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19

Cadence

1942

I felt a little dizzy standing there in the hot sun with Major Gilbert. “Jeffers went to the boathouse? Just now ?”

“Right before I came up here. Whatever is the matter?”

I wanted to run at breakneck speed for the boathouse, since Jeffers could’ve already found Peter, but instead I walked off in that direction. “I’ll go make sure he finds it.”

“Happy to lend a hand,” the major said.

“ No. ”

He took a step back. “Well, then. Simply offering a spot of help.”

Did he have to choose that moment to suddenly become a human being?

“Thank you. But I just want to make sure he gets that anchor quickly. Don’t want the boat drifting off.”

“Of course. I’ll leave you to it. But I was thinking: That tour your grandmother mentioned. Would you still be willing to give it a go?”

“Sure,” I said.

“Good, then. I’ll pop by sometime.”

“Call first. Our life is a little…It’s best to call.”

“Of course. Well. Good, then.”

“You’d better get back down to your men. I’ll have Jeffers bring the anchor over.”

I ran down the path, my abrupt manner seemingly piquing the major’s interest.

He called after me. “I’ll get that tour on the schedule.”

Once out of sight of Major Gilbert, I dashed to the boathouse and made it to the doorway. Through an opening in the window curtains, I saw Peter inside on the sofa, wearing one of Tom’s shirts, sound asleep, just as a soldier came up from the beach.

“Hello there,” I said, hands on my knees, gulping air. “Jeffers?”

“Yes, ma’am. Come for some sort of anchor to secure the boat down at the beach. Tide’s coming in.”

“So I heard. How did you find this place? It’s so overgrown.”

“Major said I should come over this way, and I followed orders, ma’am. I’ll just get the anchor.” He started toward the boathouse door.

I blocked his path. “No. I’ll get it. It’s hard to find in there, with all the mess.”

“Oh, that’s not a problem for me, ma’am. I grew up around boats. On a lake back home. Idaho may be landlocked, but the lakes are beautiful.”

“Let me grab the anchor, Private. I’ll be right out.”

As I stepped inside the boathouse, I closed the curtains as best I could, then shut the door behind me. I gently smoothed a blanket over Peter, willing him to stay asleep. I pulled the sand anchor from the wall, held it by the rope attached to one end, and walked back past the sleeping German and out the door.

“Here it is,” I said, handing Jeffers the rope.

“In Idaho we don’t use anchors much, just toss a line at the dock. No tides, you see. Makes it so much easier.”

I glanced through the gap in the curtains, at the German rousing and pushing off the blanket.

“Rumor has it your grandmother will make a pie from a fellow’s home state if he asks.”

I nudged Private Jeffers along the path. “Sign your name and the town you come from in the book at the farm stand at the head of the road.”

He smiled. “That sure is kind of her. And they say New Englanders are not so nice.”

“You’d better hurry, before the tide is in. And please don’t come back here to the boathouse. The building is unstable, and I’d hate for you to get hurt.”

“Wouldn’t get my chance to serve,” he said over his shoulder, still smiling.

Private Jeffers made his way down the path to the beach, anchor in one hand, waving back at me as he went. In the distance I could hear the men around the bend at Salt Cove going through their paces. What was to stop more of them from wandering over—even Major Gilbert himself? What if Peter woke and spoke in German? The longer we kept him, the harder it would be to say he’d just washed up here. And if caught, the German would certainly be honest about how long we’d harbored him.

I went back to the boathouse and found him asleep again, open-mouthed and softly snoring. He didn’t seem a sinister sort, and if Tom were in that situation, I’d hope some German women would take pity on him. But we had to be realistic, too.

Briar came into the boathouse with a grave look on her face. Bad news from Captain McManus, no doubt.

“Gram’s on her way down,” she said. “Bess, too.”

“Did you see Major Gilbert?” I asked.

“He went back to the beach.”

Gram and Bess joined us.

“What did McManus say?” I asked.

“There’s no chance of defection,” Briar said, her eyes dark. “They would take Peter to Washington for probable execution, just like the Operation Pastorius men.”

“Surely there would be a trial,” Gram said. “They’d know he’s innocent.”

“A quick trial, behind closed doors.” Briar checked to make sure the German was still sleeping and lowered her voice. “Then it would be the electric chair for him.”

“Don’t be so dramatic,” I said.

“That’s what the others got,” Bess said.

The German roused and then settled back into sleep.

“I’m sorry, Briar,” I said, keeping my voice low. “I know he’s probably a good person, and under different circumstances I’d say we should try to help him, but we didn’t ask for him to arrive at our doorstep. And one of Major Gilbert’s men almost saw him. Can you imagine?”

“I know.” Briar shared a bleak glance with Bess.

“How do you suggest we do it?” Gram asked.

“Probably best to call McManus and have him come over,” Briar said.

“Well, let’s do it,” I said.

Briar gave me her there’s-another-feral-cat-you-need-to-buy-a-can-of-cat-food-for look. “McManus also said that the island will never be the same if word gets out. People will panic. No one will summer here.”

“Well, that’s not our problem,” I said. “I’m sure Tom would agree.”

Bess shook her head. “Of all people, Tom would want Peter to get back to his family. His dear child.”

“They’ll probably give Tom a dishonorable discharge just for being in the same family as us,” Briar said.

“Tom wouldn’t want Peter to die. He grew up in this country, for goodness’ sake.”

I turned to Gram. “If he’s found here, we’ll all go to jail. We need to be together on this.”

Gram nodded. “I hate to say it, but I suppose it’s best.”

Bess turned away, arms folded across her chest. “You talk about the Christian thing to do.”

“I’m sorry, Bess, but I can’t risk you all being arrested. I’ll call.” Gram glanced at Peter. “I hate to do it, though. He’s a good man.”

The German stirred, and Briar sat next to him on the sofa. “You seem to be feeling better.”

“Yes,” he said. “I’m happy to help with farmwork.”

“I’m afraid the minute you open your mouth, people will know who you really are.”

“I can speak in a very believable Midwestern accent. I used to entertain my friends at school with it.”

Briar shook her head. “I’m sorry to tell you this, but I’m afraid we’re going to have to turn you in. To a friend of mine. In the FBI.”

“To help me defect?” he asked.

I stuffed down the guilt. He seemed so innocent.

“You can request it,” Briar said. “But I’m not sure it will be granted.”

“I see.” He looked down at his hands. “Can I call my grandmother? It’s a long-distance call, but I can have her send you the payment for it later. I would like to hear my daughter’s voice just once.”

“I’m afraid we don’t want to risk the operator hearing that call,” I said. “They can be nosy here, listening in.”

“Once Gram makes the call, they’ll come very quickly,” Briar said to him.

Gram set off for the door.

“Please wait,” the German called to her. “Before you do that, I have one more thing to tell you. It may change your decision.”