Billy Thomas and gang set out their new mission – their eyes lit up – to catch a spy. Now that was exciting. Billy had twice seen the foreign man who had moved into a house on the edge of the village passing a rolled-up newspaper to a shifty little man. Once he’d seen the shifty man hand him money
A rota was set up. Huw Parry would watch in the morning as his parents went to work early. Billy would watch after school till teatime. Gwyn Griffiths would then take over, as his parents went to the club most nights and his brother let him go where he wanted. Huw Parry had an army uniform they could share to hide in the woods. Gwyn Griffiths borrowed his da’s binoculars to keep watch.
Watching, a new problem cropped up. The foreigner started to court Miss Davies in the village. She had a hush-hush job in Swansea. Now they were really worried. Should they go to the police? They were sure he was using a honey pot to get Miss Davies to tell her secrets.
After much debate, they decided to all watch them that weekend, hiding in the large privet hedge edging Miss Davies’ garden. Peering through the binoculars, watching the couple sat chatting, Billy was trying to lipread. Miss Davies seemed distracted, and the man grasped her arm. The boys dived out of the bush, charging the man down. After a tangle of bodies, Miss Davies’ voice shouted at them to stop. The boys sitting on the man looked up.
They explaining they were trying to save her from this spy as he was only after information. Laughing till their ribs ached, Miss Davies and the man spluttered, why did they think that? Billy explained what he had seen. The man was shamefaced as he explained it was his bookmaker; he was placing his bets.
Miss Davies told them she worked for the council, so had no secrets to give.
Trudging off the boys, heads down, heard the couple laughing again.
