The Informer (Sabotage Group BB)

10

Sitting under the floor lamp in the living room, Grete Bach Sørensen is sewing upholstery for a pillow when the telephone starts ringing. Putting the needlework aside, she goes out in the hall to answer the phone.

“At Reverend Sorensen’s.”

“Can I please talk to the reverend?” A woman’s voice.

“No. I’m sorry, he is busy at the moment. May I ask who is calling?”

“Please give him this message: The flowers not delivered. Infected by weeds. Four dandelions broken. All buds intact.”

“Is it the florist? We didn’t order any—”

“The flowers not delivered. Infected by weeds. Four dandelions broken. All buds intact.” The woman is gasping for breath.

“Well, if you say so. I’ll give him the message.”

“Please repeat the message.”

“What?”

“Repeat the message, please.”

“The dandelions need water. The buds are broken, but the flowers are intact.”

“No-no. Do you have a pen and paper?”

“I am a little busy myself. Can it wait?”

“Now listen! This is very important! I am a close friend of Johannes!”

“You—”

“Are you still there?”

“Yes.”

“Are you listening?”

“Yes.”

“The flowers not delivered. Infected by weeds. Four dandelions broken. All buds intact.”

Grete repeats the message without saying another word. The woman hangs up.

Staring at a spot on the tapestry for the next several minutes, Grete stands paralyzed beside the telephone. What is she going to do?

“Who was it?” Johannes is shouting from the toilet.

“Nobody,” she says.

She rushes back into the living room to continue sewing on her pillowcase. Working too quickly with the needle, she stabs her index finger. She wipes the tears from her eyes and licks the blood from her fingertip. She puts the needlework down on the table and heads out into the kitchen, where she moves some cans around before she goes to sit by the kitchen table, only to get up again instantly.

As she goes to the window to carefully lift the blackout curtains, she can hear the wind from outside. Unable to see anything but her own reflection, she lets the curtain fall back, and goes back to rearranging the cans.