On the Road...
"What next?" It was late afternoon, and they were lounged in the sitting room, a small coal fire burning in the grate. Actor had sent a reply to the nominated post office box, agreeing to the terms proposed in the letter, then he'd taken Siobhan for a late lunch at a nearby café that served simple, wholesome fare. She hadn't eaten as much as he'd wanted her to, but it was a start.
"We top up our sleep. Tomorrow we go on a road trip. Visit the sites that you learned of at Beauchamp Place."
"I thought they'd want fresh information. Wouldn't I be expected to be back in the War Room?"
Siobhan shook her head. "The planning session is over for now. Everyone else is back at their desks getting on with their day jobs, as are you."
"And what is my day job?"
"Civilian aide to General Patton, as we discussed the other day. Ashcroft has full clearance to inspect all the sites being prepared for the invasion forces. You are to prepare briefing notes for Patton's attention. Don't worry, you won't have to work too hard - remember, Ashcroft's not the most dedicated of workers." Siobhan smiled as she took a sip of the milky, malty drink she hugged in both hands. Ovaltine. She hadn't tasted it in years, but it was strangely comforting.
She glanced at the chessboard. Three pawns were out of position. She wasn't much of a chess player, but she recognised the opening moves and smiled. Yes, it pretty much summed things up. It was white's move next. What would they do?
She transferred her gaze from the board to Actor. Why, after the unpleasant things she had done to him over the last few days, was the man opposite her looking after her like this? The conman was concentrating on building a pipe of tobacco, pretending it was taking all his attention. Clearly it wasn't.
"And you'll be coming with me?" he asked, without looking up.
Siobhan brought her wandering attention back to the present. "Of course. You don't think your new masters would trust you on your own, do you? I'll be there to make sure you do as you've promised."
"And if I don't?"
"I shoot you, of course."
Actor hoped she was joking.
A supper of corned-beef sandwiches, washed down with elderflower cordial was followed by an early night. Unsurprisingly, it was a chaste affair. The events of the previous night were all too fresh in both their minds. Actor did wonder briefly if this would always be the way between them now. Affectionate friends, not lovers. It seemed likely, and interestingly the thought did not displease him.
G G G
The next week was, for Actor, like a vacation. They had driven first to Kent where they stayed in a small inn not far from Folkestone. Equipped with her grandmother's wedding band, Mr and 'Mrs' Ashcroft had spent their days exploring the area. During the evenings, together, they would concoct the reports that were to be sent to Berlin.
"Should I stress the amount of bomb damage to the minor roads that will need repairing?" hypothesised Actor, waving his fountain pen in the air.
Siobhan nodded. "Don't forget that bridge we saw this morning. Can't see that being up to taking fully loaded tanks."
Actor wrote steadily, his penmanship elegant, as always. He tipped his head to one side. "I think that is enough for today. As you say, Mrs Ashcroft, our playboy isn't one to overwork. Shall we head out and see what pleasures can be found in the fleshpots of Folkestone?"
Siobhan smiled. Fish and chips from a newspaper on the seafront was probably all that was on offer, whilst dodging dive-bombing seagulls.
At night they shared the matrimonial bed, clad chastely in warm nightwear. Siobhan felt curious as to why this consummate seducer never made an approach on her. He'd clearly been interested when she'd turned him down at her Belgravia apartment back in January. Had she hurt his feelings so badly? It seemed unlikely. Perhaps it was the fact that they were on a mission, Lady Diana, or the fact that she always presented him with a somewhat prickly exterior.
The days passed by. Siobhan would disappear from time to time either to deliver information or pick up new instructions. He suspected she was being fed intelligence from both sides, but after the first time he did not comment on her absences. She could not and would not divulge.
The weather, although not hot, had been pleasant, often with sunny spells where fast-moving clouds were driven across sunny blue skies. Gradually, Siobhan had started to eat again and even after only a week was starting to lose some of the gaunt appearance.
"Are they happy?" asked Actor, curious as to whether his German masters were satisfied with their new agent's performance. He had a new code name to add to his portfolio, 'Habicht' or 'Goshawk'. He was quite pleased with that one, it had a certain 'je ne sais quoi'.
"Delighted," was the response. Siobhan had just returned and was sipping at a glass of dry cider outside a small pub.
"Are we finished here?" Actor's instinct was that it was time to move on.
"Yes. Scotland next. We leave after breakfast tomorrow." She emptied her glass then closed her eyes, raising her face to the rays. "I'll need to stop over in London briefly. Would you mind if we stay at your flat again? I don't want to risk Sprite being seen in Belgravia."
"Of course," Actor responded automatically. It made sense anyway. Ashcroft was known to be staying there and driving as far as Scotland would be impractical. They would have to take a train which meant they would need to lose the car and a good percentage of their luggage. His apartment was as good a place as any to make that happen. His mind drifted to another question that had been bothering him.
"How did you lose your hair?" It was a question the conman had asked once before, a long time ago. She had refused to tell him then. Would she be any more open now?
