tried to keep his response casual. ‘Yes,’ he said, ‘I’d a great day.’
‘Glad to hear it.’
‘And he got some more good news yesterday, didn’t you, Barry?’ said his grandmother.
‘Eh, yes. My mum is coming to Dublin in a couple of weeks,’ said Barry in explanation.
‘Excellent,’ replied Mr Pawlek. ‘Though I thought the factories normally take their holidays in August?’
‘Yes,’ answered Grandma, ‘But Ellen’s factory is-’
‘Letting some staff off in July,’ cut in Barry, not wanting his grandma to reveal any further details about the aircraft factory. He suspected that the way he had cut Grandma off sounded slightly rude, so he continued now, as though he had done it from innocent excitement. ‘It’s great!’ he enthused, ‘they only let a small number of people take their holidays in July, and Mum’s going to be one of them!’
‘That’s good news all right,’ said Mr Pawlek.
Out of the corner of his eye Barry saw Grace’s mother queuing for the Sunday newspaper, and he looked around to find Grace making straight for them.
‘Hello, Mrs Malone, Barry,’ she said.
Barry and his grandmother returned her greeting, thenGrandma turned to the drill teacher. ‘This is Grace Ryan, a friend of Barry’s. Grace, this is Mr Pawlek from Barry’s school.’
‘Hello, Mr Pawlek,’ said Grace, ‘I’ve heard all about you.’
The teacher raised an eyebrow. ‘Really?’
‘Yes. Barry told me about your summer camp. And the trip to Cobh – that sounded really interesting.’
Barry felt his pulses starting to race and he hoped that Grace wouldn’t arouse Mr Pawlek’s suspicions.
He watched carefully now as the teacher looked at Grace with interest. ‘Yes, I think our trip was a success. And as for the summer camp, you’d be welcome to join us – it’s for girls as well as boys.’
‘Thanks,’ said Grace. ‘But I’d have to ask my ma about it.’
‘Of course.’
‘Grace is staying with her grandfather, her home was bombed in the North Strand,’ explained Grandma.
‘Oh. I’m sorry to hear that,’ said Mr Pawlek.
He sounded completely convincing, Barry thought, though of course if he was a spy he would have had plenty of practice at lying.
‘Yes, the German’s bombed us, even though we’re neutral,’ replied Grace, with a hint of challenge.
Barry knew that Grace was doing this deliberately to see how Mr Pawlek would respond. He hoped that she hadn’t gone too far, yet at the same time he was fascinated as he watched his teacher’s expression.
‘A dreadful event,’ Mr Pawlek said sympathetically. ‘And a clearviolation of Ireland’s neutrality.’
If he really
was
German, then he was a cool customer, Barry decided. He was nervous that Grace might push too far with more comments or questions, and it was a relief when Grandma tapped Mr Pawlek on the arm and pointed out Grace’s mother in the queue for the papers. The two women had met through Grace’s granddad, and had hit it off well.
‘Let me introduce you to Mrs Ryan, Grace’s mother,’ said Grandma, obviously pleased to be the one doing the introductions.
‘Please do,’ answered Mr Pawlek, following Grandma as she made for the newspaper queue.
Barry dropped a few steps behind and turned to Grace. ‘Don’t overdo the questions!’ he whispered. ‘We don’t want him on guard,’
‘OK.’
‘So, what do you think?’ he asked. ‘Am I mad?’
Grace shook her head. ‘No. I’d say you’re probably right.’
‘You really think so?’
‘Yeah. There’s something about him. But like you said, we have to get proof.’
‘I’ve been thinking about that.’
‘And?’
Barry smiled. ‘I have a plan…’
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
G race cycled hard, rising out of the saddle to increase her speed. It was important not to lose sight of their quarry, as she and Barry tailed Mr Pawlek through the Phoenix Park. The trees in the People’s Gardens were bathed in warm, early evening sunshine
‘Glad to hear it.’
‘And he got some more good news yesterday, didn’t you, Barry?’ said his grandmother.
‘Eh, yes. My mum is coming to Dublin in a couple of weeks,’ said Barry in explanation.
‘Excellent,’ replied Mr Pawlek. ‘Though I thought the factories normally take their holidays in August?’
‘Yes,’ answered Grandma, ‘But Ellen’s factory is-’
‘Letting some staff off in July,’ cut in Barry, not wanting his grandma to reveal any further details about the aircraft factory. He suspected that the way he had cut Grandma off sounded slightly rude, so he continued now, as though he had done it from innocent excitement. ‘It’s great!’ he enthused, ‘they only let a small number of people take their holidays in July, and Mum’s going to be one of them!’
‘That’s good news all right,’ said Mr Pawlek.
Out of the corner of his eye Barry saw Grace’s mother queuing for the Sunday newspaper, and he looked around to find Grace making straight for them.
‘Hello, Mrs Malone, Barry,’ she said.
Barry and his grandmother returned her greeting, thenGrandma turned to the drill teacher. ‘This is Grace Ryan, a friend of Barry’s. Grace, this is Mr Pawlek from Barry’s school.’
‘Hello, Mr Pawlek,’ said Grace, ‘I’ve heard all about you.’
The teacher raised an eyebrow. ‘Really?’
‘Yes. Barry told me about your summer camp. And the trip to Cobh – that sounded really interesting.’
Barry felt his pulses starting to race and he hoped that Grace wouldn’t arouse Mr Pawlek’s suspicions.
He watched carefully now as the teacher looked at Grace with interest. ‘Yes, I think our trip was a success. And as for the summer camp, you’d be welcome to join us – it’s for girls as well as boys.’
‘Thanks,’ said Grace. ‘But I’d have to ask my ma about it.’
‘Of course.’
‘Grace is staying with her grandfather, her home was bombed in the North Strand,’ explained Grandma.
‘Oh. I’m sorry to hear that,’ said Mr Pawlek.
He sounded completely convincing, Barry thought, though of course if he was a spy he would have had plenty of practice at lying.
‘Yes, the German’s bombed us, even though we’re neutral,’ replied Grace, with a hint of challenge.
Barry knew that Grace was doing this deliberately to see how Mr Pawlek would respond. He hoped that she hadn’t gone too far, yet at the same time he was fascinated as he watched his teacher’s expression.
‘A dreadful event,’ Mr Pawlek said sympathetically. ‘And a clearviolation of Ireland’s neutrality.’
If he really
was
German, then he was a cool customer, Barry decided. He was nervous that Grace might push too far with more comments or questions, and it was a relief when Grandma tapped Mr Pawlek on the arm and pointed out Grace’s mother in the queue for the papers. The two women had met through Grace’s granddad, and had hit it off well.
‘Let me introduce you to Mrs Ryan, Grace’s mother,’ said Grandma, obviously pleased to be the one doing the introductions.
‘Please do,’ answered Mr Pawlek, following Grandma as she made for the newspaper queue.
Barry dropped a few steps behind and turned to Grace. ‘Don’t overdo the questions!’ he whispered. ‘We don’t want him on guard,’
‘OK.’
‘So, what do you think?’ he asked. ‘Am I mad?’
Grace shook her head. ‘No. I’d say you’re probably right.’
‘You really think so?’
‘Yeah. There’s something about him. But like you said, we have to get proof.’
‘I’ve been thinking about that.’
‘And?’
Barry smiled. ‘I have a plan…’
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
G race cycled hard, rising out of the saddle to increase her speed. It was important not to lose sight of their quarry, as she and Barry tailed Mr Pawlek through the Phoenix Park. The trees in the People’s Gardens were bathed in warm, early evening sunshine
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