Operation Zigzag by Hannah Howe

Author:Hannah Howe
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: 1940s, adventure, action, spies, france, french resistance, heroines, second world war, secret agents, soe
Publisher: Goylake Publishing

Chapter Seven

After a restless night, I found myself in the bath, up to my chin in soapy bubbles. I couldn’t wash my troubles away; therefore, I resolved to speak with Michel on the telephone.

With a soapy hand, I beckoned my maid, Isabelle. “If you’d be so kind, the telephone, please.”

“Certainly, Madame,” Isabelle said, swapping her feather duster for the pearl-handled telephone.

I dried my hands and as I dialled Michel’s office, I heard a whirling noise and several clicks, reminders that the Gestapo were listening. However, I resolved to act naturally.

“Hello, darling,” I said.

“Is everything all right?” Michel asked.

“Of course it is.”

“Where are you?”

“At home. In the bath.”

“You’re always in the bath,” he complained. “You spend more time in the water than a mermaid.”

“I like the water,” I said. “It helps me relax.”

“You haven’t forgotten,” Michel said, “that we’re meeting Antoine and Marie-Anne this evening; it’s Marie-Anne’s birthday.”

“I hadn’t forgotten,” I said.

“Maybe you could slip into town and buy her a present.”

“Certainly, darling. What do you have in mind?”

“Some stockings,” Michel said, “black, to go with her garter.”

Suddenly, the bath water felt cold, as cold as ice. “How do you know about her garter?” I asked.

“We were joking about it last night,” Michel said, “while you prepared the dessert with Vincent. Marie-Anne flashed her thighs, kicked her legs; you know she used to be a dancer. It was all very innocent.”

Michel’s explanation sounded reasonable. He sounded sincere. Moreover, would he ask me to buy stockings for Marie-Anne if they were conducting an affair? I wanted to trust him. I wanted to believe him. However, I held serious doubts.

“I’ll buy the stockings,” I said, “if that’s what you want.”

“Thank you,” Michel said. “I love you.”

“I’ll see you at Jacques’,” I frowned, “for dinner.”

I went shopping, visiting the main stores and the black market. Of course, a Gestapo officer followed me. As ever, I made the bastard walk.

I bought the stockings off the black market. I also bought two pairs for myself. The Gestapo officer ignored my purchase. Maybe he considered it a matter for the local police. On the other hand, maybe he’d return to buy stockings for his wife or girlfriend. The Nazis were shipping wives and girlfriends into Marseille now, to make their boys feel at home.

What would Antoine think of Michel presenting stockings to his wife? Would he regard the gift as a joke? Strange, but I’d lost my sense of humour.

At Jacques’ that evening, Michel offered Marie-Anne the stockings. She accepted them with a smile of thanks. “How beautiful,” she said. “How elegant.”

“Eve chose them,” Michel said.

“Thank you, Eve,” Marie-Anne said, kissing me on both cheeks.

“You don’t mind, do you?” Michel asked Antoine.

Antoine sipped his wine then shrugged with genuine indifference. “Of course not; many men offer gifts to Marie-Anne.”

The men lit cigarettes for themselves. However, women of good character only smoked indoors. Therefore, Marie-Anne and I contented ourselves with the wine.

The weather was still poor with no prospect of escorting Zigzag and Bruno over the mountains. I wondered how they were coping with Madame Fournier.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.