VILLAINY IN VIENNA by Kelly Oliver

Author:Kelly Oliver [Kelly Oliver]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Level Best Books/Historia
Published: 2021-12-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Fifteen

The Royal Ball

After a fitful night, I awoke feeling dreadful, like I’d been hit by a trolley. What the dickens was wrong with me. In a stupor, I felt like I’d been drugged. Was that possible? What did I eat or drink yesterday?

I hardly ate anything. Anyway, I’d felt fine all day. Aha. The warm milk last night with Clifford. But no one else was around. I shook the cobwebs out of my head and got up. I staggered into the lav and splashed water on my face.

Dash it. The sun was already streaming through the window, which suggested it was late. The information from Fredricks’s room. I must get it to the War Office.

I hurriedly dressed and then headed out to the public telephone station. I had no time to waste. The War Office needed the information about Fredricks. And I needed to see if this Louise de Bettignies, aka Alice Dubois, could give me advice. As a seasoned spy, perhaps she would know the meaning of that list of names and countries I’d found in Fredricks’s pocket.

The telephone station was a small structure with several telephone machines sitting on tables separated by partitions. A cashier sat at a desk collecting the fee to use one of the telephones. I paid the cashier twenty heller and she pointed to cubicle two. Luckily, no one else was placing a telephone call, so I had the place to myself…except for the cashier.

I hoped someone would answer so I could get word to the War Office with what I’d learned. A man answered and I asked for Louise de Bettignies.

“Who?” he asked.

“How about Alice Dubois? Is she there?”

“One moment please.”

I tapped my toe and glanced around at the cashier, who was filing her fingernails.

“Qui, this is Alice Dubois.”

“My name is Fiona Figg.” Why didn’t the War Office give me an alias? “I’m in Vienna on assignment for Captain Hall.” I paused.

Silence on the other end. Heavens. Had I done the right thing? What if I’d just given myself up?

“Yes, go on,” she said finally.

“Please inform Captain Hall that I found a list of names and countries in Fredrick Fredricks’s room.”

“Go on,” she said.

I told her the names and countries, including my name and Archie’s. “Do you know what it means?”

“The princes are Zita’s brothers. Jane Addams is an American peace activist. I’ve never heard of the others… apart from yourself just now.”

“A peace activist,” I repeated. Why was an American peace activist on Fredricks’s hit list? “Do you know what it means?”

“I couldn’t say.” She couldn’t or wouldn’t? I was beginning to wonder about this Louise de Bettignies, aka Alice Dubois. “I also found several passports with various aliases.”

“Go on,” she said.

I explained the names and countries.

Silence.

“Anything else?” she asked. Alice Dubois was a woman of few words.

“Do you know what I should do next?”

“Follow your instructions from Captain Hall.”

“Of course,” I said. “You will make sure he gets this information as soon as possible?”

“Qui.” She hung up.

I scowled. If I wasn’t a spy, I might ask for a refund.

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