82. Coulda, Shoulda, Woulda, Didn't
Chapter 1
The haze of cigarette smoke hung from the ceiling in a cloudy fog. For a Friday night, it was quiet in the pub. Too quiet. Oh, the usual crowd of locals was there. It was the chaps from the estate whom Robbie was keeping his eye on. The tall thin owner/bartender dried another glass and put it on the shelf under the bar. They were keeping to themselves. There had not been one poker game or even the usual game of darts. Blimey, they weren't even drinking much. The pitcher on the table was still a quarter full.
Actor looked moodily into the glass of bitters he had not even finished. He was tired and depressed. This mission had not gone any better than the last couple. Oh, they had managed to get the documents photographed on microfilm and almost made it out without incident. If it had not been for that young soldier deciding he was going to sneak around the back to have a cigarette, they would have gotten away clean. The youngster, which was what he was, never got that last cigarette. He ended up with Chief's knife protruding from his chest. Still, they had made it to the car and out past the guards, but the body had been discovered too soon, and the chase was on. Goniff had a plaster on the back of his neck from flying glass, and the Warden had an arm in a sling from the same bullet that shattered the window, plowing into his deltoid. No, things did not seem to be getting better. Enough of this. He pushed his chair back.
"Goin' somewhere?" asked Casino, no happier than the con man, and not really interested in what the answer would be.
Actor nodded. "I think I will walk back up to the Mansion. I am two days behind with a letter to Julie. She worries easily. I believe I will write a quick note. There is not much I can put in a letter about where we were anyway. Hopefully a little note will suffice."
"Tell 'er we said hi," Goniff gave a tired smile.
Actor's daughter was rapidly becoming family to the three men. Leave it to Terry to introduce them as uncles to the girl when she had been removed from the convent in France.
Casino smiled, "Tell her I'm sending a hug."
Actor looked at Chief with askance for his message.
"It's gotta be better than the place I was in," said the Indian. "Don't tell her that."
"She knows," replied Actor. "I will tell her you all say hello."
The tallest, oldest of the group, rose from his chair. It was still strange to him that the three cons had taken to Julie from the start. They all wished to know what was in her letter when one arrived. The code of not telling convicts anything personal about oneself for fear of reprisal seemed to have disappeared from this group. He slowly headed toward the stairs to the outside door.
"We done here?" asked Casino.
"Fine with me, Mate," said Goniff.
"Works for me," said Chief.
"Hey, Actor!" Casino called out.
The confidence man turned around.
"We're all goin'," said the cracksman. "We'll drive back."
Actor nodded and continued outside to start the car up, feeling some relief he did not have to make that uphill walk. Not that it was strenuous, but he just was not up for the long walk after what they had just come back from. Instead, he climbed into the driver's seat and started the engine to warm up. Taking a cigarette from the pack in his pocket, he stuck one end between his lips. It was stuffy in the car, so he rolled down the window before lighting his cigarette with a match. Shaking it out, he tossed the match out the window onto the crumbling pavement. Leaning back, Actor took a draw of smoke into his mouth, and waited for the others to straggle out of the Doves.
Lt. Garrison looked up from the paperwork on his desk through his open office door when the front door opened. His men walked slowly, and silently, in. At this hour? Had it been longer than he thought. He glanced at the clock on his desk. It was barely an hour and a half since they had left for the Doves. They probably felt like he did. Craig wished he could wrangle a two week leave for them, even a 48-hour one, but things were heating up over on the Continent and they seemed to be the only ones fighting the war again. Even Terry had been gone for two weeks now. In Italy was all he had been told by Major Richards.
Craig wished he could cut some slack for Actor so the man could drive to the boarding school and visit his daughter. That didn't seem possible either.
The said person wandered into the office, while the others went upstairs.
"How is the arm?" asked Actor with genuine concern and interest.
Garrison peeked inside the top of the sling and shrugged his good shoulder. "It's fine."
The Italian's mouth turned up on the right. "Are you ever not fine?" he asked with amusement.
"Would I ever admit I wasn't?" asked Craig. "No."
"Not even to your personal physician?" teased the con man.
"Not even to you, Actor," smiled Garrison. "Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Actor parroted back.
Garrison didn't believe that either.
Actor took a step back. "I will leave you to your work. I am going to write a note to Julie."
"Send her my love," said Craig sincerely.
"I will."
The young officer watched the man's still ramrod straight back disappear out of his office. If they didn't get some down time soon, somebody was going to really get hurt. Taking a puff from the cigarette in his overloaded ashtray, Garrison went back to the careful wording of partial fiction in the report he was writing on their last mission.
GGG
Never one to get much sleep, the Lieutenant was back at his desk by 0800. The other men were either showering or wandering down to a cold breakfast and the pot of coffee Garrison had left on the hob.
