Page 31 of A Song in the Dark
Tears streamed down her face, and it took her a moment to gather her thoughts and calm the quivering in her chin. Words wouldn’t come, so she nodded. And just like that, the peace she’d been so desperate for the past two days rolled back into her heart.
“Can we talk about it?” He cleared his throat, and the couch lowered next to her.
His presence beside her was like a warm hug. She swiped at her cheeks. “What would you like to talk about?”
“Well ... now that you know I overheard you in the car, would you like to tell me more about your plans? I know it’s not just to play concerts around Europe. That you have contacts and want to help people. There’s something brewing in that brilliant mind of yours. I can almost see it.”
A hand covered hers from the other side. Melanie. She squeezed and held on.
Might as well start at the beginning. “In all actuality, it did indeed start off as just a European tour. I’d thought to bring hope and music into people’s lives and unify them in the bond of humanity and the struggle everyone has faced after the Great War.
” Chaisley swallowed. What had sounded so noble before the tour now sounded hollow in comparison to what people were suffering.
Melanie squeezed her hand again.
Chaisley put her other hand to her chest. “Before we left England, I felt this weight on my very soul. As if God was calling me to something bigger than myself. I had no idea what it was. Dr. Grafton said he had the same feeling, Melanie as well. When we made it to Amsterdam, Grandmother shared with us some of the awful things that are happening and that she too was being called to help. She didn’t tell us the details at the time because she was trying to protect us, but I have a feeling I know what it is.
” She swallowed hard. Though proud of her grandmother for taking a stand and doing something, she also understood the consequences.
She blinked and the darkness that had become her constant companion pressed in on her. This was no time to falter. “Now that I know what Hitler is doing to those who are disabled, and what else he plans, I have to do something about it.”
A rush of air escaped her friend beside her. “That’s why you gave that interview and told him outright what happened and that you are blind.” She squeezed her hand again.
“Yes.” She lifted her chin toward the man she longed to trust. “Rick, I don’t give interviews.
Never have. I’ve also never told anyone but those closest to me that I am blind.
I felt like I was supposed to do the interview and use whatever standing I have to show the world how valuable a blind person can be.
We’re building a network to help people.
That’s another reason I’ve added more universities and schools to the schedule.
Somehow, we need to let people know we are willing to help without showing our hand to the Nazis. ”
“That’s wise.” Rick’s voice was soft. “I want to help in whatever way I can while I’m with you.”
Oh. That made sense, didn’t it? He would have to leave at some point.
She bit the inside of her cheek against the sudden swell of sadness.
To think there would be a day when he wouldn’t be her driver .
.. “But what are you here to do? Why is a spy working as a pianist’s driver?
” She needed answers now. Before they went any further.
“My job has always been to gather information. From whomever and wherever I can. But our informants were disappearing rapidly in Germany. There were only a handful of us agents left working in Europe. The Gestapo hunted us down and tortured people to get information. I was sent to Amsterdam to take a new position.”
“Ah. For me.”
“Yes. I didn’t know who I would be assigned to. My superior hasn’t been in contact, so I don’t even know if he is still there. But the goal is the same. Chaisley, Melanie—we are on the same side. I don’t believe it a coincidence that God brought us together.”
“Do you trust us, Rick?” Melanie asked the question, her hand stiff in Chaisley’s.
“I do.”
Forthright. Solid. He sounded honest.
“And you are willing to put your life in our hands and hold our lives in yours?” she prodded.
“I am.”
Melanie squeezed Chaisley’s hand twice.
Chaisley leaned forward. “Then let there be no more secrets between us. I can’t abide you keeping anything from us.
I’ve detected from the beginning that you were hiding something.
Now that you’ve told us, I need that honest connection.
If I think you are not being truthful with me in the slightest—I won’t be able to trust you and that would be disastrous. ”
“Agreed,” Rick chimed in. “I vow to you right now that I will be honest with you. No more secrets.”
“And we vow the same. Right, Melanie?”
“Right.” Melanie released her hand. “So how many languages do you actually speak, Rick?”
“Fluently?”
