Ellen shrugged. “As I said, she was always a little reckless. A free spirit who could be unpredictable. I believe they were afraid she’d get restless and engage in a little espionage on her own. She still had many contacts within Russian organizations, as well as a few others, from her work with Peters.”
“Surely they didn’t think she’d turn traitor at that point?”
“They shouldn’t have, but they did.” Ellen smiled grimly. “As if Isabella would’ve ever betrayed her county. Despite her sometimes wild behavior, she was a true patriot. The truest I’ve ever known, if I’m honest.”
“It does sound like she was willing to sacrifice a great deal.”
“And she did. No one can understand the constant anxiety and pressure one is under unless they’ve lived it.” Ellen wiped the back of her hand across her forehead, as if the memory still pained her. “But anyway, I was more than happy to accept a deal that only required me to keep tabs on Isabella and report back to my superiors periodically. Knowing Isabella, I knew I’d never need to do more.”
I stood, shaking out one leg that had fallen asleep before I dared to take a step. “Thank you for sharing all this. I assume you want me to keep it to myself?”
“If you don’t mind. It’s all ancient history now, but I think it best if your family and others retain their current memories of Isabella. Besides”—Ellen grinned—“I might get kicked out of the garden club if they knew the truth about my past.”
“I doubt that, but I promise to stay silent.” I crossed to face her as she rose to her feet. “Whydidyou tell me, by the way?”
She met my stare without blinking. “Because I was afraid you’d dig up too much, or too little, and make the wrong assumptions. Knowing how determined you are, I thought you might stumble onto part of the story and draw the wrong conclusions. I didn’t want you to suspect Isabella of betraying our country. She doesn’t deserve that. If nothing else, she deserves your respect. So I decided I’d rather you know the truth.”
“Thanks.” I looked her over, noting the weariness tugging down the corners of her lips. “I guess you’ve been carrying this around for some time.”
“I have. It’s a relief to share it, I admit.” Ellen glanced over my shoulder. “Ah, hello, Alicia. How are you today?”
“Just fine, thanks,” Alicia called out from the hall. “Sorry to interrupt, but if we plan to hold that cocktail party tonight, you’d better get a move on, Charlotte.”
I slapped my forehead. “Darn, how could I forget? Sorry, Alicia, I’ll be with you in a minute.”
Alicia waved her hand over her head and muttered something as she walked off down the hall.
I glanced at Ellen. “We’re holding one of the week’s planned events tonight. Just a little cocktail party outside on the patio. Some of the guests said they’d attend, despite everything, and I thought it might be a good time to …”
“Play detective?”
“Yes. Speaking of that, you’re welcome to attend. It would be an opportunity to continue our investigation, especially now that I know you possess a very particular skill set.”
“I’d like that,” Ellen said.
“Good, and mark Saturday evening down on your calendar too. That’s the final event for the week—another discussion of Josephine Tey and her books.”
“All right, I’ll attend both. Especially since I’m worried you might need backup.”
“And who better?” I held up my hands as Ellen made a tutting noise. “Seems that you were trained for stuff like this.”
“I was, although I’m afraid I’m a bit out of practice. But I’ll do my best.”
“Six o’clock tonight. Seven on Saturday.” I gave Ellen a mock salute. “Until then, comrade.”
She touched her forehead with one finger. “Prepare the barricades,mon amie. We shall fight to reveal the truth. Which is always a heroic goal.”
I shot her a sharp look. “Those are odd words coming from someone who’s had to hide so much of it.”
Ellen laid one hand on my forearm. “That’s how I know.”
Chapter Twenty-Five
As the cocktail party got under way, I stumbled across Julie commiserating with Alicia.
“Yeah, they’ve questioned me a couple more times too,” Julie said, glancing over as I entered the kitchen.
Alicia, at the sink, had her back to me. “If you ask me, it could just as easily have been Charlotte as either of us.”
