Treason in the Secret City Read online

  ‘That’s when he said, “There are exceptions to every rule, Ms Snowden. And this is one of them. I’m going to tell you more but you have to solemnly swear that even if you decide you don’t have the courage to help me, you must keep everything I’m saying to you a secret.” So I told him, “No loose lips, here, sir.”

  ‘Then he said, “Good girl. I am in contact with someone who is working for us, behind enemy lines. He is taking a great risk to give me information about the work they are doing and helping us identify and expose the spy in our midst. But he is very cautious. If he ever heard a suspicious click or unexpected sound of any type, he would stop talking to me. And you know how it is. Those little sounds you hear in the background when you’re talking to your mom. You know someone is listening in – you just know it. That’s why I have to have an unencumbered line. He needs to know it’s safe to tell me the things I need to know. And that’s where you come in.” By that time, I was so nervous about the whole idea, I had gnawed on my lower lip until it hurt. I told him that I wanted to do the right thing but I wasn’t sure if it was. I needed time to think about it. I didn’t tell him that a big reason I wanted to buy some time was because I wanted to talk to you about it before I decided.

  ‘But he was so insistent and so genuine, Marvin. When he said, “There’s no time, Ms Snowden. Every hour, our boys are being killed and wounded. We need to win the war as soon as possible before there are no boys alive left to come home.” And then he said, “Things are not looking good right now. U-Boats are taking down our ships as fast as we can send them out. And Africa? You only hear the good news on the newsreels. It’s looking gloomy in the Dark Continent. Once all our ships have been taken out by U-boats, how will our boys over there get the supplies they need to survive? There’s not a minute to waste, Ms Snowden. The only question for you is are you with us or against us?”

  ‘Oh, Marvin, I wasn’t sure what to do. Everything was simple – all black and white – during orientation and training. But at that moment, I felt lost in a big, grey cloud. But, I guess that’s the world of spies – nothing they do is above board, is it? I thought maybe he was right. We did need to play it their way and break some rules to beat them. What if I didn’t help him and we lost the war? I’d never know if it was my fault or not. I’d feel guilty for the rest of my life.’ She exhaled a wavering breath.

  Marvin asked, ‘You believed him?’

  ‘Absolutely,’ Frannie said.

  ‘What did you do?’

  ‘He had it all planned out. He gave me a piece of paper that had the number that I needed to actually connect for him but said when he called, he would ask me to dial the other number he’d written which was his mother’s telephone. That’s how I would know it was him. I thought that was a little silly because there was no way he could know that I would be the one to pick up his call. He insisted if it wasn’t me, he would either hang up or else he’d talk to his mom for a bit and then try later.

  ‘It seemed like a lot of wasted time to me – not that I think it’s a waste to telephone your mom just that if you needed to talk to someone else, it wouldn’t make a lot of sense. I told him that all the girls on my shift were all good Americans and I could convince them to help. He got a bit upset at that. He said, “No, no, no, Ms Snowden. You promised to keep this conversation secret. Weren’t you listening to what I said? There are spies in our midst. Maybe one of them has already compromised one of the other girls.”

  ‘I had to admit that I hadn’t thought of that. I mean, it’s so hard to believe. They all seem so nice, some of them are even my friends. But I hadn’t known any of them for that long and I couldn’t swear that one of them wasn’t a dirty spy. He convinced me when he said, “You just don’t know, Ms Snowden. I was very careful when I selected you. I learned everything I could about you and knew you were a very special young woman. With a threat to our freedom and liberty at stake, there’s not enough time to check them all out. You understand that, don’t you?”

  ‘I told him I did but I could ask them before I said anything. He said, “You can’t exactly expect them to tell the truth if they are part of a spy ring, can you?” That made a lot of sense to me, so I told him that I would help him and I would not tell a single soul about it. Before he left, he told me to memorize the numbers he gave me and burn that piece of paper that night. I swear, that paper felt as hot in my hand as if he’d already set it on fire.

