The Shadow of Treason (23 page)

It was indeed Vic Dudley who accompanied Jane into the room. He stood back, as she rushed to the bedside with a cry of, ‘Adam, darling, are you all right?’ Then she kissed and hugged her sweetheart, jarring his wounds. So there was a little pain mixed with his delight.

‘I’m fine,’ he said. ‘I just got in the way of a stray bu—a stray bit of flying metal. When the oil tank blew up. Luckily it went straight through.’

‘Like the first pint of beer on an empty stomach,’ Vic Dudley observed.

The government man extended a hand towards Jane. ‘I’m James Hoskins, Civil Service. How do you do, Miss Hart?’

Jane responded warmly. ‘Hello, Mr Hoskins. I think it was you who phoned to tell me Adam was all right.’

‘Yes. I tried to let you know as soon as possible.’

‘Thanks a million. Oh, and this is my friend, Vic Dudley.’

Hoskins smiled. ‘Ah yes. Mr Dudley. I recall seeing you at the Windmill.’

‘Good man,’ said Vic. ‘Not many customers come out of the Mill thinking about the comic.’

‘Well, there was something that struck me about your act,’ said Hoskins.

The comedian prepared himself for a compliment. ‘Oh yes?’

‘Yes,’ said Hoskins. ‘You’re obviously quite a young man. Why aren’t you in the army?’

It wasn’t the sort of remark Vic Dudley had expected. But he’d heard the question before, and he had his answer ready. ‘Flat feet,’ he said. ‘The doctors said I’d wear out army boots too quickly.’

‘Pity,’ said Hoskins. ‘You’d have been very useful in the front line.’

‘You think so?’

‘Yes. If you’d done your act at the enemy, most of them would have fled.’

‘Ta,’ said Vic. ‘You must let me come and watch your act some time.’ Then he turned to Adam. ‘Sorry I can’t stay, mate. I’m back on stage in twenty minutes. I brought you some bits and pieces.’ He put two items on Adam’s bedside cabinet.

One was a Lucozade bottle, containing a fluid rather browner than the usual contents. ‘Take a dose three times a day, with water,’ Vic prescribed. ‘Not too much of the water – it can bring on rheumatism. And this might give you a laugh.’ The second gift was a copy of
Blighty
, a pocket magazine which mixed
pin-up
pictures with slightly rude stories.

‘Thanks,’ said Adam.’You’re a pal.’

‘I’ll be off then,’ said Vic. ‘Nice to meet you, Mr Hoskins. I
hope you do well in the Diplomatic Service. See you later, Jane. Don’t get this lad too excited. Bye, Adam. Mind you don’t take a turn for the nurse.’ And with that Vic Dudley was gone.

‘I must be off too,’ said Hoskins. ‘A lot of paperwork to do.’ He rose from his chair. ‘I’m sure you young people won’t mind being left alone. Miss Hart, I’ve told Adam he’s off the hook. Everything’s been cleared up. There’ll be no prosecution.’

‘Mr Hoskins, you’re wonderful!’ Jane exclaimed. She grabbed his arm and kissed him on the cheek.

Hoskins seemed mildly pleased. ‘Thank you, my dear. But now I think you should save your kisses for this young man. He’s had a rough time.’ He began to move off. ‘Adam will give you all the details. But if you two decide to tie the knot, it’s worth remembering you’ll be Mrs Carr, not Mrs Webber.’

Jane was radiant. ‘Thank you again, Mr Hoskins.’

Hoskins was halfway to the door. ‘I’ll call in again in the next few days,’ he said. ‘Tie up a few loose ends.’

‘Just a minute,’ said Adam. ‘You’ve forgotten your umbrella. And you were going to tell me something more about my future.’

‘Ah yes,’ said Hoskins, returning. He picked up his umbrella. ‘You’ll recall that Adam Webber was exempt from military service because he passed his exams and qualified as a research scientist.’

‘That’s right, he was a bright chap.’

‘Alas, Adam Carr didn’t do either of those things. You’ll be getting your army call-up in about six weeks.’

T
HE WAR IN
Europe ended in May 1945 and the prime minister, Winston Churchill, immediately dissolved his wartime
government
and called a general election, as he had promised. The result was a landslide victory for the Socialist Party, and the formation of a Labour government, under Clement Attlee.

Attlee’s regime peacefully implemented most of the things left-wing thinkers had long wanted: a National Health Service, wider Trade Union rights, and the nationalization of the commanding heights of the economy – mines, railways, public utilities and so on. Compensation was paid to dispossessed shareholders. The King and Queen remained in place. Democracy and the rule of law were maintained.

