Ginny vibrated beside her. “I’m sorry, sir. I don’t understand.”
As slow as cold molasses, Mr. Eisen lifted his bulk off his chair and set his hands flat on his desk. “Anyone stupid enough to steal from me ain’t getting another chance.”
“Steal?” they cried as one.
“Don’t flash those eyes at me, missy. Sally here heard you talking about the missing petty cash, which is something you shouldn’t have even known about.”
Dash and Ginny exchanged a glance, horrified. “No, Mr. Eisen. We would never—”
He looked directly at Dash. “Then she found it, hidden rather poorly at your bay.”
Stunned, she stared at Sally, who was inspecting her nails, hiding a smile.
“Why, you little sneak!” Ginny took a step toward Sally.
“That’s enough.” Mr. Eisen blocked her way. “Both of you get out. Don’t come back.”
“Mr. Eisen, we would never—”
“Get out!” he roared, not blinking.
The Wrens had taught Dash not to flinch in the face of such fury, but it was difficult. Back then, it had beenYes, Chief Wren! No, Chief Wren!Standing before a man who was accusing Dot of being a thief was much more complicated, and her face burned with the effort of holding in her outrage. The rest of the garage had gone silent, and she knew they were all observing the girls’ humiliation with interest.
“Mr. Eisen, we did not steal,” Dash insisted.
“We would never steal,” Ginny said.
“Oh yeah? More than one of my guys saw you. And I trust my guys. Always have. What I don’t trust is some gussied-up grifters wasting my time and lying to me.”
“We never lied to you,” Dash said. “We never lied to anyone. Your spoiled, horrible son set us up, didn’t he?”
“Or it’s all the other fellas, leering at us, making us feel like dirt every time we walked in,” Ginny added. “We’re the best mechanics in here, but you’d never know it, how we’re treated.”
At least Mr. Eisen had the courtesy to hesitate at that. But it didn’t change his mind. With no other option, the girls turned toward the door and strode across the garage, heads held high. It was only when they were outside that they burst into tears.
nineteenDOT— Moncton, New Brunswick —
Dot and Alice stood at attention with four other Wrens in the wood-panelled office of Chief Wren Alder. Their new boss was tall and slim as the tree in her name, with a no-nonsense look about her narrow face. Dot’s old anxieties began to surface, then she reminded herself that she was no longer a student. She and Alice were now employees of special wireless station HMCS Coverdale. They were now the experts.
“After having seen the impressive results of your training,” Chief Wren Alder said, “we are pleased to have you join us at HMCS Coverdale. Here we will be utilizing your skills to end this war.”
Dot’s confidence swept back in, along with a healthy dose of anticipation.
“Before we begin, there is something of great importance that you must understand, and with which you must comply if you are to remain here.”
In her periphery, Dot saw Alice turn her head slightly, no doubt checking her reaction, but Dot refused to look over. This place could offer many opportunities to prove herself, and Dot didn’t want to jeopardize any of them. She wanted to make a good impression right away.
Chief Wren Alder walked around her desk, and her long fingers closed around a piece of paper covered in type. “At HMCS Coverdale, we are engaged in very important, top secret work.” She held up the paper then spoke deliberately to each of the girls, every syllable crystal clear. “This document is the ‘Official Secrets Act.’ To work here, each of you must swear an oath of secrecy that will remain in place for a minimum of forty years. You will be an important cog in the war machine and a potential keeper of extremely dangerous secrets. By signing this document, you swear never to speak with anyone about any part of your work. Not your family, not your boyfriend, not the girl sitting beside you. Not even me. You will play a vital role here; however, no one but you will ever know what you are doing.”
From the silence, Dot could tell the other girls were just as stunned as she.
“In case you are wondering if this is serious or not, I assure you, it is crucial. Sharing secrets, whether purposefully or accidentally, would be regarded as treason.”
Dot’s blood ran cold.Treason.
Chief Wren Alder showed no change in her expression as she hammered in the last nail. “And as I am certain you already know, treason is punishable by death.”
Now Dot glanced at Alice. She could practically hear her friend’s thoughts. They were the same as hers, she imagined. Keep secrets from her family? Never in her life had Dot considered lying to Dash or Gus or her parents or anyone else. Could she do that?
