Page 39 of Midnight on the Scottish Shore

39

Dunnet Head Monday, April 6, 1942

Sitting at her Abwehr wireless transmitter and receiver set in the top apartment of the lighthouse, Cilla transcribed Kraus’s message. Gwen sat yawning in the armchair by the bookcase. The Wren no longer needed to monitor every dit and dah Cilla sent and received, but she was still in charge of the crystal.

If only the message weren’t enciphered, so Cilla could read it as she transcribed. In Saturday night’s message, Kraus hadn’t mentioned the message Jericho sent on Friday after meeting Neil. His silence concerned Cilla far more than if he’d fired a series of pointed questions.

Kraus signed off. Cilla removed her headphones and plugged in her Morse key. She flipped in her notepad to the message she’d enciphered, and she transmitted the news of Jericho’s arrest. Yardley had obtained the information released by the Thurso police to the Caithness Courier so her details would match any newspaper articles.

Cilla stated that, although sad that he’d been arrested, she was relieved she wouldn’t have to work with a man so indiscreet and so heedless of procedure. She prayed he wouldn’t disclose anything about her under torture.

Yardley had wanted to strike that sentence since MI5 didn’t torture prisoners, but Cilla argued she wouldn’t know that unless she’d been captured by MI5 herself. The Abwehr had told Cilla that MI5 practiced torture—and why wouldn’t a nation that practiced torture frequently and artfully not suspect their enemies of doing likewise? How was Cilla to know the truth?

The commander had relented.

When Cilla finished transmitting, Gwen removed the crystal and yawned. “I’m going to bed.”

Cilla’s eyes burned with fatigue, but she pulled out her cipher disc. “I’m not. I want to decipher Kraus’s message. I won’t be able to sleep until I know what he said.”

Gwen frowned at the random letters on Cilla’s notepad. “I admit, I’m curious as well.”

“You’re welcome to keep me company.” Cilla smiled. Their relationship was thawing again, thank goodness. Gwen’s sweet nature reminded her of her cousin Aleida.

Gwen returned to her chair and tugged her navy-blue skirt over her knees.

After Cilla set her cipher disc for the day’s setting, she went to work. Words took form, and dread took hold.

“This is how he starts. ‘We are concerned that Jericho missed the rendezvous, but he knows where to find you.’” Cilla puffed her cheeks full of air. “Is he reassuring me or threatening me?”

Gwen wrinkled her nose. “It’s rather nebulous.”

“I know.” Cilla deciphered some more. “Once again, he doesn’t mention Jericho’s message on Friday night, but we know Jericho sent it.”

Gwen shrugged. “Maybe Kraus didn’t receive it.”

Or maybe he did receive it—and believed it. Believed Cilla had turned. He also didn’t address the explanations Cilla and Lachlan had worked out on Saturday night.

With a shiver, she returned to her cipher disc. “He says reconnaissance noticed a large number of unfamiliar ships at Scapa Flow, and he wants details. Those must be the American ships. Lachlan won’t want us to tell the Germans about them.”

“The Admiralty may want Germany to know about rising Allied strength. MI5 will decide that, not Lachlan.”

If only MI5 would listen to Lachlan’s concerns. Cilla deciphered another section. “Jericho has orders to sabotage a major warship at Scapa, but if he doesn’t contact me, I must postpone the operation.”

“Postpone? Why? Does he want to send another agent to help you?”

“I hope not. I must convince him that Fergus and his friends can help me. We have the explosives and know how to use them. We don’t need to postpone, and we don’t need another agent.”

Gwen let out a long sigh. “Certainly not.”

Cilla’s pen scratched the notepad, and a chill raced up her fingertips and into her heart. She leaned back and lifted the notepad with trembling hands. “Oh no. He says, ‘We appreciate the information you’ve sent and the work you’ve done. With our plans to commit more sabotage and provoke an insurrection, you’ll need more training. You’re hereby ordered to report to Lisbon as soon as can be arranged. Further instructions coming.’”

“Lisbon?” Gwen clapped a hand to her mouth. “Oh no.”

“They know—they know I’m compromised.” Cilla’s voice rose and shook. “They want to take me to Germany for interrogation. I can’t—I can’t go to Lisbon.”

“Don’t worry.” In the light from the paraffin lamp, Gwen’s light brown eyes glowed in a soothing manner. “Yardley would never allow you to go. He wouldn’t let anything happen to you.”

Yardley wouldn’t take any chances that Cilla might divulge information about MI5 under torture. The notepad thudded to the table, and Cilla pressed her hands to her cheeks. “If I disobey Kraus’s order and don’t go to Lisbon, he’ll have even more reason to suspect me.”

“Then we simply must convince him you’re loyal. By committing sabotage. That will prove you’re an excellent agent and can be trusted.”

“Yes.” Everything sorted in her mind. “I’ll tell him the plans are proceeding so quickly, I couldn’t possibly leave now.”

“And it isn’t easy to go to Lisbon. You’d need a permit, and it’s expensive to travel.”

“I don’t have the funds. That’s the end of it.” Cilla forced a triumphant smile. Not only was returning to Germany unacceptably dangerous, she couldn’t bear to leave Scotland. To leave Lachlan.