Page 67 of Shadows In Paris
Philippe squinted as he stared into the distance. ‘I wish she’d mentioned she was working there. As it happens, one of my informants works there on the cleaning team.’
Lizzie’s pulse raced as she studied him. ‘That sounds promising. What do you suggest?’
They quickly formulated a plan, and Philippe left the park by one gate, and Lizzie by another. She approached the back of the former hotel that now housed German High Command, following Philippe’s instructions to the letter. She wanted to get her bearings for later. He was familiar with the building because he frequently liaised with the administrative department, and he had even met Hannah’s boss. On one of his early visits, he recognised a cleaner from his youth and recruited her into his network.
Lizzie walked around the city to pass the time, noting useful details of Parisian logistics to pass to the SOE, as instructed. A few hours later, she returned to the street near German High Command and perched on a bench, pretending to be engrossed in a copy of the newPariser Zeitung,a German newspaper. Hannah had told her it was published for the sole purpose of showcasing how Paris was thriving under German occupation. Hannah said she gnashed her teeth when she scoured it for clues of Nazi plans, which made Lizzie howl with laughter.
Dear Hannah.Where was she?
Still clutching the unpopular newspaper, she stood and walked briskly towards a woman who fitted the description Phillipe had given her. She reached the woman before she neared the back entrance of German High Command andstopped her with a greeting. She caught the woman’s attention and said, ‘The weather is fine today, is it not?’
The woman was dressed in overalls and had her hair swept up in a scarf, and looked exactly how Lizzie would expect a cleaner to look.
The cleaner was startled but replied, ‘Indeed, it is a good day.’ She stared at Lizzie expectantly.
‘Do you have a few minutes to talk? Our good friend, Philippe, sent me.’ Lizzie knew Philippe must be a cover name, but the woman recognised it immediately and fell into step with her as they turned into a side road. Lizzie produced a pack of cigarettes and offered one to the cleaner. Situations like this were exactly why she’d learnt to smoke. ‘Celine, correct?’
The woman nodded but refused a cigarette. ‘I don’t smoke.’
Lizzie lit her second cigarette of the day and coughed as the acrid smoke filled her mouth and she avoided inhaling.
Celine looked amused. ‘I don’t think you do either.’
‘I need a pass to get into the offices where Major General Hans is based. Do you know him?’ she asked, her voice lowering as she dipped her head and took another puff of noxious fumes.
‘Yes,’ Celine replied. ‘I clean his offices every day.’
‘And do you know his secretary, Collette?’
‘I do,’ she said. ‘The kind blonde woman.’
‘When did you last see her, do you recall?’ Lizzie probed.
‘Hmm, I think it was yesterday,’ Celine said, frowning as she tried to remember.
‘And was there anything out of the ordinary that you noticed?’
‘There was actually. The major general was in his office first thing when I would usually clean it and he had a visitor, another officer. The visitor seemed nice—nicer than themajor general, that’s for sure. I warned Collette her boss was in early.’
‘Here’s the thing, Celine,’ Lizzie said. ‘I need your help to get me into those offices so I can see what happened to Collette. She didn’t come home last night, and Philippe and I think the major general may have her.’
Celine looked worried. ‘But I only have passes for the team. They are personalised.’
‘Is there someone on the team who resembles me a little?’ Lizzie asked.
They talked for a few more minutes and agreed on a course of action. Celine gave Lizzie an address, which she memorised before they parted, and the cleaner ran up the steps and into the service entrance.
Excitement rushed through Lizzie. It was game on.
CHAPTER 34
Hans became more and more agitated by his traitor-secretary’s resilience and ability to withstand the damage he was doing to her pretty face. There was something about her that both incensed him and made him desire her even more. He felt himself harden. If she didn’t tell him what he wanted to know soon, he would take her here and now.
He sighed. Who was he kidding? He would have her whatever she said or didn’t say. Hans had been in an almost frenzied state of lust ever since the first moment he laid eyes on her.
Yes, she would be his soon, and she would beg for mercy with her impudent mouth and full lips. He’d sensed she was different from the beginning, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. He burned to have her and the more she resisted him, fending him off like a slippery eel, the more determined he became to make her his.
Last week, the general summoned him to his lavish quarters, like he was some kind of subservient messenger. Hebarked at Hans that there was a leak at the highest level and the Gestapo had narrowed it down to either German High Command or German Military Intelligence. The general grilled him about staff turnover and if anything had changed in the chain of command recently.