There was a long pause, then with a sigh, Siobhan began to speak. "It was in Eire. I'd gone over to talk to the leaders of one of the paramilitary organisations. There was a hope that they could be persuaded to take part in an operation that was being planned. Someone betrayed me. I was taken hostage, raped and then they shore off my hair before tarring and feathering me and dumping me on the streets as a warning."
Her voice was flat and devoid of emotion as she recounted the story, but it was clear that the tears were not far below the surface. He was surprised at how much Siobhan had gone through in support of what wasn't even her country. She was from Eire. She could have passed the war safe in a neutral country, rather than risk all for the cause and it wasn't as though she had the incentive of a parole to aim for. It was time to change the subject.
"Are you and TAR lovers?"
The switch of topic caught Siobhan by surprise and her eyes flew open. She looked at Actor with horror. "Me? TAR? You must be joking!" She paused. "You didn't think… did you?" Was that the reason he'd not tried to inveigle himself into her bed?
"You were so comfortable with him. It seemed likely."
Siobhan's expression changed to one of reflection. "No, there's no-one in my life, not for a long time."
The way she said it made Actor think that maybe, once, there had been. Someone that mattered. Someone that was now lost to her. He decided he'd asked enough questions for one day. He lit a cigarette and picked up the car keys. "We have a final report to make, Mrs Ashcroft. What will it be about this time? The state of the latrines or the dire shortages in clean fuel supplies?"
Siobhan shook off her melancholy. "It would have to be the latrines. Ashcroft's British public school, after all. All they talk about is the weather and how their bowels are behaving."
It was Actor's turn to laugh. Throwing away his cigarette and tossing the car keys idly in one hand he made his way to the Jaguar.
G G G
They reached central London late morning the next day. Leaving Actor to purchase train tickets and see to their other arrangements, Siobhan headed out almost as soon as they arrived. Meanwhile, the conman went shopping.
For the first time since he'd left the Mansion, Actor's thoughts were with Garrison and the other men. Had they been out on a mission? It would be too soon for Goniff's wound. Would they send a group of three to the continent?
For a moment, he considered phoning, then dismissed the thought. 'Lothario' could not be compromised. He wondered what would happen to his alter ego once this operation was over. He hoped that Siobhan was right and that he wasn't just a pawn to be sacrificed.
At that moment, the woman in question was standing in a dusty room in MI5 headquarters. More broom cupboard than office.
"Do you always have to choose such out of the way places to meet, Tommy?"
TAR ignored the remark. "The deception seems to be working well. We've just heard from Bletchley." He pulled a gold cigarette case from his pocket and offered them to Siobhan, who shook her head. He shrugged his shoulders slightly then took one for himself. "They've decoded a new batch of messages. Goshawk's reports seem to have been just what was needed to reinforce the impression that we are preparing Kent for the arrival of a large army. Reich HQ seem very impressed with their new agent, however he was recruited."
He lit the cigarette and threw the match onto the floor. "How was Lothario, by the way? Did he succeed in seducing you?"
"Of course. He bedded me every night with both skill and enthusiasm. What would you expect?"
TAR laughed. "You lie so prettily, my dear. Still, a shame, you should have had some recompense for having to endure all that Lady Diana requires of you. Such a shame that the Lady Aurora was the only one to benefit. By the way, Scotland is off."
Siobhan almost missed the curved ball. "Why?"
"Plans always change. Such is the way of things. The Scottish operation is working well as it is. It might detract from the situation to mix things up at the moment."
"So, what happens next?"
"Lady Diana is missing you. I think you will find an invitation waiting for you at your Belgravia rooms, when you return there."
"And Lothario?"
"Will be returned to his unit – in due course. Don't worry, little Sprite. We won't harm a single hair on that elegant head of his. I have some principles, after all." TAR paused and inspected the tip of his cigarette. "I think, though, that the time for Mr Ashcroft's delayed demise is upon us. It would have been nice to continue to make use of Goshawk, but I think he has reached the limits of what he can do for us."
Siobhan made her way slowly back across London. Belgravia, and Lady Diana, could wait. Her first task was to update Actor with the change of plans.
The Irish woman wasn't surprised at MI5's intentions for Roland Ashcroft. She wondered what story would be appearing in the newspapers in the next day or so. A discrete car crash? It seemed most likely, something that made identification of the body difficult.
At least Lothario wasn't headed for the same fate. It hadn't been a possibility she'd considered when her German handler had asked her if she could find someone on the 'inside' at the LCS, someone who might have some skeletons in their cupboard that could be exploited. She wondered if Lady Diana was aware that her personal maid was such a trusted member of SD-Ausland. She doubted that the woman would have cared, even had she known. So, Siobhan had said she would try, and MI5 had approved the scheme, knowing it met their long game too.
It had been a bit of a whim on her part to recruit Actor when Ashcroft had died. The idea of working alongside him had appealed and if she was to maintain her role as Sprite, or Dryad as her German masters called her, she needed to deliver. In some ways, she envied Actor. He would return to his unit once sufficient time had elapsed for any connection to be made between the American convict and the British civil servant. Siobhan Hennessey however would have to remain, playing the socialite. It wasn't a prospect that appealed, but for the moment she was trapped.
