distorted the pencil-marked mole on her cheek into a thin black line and then, shrugging, signalled her in with a jerk of her head.
Leading Vivi into her office, the older woman closed the door, trapping outside the usual scent of cheap perfume and stale tobacco that permeated the rest of the house. Vivi looked around in astonishment. Every surface of her tiny dark room was piled with clutter. Clothes, boxes, feathers and odd trinkets that were bizarre in nature. In the corner a stuffed parrot missing its tail feathers hung in a gilded cage, that had a red feather boa coiled around the chain. On the other side a large wooden elephant sprouted what looked like real ivory tusks. In the centre, hats of all description were piled up almost to the ceiling, alongside a dusty pile of sheet music that was stacked up on an old piano that seemed to be missing most of its keys. The only place to actually sit was a very worn, purple velvet chaise longue that was placed under a cracked window, that itself was being kept open by an elaborately decorated Japanese fan.
Madame Mazella seemed unaware of how her oddity of a room was disorientating and in such contrast to the stark grey world of the war outside. Lighting a cigarette, the madam blew out smoke before she spoke.
‘Are you in trouble again?’
‘Yes. I need to find a wireless operator. Do you know where there is one?’
‘I might,’ she said nonchalantly, picking something from her teeth and sucking her tongue against the gap it had created. ‘You know a lot of agents have been going missing, and it doesn’t look good. It is rumoured even that rascal Terrier is gone.’
Vivi’s heart stung with the mention of his name, and she felt the pain again of the loss of that friendship. ‘I know,’ she murmured. ‘I was surprised you were even still here.’
Madame Mazella started a croaky laugh that rolled around her chest and bounced her heaving bosom. ‘Where would I go?’ she said, shrugging her shoulders.
‘I thought, maybe they would raid you.’
The older woman continued to laugh until tears appeared in the corners of her eyes. ‘They wouldn’t close us down, we are too valuable to their men. Besides, I have some, shall we say, “friends” in high places who wouldn’t want certain stories getting back to their wives in Berlin.’
The madam raised her eyebrows, and appeared to see the desperation in Vivi’s eyes before moving to a desk.
‘Look, I do know of a wireless operator that might be able to help you.’ She pulled out a piece of paper, wrote down an address, and handed the paper to Vivi, who memorised the address and then tore up the note.
As Vivi got up to leave, she surprised herself by hugging the older woman. The madam chuckled again.
‘Thank you for all you are doing, Madame Mazella. You too are fighting this war.’
A wry smile crossed the older woman’s lips. ‘I don’t think I will be getting a medal for my work though, do you?’ she said with a twinkle in her eye.
Vivi bid the madam goodbye and could still hear her chuckling as she closed the door and raced off to the address she had memorised.
36
Unfortunately for Marcus and Vivi, they didn’t get to fool Major Weissman for very long. The next day, the person who had developed the photographs happened to mention to the major the information that had been uncovered the day before.
Weissman had realised that he had not been informed and, with great concern, marched his way into Marcus’s office. This time he did not even care that Vivi was in the room.
‘Major Vonstein, I have something that I’m very concerned about. Field Marshal Rommel is telling me activities have increased all over the coast. We are almost certain that an attack from the Allies is upon us. I heard that yesterday you received critical information I have not heard about.’
‘Critical information, Major Weissmann?’
‘Apparently there were photographs taken of the Allies in the water, heading towards us. Do you have those photographs?’
Vivi looked at Marcus.
‘I can’t recall seeing anything,’ he said, trying to play for time.
‘I was concerned that would be your answer. So I think it is only right that we search your office, and if you care about the Reich, you won’t care about the intrusion.’
‘Of course not,’ snapped back Marcus. ‘I have nothing to hide. I want to get to the bottom of this as much as you