Page 27 of The Secret Librarian
His gaze narrowed. ‘What were you doing back there?’
‘Looking for a restroom to powder my nose,’ Avery said, before laughing and giving a little shrug. ‘Sorry, I don’t actually think you call it a restroom here, do you? What would I—’
‘Leave,’ he ordered, immediately ignoring Avery. Camille glanced after her, wondering what game she was playing, before going into her office and taking out her purse. She found her papers and handed them over, barely breathing as she watched the two men give a cursory glance around her office.
Camille noticed that some items were missing – a pair of tweezers that she used to place photos on doctored identificationpapers, and the ink pen that had taken her some time to procure, as well as her ink pot, but she kept her chin high, not letting on that anything was amiss. She must have put them away earlier and forgotten. She stood still as the men checked her papers and walked around the small space, opening drawers, and finally turning around to look at her.
‘Next time we come here, we won’t be so polite.’
She watched them go, refusing to acknowledge the wobble in her knees until the front door had opened and closed. Camille slumped against the wall then, eyes shut, realising how easily everything could collapse around her, how much her being caught would affect the families who were counting on her. And all she could see in her mind was the old man, the pain in his eyes; the faith he had showed in her to create the documents he needed for his daughter and grandchildren when he’d stood before her earlier in the week. Or the mother from the camp the other night, who’d been so desperate for her help.
The tinkle of the bookshop’s bell made her jump, her eyes flying open as she pushed off from the wall. But it wasn’t just any customer, it was the American again.
‘Avery, what are you doing back here?’ Camille asked, irritated at having to talk to her when all she wanted was a moment alone.
‘I thought you might want these back,’ Avery said, her voice soft as she reached into her pocket and took out Camille’s tweezers, pen and small pot. ‘I heard what they said to you and I thought these might—’
‘You took these from my office?’
Avery nodded.
‘Thank you,’ Camille said, her voice catching in her throat. ‘You saved me there, you did, but if you’d been caught ...’I don’t need anything else to keep me awake at night, I have enough memories haunting me as it is.‘Just, thank you.’
‘I was worried these things might implicate you, and I didn’t think they’d even look twice at me.’
Camille sighed, placing the items on the counter and reaching out to her. ‘What you did was very brave, and I’m so grateful. But I don’t want anyone else to be punished instead of me. If you’d been caught, I’d never have forgiven myself, and being an American doesn’t mean they won’t question you. It’s as dangerous for you as it is for anyone else.’
Avery nodded. ‘I understand.’
Camille wasn’t so sure she did, but she didn’t press the subject any more. ‘Come with me. I might just have one of those newspapers you were asking about earlier.’
A smile brightened Avery’s face. ‘You do? I thought—’
‘Don’t ask questions,’ Camille said, as she walked across the store to the counter and reached beneath it, passing Avery a Portuguese newspaper, as well as recent copies of bothDas ReichandDer Stürmer. She watched Avery’s eyes widen at the sight of the German newspapers.
‘Thank you, this is excellent.’ Avery laughed. ‘I had no idea it would be so easy to obtain these German newspapers. I expected it would take a great deal of searching.’
Camille gave her a little shrug. ‘You’d be surprised what comes into Portugal each week. I take copies of everything, and there’s a newspaper vendor a few streets over that usually has whatever I don’t.’
‘Well, this is very much appreciated. I honestly can’t believe it.’
‘I do need something from you though,’ Camille said. ‘I have other customers looking for your AmericanTimemagazines. Is there any way you could have some sent to you, if someone from home were to send you a parcel?’
Avery was quick to smile. ‘I’ll try my best. Leave it with me.’
Camille rang up the sale and Avery paid, before tucking the papers beneath her arm. ‘I’m sorry, about what happened before.’
‘So am I.’
‘Camille, if you were caught with the forged papers they were asking about, what would happen?’
‘The PVDE are ruthless,’ Camille said, hearing the catch in her own voice. ‘I’d be sent to jail.’
Avery visibly swallowed. ‘Has your shop been subject to a raid before, or was this the first time?’
Camille nodded. ‘It has. I don’t think there’s a bookshop in Portugal that’s been exempt, although they’ve come looking in mine perhaps more than others.’ She didn’t tell her why: that the PVDE likely had suspicions about her that were unrelated to the books she stocked.
‘Camille, please feel that you can say no, but would you like to have lunch together?’ Avery asked, managing to take Camille completely by surprise. ‘I don’t know anyone here, and I’d love the company.’