She wondered what Lieutenant Garrison would have to say about the matter when he learned that his team's skilled conman was to be 'detained'. She doubted that he would take the news lying down.
She knew that she would regret losing the enigmatic Italian. They had become close friends over the last week. She suspected, on her part, it was very close to becoming something more, but it was a secret she would never tell. Actor wasn't a man to be tied to a single woman, she would let him go with her best wishes. Thoughtfully she exited the tube and completed the final part of her journey on foot.
G G G
"Did you decide which Lothario you are?" Siobhan was standing in the doorway to his bedroom, a royal-blue velour dressing gown covering her cotton pyjamas. A pair of matching fluffy slippers poked from beneath the pyjama trousers, and she was brandishing a toothbrush in her right hand.
Actor considered the matter. "At a personal level, I think Cervantes' character has more integrity."
"I agree, but that isn't the question I'm asking." Siobhan replaced the toothbrush in the bathroom, turned out the lights and returned to the bedroom. She took off the gown and slippers, folding them neatly on the chair before slipping into bed beside Actor. "I like the colour by the way."
So did Actor. It had taken him a little while to find what he was looking for, especially since he'd had to avoid being seen in the usual places that Vincenzo Borelli frequented.
Siobhan had seemed disturbed when she'd returned. He'd been persevering with Don Quixote, but in truth his mind couldn't settle. He'd put down the book and waited, watching her pace to the window, back to the fire then over to the window again. Finally, she'd turned to face him.
"We won't need those rail tickets after all, dear heart. It would seem that Mr Ashcroft and his aide will be going their separate ways tomorrow.
Actor tipped his head in acknowledgement. The news did not surprise him. That it wasn't something Siobhan had anticipated was unexpected. "I assume that will be the end of poor Roland. Do you know what it will be?"
Siobhan shook her head silently."
"And might your web weaver have told you what plans he might have for me?" Actor tried to sound unconcerned.
"He assures me it will not be terminal, just that your return to active duty might be a little delayed."
Inwardly, Actor breathed more easily. He'd never been sure of TAR's integrity, but it seemed that the man had some principles after all. He reached down beside his chair, lifting up two cardboard boxes and handed them to Siobhan. "I had thought you might need these in Scotland, but since this seems likely to be our last night together, you had better have them now..."
The conman brought his mind back to the present. Siobhan was lying alongside him, facing the ceiling. For once she had not turned onto her side and gone to sleep, he realised. He waited, expectantly.
The Irish woman turned to kiss him, a kiss that started tentative, but which grew in intensity. Surprised, at first he thought to pull away, but then let himself respond in kind. Things might have progressed further, but at that moment the telephone in the hallway rang loudly.
"Scheisse," muttered Actor under his breath. He couldn't believe they were being interrupted, yet again.
"Ignore it," whispered Siobhan.
Actor only knew of two people, apart from his caretakers, who knew this ex-directory telephone number and one was currently lying alongside him. The other was a certain American Lieutenant, and for him to call here meant that something had gone wrong. Badly wrong. With a groan he threw back the sheets and climbed out of bed.
In the hallway, he picked up the handset. "Ashcroft," he answered curtly. If his, or Siobhan's German masters had tracked either of them down to the apartment, it paid to be careful.
"Actor, I need you back here, pronto." Garrison's slightly husky voice sounded tired. He must have felt the hesitation from his conman as he continued with barely a pause. "And I mean now. Whatever it is you're doing it's gonna have to wait."
With a brief affirmation, Actor replaced the phone and sighed. Returning to the bedroom he began to replace his outdoor clothing. Siobhan began to get out of bed too, but Actor shook his head. "Unless you really want to trail across London in the dark on your own, I suggest you stay here tonight." He pulled a key from his wallet and placed it on the bedside cabinet. "All you need to do is lock the door when you leave. There is a neighbour who will see to everything else." The conman paused. "Keep the key for now. You might need it."
Despite Actor's instructions Siobhan extricated herself from the bedding and retrieved her handbag from where it had been abandoned on the hall stand. She handed the car keys to Actor. "Take the Jaguar. If Garrison needs you back so badly we might as well get you there as fast as possible."
Actor smiled his thanks. It would simplify matters immensely.
Departure preparations complete, he gave Siobhan a final hug and chaste kiss. She was still skin and bone under the thick dressing gown. "No more cocaine. Promise? I would rather you stayed clear of the O'Hares but, since I know you won't, you must at the least keep yourself safe."
He was right, and Siobhan knew it. Lady Diana would just have to accept that her favourite Muse was going to be a little more reserved from now on.
The door closed behind the conman and Siobhan heard the powerful car burst into life then it's engine note diminish as it headed west. The Irish woman headed back to bed, somewhat sadly.
TAR would no doubt be furious that the man had slipped his net, but he would just have to live with it. She would handle the flak.
Together, she and Actor had just put another grain of sand on the balance scales. Enough grains and, with luck, eventually the scales would tip in the favour of the Allies. She hoped it was sooner rather than later.
