The Oslo Affair (Shadows of War, #2) by CW Browning (best non fiction books to read txt) 📕

path of the tram car. A few minutes later, he emerged onto Thomas Heftyes Gate, a road that had the honor of hosting several different foreign powers, of which the British Embassy was one. He looked at his watch again and crossed the road to the opposite side of the embassy. It was coming up for the dinner hour and soon many of the staff would be departing for the day. His own embassy was a few blocks away, closer to the water, and he’d spent most of his morning there. He had gone out to stretch his legs after lunch and had no intention of returning that day. He had other business to attend to.

After looking over his shoulder to make sure no one was behind him, the man moved into the shadows of the fence that surrounded the Finnish Embassy. He quickened his pace and strode to the end of the block where a side street intersected the road. A moment later, he disappeared around the corner. After going a few feet, he crossed the street and went into the garden of a large, private residence. The house was a sprawling three-story affair surrounded by heavily landscaped gardens and trees.

After pausing behind an ancient, thick-trunked tree, the man cast a look around and moved to his left, staying along the outer perimeter of the property. Completely concealed from the street by the trees, he moved freely to the corner of the garden before turning to move along the far side. After another few moments, he came to a stop and cast another look around. Finding himself completely alone, he moved forward until he had a clear view of the British Embassy across the street.

Checking his watch yet again, he settled in to wait.

Evelyn nodded in thanks to the young man holding the door open for her and walked into a small but cheerful office. A man rose from behind a cluttered desk and came around with a smile, holding out his hand.

“Miss Richardson? I’m Daniel Carew. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance!”

“Hello!” She took the offered hand. “Thank you for seeing me without an appointment,” she added for the benefit of the assistant who had escorted her through the labyrinth corridors.

“Not a’tall! Not a’tall!” Daniel motioned her to a comfortable leather seat across from his desk. “May I offer you some tea?”

“No thank you. I won’t stay long. I know you’re a busy man. I don’t want to take up too much of your time.”

Daniel nodded a dismissal to the young man and he withdrew, closing the door silently. Once he was gone, Daniel turned his attention to Evelyn, eyeing her curiously.

“So you’re Bill’s newest recruit,” he said, going back to the seat behind his desk. “How was the trip here? Not too unpleasant, I hope?”

“No,” Evelyn said, setting her purse on the chair next to her. “We hit some rough weather, but in all it was an uneventful crossing.”

“And how are you finding Oslo?”

She gave a short laugh. “Very different,” she admitted. “And very cold.”

That drew a laugh from him and he sat back in his chair.

“The cold takes some getting used to,” he said. “You’ll just start to adjust and it will be time for you to leave again. Did you find the boarding house all right? Are you all settled in?”

“I did, thank you. The Kolstad’s are very kind.”

He nodded. “We send quite a bit of business their way, with one thing and another. A word of warning, though: they rent rooms to a number of people from various backgrounds. Don’t get too comfortable, and for God’s sake don’t talk freely to anyone. I wouldn’t trust most of their boarders as far as I could throw them.”

Evelyn nodded. “I’ll remember that.”

“Now that’s not to say you can’t trust them,” Daniel continued. “Else and Josef are firmly in our camp, but they do rent rooms to those who are not. If you run into trouble, have no hesitation in reaching out to them for help. They’ll assist you in any way they can.”

“Even Josef?” Evelyn asked with a grin.

Daniel chuckled.

“Don’t let his bark frighten you. He’s as reliable as they come.” He sat forward and opened the top drawer of his desk, pulling out a long envelope. “Now then, I know Bill gave you press credentials and identification before you left. I have some additional temporary passes here. They will allow you access to some of the press spots here in Oslo that are reserved for foreign correspondents. Something I think you should be aware of is that there are several German correspondents here. There’s a conference at one of the firms in the city and, as a result, there are quite a few scientists that have come from around Europe. Several of them are from Berlin, and so we also have an increased presence from the Goebbels Propaganda Ministry. I understand you speak German?”

“Yes.”

“Good. You’ll want to go where you are in the best position to overhear what you can. These will place you there.” He passed the envelope across the desk to her. “As far as any of them will be concerned, you are just another face in the constantly rotating carousel of foreign journalists. Your appearance will help you. All the newspapermen love an attractive young woman.”

“But I’m not here to mix with the Germans,” she objected, taking the envelope. “I’m here to—”

“Yes, yes, I know.” Daniel sat back again and waved her budding concerns away. “And I shall pass on your arrival to Comrade Shustov. Until he makes contact, though, why not see what you can pick up from the foreign correspondents? It certainly won’t hurt.”

Evelyn nodded slowly. He was right. If she was able to glean any information from the Germans, it could only help.

“How long do you think it will be before Shustov makes contact?”

He shrugged. “I have not the faintest idea. It could be tomorrow; it could be next week. I think we’re all hoping