“I confess, Arie’s actions do appear questionable. But what if his assigned contacts are compromised, keeping him away for safety? Or any number of reasons? If you remember, I had just as much suspicion over your secretiveness. Which in hindsight seems laughable. I’m only asking, before someone does anything rash, that he too be given an opportunity to explain.”

As Hutton takes a drag on the last of his cigarette, silence drifts through the smoke-hazed air. He twists to dispose of the stub in a cup on the windowsill. When he angles back, it’s with an amenable expression. “How precisely would you like me to assist?”

The offer brings relief, though short-lived. I’m fully aware my plan is logical only if one overlooks its odds, perils, and general absurdity.

Then again, the same could be said of war overall. And for that matter, about any trick that teeters between life and death. Moreover, having racked my mind, I see no other acceptable choice.

I begin by acknowledging, “Although you’re not with MI9 at the moment, your connections still exist and your input plainly carries weight, with Crockatt at the very least.”

“You wish me to speak with the colonel, to voice an appeal?”

“No. Well…yes. But not just about Arie’s innocence.” My determination solidifying, I take a step forward. “His repeated sightings indicate he’s staying in the vicinity for a reason. And I’d wager there are more clues I haven’t yet heard.” Adopting Hutton’s style of Hollywood salesmanship, I lead up to the reveal with a desired conclusion. “In light of all this, I have an idea that can ensure his safety and also lead us to the truth. A strategy in which every party benefits.”

He looks intrigued if cautious, as he so often does when I propose innovative schemes. This one by far being my most audacious.

“I’ll draw Arie out of hiding and back into contact,” I tell him. “By going in as bait.”

Chapter 45

At first impression, the ploy seems stark, raving madness—to me included. Yet death-defying schemes and orchestrated acts that surpass the imagination are how I’ve made my living. Plus, the potential negatives are irrefutably meager, at least for the Special Operations Executive.

From the snippets I’ve collected over my many months with MI9, the SOE, also known as “Churchill’s Secret Army,” is an intrepid, somewhat slapdash branch of spies and saboteurs who regularly support Resistance cells. Presuming Arie was dropped into the Netherlands, the organization’s Dutch unit, N Section, is likely tangled up in the mess and perhaps open to a creative solution with little downside.