ed that Jody had been talking about Denise Colbert. She could feel herself blushing again and Jody looked equally uncomforta- ble.

"Hello," said Denise uncer-

tainly.

"Hi," Jody nodded in greeting. She eyed Denise's low- cut dress and the apparent deep cleavage. "Like your dress," she mumbled.

Denise just touched the lip- stick to her mouth, rubbed her lips together and hastily put the container away. “Got to be going she said hurriedly," as Jody look- ed about to say more.

"Oh." said Jody quite sweetly. "Can't keep Richard waiting, heh?" She stepped to- wards the door with Denise so that they came out together. Heinrich was waiting with Denise's wrap. He came forward and placed it around her should- ers. Then, he took her hand.

Denise closed her hand on Langer's and smiled at him. She turned and began to began to answer Jody's question, but the dark girl had already turned on her heel and was rejoining her friends

Langer did not insist that he enter Richard Simons' apartment despite Denise's assurance that the American Colonel would still be working.

"Come in for a drink," De- nise whispered huskily.

He sighed, "Another time, Denise," He spoke in a low tone. "When we know more precisely where your master is." He ran a smooth hand tenderly down her face. "We'll get together soon."

Then he was gone, leaving a very shaken Denise to head for bed. She stripped off her clothes quickly, scrubbed her face hard in the bathroom, and then plung- ed into her bed in her long, white silk nightdress. She didn't stir as she heard Simons coming from his room to find out how she'd made out on her date. He called her softly but her gentle, regular breathing must have convinced him that she was asleep, for he soon tiptoed away.

* * * * * *

Jody Atwater sought out the office's new file clerk for

lunch the next few days. She directed the conversation to top- ics such as Denise's makeup and how she could help Jody im- prove herself, or to silk stockings and how Denise managed to find a stock for herself. She was such a determined 'good sport' that Denise treated her with great sympathy even when the ques- tions became very personal about her 'love' for Richard Simons.

Jody even inveigled Denise to go on a couple of shopping expeditions but there was noth- ing to see in the neighboring, devastated city. The black mar- ket merchant, whom Jody knew to approach with confidence, had, however, a selection of most feminine lingerie that made Denise again feel most uncomfor- table. She was disturbed by some dark, straight slips that she had begun to think would look sexy on herself. She tried to shrug off the thoughts but found Jody staring at her, a most perplexed frown on her face.

But she made no comment on Denise's reaction nor to her impulsive buying of a white, lace nightie. It was only after Denise had the package in her hands that Denise realized that Jody had again switched the conversa- tion to Richard Simons. One, quick, darting glance at the pack- age was enough to tell Denise where Jody's thoughts were lead- ing. All she could do was to slip her arm through Jody's in as friendly a manner as possible. They parted naturally on return- ing to work with smiles and promises to meet later. Denise felt a real liking for Jody and it seemed to be reciprocated.

-

The contact, when it came. was a complete surprise to De- nise. She had seen Helene Gaudet several times with Sandy Ed- mondson. He had been a Free French liaison officer earlier in his career which might have ex- plained his bitterness. Denise knew that Mme. Gaudet was some kind of secretary, attached to French Intelligence.

Helene's blue eyes twinkled as she spoke softly to the girls over coffee in the luncheon room They'd shared a table and Gabby for several breaks before Helene and Denise were finally alone 13

and Helene made her pitch. "I'd like very much to see the Werch- statter File," she said quite di- rectly as Denise was stirring her coffee and admiring the evenness of the shiny red polish on her own perfectly shaped, feminine nails.

"The Werchstatter File?" Denise's astonishment was real.

Helene's self-deprecating shrug was most attractive. "We are French," her voice was very quiet against a background of ar- gumentative Mid-West accents at a table near to the main door. "We are the poor relations of the Intelligence world. We would like to be in the know about Ameri- can plans for Germany's future. It's not so much to ask, is it? Not from a French woman?"

Denise licked her lower lip. She could taste her new, scarlet lipstick. "I - I can't do something like that," she muttered, looking away from Helene.

Helene's hand reached a- cross the table to touch Denise's soft hand. “It would be worth your while," she said. "You would be independent when you returned to France. And it isn't like spying for another country. It's just information that we should have anyway.

Richard Simons had been very specific about the Werch- statter File. Ostensibly, he had told Denise, it was a list of Ger- mans whom the Americans hoped to place either into office or into high positions in a future German bureaucracy. Attached to the listing, however, were ap- pendices of the agents and friends of several key figures in the main list that could be erect- ed as 'networks' of contacts should the need arise for intel- ligense within the Russian-occu- pied sector of Germany. It was the most important of the "very sensitive" files that Denise had received Simons' instructions to be alert about.

"Well, think about it," said Helene with a warm smile. “You could be free of all this." Her hand took in Heinrich Langer who was bearing down on them, a sickly smile on his face.

""

"Madame, Mademoiselle,' he stated, nodding stiffly. He didn't click his heels, but the