Invisible Foe

by Ronald Cove

  The Luftwaffe showed up again late that evening, it must have been about 10pm before they put in another appearance. Nevertheless several minutes in advance of any air raid warning, anti-aircraft guns became audible in the far off distance, and as we waited in anticipation for the Hornchurch siren to start wailing, a bomb exploded some distance away blowing open our front door, so naturally we all made a rush in that direction, switching all lights off as we went. After cautiously scouring the area, making sure of no lingering danger, we stood smoking and studying the night sky that was, incidentally, full of searchlights adding a touch more brightness to this already moonlit sky. Although to be fair one searchlight had already netted an enemy bomber, and was tracking him across this bright night sky. There was also dozens of shell bursts leaving black smoke dancing about in the searchlight beam, and of course, we could quite clearly see flashes from distant anti-aircraft guns; that’s when the people of Hornchurch became aware of an air raid in progress.

  However it was when two heavy explosions occurred around back that I began fearing we might be in trouble. I therefore gave Selby an urgent dig on his arm and said, “I think somethin’s wrong round back Dave”. He quickly responded “Right, you Willis, ‘ave a look-see round back, see everythin’s ok,” he ordered. Two minutes later Willis was once again beside us. “I think the back rooms gone sir” he nervously reported. “Gone!, what d’yer bloody mean gone?” Dave replied disbelievingly. “Look you wait ‘ere, I’ll ‘ave a butchers me bleedin’ self” Dave groaned, and was gone. It took Dave slightly longer before he returned, though in the event, his observations concurred with DC Willis. “He’s bloody right, we’ve lost that bloody back room” he almost repeated Willis’s words. Both Plumpkin and I stood in silence for a moment, then I groaned “For Christ sake” and I slipped along the passage to see for myself, and would you believe on entering the room, found myself again studying the night sky, with searchlights and shell bursts dancing about everywhere. “It can’t be” I told myself. But there it was, I could see no blackout blinds, just a night sky as mentioned, then a brainwave caressed me, I reached over, found a light switch, I quite deliberately pressed down, with negative results, so like any good soldier caught in this situation I simply said “Fuck it” and rejoined my team mates. “Can’t understand that Dave I didn’t ‘ear anythin’ explode that near, did you?” I mumbled. “Oh don’t worry it’s bloody gone now,” Dave replied.

  It was whilst Dave Selby and I, along with Willis had been venting our anger at Jerry for trying to re-arrange our living quarters, that Plumpkin meanwhile had, so he’d explained later, out of curiosity wondered along the moonlit passage, ascended a few stairs that lead to an upstairs flat, however when halfway up, for some unknown reason paused a moment to survey the semi-dark passage below him. He was somewhat surprised to find himself looking at two room doors downstairs still intact. He therefore quickly retraced his steps and with help from a near full moon which shone happily through a wide-open front door, where three brilliant detectives still stood cursing Jerry, Plumpkin had opened the first door which he said had been shut tight, after stepping into the room, turned immediately right while bearing in mind what the rest of us had told him about the missing back room, he therefore expected to find himself walking through into the back garden. Instead he’d walked straight into a brick wall, which he severely cursed. Here, DI Selby intervened “Oh, so that was you we ‘eard rantin’ and ravin’ back there,” he said giving me a wink. Plumpkin again took over “Course it bloody was, who else? Anyway when I opened the next bloody door, I found myself standin’ in a different room altogether. Blackout blinds blowin’, French doors wide open.” Here Plumpkin’s chronicle ended, leaving our imagination to take over. First we stood in complete silence, then in spite of two more bombs exploding nearby, we all burst into a fit of laughter. “What a dozy lot of bleeders we all are, would yer believe, bloody three of us went along that passage, and made the same bloody mistake by going through the wrong door. Missing the first room entirely. What a right balls up,” Selby concluded. “Yeah, and ain’t yer bloody lucky to ‘ave a brilliant MI5 agent on ‘and to solve yer bleedin’ problem” Plumpkin informed us.

