How would she ever do this? How would she persuade Elaine Otterburn to leave before her predicament became more serious? But first, she had to deal with Leslie. She pressed the button alongside the fireplace.
When Leslie returned to the room, his demeanor had changed. His smile was brief. “I have been on the telephone with Huntley. He has informed me of your position here. I will do all I can to assist you, starting with the documentation. It should be ready by late this afternoon—I will bring it to your hotel.”
“Thank you, Mr. Leslie.” She stood up and walked to the window, then turned to Leslie. “I appreciate your help, and I must apologize for the necessary secrecy with regard to my presence in Munich. I will be leaving for England as soon as I can, which might well be as early as tomorrow morning. It may be necessary for you to inform Mr. Huntley on my behalf that I have made the required arrangements—one is already in place. In the meantime, I want to make a suggestion—and it’s a personal matter. Mr. Leslie, you cannot remain in this country too much longer. I know I’m repeating myself, but you must ask for a transfer to another consular position. Others might not know how your name was changed by—who? Your father or grandfather? Where I came from, there were Jewish families with names that sounded so English, and I particularly remember a Mr. and Mrs. Leslie—yes, I know, no relation, it’s a common enough name. But I remember being told their real name was Levitsky, and along the way it had been changed—to ‘fit in,’ probably. I would put it to you that if I am correct, you are not as safe as you might believe.” She stepped toward the table, took up her bag, and added, “I could arrange for you to leave tomorrow, if you wish.”
Leslie pressed the fingers of his right hand to his temple, as if to quell a headache. “I cannot leave my post, Miss Donat. I’m sorry, it’s the only name I have for you, though I know you are not who you first claimed to be. I cannot leave my post and will remain here until I am given another consular position through the appropriate channels.”
Maisie nodded and held out her hand. “The appropriate channels might not be as fast as you might one day hope. In any case, thank you for your help, Mr. Leslie. I look forward to hearing from you later.”
John Otterburn was as good as his word. Maisie placed the call from a kiosk at the railway station. As before, Otterburn answered on the first ring.
“Listen carefully. I am going to give you the name of a small airfield, about a half hour outside Munich. Can you get a driver?”
“Yes,” said Maisie. “It’s as good as done.”
“Good. Right. I’ve acquired an aeroplane there. I pulled some strings, which isn’t as difficult as it might seem, as I’m known to buy aircraft as something of a pastime. The problem is, I’ve had to take a chance on those strings. I’m not sure exactly where some of the ends might lead—but like you, I’ve done my best. The important thing is, the aircraft is ours to use. It’s a Messerschmitt Taifun, a few years old, and seats four, including the pilot.” He paused. “Elaine is very familiar with this craft. The flight will be to Zurich. It should take less than two hours—this is a nifty little ship.”
Maisie felt perspiration bead on her forehead. “Elaine?”
“She knows what she’s doing. About three years ago, after a German woman named Elly Beinhorn made a flight from Berlin to Constantinople and back in one day, Elaine was convinced she had to have a crack at the same aeroplane. Don’t worry, she’ll get you out of there. My daughter may have made a fool of herself and her family, but in this matter, I trust she’ll do what’s asked of her.”
“All right.”
“Now then, let me give you the information you’ll need—and that Elaine will need. All the maps required are already on the aircraft, and she’ll know what to do when she gets there, but she won’t have time to study the route, so you’ll be giving it to her—I’ll read everything out to you. The thing to remember is that you have to get in and get out without delay. Do not linger any longer than necessary. The journey will be less than comfortable for the gentleman, but you’ll be met by my representative in Zurich, and I’ve arranged for a nurse to be on the flight home to Croydon. I can let the necessary authorities know when the aircraft carrying the elderly man will be landing.”
“I understand.”
“The thing that you must remember, and that you must ram home to our aviatrix, is that every airfield in Germany is effectively a Luftwaffe station. Versailles might have placed limitations on the expansion of a German air force, but that didn’t stop many young men being recruited as private pilots, ready to form an airborne fighting force when the time came. There are eyes and ears everywhere. So, as I said, get there, board the aeroplane, and get out. Understood?”
“Yes.”