“I believe that to be the case, at least as far as Josephine is concerned.” Evelyn looked at Bill. “You would know better than me. I’ve only met her twice. You’ve seen the intelligence she’s been gathering for the past two years.”
“Yes, and I agree that she falls into the category of both reliable and stable,” he agreed with a nod. “Her information has always been verified as correct by independent sources. This last lot was confirmed by an agent in Poland that she couldn’t possibly have any knowledge of or association with.”
“Good!” Jasper’s countenance lightened somewhat. “That’s what I want to hear. Do we have many more like her in France?”
Bill nodded.
“I have about four others, but they all report to the DB,” he said. “It was the only way I could set up the extensive network that I did before the war began.”
Evelyn was silent as they talked, her mind going to Nicolas and Gisele. This was the perfect opportunity to mention them, but she hesitated to do so. While she had no doubt that her cousins would be perfect agents, she was reluctant to drag them into this world of hers unless it became clear that France was going to fall. The danger was too real, and the cost too high to subject them to it unless it became absolutely necessary.
“It’s a start, at least.” Jasper turned his attention back to Evelyn. “I understand you’ve been learning Norwegian and Swedish.”
“It seemed appropriate after November,” she said with a sheepish smile. “While my translator was lovely, it wasn’t ideal being unable to understand the language.”
“I agree. How is it coming?”
“I’m fluent in both now.”
He blinked and stared at her in astonishment. “Pardon?”
Bill was betrayed into a low chuckle.
“Welcome to the linguistic mystery of Miss Evelyn Ainsworth,” he said, his eyes dancing. “I think we all gave up trying to comprehend how she does it a long time ago.”
“You’re completely fluent?” Jasper repeated.
She nodded. “Yes. My accent could use some work, but if I’m not trying to pass myself off as a Norwegian, it is acceptable.”
“And if you were passing yourself off as French? Or German?”
“More than sufficient.”
Jasper sat back in his chair and shook his head, a reluctant smile crossing his face.
“Is there anything else I should know? Have you gone and mastered Swahili as well?”
She laughed. “Not yet.”
“I do enjoy how she says yet,” Jasper said to Bill with a grin. “How’s the Japanese coming?”
“I’m still working on that. I haven’t had very much time to devote to it. Norwegian and Swedish seemed to be the more pressing need.”
“Agreed, especially now.” Jasper nodded. “You’re going back to Norway, I’m afraid.”
Evelyn raised her eyebrows in surprise. “Sir?”
“It’s why I called you here today.” He got up and went over to a tall filing cabinet against the wall, pulling out a key from his waistcoat pocket. He unlocked a drawer and pulled a file out. “I know Bill usually takes care of these briefings, but this one is a bit sensitive. And there are some aspects with which he is not at all familiar with at the moment. He’s being briefed as well as you. Some of this was just finalized this morning, as a matter of fact.”
He turned from the cabinet and returned to his seat, setting the folder down on his desk.
“I’ve decided to send you back to Oslo because, to be frank, you’re the only agent that Daniel Carew has anything good to say about,” he said, glancing up. “You made quite an impression in November, and I’m told you made solid contacts in the city.”
“I only made one that I’m aware of,” Evelyn said. “He said I made more than one?”
Jasper smiled faintly. “Perhaps you were unaware that the Kolstads are considered agents?”
“The landlords? I knew they were aware of my activities to some extent, but Carew specifically warned me that they lend rooms to agents of other countries as well.”
“Yes they do, under our advisement.” He flipped open the folder. “They keep a close eye on the activity that occurs in Oslo, both ours and others. That activity has increased substantially over the past few months.”
“Isn’t that to be expected?” she asked. “They’re a neutral country. As such, they’re bound to attract everyone. It’s safer to conduct business there than in, say, Finland at the moment.”
Jasper glanced up sharply. “Speaking of Finland, I have some news about your source there. Niva.”
“Oh yes? How is he?”
“We believe he’s dead.” He sat back. “He never returned to Turku after your meeting with him in Sweden.”
Evelyn stared at him, feeling the blood drain from her face. “What?”
He nodded soberly. “He seems to have disappeared. However, and this came from a not very reliable source, someone matching his description was seen being helped onto a ship in Stockholm. He was accompanied by two men, believed to be Soviet NKVD.”
“But...no one knew he was meeting me,” she stammered. “How could he have been caught? The only person who knew was...”
Her voice trailed off suddenly and Jasper nodded.
“Precisely. Shustov was the one who offered to arrange the meeting, correct?”
“But he wouldn’t give up one of his own, would he?” Evelyn asked, looking from Bill to Jasper in consternation. “What would he have to gain by it?”
“We don’t know, and there’s no proof that he did,” Bill said. “Neither of the men seen getting on the ship match the description you gave me of Shustov. I don’t think he was there.”
“That’s if it even was Niva spotted getting on the ship,” Jasper added. “As I said, the source isn’t completely reliable. The ship was bound for Russia, and we’ve confirmed that it did sail on that date from Stockholm to Leningrad.”
“But he definitely didn’t return to
