Chapter 7

April 2022

The train was gently swaying as it swept through the countryside. It was nearly full but strangely quiet, just a gentle background murmuring. Amy was watching Jane looking out of the window. She was tall. Blond as well. Just as she had expected. And really strong looking. Confident for sure. Maybe from her profession. You needed to be confident to look into other people’s heads. If you were going to succeed that is. She was not sure what she had been expecting but she was surprised how nice Jane was. Amy thought that this was a lady that she could really get to like. 

“You’ve been staring out of that window for a long time. Been thinking about something nice? Maybe all those hunky sportsmen with their fit, strong bodies,” said Amy with one of those all knowing kind of mischievous looks. 

“No, not at all. I’ve been thinking about family. All the stories my dad told me. About his mother and father. You know my grandfather was an American GI in the war. I’ve pictures in my case. I’ll show you later if you want.”

“That’ll be nice. I’d like to see them,” said Amy, “That must’ve been such a bad time to live. All that not knowing what would happen. If you’d ever see someone again. Tough times for sure….What’ve you got planned for the next few days? I’m planning on doing a lot of relaxing, hopefully in the warm spring sunshine.”

“I’m going to do some of that. I need some proper downtime.”

“I bet you do. The way you spend your days ogling the customers. Must be really stressful.”

“That’s so not true. I’ve already told you I don’t mix it with work. No, the only firm date I’ve in mind is Wednesday the 27th that’s the night my grandfather was killed. seventy eight years ago. Just off the coast near here. My grandmother lived in Sidmouth. It’s where they were married.”

“Is that why you came here now then?”

“Partly but also for the break. I need a holiday and I like it here. I’m going to do a bit of digging about as well. Try and find out a bit of my history.”

“You certainly seem fixated a bit by your grandfather. You’re very precise with the dates.”

“Oh….not really. I have some paperwork with a lot of details that makes me curious. As he was an American I’d like to know a bit about him. I just suppose I’m interested in my family history. Anyway there’ll be plenty of time to relax I’m sure. What about your family? Do you know much about them?”

“Not really. My mum never married. She told me some things about my family but I never took much notice.” And that was not quite accurate. Her mum did marry and she had a pretty good idea of everything. There were just some bits missing that she was going to find out about. 

“Won’t be too long now I hope. Train seats are not the best, are they?”

They chatted some more. Most of the way to Honiton and then in the taxi. It was mid-afternoon by the time they pulled up outside the main entrance to the Grand Hotel.

The doorman with the green and grey uniform and peaked cap and lapel badge smiled as he opened the taxi door for Jane with a white gloved hand, and said, “Good morning madam,” in a voice that sounded a touch made up. Put on perhaps. One of those voices that likely changed in the sanctuary of the staff quarters. “Welcome to Sidmouth.”

Jane swung her legs out first then stood up. Her skirt had ridden up a bit so she pulled it down. “Thank you Henry,” she said looking at the name tab.

Amy shuffled over and got out of the same side. They both looked at the view. The hotel was high above the town with a panoramic view taking in much of the esplanade and beaches. “What a sight,” said Amy, “This was worth coming for and on such a nice day as well.”

“Come on let’s see about a room for you then we can check in.” said Jane.

Henry took their cases from the boot of the taxi and they carried their other bags. The revolving doors spinning them into an extensive entrance hall. Those comfy padded chairs in neat groups. Wide dark oak staircase heading up in the centre. There were a few people, mostly at the front desk which was busy. The receptionist was on her own. A young lady with blue rimmed glasses was talking to a man asking a stream of questions. She kept looking at Jane showing some frustration but was being patient. Finally the man left, “Sorry for the wait,” she said, “it’s normally quiet this time of day. People are out and about but they seem to have come back early today. Anyway, how can I help you?”  

A room was not a problem and Amy registered as Amy Warren. She found herself one floor up on the same floor as Jane only two rooms down the corridor. The lift was one of those that might have been designed by a shoe salesman with a shoehorn so they had taken the stairs. They parted, agreeing to meet later in the bar then eat in the main hotel dining room. That was towards the front with views out to sea. They had managed to book a table by a window and were going to eat fish. Both of them had decided. At the seaside eat fish.

Afterwards they were in the bar drinking coffee. A large room with tables well spread out. Small tables with small groups and couples. The normal bar type noises but subdued. Dulled by the thick carpets and long curtains. The server had appeared with a silver salver holding two cups. Neil the badge said. Standing back and a bit upright with a kind of swagger. He was tall with one of those put on grins. He placed the two cups on the table. Americanos with that strong coffee smell and some little biscuity things. Biscotti hard and crisp perfect for dunking “Anything else madam,” he said looking at Amy. She liked the look, the physique but not the way he smiled at her. A waiter smile with that make a play at the lady guests look.   

