Page 101 of Mrs. Endicott's Splendid Adventure
“We have reason to believe that this man is working with the Resistance,” the officer said.
“Don’t be silly. He doesn’t even speak French very well,” Ellie said. “I told you, we live in our own little world up here.”
“Then what was he doing waiting for a Jew on the path from the road?”
“I told you,” Tommy said. “I go up on the hill to try and snare rabbits. We need food these days. I put out snares.”
“Of course you do,” the German sneered. “You must think we are very naïve. We know all about your little scheme.”
“We have no scheme,” Tommy said quickly. “And please do not upset my wife. She is a simple woman. She keeps house for me and feeds whatever guests I bring in.”
“Of course she does.” Again the German smiled. “And who else lives in this house?”
“Our nephew from England,” Ellie said. “He is a well-known painter. He came to visit us out here and liked it, so he stayed. He’s up in his room painting right now.”
“Call him.”
Ellie went halfway up the stairs. “Clive, sweetheart. It’s Auntie Ellie. Stop your painting and come down here,” Ellie called. “There is a German officer who wants to speak to us.”
“I told you, we are all innocent,” Tommy said. “Please just let us get on with our lives.”
“Don’t they pay you for your ferrying of the Jews? These people have money, don’t they? You could have made them pay up.”
Clive appeared at the top of the stairs, his face ashen when he saw the gun in Tommy’s back.
“Why are you pointing a gun at him?” he asked. “He is the most peaceful person you’ll ever meet. He is not causing you any trouble, I promise you.”
“You promise us.” The man shook his head. “Every Jew that escapes is an insult to the Führer.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Clive said. “You have the wrong people.”
“Oh no. We have exactly the people we want,” he said. “And later we will round up the bigger fish.” He turned back to the open door and barked a command. “They will now search your house,” he said. “And let us see how innocent you are.” He pulled out his own revolver, nodded to the man with the gun, and another soldier came in to join them. They went from room to room while Tommy, Clive and Ellie stood like statues. Ellie’s brain was racing. She had to warn Nico, but their flag on the terrace would bring him to them, not keep him away. Would they be taken? Shot immediately? It was surely only a matter of time before these men found the radio. She heard the sounds of furniture being moved, heavy boots crossing the floor above. It felt as if time stood still. Ellie found it hard to breathe. She did not dare look at anyone, staring instead through the open door to the windows of the sitting room and that tantalizing blue sea beyond. Suddenly it dawned on her that Roland was still out there, probably engrossed in his book and with no idea that the Germans were here. If she said nothing, at least he might escape their notice.
At last the men came down the stairs. “Nothing up here,” one of them muttered in German, and they proceeded to go through the downstairs rooms. Apparently they hadn’t noticed Roland, his back to them on the wicker chaise, because they came back to the officer.“Nothing irregular,” Ellie thought she understood one of them to say. “A lot of messy paint in that artist’s room.”
Ellie saw Clive’s mouth twitch. So they hadn’t found any false ID cards. She suspected Clive had poured paint over anything incriminating. And they had not located the radio. Whoever had hidden it had done a good job.
“Have the outbuildings searched as well,” the officer said. “They could be hiding Jews, or weapons.”
“There is nothing in our outbuildings,” Ellie said as the officer turned to head towards the shed with one of the soldiers. She followed them. “The garage is empty since I no longer have a motor car, and the shed is used by a local fisherman to store his tackle.”
“Is that so?” The officer came up to the shed and saw the padlock. “In which case why the need to lock it?” He took out his pistol, aimed at the lock and fired. The shot reverberated around the hillside. Ellie was holding her breath and hardly dared to look.
“Gott im Himmel.” The officer recoiled at the smell of fish that came out. Ellie looked and saw buckets, fish scales on the floor, fishing nets hanging across the back on hooks. “It seems your local fisherman does what he says. What a filthy stink.” And he turned away again. Ellie tried not to let out a sigh of relief.
“Very well,” the officer said as he walked towards the house, where Tommy was still standing with a gun in his back. “That will be all for now. One of my men will be waiting to intercept the Jew when he comes. And we will proceed to take care of the rest of your little operation—the man with the boat, and the so-called churchman on the island.” He laughed again. “Don’t look so surprised. You know all about this, I am sure. And now so do we. But for the moment we just take this man.” He prodded Tommy in the side. “You will tell us all we need to know, and I think we will be back soon. Come. Move.” He jabbed the gun again. Ellie ran over to him, flinging herself at him with a little cry of grief. “Don’t take my husband. He’s a good man. What will I do without him?”
“Don’t worry, my darling,” Tommy said, holding her in his arms and looking down at her tenderly. “I’m sure all will be well. They’ll accept that we know nothing. We are innocent. Be brave. Be strong. I’ll be home in time for dinner.” He looked over her head at Clive. “Be strong, my nephew. Take good care of your aunt.”
It felt as if she was part of a play with a really bad script. Tommy released her and walked ahead of the officer out of the front door. Clive had his hand pressed to his mouth so that he didn’t cry out, and Ellie put a restraining hand on his shoulder. “It will be all right,” she said, although she was sure that it wouldn’t.
“I won’t ever see him again,” Clive muttered, blinking back tears. “What will they do to him? I didn’t even get to say goodbye.”
“We must hope for the best,” Ellie said. “They didn’t find the radio. That’s good. Perhaps they’ll believe Tommy that he was out snaring rabbits.”
“I poured black paint over the card I was working on,” Clive said. “Thank you for warning me. I heard how different your voice sounded.”
She nodded. “Yes. Tommy tried to warn me when he came in by saying silly things. If I’d been quicker on the uptake, I could have slipped away then and maybe got down to the village to warn Nico. Now I don’t know how I can.”