Now that they were no longer needed to guard Britain’s shores, the Home Guard were honourably disbanded, and their weapons were transferred to the regular army.

The government succeeded in suppressing news of the attempted coup and the brief existence of the Red Brigade. Westley and his fellow conspirators were tried and convicted in a secret court, under wartime emergency legislation. Their sentences were limited to two or three years, in return for their co-operation in maintaining the veil of secrecy imposed on their activities.

They were also required to leave the country on their release from jail. Most made their new homes in Eastern Europe but Bill Ford went to the USA, having been recruited by the American Secret Service to help with countering Soviet espionage.
Neville Straker died of a heart attack before he could be brought to trial.

Those among the Home Guard renegades who’d committed assault and other offences in the attack on Broadcasting House were charged individually, as civilians, and received
appropriate
sentences, again reduced on a promise of silence about the planned coup.

The potential insurgents who’d been arrested before they could go into action were not charged but they were watched by British Intelligence for the rest of their lives. Almost all
abandoned
thoughts of revolutionary action, many of their socialist goals having been peacefully and democratically achieved. The extreme malcontents found new causes to espouse, and new ways to promote them, less violent than the Red Brigade’s plans. They favoured civil disobedience, sit-ins, demonstrations and marches, which did nothing worse than disrupt the traffic.

Adam and Jane were married shortly after his release from hospital, and just before his conscription. Adam served for two years in the British Army of Occupation in Germany and then, after demobilization, re-took his course at London University. This time he passed his exams, and began his career as a marine biologist. During those early years, Jane continued at the Windmill, to support them both. In 1951 she retired and they started their family.

Vic Dudley’s career blossomed, as long as variety theatres flourished throughout Britain. In the late forties he starred in his own radio series,
Dudley’s Doings
, and appeared in a Royal Command Variety Performance. When the variety theatres began to close, he started a new career as a character actor on stage and TV, and in films. In 1980, he became a contract actor at the National Theatre.

Maggie Rayner remained a chorus girl for another five years, graduating from the Windmill to the London Coliseum and the Palladium, where she had a brief spell of glory as feed to the comedian Tommy Trinder. In 1950 she married a local lad in the building trade. He put all his energy and savings into renovating
and developing property, and became a millionaire. They had five children.

Inspector Jessett stayed in his post at Tilfleet Police Station until his retirement, after which he devoted his time to gardening and writing his memoirs which, alas, were never published.

Sergeant Monk managed to get a transfer to the Metropolitan Police, where he reached the rank of detective inspector, and was involved in the dismantling of the Krays’ criminal empire.

Sergeant Ernest Fairweather was convicted of the murder of Reginald Paynter, having confessed after barbiturates were traced to him, and his fingerprints were found on Paynter’s shirt-buttons. His death sentence was commuted to life
imprisonment
after he supplied information on criminal activity in south Essex and east London. Several arrests were made at The Bull public house, and a quantity of black market merchandise was seized.

Sniffer Dean continued to operate as police informer and underworld fixer until 1954. Then his life changed after he was inadvertently caught up in a gangland fight, during which a London gangster was killed. The publicity engendered by this, plus his colourful nickname, made him a minor celebrity and, after serving a two-year sentence, he became resident rogue on one of ITV’s first real-life crime series. Later, he served on the government’s advisory committee on prison reform.

No one was charged with the assassination of Martin Hunter. The investigation pointed to Thomas Henry Crick, one of the rebels killed by commandos at Broadcasting House. It was established that he had committed other crimes on behalf of the Red Brigade, and he was known as a top marksman with a rifle. But there was insufficient evidence, and the inquest returned a verdict of murder by a person or persons unknown.

Emily Hart married George Fowler. Friends said that this was just so that she could cease paying him wages but in fact they’d become quite fond of each other. They ran the Cavendish together for ten years, and then retired to Eastbourne, where
George was able to continue his sea-fishing, and Emily revived her theatrical interests with the local amateur dramatic club.

James Hoskins, whose unorthodox approach and lack of respect for his superiors had long irritated the Establishment, was encouraged to take early retirement in the fifties. He had earned particular disfavour by demanding, unsuccessfully, an investigation into Kim Philby, a highly regarded figure in British Intelligence, whom he suspected of being a traitor. Hoskins retired to Buckinghamshire, where he grew roses and became a successful author of books for young children. His wife did the illustrations. Hoskins consistently declined to disclose information about the activities of British Intelligence, preferring to honour the oath he had taken when he joined. Back in 1945, Hoskins had traced Mark Jefferson’s widowed mother, and arranged for her to receive a pension from British Intelligence, plus a letter from the King, commending her son’s courage in the service of his country.