Page 74 of The Stranger in Room Six
‘Jonty, Jonty,’ wept her aunt as she sank onto the pillow. ‘How can I live without you?’
The following evening, her aunt fell down the stairs in her grief, twisting her ankle. ‘What am I going to do?’ she wailed to Mabel from her bed. ‘Tonight is the night. Jonty told me I had to fulfil the plan, even if he wasn’t here. But I can’t move with this wretched pain. How am I going to do it now?’
‘Do what?’ Mabel asked.
Her aunt grabbed her hand. ‘You asked before if you could help with the war work. Now is the time. I need you to go down to our beach and flash a torch tonight at midnight.’
‘Why?’
‘It’s to guide in a boat containing a special person who can help us win this war.’
Surely her aunt was rambling with the pain. ‘Isn’t this a job for the police or the navy?’
Clarissa’s grip grew tighter. ‘They must not know. Jonty and I are working for a higher authority. Now go. Quickly. Three flashes. Then back here.’
Mabel hesitated.
‘I’ve taken you in and given you a home, girl. Do you want to help me or not?’
Uncertainly, Mabel made her way down the cliff path and onto the beach. It was so dark! Scared, she held out the torch and flashed three times.
Someone was flashing back.
Mabel turned hurriedly to clamber back up the cliff path. But as she did so, she heard a shot and screams. Hiding behind the bracken, Mabel saw to her horror that soldiers were running onto the beach. There were more gunshots.
Terrified, she ran back to the house and raced up toClarissa’s room. ‘I did as you said but then the soldiers came and I heard shooting.’
Clarissa paled. ‘Was anyone killed?’ she rasped, grabbing Mabel’s wrist tightly.
‘I don’t know.’
‘You did your best,’ she said, shaking violently. ‘As a thank you, I want you to have this.’
She undid her locket and handed it to her. ‘Inside is a picture of me and your mother when we were young. Your grandfather gave it to me. Wear it at all times and keep it safe.’
Mabel’s eyes swam with gratitude. ‘Thank you.’
Suddenly the dogs started barking madly, as if someone was at the door.
‘Get back to bed,’ Clarissa hissed. ‘Put on your nightclothes. Quickly. I will ring for Cook to answer.’
Back in her room, Mabel couldn’t help peeping through the door, trembling as two policemen marched up to her aunt’s room. Their voices were loud enough to hear across the landing.
‘We’ve received reports of an unknown boat landing on the beach. Do you know anything about it?’
‘No, of course not. I have been in my room all evening.’
‘Who else is in the house?’
‘Just the cook and my niece.’
Terrified, Mabel climbed into bed. The knock came in seconds. ‘Mabel, love,’ said Cook. ‘The police need to ask you something.’
‘I’m sorry to bother you, miss,’ said the policeman, coming in. ‘We need to talk about your whereabouts this evening. Have you been here at the house all night?’
‘Yes,’ she managed to say, avoiding Cook’s eye. What if she’d heard her running up the drive from the beach?
‘And you’re certain of that?’ The policeman’s eyes were boring into her. ‘You see, we were alerted to a certain “arrival” this evening, and so were waiting on the beach. We saw a light being flashed and then the person we were waiting for drew up, as if the torch was a signal for them. Do you know anything about this?’
