Page 131 of The Stranger in Room Six

Mabel

‘Thank goodness you’re here,’ says Mabel, flinging her arms around her brother.

Harry sits down on a chair opposite her with a serious face. ‘Mabel, there’s great sensitivity around the issue of neo-Nazism at the moment. Obviously, this is abhorrent. My enemies are using my connection with you – the daughter of two Hitler sympathizers – to bring me down. Please tell me the truth. Some newspapers are claiming that you were involved with Clarissa and Jonty’s work.’

Mabel is speechless. The only person who knew about this was Belinda, and she would never tell on her.

‘Were you or were you not involved with their work?’ Harry says.

‘No,’ stammers Mabel nervously. ‘Not exactly. Well, sort of.’

Harry looks at her in a way she hasn’t seen before. ‘What do you mean?’

‘Well, when I lived with Clarissa, she wasn’t very nice to me, as I’ve already told you. But then she and the Colonel asked if I would do some “war work” with them. I presumed it was to help Britain. So I did things like put letters in envelopes and leave them in the woods …’

Mabel trails off.

‘Carry on,’ says Harry tightly.

‘I also drew that picture of the swastika that you foundas a boy. I was too embarrassed to say I had done it. At the time, I didn’t know what it meant, you see.’

Harry looks as if he has swallowed something nasty.

‘And did you really help a German spy?’

‘Clarissa just told me to flash a torch down on the beach. She said I would be helping to win the war.’

He groans. ‘Mabel, I need you to listen carefully. During the war, people made lists of people who they knew, or suspected, sided with Hitler. Many were British citizens. The plan was that after the war, they would be punished. But the local list here went missing and it’s widely believed that traitors stole it to protect themselves. My enemies have been spreading rumours that Clarissa passed this list on to you.’

Sothat’sthe list everyone’s been talking about, realizes Mabel. As if she was a traitor. That’s ridiculous.

‘Well, I can assure you that she did not.’ Mabel snorts. ‘The only things Clarissa ever gave me were books at Christmas and then her locket, but really that was only because she thought she was about to be arrested.’

‘A locket?’ says Harry, sitting forward. ‘Where is it now?’

‘I wanted to throw it away when I found out that the two of them were traitors,’ says Mabel. ‘But something inside wouldn’t let me. So I put it somewhere safe. The thing is that I can’t remember where. In fact, I’ve been looking for it myself.’

‘Really?’ says Harry.

But she can tell from his eyes that her beloved brother isn’t sure whether to believe her or not.

93

Belinda

I wait outside Mabel’s room. It’s my only hope of catching Harry Marchmont. Amazingly, there isn’t a bodyguard. I just pray that Mouse doesn’t come out of Room Six and see me.

The door opens.

‘Mr Marchmont,’ I say. ‘I help to look after your sister. She received a threatening note. It said “FASCIST TRAITORS MUST DIE. YOUR SINS WILL BE PUNISHED”.’

I’m aware that I’m babbling in my fear of not getting it all out.

‘May I see it?’ he asks.

I can’t tell him Mouse snatched it from me but I’ve prepared my story. ‘Someone stole it from me.’

He looks shocked. ‘Who?’