‘I can’t. Not yet.’
‘What do you mean, you can’t?’
‘I have to go to work today. There’s something I need to do.’
‘No, Nathalie. I don’t know what you have planned but I’m saying no.’ Marcel’s voice was firm. It reminded me of the first day in the forest in Brittany when I’d met him.
‘Please, Marcel, let’s not argue.’ I held his hands in mine.
‘You’re going after Kranz, aren’t you?’ he said.
I let out a sigh. ‘If I don’t, then he won’t stop. If I don’t, he will force me to give either you or my cousins up and I can’t do either of those things.’
‘I should never have got you into that hotel,’ said Marcel. ‘God, why did I do that? I put you in danger.’
‘It’s irrelevant. There’s no point wishing we could change things.’
‘I just ask one thing,’ said Marcel. ‘Please, think about your brother. Would he want you to put your own life at risk?’
A little of my resilience faltered. Edgar certainly wouldn’t want me to do this, but I couldn’t let his death be for nothing. ‘Even if I wanted to back down now, I couldn’t,’ I said eventually. ‘It’s gone too far.’
‘It hasn’t, though,’ insisted Marcel. ‘You can walk away now. I’ll make sure you’re safe. And your cousins.’
I shook my head. ‘I have to go to work. I’ve agreed to work a shift for Collette. If I don’t turn up, she’ll be in trouble.’
‘You’re just making excuses,’ said Marcel.
‘There’s something else,’ I said. ‘Kranz has papers in his briefcase. I’ve seen them before. The papers detail the movement of personnel and arms from Brittany to the rest of France and he gets an up-to-date list every week. I can get that list for you.’
Marcel gave a low whistle. ‘That information would be gold.’
‘I know. It will be the only chance I’ll get.’
‘I still don’t like it. Is there nothing I can say or do to make you change your mind?’
I shook my head. ‘I’m sorry. Please don’t be angry with me.’
Marcel kissed the top of my head. ‘I’m not angry with you. I’m just scared for you.’
‘I need you to help me later, though.’
‘Anything.’
‘After today, I need to get out of France. I also need my cousins out of France,’ I said. ‘We can travel the pipeline to northern Brittany and get a boat from there. Or if it comes to it, travel south into Spain and then safe passage to England after that.’
‘You’ve given this thought, haven’t you?’
I nodded. ‘Please, Marcel. Help me, because I’m going to do this anyway.’
‘That sounds awfully like emotional blackmail.’
‘I don’t mean to make it sound like that. I’m just being honest.’ I rested my head against his chest and could feel his heart beating. I closed my eyes and thought of our nights together. How I longed for those again.
‘Meet me under the bridge at seven-thirty this evening,’ said Marcel.
‘No. Not the bridge.’
Marcel looked at me. ‘Why?’