“Why not,” she said smiling back, playing with him, “I’ll have a brandy and make it a double….You want anything Jane?”

“I’ll have a bourbon and a double as well,” Jane said. Then said, “That’s my grandfather coming out, he drank bourbon but then I suppose he would being American.” 

Neil left and leant on the bar handing their order to the barman, name tag George. Neil nudged and looked and George looked and smiled. Amy said, “In their dreams. See that guy hitting on me with his waiter smile and waiter walk.”

“They all do it. It’s a perk. They treat it like tips. Chat up the ladies with no fellas. It’s their definition of an optimist. Tease them, you encourage them. Don’t smile like that and they’ll go away.”

“So what’s your type then if you don’t date the clients?”

“Strong and no nonsense and funny. They’ve got to make me laugh.”

“I hate those know all ones. Always got too much to say. And loud, way too loud.”

“Yeah they’re a pain in the whatsit alright. Sophisticated with a bit of style might be OK.”

Amy said, “The style bit is right…..but sophisticated I’m not so sure. ‘Oh he’s so sophisticated, she said, all gooey eyed.’ That’s a chick book line and the start of a disaster. Just a name for a posh knowall. Who wants to date someone who can run off a stream of stuff about taste and fashion and food and theatrical nonsense and tell you when Mary Cassatt painted The Boating Party.” 

“Mary Cassatt?”

“Just about the only real famous woman impressionist amongst a sea of men. Why would a fella want to impress you with that?....I’ll tell you why because he wants you to think he’s in tune with feminists but in reality he inhabits  a chauvinistic world in a big way.”

“Wow you sound like you’ve some experience of this fella.”

“I sure do and he's called an ex-husband. Anyway, I wish I hadn’t started that. Some old stuff came flying out from a dark corner.”

“You need to talk about him?”

“No, done that enough already. You been married?”

“No. I’ve got close a couple of times but they turned out to be fakes. One said he loved me then he’s off for a few days on one of those business trips….you know the sort I’m sure. Another….well he was just stuck too far up himself to really care. One thing I’ve learnt though is once they say they love you, watch out there’s a catch.”  

 “I know what you mean alright and I wish I’d known it sooner. You could’ve saved me a heap of grief if I’d met you sooner. Anyway, there you go. It's getting on, isn’t it? You were going to show me those photos you talked about.”

“I was, wasn’t I? When we’re done here we’ll go to my room. Have a look before we turn in.”

The room was large. A posh hotel room with extra items of furniture strategically spread around. Covering a small casual table in front of the sofa were the contents of the mustard folder from Jane’s case. Several photographs all black and white and small. A bit creased but from the 1940’s what would you expect. Two sheets of A4. Modern paper only several weeks old and printed with a few paragraphs. A half dozen letters. Small envelopes with big writing with smudged ink from a proper pen. An opened envelope that had Suzie written on the front. Then of course there was the mysterious envelope that Jane had found in her bag.

Jane picked up a photo, “Most of these are from my grandparent’s wedding day. This one is my grandmother. She was already expecting my father when they got married.”

“Wow. Doesn’t she look just like you? I can tell she’s blond even though it’s black and white. Same build and everything.”

“That’s what my dad always said. He passed away a few months ago. I only met her when I was young and don’t really remember that much. I found this lot in an old box at the back of his wardrobe. He’d told me a lot about his mother. How she was seeing an American GI called Dave Somerton and then got pregnant.”

“Your dad was a war baby then. Those Yanks left quite a few of those when they went back home.”

“They did but also a lot of them got married. Some stayed and some took their brides back to the States. My grandfather married my grandmother as soon as he knew she was expecting. They got married on her birthday or so my dad said. Look here’s the photo. The two of them together and this other one with his best friend and his girl. This one’s a picture of my grandfather in his uniform. I think it was taken quite close to when they arrived in England. He looks so smart, doesn’t he? See his watch. That’s a Rolex. It would be worth a lot now, I expect.” She put the three photos next to each other on the table.

“Your grandfather is an impressive looking guy and the other one as well. Both sergeants. His friend’s girl is pretty, isn’t she?” Amy tried to keep the emotion out of her voice. She found she was shaking a bit so stood up and walked towards the bathroom, “Got to pee,” she said. She shut the bathroom door and took deep breaths, washed her face with cold water then flushed the loo.

“Are you all right,” Jane said when Amy returned.

“Yes. We’ve had lots to drink one way or another.”

“You’re right though. The girl with my grandfather’s friend is pretty. Her name’s Lucy. The story my dad told me is that Frank, that's his name, Frank Anderson and my grandfather were best mates and she and Frank had just had a bust up and only got back together a couple of days before the wedding.”

“What happened to them all?”

Jane held up the two A4 pages, “This is a bit of a record of that time. My father told me some details and I typed them. Here you can read them.”