There was a sharp knock at the front door, which opened immediately to allow two MPs inside. They stood at attention on either side of the open door. Garrison was frozen, in the half upright position he had risen to, when Major Richards marched in and straight into the office. Garrison stood at attention.
"At ease," said Richards. The expression on his face was one of distaste.
"Sir?" asked Garrison with inner dread.
"Garrison, where were your men last night?" Richards asked.
"Here, Sir," Craig frowned. "Why?"
"Were they here the entire time from your return from the mission?" asked the Major.
"They went to the Doves for a short time," admitted Garrison. "Sir, what is this . . ."
Richards cut him off. "Could they have possibly gone to London during that particular time without your being aware?"
Now Craig was getting annoyed. "No, Sir. They were not gone long enough to get to London, let alone there and back."
"Do you know what time they got back?" asked the Major in a less severe tone.
"2245," said Garrison.
"And you are sure of that time?" He took a seat facing the Lieutenant over his desk, motioning for Garrison so sit down.
Craig lowered himself into his chair, adjusting his arm in the sling. "I looked at the clock when they came in. It was 2245. I thought it unusual they were back so soon."
Richards nodded. "That might be in our favor."
"Just what is going on, Major?" asked Garrison with suspicion.
"That is what I would like to know," said the officer. "It seems there have been some incidents over on the Continent and in London, that have the earmarks of being carried out by your men, Lieutenant."
Garrison's expression became stern. "What kind of incidents?"
Richards sucked in a cheek. "Safes have been broken into. Important military plans have been removed and they have made it to the hands of the Germans."
"My men would not do that, Sir, and you know it," countered Craig with barely controlled anger.
"It's not a matter of what I know, Garrison," said Richards. "It's a matter of what Allied Command thinks. They want to speak to you. Your men are under house arrest." He frowned. "I took the liberty of getting word to your sister to 'go to ground' where she is on the Continent."
"They're after Terry too?" demanded Craig in disbelief.
"Actor taught her too well. They think she could be in on this."
Richards had barely finished the last sentence when the front door swung open with a bang and almost smashed into the guard behind it. The Major and Garrison froze, staring as Chief strode inside, his expression thunderous. There were two more guards behind him.
"What's goin' on, Warden?" he spat out. "I was doin' my morning run when these two," he gestured over his shoulder, "come outta the woods and pulled guns on me. Said I wasn't s'posed to be outta the house. Since when? What's goin' on?"
The commotion had brought Casino and Goniff from the kitchen and Actor partway down the stairs. The two from the kitchen stayed by the entrance to the dining room and Actor came slowly, step-by-step down the rest of the stairs to stop at the bottom. Craig and Major Richards came to the door of the office.
"There have been some accusations made about your activities," said Garrison carefully. "I have to go to London and straighten it out."
"What kinda accusations?" demanded Casino.
"I will have to find out specifically," hedged Garrison firmly.
Actor knew a con from the man when he heard one. "So, they are trying to send us back to prison, yet again?" he asked calmly with resignation.
"I'm afraid not," Major Richards stepped in before Craig could say anything more. "The charge is treason. Prison is not an option. If you are found guilty, they will hang you."
Goniff swallowed hard and a hand went involuntarily to his throat.
"Treason!" blasted Casino. "That's nuts!"
"Totally implausible," added Actor. His eyes watched the two officers.
Major Richards addressed Garrison's second in command. "It is something we have to learn more about and give Allied Command proof it is a false accusation. In the meantime, you are confined to the house. If you set foot outside the house, you will be shot. And the guards have been instructed to shoot to kill." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but that came from higher up."
Casino wasn't buying it. "So how do we prove we didn't do whatever it is we were supposed to do if we can't leave the house?"
Major Richards turned his attention to the volatile safecracker. "You can't," he said. "It will be up to myself, Lt. Garrison, and a barrister to prove your innocence."
Actor stood even taller if that was possible. "I believe we have a right to know the cause of this charge of treason, Major."
The Major thought that was reasonable. "There have been military plans stolen from Allied headquarters on the Continent and Allied Command. These plans have been sold to the Germans and are being used against us. The earmarks of the thefts point to you men."
"You know we wouldn't do that, Major!" blasted Chief.
"What I know has no weight in this matter," replied Richards. "We must prove it to Allied Command.
Garrison stepped up to Actor. "You have to keep them under control," he said quietly. "And I'm sorry. But you can't visit your daughter."
The con man peered around the young officer and looked at Richards. "I am overdue to visit my daughter. If I may not do that, may I at least write to her? She will feel abandoned if she does not hear from us . . . or assume I have been killed."
"I'm sorry, Actor," said the Major sincerely. "No mail in or out."
