Rumours of my death

Chapter 4

Rumours of my Death

As he walked he scanned the crowd and then, seeing a set of stairs leading to a mezzanine, he climbed half way up, before stopping.. His eyes travelled methodically over the crowd. Never looking at any one couple in particular, but raking back and forth till something stuck in the tines. A girl about 5 feet and a half, auburn hair, fair complexion, travelling with a military looking man. A couple who seemed not to want to be seen.

As they walked along toward the ticket counter, Sharpe looked into the glass of the windows he passed to see if any reflected face repeated itself. He didn’t see anything. They passed a news stand and words on the front page of the Montreal Star said “Kingston searches for missing Officer”. He put a nickel in the palm of the newsboy and taking the paper read:

“Military authorities and Kingston police believe that Major WJS Sharp, late of the 21st Battalion and Casualty officer of MD 3, has drowned. His clothing was found beside the Cataraqui River along with a towel. Recovery efforts will commence tomorrow first light. Major Sharp had returned wounded from France in June 1917, and been assigned non-combative duties in the Casualty office”

Passing the newspaper to the girl, he stood while she read and then she said

”Looks like we’ve bought ourselves some time as far as Kingston is concerned.”

Sharp purchased tea and rolls from a passing cart and they took a seat to wait for the train to New York. Munching on his roll he said “I suppose you can’t tell me something about yourself”,

She thought, sipped her tea and then said “I’m not sure how much to tell you. I have a family too, you know and I wouldn’t want them to become involved in this.”

“How did you become involved?” Sharp asked

“I work for a department in Ottawa. My boss thought I would make a perfect courier. Who would think a girl clerk would carry such out such a mission? But they did find out and they were on my trail almost as soon as I left Ottawa. I knew I was being watched when I reached Kingston.”

“Why did you go to Kingston instead of Montreal?”

“Oh, that was a little ruse my boss thought up. He thought since my mother lives there I could be visiting her and if anyone was following, I could lose them in Kingston before continuing on. As you know, that didn’t work.”

Sharp asked “Did you get to see your mother?”

“No” she replied, “When I got off the train I realized the short fat man was following me. I went to the hotel to register and then thought I could go and see her if I could lose him. He was sitting in the lobby when I went out and I realized he wasn’t going to let go. I saw your office sign at The Armouries and simply walked in the door.”

“I still can’t figure out how they got onto you so soon”, said Sharp

“That’s been bothering me too”, she said, “I wonder if there is someone in my department?”
“Let me think about that, not that it matters too much now”

“It does matter, if this happens again. And “Sharp winced and then said in a strangled voice, “Excuse me”

She watched as he walked in some pain toward the nearest rest room. When he returned some 10 minutes later, she asked “Are you alright?”

“I guess the eggs weren’t cooked enough” he said.