“Yes.” She tapped the seat of the couch.
“Seven.”
“Well, Chaisley’s got you beat. I believe she’s up to eight now.” Melanie’s light laugh helped break up the seriousness of their discussion.
“You should tell us which languages you speak so we can compare.” Chaisley pursed her lips.
“I guess it’s only fair that I start, since we asked the question.
I speak English, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Spanish, Hungarian, and Russian .
.. oh, and if you want to count it, I’m fluent in braille. ”
“Me too!” Melanie’s tone was much more relaxed. “Although I only speak Dutch, German, French, and English.”
“Add Romanian to my list, and subtract Russian and Hungarian. Maybe I should have you teach me braille—that sounds like a brilliant way to send coded messages.”
His voice was more relaxed than she’d ever heard it.
“Why on earth are we still speaking in Dutch?” Melanie laughed. “It takes a lot of effort to keep my accent up.”
“Agreed.” Chaisley switched to English and patted her friend’s back. “But you do it quite well, I must say.”
“You both do. It’s impeccable.” Rick’s deep baritone washed over her. “I agree, English between us is much easier. Until we have need of a code.”
“Funny that you should mention codes.” She scrunched up her nose and chuckled. “We have something to teach you.”
Toulouse, France—Monday, June 20, 1938
The cool evening air outside the concert hall was a nice respite to the heat of the day. Rick paced the walkway and kept himself on the lookout for anyone suspicious while keeping a close eye on Chaisley and Melanie.
The past twelve days hadn’t given Rick any time to breathe, much less get time alone with Chaisley to try and fix what he’d broken.
Their last conversation had made great strides in the right direction, but it wasn’t enough.
They weren’t in the same place anymore. More than anything, he longed to repair their relationship.
It had taken her telling him to go for him to come to his senses. He couldn’t imagine life without her.
But how was he supposed to move forward?
Granted, the past two weeks had been fruitful as they’d connected with Dr. Grafton’s contacts across France and helped build a network of people willing to help house and transport people escaping Hitler.
The wealthy family they’d helped leave Austria had given them a great deal of money to assist in funding their rescue efforts, and Dr. Grafton’s contacts were some of the most remarkable people Rick had ever met.
If he didn’t work for the SIS and have a job driving Chaisley, he’d march into the fire with those people.
It was a beautiful thing to see passion to stand up to the growing evil ignited.
If only more people were willing to rise up. So many cowered under fear—and he couldn’t blame them one bit. It wasn’t easy to simply survive right now.
But God was paving the way for them to continue in their rescue efforts, and it truly was miraculous to watch.
Rick couldn’t change millions of minds overnight, but he could help reach one person at a time.
So far their little band of three had communicated with contacts by telephone or letter.
They kept the messages light, using flowers as their code words.
This helped them know how many people would be traveling or needing shelter.
Any detailed communication went to Dr. Grafton in braille, which meant Chaisley handled all of that.
A few of Dr. Grafton’s contacts wrote in braille when they needed to share details—but not regular braille.
Each paragraph alternated between original braille with dashes, New York Point, and Boston Line Letter.
Code words were also inserted into the text.
It had worked well so far, and Rick had to dive into his crash course of braille headfirst to help out.
Musical braille was a complete mystery to him since he didn’t understand musical scores, but he was willing to learn.
It had been decided that any communications into or out of Germany would be done in Chaisley’s detailed musical code. And that correspondence would remain between her, her guardian, and her grandmother.
Should a Nazi spy ever suspect any of their communications, the Nazis would do their best to decode them. Since Chaisley’s grandmother already suspected her mail from Germany had been read, they were on high alert.
At least while they’d been in France, Rick and the two ladies hadn’t seen any tampering with their letters. Everything they’d sent out had made it to the destinations. For now.
But deep in his bones, he could feel the time was coming when that wouldn’t be the case.
Word had trickled to him from his own headquarters and encouraged him.
The cease in communications had been lifted.
They’d found two moles. One in Germany and one in London.
Now that they were gone, things should improve.
Even if just marginally. More officers and agents were being trained daily. That was a good sign.