“The… circumstances… of Chesty’s death?”
“A very awkward situation ‘ ” he agreed, nodding his head, “that you handled as skillfully, as-forgive me-ruthlessly as you considered necessary.”
“Is that a compliment?”
“And a statement of fact,” he said.
“That brings us back to my question. Where would I fit in?”
“I don’t know. For the moment, I would want you to take over the house on Q Street. Starting immediately, we’re going to have to think about security precautions, communications…”
“About which I know nothing,” she said. “It sounds like you want a housekeeper.” a ,yo, didn’t really think I was going to ask you to go to Berli ,ld rnae eyes at Adolf Hitler, did you?”
“That annoyed her. have a responsible job at the State Department,” she said. nd I have been led to believe that I can be commissioned into the -4A WAC.” d Donovan. fhat, in turn, annoye ‘s Army Corps he said, “you would.If you went in the Women spend the war as a clerk in uniform. If you stay at the State Department, you will spend the war performing legal functions that your superiors feel are unimportant enough to be handled by a woman- If you complain, you will be told that is the sacrifice you must make for the war effort. Your naivete surprises me, frankly.”
She successfully fought down the urge to express the rage she felt. They rode along in silence for five minutes.
-i want you on board,” Donovan said, finally breaking the silence, “as an asset in place, someone I can put to real work as soon as the need arises. In the meantime, I want you to take over the house on Q Street. I have to have absolute faith in the ability, common sense, and even ruthlessness of whoever is running it for me. If you consider that beneath your dignity, there is no point in continuing this discussion. Please forget it ever took place.”
She didn’t reply at first, but a moment later said, “Chesty’s Packard, the convertible, is in the garage. And he has personal things. Should I load it all up and send it to Summer Place?”
“No ‘ ” he said. “Barbara told me she wants nothing from the house on Q Street, and unless she changes her mind, I’m going to leave it that way.”
“I’ll pack his personal things and put them in the attic,” she said. “And I’ll run the Packard every couple of days. If it’s all right, I’ll Move into the house.”
She had accepted his offer.
He looked at her, and they laughed together. Later they stopped in Philadelphia for a late supper, boiled lobsters at Bookbinder S, and then drove on to Washington. lba,Luzon Commonwealth of the Philippines 1205 Hours 9 December 1941
As the sixteen P40-E aircraft returning from a fruitless patrol over the South China Sea approached Iba, a single dirt runway auxiliary field in the hills forty miles from their regular base at Clark Field, Second Lieutenant James M. C. Whittaker went on the horn.
“Delicious Leader, Delicious Blue Five.
“Go ahead, Blue Five.” There was a tone of impatience in the squadron leader’s voice, even over the clipped tones of the radio.
“My fuel warning lights are on,” Whittaker said. “Request permission to land as soon as possible.”
There was no reply for a moment, and then:
“Delicious Blue Five, you are cleared to land as number three. I’ll want to see you on the ground.”
“Blue Five leaving the formation at this time,” Whittaker replied. He dropped the nose and pointed the P40-E toward the tail of the second plane making its approach.
“I want to see you on the ground, Whittaker,” the squadron commander said. “Acknowledge.”
“You want to see me on the ground, acknowledged,” Whittaker said.
Whittaker knew his squadron leader did not like him, and most of the reasons why he didn’t. The squadron commander was a Regular, and he was a reservist who had not troubled to conceal his annoyance at having been kept on active duty. He had not displayed what the squadron commander believed was the proper team spirit, and, probably just as important, he hadn’t seen any point in trying to hide the fact that he had an independent income.