Page 28 of The Lost Story of Sofia Castello

27

LISBON, 1941

The second single I released was a jazzy little number called ‘This Doll’, which Emilio and I came up with when we were fooling around in the studio one night. Emilio felt we should do something fun and light-hearted to give people something to smile about, so in the song I eviscerate a man for trying to play with my heart and underestimating my wit and intelligence. I used Bing for inspiration – which made it all the more infuriating when, after my death, he claimed he’d been the inspiration for ‘Ocean Longing’. I mean, as if!

‘This Doll’ came out at the end of 1940, and Emilio had called it perfectly. People clearly did need something to make them smile, and it was an instant hit in Portugal. By the new year, it was also a hit in Britain. It turned out that the Brits loved my tongue-in-cheek humour, and as soon as the record started being played on the BBC airwaves – courtesy of Alexandre’s contacts in London – people began singing it around the pianos in pubs. Some of my original fans were a little offended that the ‘Voice of Portugal’ should now be singing in English and accused me of selling out in order to become famous, but I didn’t care. I knew the real, deeper reason for my ambition – the more famous I became, the more I could be in a position to help the Allies, not to mention Judith and others like her.

In February, I was invited to Estoril, a town in Cascais on the Portuguese Riviera – to sing at the swanky five-star Hotel Palácio. Alexandre had booked me a room for the night. Although I tried really hard to keep my feet on the ground throughout my growing fame, the moment I arrived and was whisked in through the grand revolving door, I have to confess I felt a little light-headed. How had a humble girl from Ovar ended up staying at a hotel that regularly hosted the great and the good, including members of royalty? Only a couple of years previously, I’d been walking around Lisbon barefoot with a basket of fish on my head! Once the porter had shown me to my room, I threw myself onto the sumptuous bed and began laughing my head off.

‘Can you believe it, Mama?’ I cried, gazing up at the ornate coving on the ceiling.

Of course I can, my darling , I imagined her whispering. And you deserve it more than most because you will appreciate every second of it . It was in moments like this that I truly believed I was communing with my mother’s spirit, as only she was capable of such wisdom and she stopped me from getting too carried away with myself.

I was just putting the final touches to my make-up, ready for my performance, when there was a rap on the door. The hotel was so fancy it even had one of those new-fangled spyholes, so you could check who was calling before letting them in. I peered through the fish-eyed glass and saw Emilio, glancing anxiously up and down the corridor.

‘Everything OK?’ I asked as I opened the door.

‘I need to talk to you,’ he said quietly as he walked in. His expression was deadly serious. ‘I have a job for you, for the Allies. Here tonight.’

A shiver ran up my spine. Ever since he’d asked me if I’d like to help, I’d been on tenterhooks, waiting for my first assignment. ‘What is it?’

He took two cigarettes from his pack and handed one to me. ‘This place is a hotbed of spies,’ he said before lighting them. ‘They’re mostly allies, but there are some Germans too.’

I took a deep inhale, trying to stay calm.

‘And we think there might be one who is working for both sides.’ It was strange seeing the normally laidback Emilio look so tense, and it really brought home the gravity of the situation.

‘A double agent?’ I felt a wave of disgust. To my mind, there was nothing worse.

‘Yup. He’s from England and meant to be working for the Allies, but we think he might have been turned by the Nazis.’ He sighed out a thick plume of smoke. ‘Sadly, the Germans have more than a few fans in Britain even in the highest sections of society. Even amongst royalty.’

‘Royalty?’

Emilio nodded grimly. ‘Why do you think Churchill whisked Edward and his American wife off to the Bahamas? Rumour has it the Nazis were planning on making him their puppet king if they managed to take Britain.’

‘Shit.’ I’d been under the impression that I was well informed due to my avid reading of the newspapers, but clearly I still had a lot to learn.

‘Exactly. The man we’d like you to meet is called James Sinclair. He’s six feet tall with blue eyes and auburn hair. He’s known to the Germans as Teeblatt, meaning Tealeaf, which I’m guessing is a reference to the British love of tea. He’s also a known ladies’ man. After you’ve done your set, we want you to mingle in the hotel bar.’ Emilio gave a wry smile. ‘He’s bound to be in there as he’s also known for his fondness for liquor. And you’re sure to be the belle of the ball, so I’m certain he’ll want to get to know you. Who knows? He might even invite you to have a nightcap with him.’

I frowned. ‘Exactly how friendly do you want me to get with this potential traitor to king and country?’

Emilio instantly looked concerned. ‘I’m not suggesting you do anything that makes you uncomfortable; we’d just like you to keep an eye on him. See if he talks to anyone suspicious, or if he looks like he could be passing a message to anyone. And, of course, if you did gain access to his room, you might be able to have a snoop around.’

‘Right.’ I sat down at my dressing table and gazed at my reflection. I looked a whole lot paler than before. I’d been so eager to do my bit to help I hadn’t quite realised the enormity of what I’d signed up for.

‘If anyone has the balls to pull this off, it’s you, Castello,’ Emilio said, coming to stand behind me.

I met his gaze in the reflection and glared. ‘Save the flattery for someone dumb enough to fall for it.’

He burst out laughing. ‘That’s the spirit!’ His smile faded and he placed his hand on my shoulder. His thick gold wedding band glinted in the lamplight. ‘Seriously, though, if you do well tonight and blow his cover, it would be a huge help for the British secret service and it could lead to other opportunities.’

I nodded.

‘But only if you want to.’ He gave my shoulder a squeeze. ‘I meant what I said. I don’t want you doing anything you’re not comfortable with. If he is Teeblatt, then he could be a very dangerous customer.’ He met my gaze in the mirror. ‘I don’t want you putting yourself at risk, Castello; you’re one of my favourite recording artists.’

‘Hmm, I bet you say that to all the girls you record with.’

He laughed. ‘No, actually, I don’t.’

There was a beat of silence and something passed between us. Something extremely awkward given the wedding ring on his finger.

I looked away. Now was not the time to be thinking about Emilio’s marital status. Now I had to focus all my thoughts on Judith and doing everything I could to help her and other poor souls like her. That was the reason why’d I’d volunteered for this in the first place.

‘I’m in,’ I said through gritted teeth.