  ‘Before he walked away, he said, “We’re all counting on you, Ms Snowden. Don’t let your country down.” And you know, Marvin, that’s the last thing I wanted to do, ever. Yes, I was afraid of what could happen to me for breaking the rules but, honestly, I could feel a little sizzle inside. It was so exciting to know that I – little Frannie Snowden – was now a part of the secret spy world. It sounded so romantic. It made me feel like a movie star, only better.’

  ‘How long have you being doing this, Frannie? And how many calls did you make?’ Marvin asked.

  ‘I guess maybe half a dozen or ten or so over these last couple of months. I was always really scared when I did. I kept expecting someone to come in and jerk my headset off and take me away. But I kept doing it because I believed it was really important – that what I was doing would help end the war. I didn’t have any doubts that I was doing the right thing until the day when I was called upstairs in the administrative building to see the big supervisor. Oh, Marvin, I was terrified. I was afraid someone had seen what I was doing and turned me in. I thought I was about to get fired – or worse.

  ‘By the time I walked into his office, I was trembling inside, my palms were all sweaty, and was fighting to keep tears building up behind my eyes from running down my cheeks. I was so upset, Marvin, that it took me a moment to understand what he was saying – that I wasn’t in trouble at all. I was just being assigned to train a new receptionist. I was so happy that I almost jumped up and kissed the man.

  ‘Walking back to my station, I realized that I would have to get hold of Dr Hansrote right away. After tomorrow, I wouldn’t be able to make any sneaky calls for him until I finished training that girl ’cause she’d be watching every single move I made.

  ‘After my shift was over, I caught a bus down to Y-12. I waited outside for Dr Hansrote to go home for the day. It was nearly an hour later before I saw him walking out of the building with two other men in suits. I waved to him to get his attention. He looked at me, and it was like he was looking through me, and then he turned away. I kind of whispered his name, but in a loud way. He turned his head slightly and gave me this cold sideways glance that felt like he’d thrown a cup of ice in my face. Then he moved on, laughing at something one of the other men said. I felt like a piece of rain-soaked trash he’d just stomped into the mud. And I didn’t know what to do.

  ‘I tossed and turned late into the night trying to figure out what it all meant. I finally fell asleep when I decided there had to be an explanation – maybe he didn’t trust those men he was with. The next day was Thursday – the day he usually placed a call. If he did, I would give him a hint that there was a problem before connecting him. If he didn’t call then, I’d just have to ignore rings from his line and wait for him to find me and ask what the problem was.

  ‘But when I woke up the next morning, I felt awful like something really bad was about to happen. At first, I didn’t understand why I was feeling that way. Then, I remembered Dr Hansrote’s brush-off. My idea didn’t seem so smart any more. I had half-a-mind to avoid answering any of his calls that day. Three hours into my shift, though, I saw his incoming call, snatched the line to plug into the hole and just blurted out, “I will be training a new operator starting tomorrow.” And he almost growled at me when he said, “Just place my call.”

  ‘I tell you, Marvin, no one has ever talked to me in that nasty tone of voice before – Daddy wouldn’t have allowed it. I started getting really upset about it but I stopped and remembered that I was new at this spy business and maybe he was just surprised or confuse
d by what I said or he was acting irritated to cover up for some reason. I thought that maybe it’s all for the best. Now he knows that I won’t be able to help him for a while and that’s all that matters. I didn’t know what to think anymore. Once I put him through, I stayed on the line – just hoping to understand things a little better.

  ‘I listened to that faraway ring – I might have even been holding my breath. I almost choked when I heard Dr Hansrote say, “Raymond, here is my report for the week. The processing of the uranium is moving forward but the pace of accumulation of the sample is driving G.G. crazy. He wants more, faster. They are also now building what is supposed to be a more efficient processing plant that will use a gaseous diffusion method.”

