Vivi barely had time to check over her shoulder as she raced down the darkened alley, her footsteps beating out an echoed rhythm that fought against a cracked water pipe that gushed out a beat of its own. Arriving at the door of the address she had memorised, Vivi stopped to catch her breath and wipe at the beads of perspiration that had collected under her cap. Gulping back hot sticky air that burned her lungs, she gathered herself, trying to clear her mind and remember everything she had been taught; it felt like an eternity since her training.
Her racing heart began to return to normal as Vivi momentarily considered her life and the man she loved. She had to do this. For him and for the cause they both believed in. Tears brimmed in her eyes as Vivi remembered the night before when they’d lain in one another’s arms, a full moon streaming through the window, casting its shadow across their bed, when she’d thought, just for that moment, even amidst all the madness, that somehow her life was perfect.
But in the last twelve hours, all of that had been put in jeopardy. Now Vivi had to focus on what was right. But would she be strong enough to do what she had to do? The betrayal was so hard, but the one thing that kept her alive every day was the knowledge that she was doing all this for love, the noblest reason of all.
So there was one last thing she had to do. One thing that could make the difference between who won this war, and who lost.
Summoning up the courage she needed, Vivi knocked on the door.
It was Madame Mazella who opened it herself and seeing who it was, she offered a crooked smile.
‘Well, look who it is, I thought you left a long time ago. Did you change sides?’ she snarled, taking in Vivi’s uniform as she looked her up and down.
Vivi shook her head vehemently. ‘I’m undercover,’ she hissed in reply.
The madam folded her arms under her vast bosom, most of which was on display. ‘What do you want?’
Vivi spoke quickly. ‘Can I come in? I have something very important that I need your help with.’
The madam pursed her bright-red lips together, which distorted the pencil-marked mole on her cheek into a thin black line and then, shrugging, signalled her in with a jerk of her head.
Leading Vivi into her office, the older woman closed the door, trapping outside the usual scent of cheap perfume and stale tobacco that permeated the rest of the house. Vivi looked around in astonishment. Every surface of her tiny dark room was piled with clutter. Clothes, boxes, feathers and odd trinkets that were bizarre in nature. In the corner a stuffed parrot missing its tail feathers hung in a gilded cage, that had a red feather boa coiled around the chain. On the other side a large wooden elephant sprouted what looked like real ivory tusks. In the centre, hats of all description were piled up almost to the ceiling, alongside a dusty pile of sheet music that was stacked up on an old piano that seemed to be missing most of its keys. The only place to actually sit was a very worn, purple velvet chaise longue that was placed under a cracked window, that itself was being kept open by an elaborately decorated Japanese fan.
Madame Mazella seemed unaware of how her oddity of a room was disorientating and in such contrast to the stark grey world of the war outside. Lighting a cigarette, the madam blew out smoke before she spoke.
‘Are you in trouble again?’
‘Yes. I need to find a wireless operator. Do you know where there is one?’
‘I might,’ she said nonchalantly, picking something from her teeth and sucking her tongue against the gap it had created. ‘You know a lot of agents have been going missing, and it doesn’t look good. It is rumoured even that rascal Terrier is gone.’
Vivi’s heart stung with the mention of his name, and she felt the pain again of the loss of that friendship. ‘I know,’ she murmured. ‘I was surprised you were even still here.’
Madame Mazella started a croaky laugh that rolled around her chest and bounced her heaving bosom. ‘Where would I go?’ she said, shrugging her shoulders.
‘I thought, maybe they would raid you.’
The older woman continued to laugh until tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. ‘They wouldn’t close us down, we are too valuable to their men. Besides, I have some, shall we say, “friends” in high places who wouldn’t want certain stories getting back to their wives in Berlin.’
The madam raised her eyebrows, and appeared to see the desperation in Vivi’s eyes before moving to a desk.
‘Look, I do know of a wireless operator that might be able to help you.’ She pulled out a piece of paper, wrote down an address, and handed the paper to Vivi, who memorised the address and then tore up the note.
As Vivi got up to leave, she surprised herself by hugging the older woman. The madam chuckled again.
‘Thank you for all you are doing, Madame Mazella. You too are fighting this war.’
A wry smile crossed the older woman’s lips. ‘I don’t think I will be getting a medal for my work though, do you?’ she said with a twinkle in her eye.
Vivi bid the madam goodbye and could still hear her chuckling as she closed the door and raced off to the address she had memorised.
36
Unfortunately for Marcus and Vivi, they didn’t get to fool Major Weissman for very long. The next day, the person who had developed the photographs happened to mention to the major the information that had been uncovered the day before.
Weissman had realised that he had not been informed and, with great concern, marched his way into Marcus’s office. This time he did not even care that Vivi was in the room.
‘Major Vonstein, I have something that I’m very concerned about. Field Marshal Rommel is telling me activities have increased all over the coast. We are almost certain that an attack from the Allies is upon us. I heard that yesterday you received critical information I have not heard about.’
‘Critical information, Major Weissmann?’
‘Apparently there were photographs taken of the Allies in the water, heading towards us. Do you have those photographs?’
Vivi looked at Marcus.
‘I can’t recall seeing anything,’ he said, trying to play for time.
‘I was concerned that would be your answer. So I think it is only right that we search your office, and if you care about the Reich, you won’t care about the intrusion.’
‘Of course not,’ snapped back Marcus. ‘I have nothing to hide. I want to get to the bottom of this as much as you do.’
Major Weissman signalled to the men he had brought with him, and four guards came in and started rifling through Marcus’s office and scattering files.
Marcus sat coolly on the edge of his desk.
‘If you need any help, to know where things are or where they need to go back to,’ he spat out, the sarcasm undeniable in his tone, ‘I can be of much more help to you than just this bombastic display.’
Major Weissman ignored him, marching up and down the office, tapping his hands behind his back.
The searchers found and pulled out copies of photographs that were filed away of different reconnaissance flights that had been captured on film and splayed them out on the desk for Weissman to see, but the one from the day before was not there.
All at once, the pilot entered the room and saluted, summoned by Weissman himself.
He swivelled and glowered at the young man.