The Paris Agent

Rouen, France, February 1944

Eloise waits to have her papers checked. She is standing behind a family that has endured great hardship. When the guard criticizes the father for having a disability, Eloise feels tremendous rage. She pictures herself taking the guard’s rifle and shooting him. As hatred surges through her, she reminds herself that she has a very important reason to make it home alive. She recalls her training days when she was roommates with Chloe (Josie) and hopes that Chloe is doing well.

Eloise continues on to the home of Madame Delphine Laurent, who has hosted SOE members many times. Eloise asks Delphine for an update on Jeremie, but Delphine is not sure if he is still alive. Delphine tells Eloise that it is too dangerous for her to be there. The next step in Eloise’s mission is to track down a local butcher and learn what he knows.

England, 1970

Theo calls Charlotte and asks her to meet him at the history department on Friday to speak with Professor Read. Noah and Charlotte go to the university together. Charlotte meets Mrs. White, who explains that if Charlotte had given her father’s name, she would have been put straight through to Read. Mrs. White says that she has sent Noah many letters over the years, but Noah is confused because he has never received any.

Professor Read is very excited to meet Noah and asks him about the unanswered letters. Noah tells Professor Read that he had a skull fracture, and many of his memories remain blurry. Professor Read explains that he thinks Remy, Noah, and Fleur (Eloise) left a safe house on the morning of Noah’s injury and that Fleur did not survive the war. Noah is clearly shaken by this.

Professor Read says that because Remy’s identity is classified, he cannot share it. Noah recalls the day that they escaped and wonders if Fleur was injured or captured while parachuting. Theo asks if Fleur hurt her ankle, and Charlotte notes that the atmosphere suddenly becomes inexplicably tense. Professor Read interviews Noah, but Noah cannot remember the answer to many of the questions he asks. Professor Read promises to ask Remy if he would be willing to speak to Noah. Professor Read then asks Theo to stay behind; he seems angry.

Charlotte calls her brother, Archie, who theorizes that Noah had an affair during the war and believes that Geraldine was jealous of this unknown woman. Theo invites Charlotte and Noah to meet Remy.

Montbéliard, France, December 1943

Josie and Noah try to understand why the village was bombed instead of the factory, and Josie is pleased that Turner has taken over the investigation because she believes him to be a passionate and trustworthy leader. As Josie and Noah wait to learn what the next steps will be, they talk about their childhood and their lives before the war.

Josie explains that she was always sick. Her mom was her primary caregiver and often traveled with her close friend, whom Josie calls Aunt Quinn. Josie explains that she and her mom moved to France. When the occupation began, Josie’s mom was visiting Quinn in England. Josie wanted to say goodbye, so she went to Quinn’s flat and realized that Quinn and her mom are a couple. Josie’s father then blackmailed her mom about her relationship with Quinn.

Noah tells Josie about Geraldine and explains how she helped him to grieve for his lost family. He tells her that he and Geraldine argued about Josie because Geraldine was jealous of her. Noah says that Geraldine had a right to be jealous.

The next transmission reveals that another airstrike is planned within the next few days. Noah and Josie are determined to destroy the factory as quickly as possible. They kiss and decide to reassess their relationship after the factory is destroyed.

Rouen, France, February 1944

Eloise goes to the butcher shop to learn about the butcher’s arrest, but the apprentice is not interested in helping. When she is stopped by guards, she realizes that she forgot to register for the necessary paperwork. She is taken to a bureaucratic building and thinks about the cyanide pill that she was given in case of capture. As the guards interrogate her, she claims that she is looking for her missing uncle and tries to act flirtatiously. She is annoyed that she has wasted the day.

Montbéliard, France, December 1943

Noah and Josie meet with the factory owner, who agrees to have them come to the factory for a tour. He wants them to include Josie’s boss (the factory accountant) in their plans. Her employers are shocked to learn of her true identity, and her boss agrees to help. Six weeks after the mistaken bomb, Noah and Josie lead two teams of resistance operatives to the factory, where they strategically place the explosives. As the factory explodes, they take in the damage done. Later, Noah and Josie have sex.

Noah and Josie recognize that the factory owner and Josie’s boss, the accountant, will come under suspicion, so they try to prepare them both for the inevitable interrogation. The town becomes a hotbed of suspicion. Josie is distressed to learn that more innocent locals have been violently interrogated. She feels very guilty that people are being beaten because of her and Noah’s actions. One day, she and Noah are stopped by a pair of SS officers who ask for their identities and tell them that they are looking for a British man going by the name of Adrien.

The SOE headquarters states that it will evacuate Adrien to London. The plane arrives, and Adrien is replaced by an operative named François. Noah is convinced that Adrien knows about their relationship and will tell their superiors. They worry that the Germans will exploit their relationship and promise to find each other after the war. A few days later, they learn that their group is being disbanded and that they will be separated. They cry as they say goodbye at the train station, mouthing “I love you” as the train departs.