  27:

  A GUN AND A KISS GOODBYE

  Martin replaced the suitcase he’d been sorting through that day, having first removed a 1916 standard service Webley 11 revolver, which he considered to be the ideal weapon for his needs. He also selected an old Webley & Scott 32inch (8mm) automatic pistol that was at times favoured by the Metropolitan police. Martin also reasoned that his landlady Sally, should be in a position to defend herself at all times. He therefore sorted through this array of weaponry, and finally selected a further pistol, a Browning baby standard (6.35-mm) automatic, for her personal protection. Sally at first emphatically refused to have anything to do with firearms of any kind whatsoever, so Martin decided not to argue the point, however he insisted on demonstrating to her how to operate the weapon. He then went on to show her exactly where he had concealed this weapon, at the same time impressing on her that it was simply in case of an emergency. This she agreed to.

  That night continuous air raids invoked a restless night for both Reg. Martin and his landlady, in consequence Martin spent best part of that night searching through several street maps, hoping to discover a fresh location for new lodgings. However in the event, it was Sally who solved his problem by mentioning a friend she knew, who would no doubt welcome another lodger. “Oh yes, Dorothy has rather a large house you see, something like six or seven bedrooms and she lets each gentleman rent one room. She does all of their cooking and cleans their rooms, so when they arrive from work they can just relax”. “Sounds like just the place I’m looking for” Martin replied, then slowly and thoughtfully added, “No questions asked, I hope?” “Most definitely not” he was told.

  It was in the early hours of the morning when they’d got to bed, Sally told him she would nip along and see her friend Dorothy that day, “she’s only a bus ride away, and if possible I’ll book a room on your behalf”. “Good idea, say for about a week” was his response. “Right,” Sally said nodding in agreement. “Good mein klein kartoffel,” he replied.

  *

  Early next morning Plumpkin left us saying ‘he would be back in a day or two’. DC Willis had of course already returned to his own digs, and no doubt spent what was left of that night cuddled close to his very attractive landlady, while Selby and I lay in bed racked with jealousy. “Lucky bugger” Plumpkin had remarked before he had left.

  Anyway DI Selby stepped in as Mother later that morning and quickly cremated four slices of toast, then to cover his misdemeanour smothered the whole bloody lot with lashings of that American concoction ‘powdered egg’, which they insist is doing us the world of good. “There yer are Bill, get that bleedin’ lot down yer” Dave invited. “Oh bloody lovely, where’s the bacon?” I asked. “Well I’m glad yer asked that mate, coz it’s still rollin’ around in the bleedin’ mud somewhere,” he told me with a toothy grin. After demolishing that ungodly offering, we spent an hour or so sitting about smoking.

  While Dave was elaborating on the episode concerning the young office girl who’d been murdered at Dagenham Cables, our phone suddenly came alive. I cut Dave short in mid-sentence “‘Ang on” I said, rushed into the hall and hastily snatched an angry phone off its hook, then someone told me, it wasn’t me they wanted. “Put DI Selby on the line” someone growled. However, after five minutes discussion with whoever it was, Dave told me to nip along and pull DC Willis away from his early morning lovemaking session. “Tell ‘im we need the bloody car” Dave rattled off. “Why, what’s up Dave?” I asked. “You’ll see mate, it’s back to Dagenham and up to the bloody smoke again” he enlightened me. “Yer mean we’re gonna go to London by car?” I hopefully replied. “Maybe” he answered, hustling me out the front door.

  As it happened I bumped into Willis halfway along the street. I explained we needed the car. “Why for Chris
t sake?” he asked in slight irritation. “Coz we’re goin’ back to where them bleedin’ cockneys sound funny, after you’ve been livin’ down ‘ere too long” I offered in return. He then informed me he’d taken the bloody car back to Hornchurch police station. “Well now you’ll ‘ave a nice long walk, won’t yer, do yer bleedin’ good” I let him know. I then returned to tell DI Selby what had transpired. “Ah bugger it, never mind we’ll ‘ave a cuppa while waitin’” he patiently rumbled, at the same time indicating that I should be tea boy.

  By the time DC Willis arrived back with our chariot, Dave had explained to me how he’d been instructed to first drop in at 22a, Stanley Road, where a Special Branch man should be waiting our arrival. This would be followed by another visit to Dagenham Cables, where we’d be further informed in what direction this investigation would be going from now on. We’ll also be involved in another trip to Kent, this time a place called Warlingham, this on account of some well-informed citizen who’d apparently walked into a Kent police station and calmly given them a description of our bearded warrior, who he’d seen, and had somehow known that we were in fact looking for such a man. At this point Dave’s narrative was cut short by DC Willis giving a long heavy blast on the motor horn.

