Page 69 of Fire Must Burn

‘That’s Miss Lowle,’ she said.

‘I see her,’ said Iris.

The younger woman waited for them, her expression perturbed.

‘Miss Sparks, may I have a moment of your time?’ she asked.

‘Do you need me?’ asked Mrs Bainbridge.

‘No,’ said Sparks. ‘Go on up. I’ll be with you soon.’

Mrs Bainbridge went inside. Sparks waited until the door closed, then turned to Miss Lowle.

‘What is it?’ she asked.

‘Could we walk while we speak?’ Lowle requested.

‘Fine,’ said Sparks.

Lowle no longer had the overconfident air of their previous encounters. Her face, despite the make-up, looked drawn.

‘They told me you were going to ask Tony if he’d see me,’ she began.

‘You may refer to him as Mr Danforth with me,’ said Sparks.‘Yes. I was told that last night. If I see him, I will make sure to ask him. Oh, and I had to give your name and number to the investigating detective, so expect a call from him today. Is that all?’

‘Yes. Well, no.’

‘What else?’

‘Did we do this?’ Lowle blurted out. ‘I mean, did someone from–from our side do this to him?’

‘I wouldn’t know,’ said Sparks. ‘I’m not in that particular loop.’

‘But do you think— is that the sort of thing that they would do?’ asked Miss Lowle.

‘“They”?’ echoed Sparks. ‘You’re one of them now, remember? Yes, Miss Lowle, they are fully capable of doing something like this. Or even worse. And they may call upon you to do things of a similar nature. Was this not explained to you when you joined up?’

‘Did you ever do anything like this?’ she asked.

‘What I did is classified,’ said Sparks.

‘You did do something, then,’ said Lowle. ‘How did you get through it? How did you live with it afterwards?’

‘Who says I did?’ asked Sparks.

‘Miss Sparks, please,’ said Lowle. ‘I’m asking for your advice. As someone who’s been there.’

Sparks looked at the younger woman. Lowle looked on the verge of tears. Sparks thought back to the disasters in her own career, how they had nearly destroyed her. And she had been about Lowle’s age when they happened.

‘Get through this assignment,’ she said, relenting. ‘The worst part has already happened, and it had nothing to do with you. When it’s over, take a good, hard look at what you did, and whether it was worth doing. This fight will be fought whether or not you’re going to be part of it, but you don’t have to be the one sacrificing your happiness for it. Because that’s what you’ll be doing. And if you decide it’s not worth the price, you’re still early enough in your career to take a different path.’

‘Thank you, Miss Sparks,’ said Lowle, pulling out a handkerchief and dabbing at her eyes. ‘I don’t know if I’m ready for this.’

‘No one is the first time,’ said Sparks.

‘I guess if it doesn’t work out I’ve already signed up for you to find me a husband,’ she said with a sad laugh.

‘Mr Lonsdale may still be available,’ said Sparks.