Amy scanned through the pages then said, “So they were up to no good. Sounds like they got themselves into a bit of a fix.”

“It does, doesn't it? Stealing fuel and selling it to some London villains. Seems like they didn’t make a last shipment, got part paid and were expecting trouble.”

“It says here your grandfather was killed just after the wedding. That’s terrible. Your grandmother must’ve been devastated.”

“She was. He was killed in a German raid on ships that were on exercises for D Day. They both were there. Frank was rescued but my grandfather had been shot. Frank was killed just a few weeks later landing on Omaha beach. It sounds just so tragic. My grandmother never really got over it I don’t think. She didn’t marry again and brought my father up on her own with the help of her mother of course. Her father had died during the evacuation from Dunkirk. That war was terrible. It ruined so many lives.”

Amy was quiet for a few moments composing herself and thinking, ”So do you know anything else about their dealings?”

“Not really. There’s a mystery that I’m hoping to clear up while I’m here. They were paid in diamonds, or so my grandmother told my father. It seems when my grandfather was killed Frank went to see my grandmother. He gave her half of the down payment for their last load. In diamonds. That was enough to get her started when my father was born.”

“What about the rest of the diamonds? They must have accumulated quite a lot if they had been stealing the fuel for a while. Was anything they had hidden away?”

“There was quite a lot I think. When my grandfather was killed Frank went to see my grandmother just before he was sent to France. Apparently he said that my grandfather had hidden the diamonds and was going to show him where after the exercises. But of course….Frank gave her that envelope, the one with my Grandmother’s name on the front. There’s  a note inside. I think it’s a clue but no one’s been able to work it out.”

Amy said, trying not to get excited. “What does it say?”

“I’ll read it. ‘Just so you know they are where Dave sleeps. At the end of his bed. Hidden in a tin. Behind his head. Not too deep. Dave says he hopes you never have to look for them because he’ll be back.’ And that’s all.”

“That’s a bit cryptic, isn’t it?”

“Sure is. My grandfather was worried the London villains would be after them after they failed to deliver the last load so I assume that’s why. If my grandmother or my dad could not work it out, those London guys certainly wouldn’t have been able to. My grandfather’s buried in the war cemetery in Cambridge for American servicemen. That’s where he sleeps. But he hid them before he was killed so they can’t be there, can they?”

“What about the letters? Any clue there?”

“They’re from my grandmother to my dad years later when he had left home and got married. There’s not much in them except the odd reference. Only one small thing. She said in one that my grandfather had left a letter for Lucy as well so I assume it’s the same as this one. If anything happened to Frank Lucy would have been entitled to his half. That was their agreement as far as I understand it. They had once said last man standing and all that sort of stuff but changed it when my grandfather got married and he was going to be a dad and Frank had made up with Lucy. My grandmother did not really know Lucy but a bit later on tried to find her but after Frank died Lucy left town and my grandmother could not trace her.”

“So out there somewhere is a fortune in diamonds hidden in a dead man’s grave most likely. No wonder you’re down here searching. I bet that’s the main reason you’re here. To have a good look and solve a mystery..”

“You’re right. I can’t pretend. I’m going to have a look around here and see what I can come up with. Like I said, the only date I’m sticking to is the 27th. Then I’m going to find out where my grandmother lived. That’s where my search will start.”

“You want some help? I’ve time to waste.”

“That would be nice. I could do with some company. Going away on your own is OK but the evenings and meal times can be a bit of a bore.”

“What about this other envelope? The one that was in your bag What are you going to do with that?”

“Don’t know. For the moment I’m just going to forget about it. I don’t want to open it in case it’s something I don’t want to know about. Maybe I’ll take it to the police station but I’m not sure if they’ll be all that interested. For now though I shall put it in the room safe then I’ll see. Anyway, it’s been a long day and I’m whacked so….see you at breakfast? Nine OK?”

“Sure. Nine’s fine.”

Amy left the room and strolled the two doors to hers, went in, sat on the bed staring at the wall with a slight moisture in her eyes. She did not understand why she found this so stressful. Maybe because she had been wondering for so long. Or maybe it was because she was starting to really like Jane and that made her guilty that she was deceiving her.

She gave a big sigh, wiped her face and took a long age-worn envelope out of her bag. It had Lucy written on the front in faded black ink that had run a bit. Taking out the note she read it aloud and smiled. With the note there was a long letter written by her grandmother explaining the relationship between her, Suzie Somerton and the two GIs. What the GIs had been involved in and explaining that the note was the clue to where their stash of diamonds was hidden. It had been written to her daughter, Amy’s mother and Amy’s mother had given it to her shortly before she passed away. Amy slowly read it and smiled again. Then read the note that still made no sense. She put the note down and stood up to get ready for bed thinking two heads were always going to be better than one.