Chapter 26 Cassie
Cassie
Lisbon
I spent the next couple of days pushing Parrish out of my mind.
I knew Archie was keeping an eye on him down in the archives, but I didn’t ask how he was getting on and he didn’t tell me.
I did know, however, that he was still stuck in Lisbon, because the flights were not leaving yet.
That thought made me nervous, though I distracted myself with work.
We worked hard on the plan for Pyrenees and I filled in lots of visa forms, alongside Penny, who was racing through them. I spoke to my parents who were delighted with their new arrivals and told me all about how they were trying to find a rabbi to hold services in the church hall.
All in all, I felt much more cheerful. Things were good. Disaster had been averted.
And it had stopped raining. Which was definitely something to celebrate.
I hadn’t seen Lara properly for a few days because she’d been busy, so when Archie went out on another lunch date, and Henry said he was going home to unpack more boxes in his new apartment, I decided to go and visit her.
Enjoying the sunshine after so much rain, I strolled out of the embassy and down the hill to the bar. It was quiet in there, and Lara’s friend Miguel was serving.
‘Sit down,’ he said. ‘Lara’s in the back. I’ll cover the bar while you chat.’
‘Thank you,’ I said as Lara came out and plonked herself down on the chair opposite me.
‘I’m exhausted,’ she said. ‘How are you?’
We had a good chat, and a delicious sandwich made by Camila, who worked in the kitchen, and I felt even cheerier.
‘I suppose I’d better get back,’ I said eventually. ‘Archie will be wondering where I’ve got to.’
‘From what I’ve seen, Archie doesn’t mind what you do,’ Lara said. ‘He thinks you’re wonderful.’
‘Nonsense,’ I said, but I felt my cheeks flush and I was more than a little flustered. I bent to pick up my bag. ‘I’m just going to pop to the loo. Then I’ll head off.’
I said goodbye to Miguel and went towards the back of the bar. And there I saw Jose Costa, the PVDE officer sitting in the corner, along with two men in Nazi uniform whom I didn’t recognise. As I watched, I saw Costa raise his hand to wave at someone. Turning, I saw Parrish walking into the bar.
He looked gratifyingly horrified to see me, and rightly so, because a red-hot rage rose up inside me and I blocked his way. Arms on my hips.
Parrish was much taller than me, though I wasn’t especially small, but I wasn’t intimidated; I was too angry for that. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lara tug on Miguel’s sleeve to get him to move so they were both standing behind Parrish, blocking his exit that way.
‘Were you listening to us the other day?’ I said, realising now that I had been right to be jumpy after all. Parrish had been eavesdropping. ‘Was it you lurking in the corridor?’
Parrish shrugged. ‘Maybe.’
‘What do you know?’
‘I’m afraid you’ll have to pay me for that information,’ Parrish said. ‘They do.’
In his booth, Costa looked faintly alarmed. He looked at the Nazis, who were both watching the scene with little interest, then his eyes darted to the door where Lara and Miguel stood guard. Parrish and I were blocking his way out of the back. But he shifted in his seat anyway.
‘You can’t give that information to them,’ I said to Parrish.
‘I can do what I want.’ His lip curled. ‘Do you know how much I earn at the embassy? It’s a pittance. The PVDE are generous. And they don’t shove me in a basement. They respect me.’
I shook my head. ‘Money isn’t everything,’ I said. ‘Men are dying all over Europe.’ I took a breath. ‘My brother died. Do you not feel ashamed?’
‘I feel rich,’ Parrish said with a shrug. ‘And when I tell Costa here what I know about – what did you call them? Escape lines? I’ll be even richer.’ He gestured to the group in the booth, who were all staring at us. ‘I imagine the Nazis will pay very handsomely for that information.’
‘You disgust me,’ I said. ‘You’re safe here. You’re protected from the horrors of the war. You should be defending your country and instead you’re attacking it.’
‘Don’t pretend you wouldn’t do the same if they offered you enough cash,’ he said, smirking. ‘How much do translators get paid? Not much, I’m betting.’
‘Oh, but I’m not a translator,’ I said.
For the first time since he’d arrived, Parrish looked rattled.
‘What are you then?’ he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. ‘Are you the vice-consul’s assistant? Or are you his whore?’
I heard Lara breathe in sharply behind me.
Parrish wasn’t finished. ‘It’s always the prissy ones who are the filthiest,’ he growled at me. ‘Does he know how you teased me?’
‘I think you should be very careful about what you say next.’ I tried to keep my voice level.
All I could think about was stopping him telling the Nazis what he had heard, and I knew that despite my fury, I needed to calm things down.
‘And I think you should probably come with me now, and we’ll go and speak to Digby and straighten things out. ’
‘I don’t think so,’ Parrish said. ‘Run along to Digby if you like – I’ve just got some friends to catch up with.’
He took a step towards Jose Costa, and I reached out my hand to stop him. Quick as a flash, he grabbed my arm just as he’d done in the embassy. The bar had fallen quiet now – no one was chatting, everyone was watching, and as Parrish gripped my arm, I heard everyone murmur in shock.
‘Oh dear,’ said Lara. ‘Here we go.’
‘I told you not to do that.’ I looked up at Parrish, and he looked down at me with menacing eyes. ‘Let go.’
‘Are you going to make me?’
I sighed. And then taking a deep breath, I yanked his arm away with my other hand, and two-handed now, twisted it round behind his back.
I thought I heard a bone crack, but I didn’t care.
I concentrated on using his own strength against him – just as I’d been taught.
I took his legs out from under him, and he landed on the floor, arms behind his back and me sitting on top of him.
‘I told you not to do that,’ I said.
There was a moment of silence in the bar. And then the Nazis in the corner began to laugh. So did Costa. And then everyone laughed. Not me. I was too busy trying to catch my breath and stop Parrish from moving.
‘Sie ist doch nur ein kleines Madchen,’ said one of the Germans. She is just a little girl.
‘Shut. Up,’ I growled at them. Realising I wasn’t joking, they both got up, followed by Costa, and began to edge their way out of the bar. I couldn’t be bothered to stop them.
‘You’re a maniac,’ Parrish said from underneath me. ‘I’ll have you arrested.’
‘You shut up, too.’
But Parrish wasn’t listening. As Costa and the Germans went past, he lifted his head from the floor.
‘They’re working with a woman called Frances Reed in a library in Paris,’ he said, clearly and loudly.
‘Frances Reed. She’s American but she’s helping British troops escape occupied France.
I don’t know how but it’s working well.’
It wasn’t exactly accurate, but it was close enough to be shocking, and he’d got Frances Reed’s name exactly right. Desperate to stop him talking, I pushed his face into the floor, but it was too late.
‘Frances Reed?’ I heard one of the Nazis say. ‘Paris,’ said the other. And they were gone. Out of the door and into the Lisbon afternoon.
Everyone in the bar stayed where they were, frozen with shock. I felt sick with fear for poor Frances. And for the airmen we wouldn’t now be able to help. Not completely sure what to do next, I stayed where I was, sitting on top of Parrish as I looked round at Lara.
‘I think perhaps we ought to tell Digby what just happened.’