Goniff was the one who noticed the minute twitch of Actor's hand toward his right jacket pocket. He strode up to the two men, with his back to the guards.
"Warden, you know we wouldn't do nuffin' like that, don't you?" he whined.
"Yes, Goniff, I know," said the Lieutenant. "This has to be one very large misunderstanding. I am sure it can be straightened out." Only he was not at all sure.
Nobody noticed, nor did the two men feel, the pickpocket's hand dip into Actor's pocket, remove the envelope, and deposit it into Garrison's uniform jacket pocket.
"You tell 'em, Warden," he continued to whine. "You make 'em understand we didn't do it."
Goniff never whined quite like that. It was unusual thought Actor. Suddenly he knew exactly what Goniff was doing. The corner of his mouth twitched minutely.
With his back to the guards and Richards, Goniff gave a wink. Now Garrison understood too.
"We have to go, Lieutenant," urged the Major gently.
"Yes, Sir," replied Garrison. He looked at his men one at a time. "No sightseeing. Keep your noses clean. And I don't mean try to." He forced a smile.
Chief walked up and in an unusual gesture, reached out to shake Garrison's hand. "Be careful, Warden."
Garrison accepted the handshake and felt the long familiar shape being left in his palm. He did not need this, but he could not make a scene by giving it back to the Indian. Major Richards led the way out the door with Garrison following. Casually, Craig slipped the shiv into the same pocket that held Actor's letter to his daughter.
At the bottom of the steps, Garrison paused. "Major, under the circumstances, I think it might be better if I followed in the Packard. If my men try to do something stupid, they will be less inclined if it means they all ride in the jeep."
Richards gave a tilt of his head in agreement. "Good idea, Lieutenant," he said and walked to his staff car.
Craig got in the Packard and started it up. As he followed the staff car down the drive, he looked in the rearview mirror and wondered if this was the last time he would see the Mansion or his men. He would do what he could to prevent that from happening. However, he knew that if the men were executed, he would be executed too.
The staff car pulled out on the road to London. Craig had to wait for another car to pass. It was divine providence there was traffic on this road that was usually clear. He lifted the switchblade from his pocket and reached under the seat to stick it into the springs. With little hesitation, he pulled out behind the passing car.
Inside the Mansion, the cons looked to Actor for guidance.
"What now?" asked Chief.
"Now, I am going to get breakfast and a cup of coffee," said Actor. "I will join you gentlemen in the office is a few minutes."
He gave Casino a pointed look in passing that was returned. Neither man thought the Army had time to plant a few bugs in the office, but it was prudent to make sure. Ten minutes later, Actor let himself into the office and closed the door behind himself. He carried his cup of coffee and a fried egg sandwich to Garrison's desk and sat down in the Lieutenant's chair.
"It's clean," said Casino in a low voice.
Actor nodded and took a sip of the steaming brew.
"So now what?" continued Casino in frustration.
"Now I take care of some business first," replied the confidence man. "And then we talk."
Actor picked up the telephone and dialed a number.
"Oh, sure," complained the cracksman. "We're in trouble and you have to call and break a hot date or something?"
Actor studiously ignored him. One of the men answered on the other end.
"This is Actor. I must speak with Christine immediately."
That perked Chief's ears up. When Casino started to open his mouth again, the younger man gave him a threatening look. Thinking better of it, Casino backed down.
"Christine," said the Italian into the phone, "this is Actor. Listen carefully. There is a situation here. It would be in your best interest to go over to the Continent until you hear it is safe to return. And if Kelly is there also, take him with you. Teresa has 'gone to ground' over there somewhere. We don't know where." He listened. "I cannot give you the particulars as we do not know them all yet." Another pause. "The Warden is on his way to London with Major Richards. I am confident he will be staying in the stockade until this mess is cleared up." Chris said something to him, and it stretched his patience. "We have done nothing, but to the Army that means very little. Please do as I say and do it now."
His mouth clamped tightly shut as the younger girl argued with him for information. "No, I do not know where your sister is. I have not heard from her for almost three weeks. Please, do as I say, and be careful. Trust no one."
Actor hung up, not at all sure the girl would follow his directions. He immediately dialed another number, a private number. It was answered immediately. Actor did not wait for a greeting.
"Make sure Teresa does not come back to England. There is a major problem here and these phones will be bugged very quickly," said Actor firmly.
He did not wait for an acknowledgement before hanging up. Actor was very aware the men were staring at him. He ignored them, removed a pad of paper and a pencil from Garrison's desk, picked up his breakfast and joined the others at the conference table. He took Garrison's usual seat which was the furthest from the office door. "We will write down what we do know."
"We don't know nuthin', Man," burst out Chief angrily.
"Keep your voice down," ordered Actor at a lower decibel. "In every situation we know something. We may not recognize it, but we do know some things."