  ‘I won’t even pretend I had any idea of what he was talking about – it made my head hurt when I tried to figure it out. But one thing that was simple to understand was that Dr Hansrote had lied to me – he was not getting information, he was giving it. Dr Hansrote was the spy he warned me about. I know I’ve done some really dumb things in my life but this was the worst. I was helping a spy and thinking I was doing my patriotic duty. I even daydreamed about getting a medal when the war was over. What a cheesy sap I am. Honestly, Marvin, I just wanted to die. And then, it got even worse. The girl next to me bumped the arm of her chair into my funny bone and I yelped. She leaned toward me and said, “Sorry, doll,” and I’m sure they could hear that, too.

  ‘It was all quiet on the phone. I kept listening until both lines went dead. I pulled the plug and excused myself to go to the little girl’s room. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t know how to make it right. I thought I should tell an army officer or some big shot in the administration, but I was afraid I’d get in trouble. I thought about writing an anonymous note. But most of all, I was afraid of Dr Hansrote.

  ‘I figured you might know what I should do, but you already thought I was dumber than bricks and I thought you’d laugh at me. Instead, I decided to talk to the smartest woman I knew – Mildred Frank. You probably remember her, Marvin. She went to our church back home. Now she’s the boss of a group of those Calutron girls. Anyway, the rest of my shift seemed to last forever and ever. I just kept to myself, pushing and pulling plugs, saying as little as possible. I didn’t even answer the girls when they asked me to go with them to Joe’s for a beer before dinner.

  ‘I went straight to my room, dropped off my purse and told my roommate, Clara, that I was going up to the third floor for a bit. But, of course, Mildred wasn’t there. I talked about movies and things with a few of the girls on her floor and then I got tired of waiting. When I got back to my room, Clara was hysterical. Her eyes jerked from one side of the room to the other as if she thought someone would sneak up and grab her. I asked her what was wrong and she said, “I told them you stopped at Joe’s for a beer with the girls. But I know they’ll be back soon.” When I asked her who she was talking about, she said the military police had been there. She was scared they’d come back, find me there and know that she lied to them. She told me I had to get out of there.

  ‘I asked her what they said to get her so upset and she said, “Something about you working for the enemy. I know you couldn’t be. You aren’t are you?” Of course, I denied it. What else could I say? And she said that they threatened her. They told her that since I was a spy, if she helped me, she could be put in the slammer with me. They told her they’d lock her up until the end of the war and then ask questions. She asked, “What have you done, Frannie?” I told her the truth ’cause I couldn’t think of anything else. I said, “I trusted the wrong person, Clara. He used me. And now I’m on my own.” Silly Clara turned white as a sheet – I guess there was only one way she thought a girl could get in trouble so she asked, “You’re not in the family way, are you?”

  ‘If Clara hadn’t been so frightened – and me, too, actually – I might have laughed. Me and Dr Hansrote doing that? It was not something that would ever, ever cross my mind – not with him. I told Clara as much in a very nice way then asked her that if the MPs came back, she should tell them she hadn’t seen me. She was still in a tizzy and all worried that someone else might have seen me come in and give her away.

  ‘While I threw some personal things and a change of clothing into a bag, I told her to tell them that she’d gone to the bathroom and heard something but never saw me or to tell them she’d been asleep. I told her as long as she never admitted that she saw me come back to the room, she wouldn’t get in any trouble. I said that no one will know you did see me unless you tell them. I saw the look in her eyes and knew she might panic and tell them the truth. So I reminded her that as long as she kept my secret, I would keep her secret about her high school art teacher and how her posing for him had turned into other things. I could tell by the way Clara’s face changed that she wouldn’t spill the beans. Clara sure didn’t want her mama to know what she did. She promised not to give me away and I went down the stairs and out of the building as quickly as I could. I’ve been hiding ever since waiting for you.’

  THREE

  ‘And that’s what she told me,’ Marvin said.

  ‘When did you say this happened?’ I asked.

  ‘A couple of days ago. She spent the last two nights in my closet.’

