On a bitterly cold night in December 1943, government girl Louise Pearlie and her friend Joe Prager are enjoying a quiet drink in the Baron Steuben Inn, when a bloodstained body is discovered behind the bar.
Although the victim had been a regular customer, no one seems to know anything about him. When it turns out there is a link to Louise’s top-secret work at the OSS, she is ordered to find out as much as possible about the murder while keeping the connection secret from those involved, including the investigating police detective.
Although Louise has been trained to keep secrets, the constant deception is taking its toll, especially when she discovers that she’s not the only customer at the Steuben that night with something to hide. Will Louise’s silence result in an innocent man being arrested for murder?
“Shaber does a fine job portraying the plight of alien residents in wartime Washington, besides conveying the hectic atmosphere of a city whose resources are stretched to the limit by an influx of new workers.” (Publishers Weekly, starred review)
