Page 75 of Strangers in Time

Molly looked thoughtful. “A funny-looking typewriter. And the insides of a book that has been cut out? My goodness, that could be a place to hide something!” she suddenly exclaimed.

“What I thought, too.”

“What was the book again?”

“By some man named George somethin’ or other. GeorgeSand, that was it. And it come from The Book Keep. Its name was in it.”

“And the paper you saw was in German?”

“I think so, yeah. And Mr. Oliver’s got this thin’, Albert’s… um,dishor some such. Thin’ is, he says it’s for sendin’secretmessages.”

Molly looked distraught by all these revelations. “I’m not certain what to do, Charlie. It’s not like we have proof of anything.”

“We could call a copper and he could find that funny machine.Thatcould be proof.”

“I suppose so,” said Molly hesitantly. “But you would have to meet with the police and tell them what you saw. But then they would ask you what you were doing inside the man’s room. And they might ask youotherquestions.”

Charlie had paled as soon as she had noted that he would likely have to meet with the police. He said, “Then… I think we need to wait a bit.”

“There could be a perfectly innocent explanation for all of this,” Molly said slowly, though it didn’t appear she believed her own words.

“Right,” said Charlie absently. He was distracted by envisioning himself being led to the gallows.

That evening they were huddled in the study listening to a program on the wireless, when the door opened and Mrs. Pride poked her head in. “Molly, there’s a gentleman at the front door asking for you.”

Molly looked surprised. “Excuse me? A gentleman?”

Mrs. Pride held out a card. “He gave me this. I don’t like letting strangers in the house. Your parents would surely not approve.” She stared piercingly at Charlie as though to place an exclamation point on this opinion.

Molly looked down at the card. “Oh, it’s Mr. Oliver.”

“Should I tell him you’re busy? He seems an odd sort.”

“No, you can show him in here. I know Mr. Oliver. He’s… a friend.”

Mrs. Pride’s face became pinched as she said, “Are you sure?”

“Quite sure, thank you.”

They heard her reluctant footsteps heading down the hall.

“What do we do?” said a panicked Charlie. “With what we know?”

“We remain calm and…normal,” replied Molly, though she looked to be neither.

A few moments later, Oliver appeared at the door and then closed it behind him, his hat in one hand and his waterproof shiny with raindrops. “Thank you for seeing me.”

Molly, barely looking at him because she was so nervous, said, “Of course. But I wasn’t aware that you knew where I lived.”

“You were in the telephone book, or at least your father is listed.”

“I would imagine there are many Wakefields,” she said suspiciously.

“I saw his Christian name on the letter from the Beneficial Institute.”

“Ah, of course.”

“And you mentioned he worked at the Ministry of Food. I have a friend there.”

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