Operation Watchmaker

By Hannah Howe

Mimi walked over to a small dining table. She littered the table with paperwork and maps. “We’ve received a message from Arthur,” she said. “We have orders for a sabotage mission. We have to destroy two guns at Le Havre.”

We joined Mimi at the dining table and she pointed to the location on a map.

“Why?” I asked.

“I think,” Mimi said, “it’s to convince the Nazis that the invasion will take place at Le Havre.”

“Maybe the Nazis will see it as a double-bluff,” Guy said, “and conclude that the invasion will not take place at Le Havre.”

“But in reality,” I said, “maybe it will.”

“Mind games,” Mimi said. She folded the map and offered her paperwork to Guy. “Our task is to sabotage the guns and confuse the enemy.”

“I’m going with you,” I said to Guy. “I’m taking my place on this mission.”

Guy read Mimi’s notes, then destroyed them, ripped them to pieces and placed them on an open fire.

“Okay,” Guy said, “you can participate in this mission. But in the meantime, Mimi, arrange a flight for Eve.”

“Why?” Mimi frowned.

“Because,” Guy said, “she’s going home.”

• Language: English
• Publisher: Goylake Publishing
• Release date: Oct 8, 2022
• ISBN: 9781739738822

Hannah Howe

Hannah Howe is the bestselling author of the Sam Smith Mystery Series (Sam's Song, book one in the series, has reached number one on the amazon.com private detective chart on seven separate occasions and the number one position in Australia). Hannah lives in the picturesque county of Glamorgan with her partner and their two children. She has a university degree and a background in psychology, which she uses as a basis for her novels.Hannah began her writing career at school when her teacher asked her to write the school play. She has been writing ever since. When not writing or researching Hannah enjoys reading, genealogy, music, chess and classic black and white movies. She has a deep knowledge of nineteenth and twentieth century popular culture and is a keen student of the private detective novel and its history.Hannah's books are available in print, as audio books and eBooks from all major retailers: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Google Play, Kobo, iBooks, etc. For more details please visit https://hannah-howe.comThe Sam Smith Mystery Series in book order:Sam's SongLove and BulletsThe Big ChillRipperThe Hermit of HisaryaSecrets and LiesFamily HonourSins of the FatherSmoke and MirrorsStardustMind GamesDigging in the DirtA Parcel of RoguesBostonThe Devil and Ms DevlinSnow in AugustLooking for Rosanna MeeStormy WeatherDamagedEve’s War: Heroines of SOEOperation ZigzagOperation LocksmithOperation BroadswordOperation TreasureOperation SherlockOperation CameoOperation RoseOperation WatchmakerOperation OverlordOperation Jedburgh (to follow)Operation Butterfly (to follow)Operation Liberty (to follow)The Golden Age of HollywoodTula: A 1920s Novel (to follow)The Olive Tree: A Spanish Civil War SagaRootsBranchesLeavesFruitFlowersThe Ann's War Mystery Series in book order:BetrayalInvasionBlackmailEscapeVictoryStandalone NovelsSaving Grace: A Victorian MysteryColette: A Schoolteacher’s War (to follow)What readers have been saying about the Sam Smith Mystery Series and Hannah Howe..."Hannah Howe is a very talented writer.""A gem of a read.""Sam Smith is the most interesting female sleuth in detective fiction. She leaves all the others standing.""Hannah Howe's writing style reminds you of the Grandmasters of private detective fiction - Dashiell Hammett, Raymond Chandler and Robert B. Parker.""Sam is an endearing character. Her assessments of some of the people she encounters will make you laugh at her wicked mind. At other times, you'll cry at the pain she's suffered.""Sam is the kind of non-assuming heroine that I couldn't help but love.""Sam's Song was a wonderful find and a thoroughly engaging read. The first book in the Sam Smith mystery series, this book starts off as a winner!""Sam is an interesting and very believable character.""Gripping and believable at the same time, very well written.""Sam is a great heroine who challenges stereotypes.""Hannah Howe is a fabulous writer.""I can't wait to read the next in the series!""The Big Chill is light reading, but packs powerful messages.""This series just gets better and better.""What makes this book stand well above the rest of detective thrillers is the attention to the little details that makes everything so real.""Sam is a rounded and very real character.""Howe is an author to watch, able to change the tone from light hearted to more thoughtful, making this an easy and yet very rewarding read. Cracking!""Fabulous book by a fabulous author-I highly recommended this series!""Howe writes her characters with depth and makes them very engaging.""I loved the easy conversational style the author used throughout. Some of the colourful ways that the main character expressed herself actually made me laugh!""I loved Hannah Howe's writing style -- poignant one moment, terrifying the next, funny the next moment. I would be on the edge of my seat praying Sam wouldn't get hurt, and then she'd say a one-liner or think something funny, and I'd chuckle and catch my breath. Love it!""Sam's Song is no lightweight suspense book. Howe deals with drugs, spousal abuse, child abuse, and more. While the topics she writes about are heavy, Howe does a fantastic job of giving the reader the brutal truth while showing us there is still good in life and hope for better days to come."

Book preview

EVE’S WAR

OPERATION

WATCHMAKER

EVE’S WAR

OPERATION

WATCHMAKER

Hannah Howe

Goylake Publishing

Copyright © 2022 Hannah Howe

All rights reserved.