  Minutes later we pushed through the front gate in Stanley Road. On this occasion I made sure to be last in entering, just in case that new bloody spring was still playing tricks. It was, but this time I was ready for the bloody thing, and far too dexterous for it. My old mate Selby patted my back. “Well done Bill” he praised, then turned, took one step forward, caught the heel of his shoe on a miscellaneous brick, which no doubt had been lobbed over by some local ‘hard nut’. In performing this action Dave could not help but give DC Willis, who had preceded him, an almighty shove in the back, thereby sending him headfirst through a then wide-open front door, while DI Selby himself gave a grand display on how to flatten one's nose on someone’s front doorstep. And of course, after this event, they both sat together on the doorstep offering their appreciation to the Gods for allowing them to enter a house in such a graceful manner, and only receiving a bloody nose each into the bargain. Quite naturally, this incident gave rise to many fits of laughter from several passers-by. I personally removed the offending obstacle by placing it under a row of evergreens. I then entered the house, leaving DI Selby and DC Willis sitting there both feeling sorry for themselves.

  *

  Reg. Martin made a point of concealing the Webley Revolver in his waistband under his jacket. Satisfied himself it couldn’t be seen, he then gave Sally a kiss, at the same time accepting an envelope which bore the name and address of Sally’s friend Dorothy. Sally had previously explained to Martin that Dorothy allowed each of her tenants a front door key and had no qualms about the comings and goings. “Oh yes, just one more thing, she also has a rule of never getting involved with any of her male residents” Sally further informed him with a knowing grin. For an answer she received a wide smile and another kiss before the door closed behind him.

  Martin was led into Dorothy’s parlour, supplied with a cigarette, asked to sit and relax while she made a fresh pot of tea. It was here Martin began to wonder if he’d been perhaps a little hasty in his decision to leave Sally. In any case one thing he was certain of, Dorothy was a very attractive voluptuous woman, who could excite any man. She was in fact a very desirable lady who possessed a great deal of sexual charm, with what appeared to be a permanent sun tanned skin, long black hair, with soft brown eyes that from the moment they looked at you, seemed to be begging you to join her in bed. This he realised was why Sally had made a point of telling him Dorothy would have no truck involving herself with her tenants. ‘My God’ Martin thought, ‘if she did, every red-blooded male would be craving her favours’. Nevertheless Martin sat patiently sipping tea while Dorothy, now sitting opposite him, explained how she ran her home. When she finally came to what Martin considered a frustrating narrative of her ‘dos and don’ts’ their eyes locked, and Martin felt a sudden urge of sexual desire run through him, whereas Dorothy for her part became aware of just how handsome her new lodger was. Dorothy broke the spell by standing, moving to the far end of this immaculately clean long room. She took a solitary key from a mahogany sideboard draw, she then handed Martin said key, which he gratefully accepted with a certain amount of relief. It was however as he took the key their hands touched and Martin became aware of a slight change in Dorothy’s attitude. It was as though a barrier between them had been lifted. He then realised this beautiful liquid brown-eyed creature was about to break her own golden rule, and when she also invited him to have tea with her that evening, Martin knew he had succeeded in winning this sexy young lady over.

  28:

  NEW LODGINGS

  22a, Stanley Road was the last place I expected to find our old mate from the 1916 battlefield, but to my surprise there he stood again, ready and waiting to shake hands with me, our old pal John Wakeman. “Well I’ll be buggered, where on earth did you come from?” I asked in amazement while accepting his outstretched hand. “I’d have thought you would have guessed that by now Bill, us Special Branch boys are taking over from your lot now” He informed me, he then went on to ask where Sgt: Selby was “he’s still with you, I take it Bill?” I grinned back at him “Yes he is, and don’t let ‘im ‘ear yer say ‘Sgt:’ Selby, those days ‘ave long gone mate and ‘e’s now known as DI Selby from Scotland Yard, and I’m ‘is bleedin’ Sergeant to boot, understand Johnny me boy?” I corrected him. “Blimey Bill I knew all that” he told me. “Well that’s good, just bear that in mind when yer speak to Dave” I reminded him, then went on to say “anyway what d’yer find out about the bloke who got ‘imself killed in this place?” whilst pointing over Johnny’s shoulder to where Danny Ross’s body had been found. “Oh yes, apparently he was an enemy agent and it appears he had a falling out with a fellow conspirator for some reason. Still at any rate we now know our quarry is living somewhere near, or in Warlingham itself” Here I broke in on his speech with “Yeah, we’ve just found that out ourselves”. “Right, in that case you’ll be pleased to hear, that’s where my lots off to next” he rattled off. “Cor blimey, there’s a bloody coincidence, coz Dave said that’s exactly where we’ll be goin’” I informed him.

