Death Beyond the Limit: Fiji Islands Mysteries 3

by B. M. Allsopp

  ‘Io, I might have known. I would just request one or two keepsakes, you know, Joe.’

  ‘Let me check if he left a will first. I’ll write out their details for you. But at the moment, Forensics are keeping them safe.’ This time, Salome waited in silence while Horseman jotted down the details, tore off the page and handed it silently to Salome. She made unwise choices when she was a desperate teenager, yet grew into a woman of dignity in an iniquitous world. He stood and looked around. He should have been more careful. What she had just done was a killing offence in Suva’s new, vicious underbelly.

  He tried calling both Santo and Filipo again. Nothing.

  41

  Musudroka brought back the surveillance notes from Joy-13 after he handed over to Kau. He made copies for his two superiors and plugged in his camera to Horseman’s computer.

  ‘Let me just run through these shots, sir.’ He took charge of Horseman’s mouse. ‘You spoke to Yee at close quarters on deck. Maybe we didn’t recognise him among all these faces coming and going.’ He clicked through the shots the surveillance team had taken of Joy-13’s crew and visitors coming and going.

  Horseman looked at each one with care. ‘No, apart from that first blurry shot you took before we started proper surveillance, he’s not here. I’d say he’s left the country or we’ve scared him away from the docks at least.’

  Singh checked her phone again and sighed. ‘But now Shaddock’s identified him by name, we’ll have a result from Immigration this afternoon. I was hoping it would come through before this meeting.’

  ‘If Shaddock gave us a false name, knowingly or not, Immigration may be having problems matching him. The guy’s got criminal gang stamped all over him. Who knows how many passports and aliases he has?’ Horseman’s frustration was increasing. He tried to rein it in.

  ‘Tani, you’re best placed to find Santo and Filipo. Are you sure neither of them is on board?’

  ‘Can’t be sure, sir. Filipo wasn’t seen coming or going today at all. Maybe he’s on board. Santo was checked coming off this morning, but hasn’t returned.’

  ‘And you’ve got someone checking the port side, now?’

  Musudroka looked rueful. ‘Io, sir.’

  ‘Santo or Filipo, whoever you come across first, persuade him to come back here with you. Sergeant Singh and I will find Yee if he’s still in Fiji.’

  ‘What about Shiners training, sir?’

  ‘If you haven’t found Santo or Filipo by half past four, hotfoot it to training. I’m going to be on time today myself.’

  *

  Horseman was true to his word—about turning up at training on time. That was because he had not located Yee, if that was his real name. He could tell from Musudroka’s face that Santo and Filipo hadn’t shown up either.

  ‘No luck yet,’ Horseman said. ‘Same for you, Tani?’

  ‘Io, sir. If only we could barge in with a warrant and search that ship!’

  ‘I know how you feel, but we can’t. What we can do in the next hour is give these boys the best training session they’ve ever had. Right or right?’

  ‘Right, let’s go.’ grinned Musudroka, slapping a high five.

  The squad responded to the intensified focus of their coaches. Horseman’s frequent late arrival to training could have affected the motivation of the boys. That surprised him. Even so, his unreliability couldn’t be helped—if the super thought for one minute that he put the Shiners before a case, well, that would be the end of the Shiners.

  It was half an hour before he noticed that every boy was wearing rugby boots. He hoped they’d bought them at Bargain City and the other second-hand warehouses. If there was a surge in reports of stolen rugby boots the squad wouldn’t last long either.

  The boys showed extra vigour and determination in their final exercise, the practice game. Dr Pillai approached him during their meal, this evening a sausage sizzle.

  ‘The boys had that extra strength this afternoon—spirit as well as muscle and know-how. Don’t you agree, Joe?’

  ‘I do, Doctor. Your nutritious food is having an effect.’

  Dr Pillai wagged his head. ‘Partly, perhaps. However, the main factor is you showed your total commitment this afternoon. They respond in kind instinctively.’

  Horseman nodded. He didn’t want to admit the boys’ dependence. He didn’t want to be their hero. But he would always listen to the wise and kind doctor.

  ‘I just can’t give the commitment they need and deserve. I think I’ll have to concentrate on getting a reliable roster going with volunteers from Traffic. The current case is difficult and frustrating and that’s hardly unusual.’

  Dr Pillai cocked an eyebrow. ‘You do well, Joe. Did you notice they all have boots this afternoon?’

  ‘Yes, I should say something to them.’

  ‘I think so. Most of them will have either pinched feet, blisters or they’ll trip over in oversized boots. But they’re proud of their achievement and that will do them good.’

  So, when everyone was eating, Horseman spoke from his heart to his rough squad. ‘Shiners, I’m sorry that I’m hardly ever on time to training these days. You deserve a coach that can give you a hundred per cent of his effort. But know that I do the best I can. If I’m not here with you when I should be, it’s not because I’m sleeping or having fun, it’s because I’m doing the job that pays my bills. I’m proud to say that my job is also important. The police help keep Fiji a good place by catching criminals who hurt innocent people. You understand that and forgive me when I’m late, or even when I can’t come at all. I want to say vinaka vakalevu to you for understanding, and vinaka vakalevu to my police colleagues and Dr Pillai, who are all committed to making the Shiners a team to be feared. Let’s thank them with three cheers.’ Three lusty cheers exceeded the safe decibel level.

