In late summer 1940, Henry Faber, a German spy, has a room in a London boarding house owned by a widow, Una Garden. Faber is playing his radio loudly late at night. Mrs. Garden, who is attracted to the good-looking, single Faber, goes to Faber’s door to confront him over the noise. However, Mrs. Garden unwittingly interrupts Faber sending a communication to his contacts in Germany. Faber stabs her because he cannot risk the possibility that she saw the wireless radio transmitter and could tell someone about it. Faber carries Mrs. Garden back to her room and makes it appear as though she was killed during a sexual assault. Faber reviews the situation, wondering what he could have done differently, as he flees the home and goes to another boarding house where he has already established the persona of Henry Baker. He always has two identities established at one time. Now that Henry Faber is compromised, he will have to create another.

Percival “Percy” Godliman is a historian currently working on a biography of Henry II. A secretary reminds him that he needs to leave for lunch with his uncle, Colonel Andrew Terry. At lunch, Terry confesses he is still working with the Army trying to find German spies recruited and trained by Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, head of Abwehr.