  Finally Dave Selby and Tony Willis pushed through the door. “Well I’ll be buggered, where the bleedin’ ‘ell did you come from?” Dave exclaimed when he clamped eyes on Johnny Wakeman. They both clasped hands, then Dave introduced Willis, and while they shook hands, Johnny offered Willis some sound advice. “Whatever you do mate keep an eye on those two devious bleeders, otherwise they’ll lead you into all sorts of trouble, so be warned my old china” Johnny’s offering was sincerely laid out, as though it was Dave and I and not Tony who was having it off with our landlady. Nevertheless he did manage a cunning wink for us while saying it. “Right, that’s it then, now I’m off” Johnny announced. “Christ, yer ain’t been ‘ere ‘alf a minute” Selby protested. “Sorry mate but I really must go, Billy here will bring you up to date on things” he informed Selby, as more hand shaking followed. Then he was gone. Next Selby came at me with “Ok Bill what’s goin’ on then. I bet that sods up to somethin’ we should know about” Selby guessed. “Well all I can say is, ‘e told me ‘is lot ‘Special Branch’ are off to Warlingham, where they’ve been informed our bearded warrior is now livin’”. “So ol’ Johnny Wakeman is ‘Special Branch’ is he? He always was a clever bleeder that one” Selby retorted, then added “Still never mind, I’ve been told we’re now just investigatin’ the murders, so from ‘ere Dagenham Cables is our next port of call” Dave relayed this piece of news with a forlorn sound ringing in his voice.

  Willis and I both gave a grunt, Dave then added “and no matter what, I’ve been instructed, after Dagenham, it’s back to London and then onto Warlingham, so ‘ave no illusions Bill, this bloke we’re lookin’ for now in regards to these three murders, I ‘ave no doubt will turn out to be our friend
ly saboteur, that RAF corporal from Old Ford Road, remember? The same bugger who’s ‘ad us runnin’ around like blue arse flies for bleedin’ days now” Dave Selby summarised. “Well at least we know what we’re doin’ for once” I passed onto DC Willis who just nodded.

  *

  When Reg. Martin arrived back at Dorothy’s house with two suitcases, he’d already made sure they contained no offensive weapons, in fact the only weapon he possessed at that moment was the Webley revolver, which he kept snugly tucked away in his waistband. Dorothy greeted him with a welcoming smile. On closing the front door behind him, she also relieved him of the smaller of his suitcases. “This way,” she said heading for a flight of stairs “you have a room opposite the bathroom, my room’s next door” she purposely pointed out with a faint smile. “Oh I see,” Martin managed while struggling with the larger suitcase. “Right here we are, in here” she softly murmured on opening a room door. “Looks fine to me,” Martin remarked agreeably. “Good I’ll give you a list of times for meals and so on later” she then promised. He just answered with a smile. As she was about to leave the room, she suddenly pulled up sharp, “Oh yes, by the way, don’t forget you’re joining me for tea, say around eight this evening, I should be through by then” she reminded him. “Great I’ll be there” was all he could think to say.

  For an hour or so Martin lay on his bed, contemplating what he should do next. He realised of course that just knowing Dorothy sympathised with him, was not enough in itself. No, he must be absolutely sure she was one hundred per cent in favour of what he stood for. She must in fact be like Sally, whom he could rely on at all times in any situation. Martin also knew the best way to insure this was to win her affections, and as everyman knows there’s only one sure way to achieve this, and that is to get her into bed quickly and make your lovemaking last as long as possible, then impress upon her it was not just sex alone, there is a real genuine affection you feel for her. Of course she’ll not believe a word you’re saying, but hopefully your tender lovemaking will have won the day and of course she will like to hear you say, ‘how much you enjoyed having sex with such a beautiful woman’.