The moral right of the author has been asserted.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, transmitted, downloaded, or stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Goylake Publishing, Iscoed, 16A Meadow Street, North Cornelly, Bridgend, Glamorgan. CF33 4LL

Print ISBN: 978-1-7397388-7-7

eBook ISBN: 978-1-7397388-2-2

Printed and bound in Britain by Imprint Digital, Exeter, EX5 5HY

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organisations, places and events are either a product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or locales is purely coincidental.

Author’s Note

The characters in Eve’s War are fictional. However, all the stories and the incidents within these stories, from the personal to the public, are based on real events.

The series is structured into twelve books, each of approximately 20,000 words, set roughly two months apart. Within the back matter of each book, you will find potted biographies of the real heroes and heroines of the SOE, the people whom Eve Beringar, Guy Samson and Mimi Duchamp are based on. It’s been an honour to read about these incredibly brave and principled people. I hope you will enjoy their stories and the exploits of my characters in Eve’s War.

Hannah’s books are available in print, as eBooks and audio books with translations in progress

Eve’s War

Operation Zigzag

Operation Locksmith

Operation Broadsword

Operation Treasure

Operation Sherlock

Operation Cameo

Operation Rose

Operation Watchmaker

Operation Overlord

Operation Jedburgh

Operation Butterfly

Operation Liberty

Ann’s War

Betrayal

Invasion

Blackmail

Escape

Victory

Stand-alone Novel

Saving Grace

The Sam Smith Mystery Series

Sam’s Song

Love and Bullets

The Big Chill

Ripper

The Hermit of Hisarya

Secrets and Lies

Family Honour

Sins of the Father

Smoke and Mirrors

Stardust

Mind Games

Digging in the Dirt

A Parcel of Rogues

Boston

The Devil and Ms Devlin

Snow in August

Looking for Rosanna Mee

Stormy Weather

Damaged

Sugar Daddy

The Olive Tree: A Spanish Civil War Saga

Roots

Branches

Leaves

Fruit

Flowers

To my family, with love

Chapter One

April 1944

I’m pregnant, I said.

We were sitting in the living room at Guy’s cottage, me on the settee, Guy on the piano stool. He was playing Satie’s ‘Gymnopedie Number One’. Playing the piano soothed him. Listening to his music soothed me. On hearing my words, Guy didn’t miss a beat. He didn’t miss a note. My Guy was one helluva cool guy. Nothing fazed him.

Are you sure? he asked.

I’m certain, I said. I thought something was amiss before Christmas, but that was a false alarm; my hormones were playing me up. But this is the real thing; the claxons are blaring.

Who’s the father? Guy asked.

I scowled and clenched my fists. I could slap you for asking that question.

Guy laughed. Just trying to make light of the situation. He stopped playing and turned to face me. I’m sorry, he said. That was a poor joke.

This is no laughing matter, I said. It’s serious.

He nodded. It is.

It changes everything.

It does, Guy agreed. He studied his fingernails, which were neatly trimmed. He stared at his fingernails as if searching for the answer to life, the universe and everything. You’ll have to return to London, he said. We’ll have to inform Arthur.

We won’t mention this to Arthur, I scowled. This is just between us.

Your pregnancy will soon become evident to everyone, Guy said.

So be it, I shrugged. But I’m definitely not returning to London.

A silence ensued. A heavy silence. When we argued, and like all couples who cared deeply about each other, we did argue, I was the one who sulked, the one who drifted into moody silences. Guy had the knack of breaking those silences, with a word, a kiss or a caress. However, now, he allowed the silence to linger. The stillness disturbed me. When agitated, my mind demanded action.

The invasion is imminent, I said. All our intelligence points to the invasion happening in the next few months. I’m staying here. I’m seeing this through.

You’ll receive orders to return to London, Guy said.

I will disobey those orders.

You could end up in prison, Guy said, or worse.

I’m staying here, I scowled.

You’re stubborn, Guy said.

I waved a hand over my shoulder, a dismissive gesture. You ain’t seen the half of it, I said.

Guy closed the lid on the piano, covering the black and white keys. Actually, the piano was an ancient instrument and the white keys were turning yellow. I marvelled at how Guy kept the piano in tune. He had so many talents. He wasn’t the perfect man – he had a habit of claiming all the blankets in bed – but even if I lived to be a thousand, I knew that I’d never find anyone more suitable for me.

Guy stood by the window and gazed out at an April shower. He stood with his back to me, with his hands clasped behind his back. This was his ‘announcement’ pose, the stance he adopted when he was about to impart something serious, or something I might disagree with.

You could become a security risk, he said.

How? I frowned. How could a pregnant woman become a security risk? If anything, the pregnancy is even better cover. In this condition, the Nazis won’t suspect me.

Guy turned to face me. He caressed the stubble on his chin. He’d been so busy lately, preparing for the invasion, that he hadn’t found time to shave.

"Hauptsturmführer Raab won’t be pleased," Guy said.

I shrugged. "Hauptsturmführer Raab can go forth and multiply."

Guy smiled at that. I loved his smile.

Do you want the baby? he asked.

It’s your baby, I said. Of course I want it.

I’m relieved about that, Guy sighed. I’m also flattered and honoured.

I stood and walked over to Guy. He was taller than me. Nevertheless, I craned my neck and looked him in the eyes.

You’re a helluva guy, Guy. I didn’t think it would happen. Obviously, it never happened with Michel. I turned away now, as though ashamed. I thought it was my fault. I thought I was infertile.

How will Michel react?