  ‘She slept in your closet?’

  ‘Yeah and I brought food back for her and all but Jubal was getting fresh with her when I wasn’t in the room and we – me and Frannie – got worried that he’d turn her in once he figured out the score.’

  ‘So, your roommate knew she’d been charged with treason?’

  ‘Oh no. I told him she was hiding from her parents.’

  ‘Where is she now? Not outside?’ Until I knew more the last thing I wanted was a suspected traitor inside my home. I fervently hoped Marvin was not going to beg me to let her sleep here.

  ‘You mean outside – you mean outside your door – here?’

  ‘Yes.’

  ‘Oh, no. I walked her over to the hutments tonight.’

  ‘Your cousin is a colored girl?’ I asked. Heavens! Could it get any more complicated?

  Marvin jerked back his head and said, ‘No. No, absolutely not.’

  ‘You’re going to have to explain. The more you tell me the less sense you are making.’

  ‘It was Hannah – Frannie knew her from back home. Her mama cleaned their house and sometimes Hannah came with her to play with Frannie. Hannah said Frannie could get a hot meal and a night’s sleep in her hut. She told the other gals that Frannie was passing for white and got caught and now she’s in big trouble.’

  ‘And they believed that?’

  ‘Yeah. Hannah told them she knew Frannie’s parents and that was good enough for them. And she wasn’t lying about that. Hannah told them that Frannie needed someplace to stay until she could get hold of her brother to come take her home. That’s why I need your help.’

  ‘OK. I’ll listen to what you want me to do, but first, I need another cup of coffee. How about you?’

  ‘Sure. Thanks,’ Marvin said and followed me into the kitchen.

  While I refilled our cups, I asked, ‘Two days ago? On Wednesday?’

  ‘Yeah, that’s right.’

  ‘I wonder if that’s why the switchboard was down for the past two days.’

  ‘I don’t know but I thought it might be.’

  ‘And I heard a couple of Calutron girls complaining about their rooms being searched.’

  ‘I’m sure that’s because of Frannie. Good thing I got her out of my room. I imagine the men’s dorms will be next.’

  ‘How long, I wonder, before they get to the hutments?’

  ‘I figured the last place they’d look for a white girl is in the hutments. But they’ll get there eventually. That’s why we need to act fast.’

  I handed him his cup and said, ‘OK, sit down and let me hear what you think I can do.’

  ‘Everybody – well, most everybody – in our group will do most anything you propose. Me? I can do OK on
e-on-one but presenting in front of a table full of other scientists, my tongue would be bound to get tied around my eye tooth. But you – you can do it. You are a proven commodity. So, I want you to convince them to help me find the proof that it was that scientist, not Frannie, who’s guilty of treason.’

  ‘How certain can you be that she didn’t just fashion this story to get out of trouble?’

  ‘She’s not very smart, Libby. And she doesn’t have much of an imagination. I mean, when we were kids, she never even saw animal shapes in the clouds until I stood right behind her, pointed her head in the right direction and outlined them with my finger. And no matter how many times I showed her the Orion constellation in the sky, she could never find it on her own. She struggled in school and—’

  ‘OK, Marvin, I get it,’ I interrupted. Was he underestimating her? ‘Don’t forget, some people not considered intelligent in the traditional sense can still be very crafty. And manipulative. Survival instincts can bring out superior performance in anyone.’

  ‘But she’s just not that kind of a girl. She’s not a traitor,’ Marvin pleaded.

  ‘I know you don’t think so. I know you want to believe her story. But fact is, you grew up with the girl, you cannot be trusted to be objective. You know that.’

  ‘But I need your help. I need everyone’s help. Please don’t turn me away.’

  ‘I’m not, Marvin. But I am saying this: I need to talk to her face-to-face. I need to observe her and draw my own conclusions. Can you make that happen?’

  ‘Yeah. I think so. But I don’t think it would be a good idea for you to go to the hutments.’