papa’s voice was ever so slightly higher pitched than usual when he said, ‘But surely you both didn’t need to risk coming here? Your boy could have passed on the medication list to Amah at the markets, as usual.’

‘There’s something else.’ Miss Schwartz’s voice had softened and she wiped her hands on her pants. ‘I need to talk to you about your neighbours.’

‘The Hos?’ Papa sounded puzzled. ‘Miss Schwartz—Eva—I assure you the Hos are honourable people.’

‘I agree. But that’s the problem: their outspoken loyalty to China.’ There was a pause, and when Papa spoke again Romy could hear the quaver in his voice. ‘We owe them, Marta and I. His herbs, the decoctions and tinctures he made with Amah. The needling. I know the puppet government of Wang Jingwei is trying to outlaw traditional medicine. And I agree in part—it won’t fix the typhoid, dysentery and cholera that’s flying around this damn city.’ He wiped his brow and his eyes moved from Miss Schwartz to Delma. ‘He gave me back my wife. Surely you understand? Besides, Romy and Li are inseparable. My wife and child have lost so much.’

‘I know.’ Miss Schwartz was speaking gently now. ‘So that’s why I’m telling you. We know the Japanese are rounding up newspaper editors and torturing them at Bridge House. It’s come to my attention that the Kempeitai—the Japanese military police—are working with Chinese collaborators and gangsters to make a list of intellectuals who may be, er, resisting the puppet Chinese government. People are being tortured on racks, Oskar. Toenails and fingernails ripped out…It’s highly likely the Hos are on that list.’ She took a deep breath. ‘For Christ’s sake, heads are being chopped off!’

Papa stared at her, his face pale, too shocked to speak.

‘The Hos need to be careful,’ Miss Schwartz continued. ‘And so do you. If your family gets tangled up in this, we can kiss goodbye to any more assistance. The Japanese turn a blind eye to us securing sulpha, ether and insulin on the black market now the pharmacy supplies are running low. And then there’s the huge amount of food we need in order to feed thousands every week.

‘The Japanese troops are helping us to rebuild Hongkew. Providing areas for Jewish refugees to live, giving our men work in factories. They may be Nazi allies, but as long as we are in Shanghai they are ours too. We cannot afford to make enemies of the Japanese or the Chinese government. Our job is to survive this war.’

‘I understand,’ said Papa quietly.

‘It’s a fine line. You could all be killed if they think you are part of the resistance.’ Miss Schwartz stopped pacing. ‘Do you hear what I’m saying, Oskar?’

‘Eva…’ Delma was standing beside Miss Schwartz now, touching her wrist. ‘It’s not Oskar’s fault.’

‘Oh, I know.’ Miss Schwartz rubbed her temples. ‘I’m sorry,’ she muttered to Papa.

‘I keep telling Eva she must sleep more,’ said Delma apologetically. Her curly dark hair was knotted in a bun and her face was devoid of makeup. But with her aquiline nose, translucent skin and high cheekbones, Delma was every bit as beautiful as she was kind.

Divine Delma.

‘What are you doing?’

Romy jumped as Amah walked up behind her. ‘You should be upstairs doing your homework.’ Amah pulled the office door closed and Romy took the stairs two at a time. She couldn’t wait to sneak across the corridor and tell Li what she’d just heard.

Her temples throbbed as she recalled Miss Schwartz’s warning. She hoped now her parents would be sensible, follow the rules and stop putting themselves in danger. They needed to stay together, and stay alive.