  ‘You performed with an extra spark this afternoon, Shiners. That’s not because of anything I and the other coaches did. That’s because you did something for yourselves. You’ve all managed to buy your own rugby boots, even if some aren’t the right size.’

  Hoots of laughter greeted this remark. A few boys leaped up and mimed limping about.

  ‘I want to congratulate you on helping yourselves, Shiners. If you want a word of wisdom from your coach, which you probably don’t—’

  Shrieks of protest erupted. He noticed Tevita pull his boots off, sling them around his neck and slip away without a word to anyone. Where did the boy need to be?

  ‘What I want to tell you is that what you get by your own efforts will always give you greater satisfaction than a gift. So well done Shiners. Congratulations!’

  One boy threw his boots high in the air. Suddenly it was raining boots. Dr Pillai reacted at the upturned faces.

  ‘Oh no, look down! Cover your eyes!’

  He looked at Horseman and they shared a laugh while the Shiners hurled their boots at each other. It was just the type of high jinks Tevita would love. Normally.

  TUESDAY 26th September

  42

  The super loomed in his doorway as Horseman came up the stairs. The big man ushered him into his office.

  ‘Yadra, Joe. Sit down, sit down. I’m the bearer of bad news. The Deputy Commissioner called me just now. A team of detectives has flown in from China. You and I are summoned to meet them up at HQ at eleven. The big boss thinks the best we can expect is to be consulted.’

  He’d half-expected this, but not so soon. His racing heart and prickling palms told him he hadn’t truly taken this possibility seriously after all.

  ‘And the worst?’

  ‘To be excluded from their enquiries. As if that weren’t bad enough, there’s a suggestion that my team has overstepped our jurisdiction and offended our ally, the People’s Republic of China.’

  ‘In the person of Captain Shen, I assume,’ Horseman said.

  The super lifted his eyebrows in assent.

  ‘What line do you want to take, sir?’

  ‘The Deputy Commissi
oner now wants to see what he can achieve by being very friendly and cooperative.’

  ‘I can do that, sir.’

  ‘Io, Joe, you can. I’ve also known you to speak your mind. You may not be asked to speak at all. Even if you are, do not do so unless I give you the nod. I may choose to speak for you instead. Please remember that. Your role is to be a resource of case knowledge for us.’

  ‘Io, I can remember that. In fact, it’s a role I prefer. I know when I’m out of my league. Sir, Singh and I have been working through the case files, marking pages that would be important to share with the Chinese detectives. We worked from the standpoint that only the evidence relating directly to Jimmy Inia’s fall from Joy-13 would be relevant to their enquiry. Just looking for your direction on that. We’re about halfway through the process.’

  The super gazed out the louvres, then up at the whirring fans.

  ‘Tricky, isn’t it? The boundaries between these incidents and even the fishing license violations aren’t clear. In fact, they overlap. Was poor wretched Jimmy tossed overboard for recording illegal fishing practices or people smuggling, if that’s what it is? Or something different altogether? We don’t know yet. But given time, we will.’

  ‘How selective should we be with the file, sir?’

  ‘It wouldn’t be a good idea to wheel a supermarket trolley full of case file boxes into the meeting. No need to show them how good we are at our job. So, I’d say you’re on the right track. Io, stick to the MOB aspect and the captain’s undisputed failure to report that. If we’re talking about volume, I’d estimate that one box file would be enough. Let them ask for more details if they want to. However, I suspect their investigation will be a sham, just a ploy to exonerate their own citizens.’

  ‘Vinaka for clarifying, sir. If we’re meeting at eleven, we’ll need to put the file together extra fast. Could we borrow a constable from another team just for the photocopying and filing?’

  ‘Io, I’ll send you someone right away.’

  ‘If you do call on me in the meeting, do you want me to give a full debrief of the file?’

  ‘I think not, Joe. Just the—what do they call it now? Io, the executive summary. Such a delightful term. If the DC or I ask supplementary questions, answer them briefly. If the Chinese ask questions, the DC will answer, unless he directs the question specifically to you or me.’

  ‘Got it, sir. I’d better get this file slimmed-down first.’

  *

  By the time Horseman had to leave, the combined efforts of all three had produced a neat, chronological and presentable file. When they got to the Commissioner’s conference suite, a secretary whisked the file from him and returned it moments later bound in two sky-blue binders, with the Fiji Police shield on the front.

  ‘Vinaka, impressive,’ he smiled.

  Both the Commissioner and his deputy were gracious hosts to the Chinese delegation, serving lime-coconut drinks and dried banana nibbles in the foyer. When the unsmiling guests entered the conference room, they ignored the soaring beams with intricate sinnet bindings, the tapa-cloth hangings, the flower arrangements. They sat where the welcoming secretary indicated and placed their portfolios in front of them. They waited without a flicker while Fijian caterers in blue-and-white bula shirts served tea.

  Horseman put the two fancy file binders on the empty chair beside him and glanced surreptitiously at his counterpart SIO, Chief Inspector Jun Han. When they were introduced, Han had merely bowed curtly. Horseman had tried to make pleasant conversation, but Han was clearly not interested. Unless he was being clever, trying to unnerve him.

  After another formal welcome from the Commissioner, the Deputy Commissioner spoke.

  ‘We are pleased to welcome Chief Inspector Han and his team. We are impressed that the People’s Republic of China accepts its responsibility to investigate and prosecute crimes committed on ships who sail under her flag, in this case, FV Joy-13. For more than two weeks Superintendent Navala’s team has investigated the identity of human remains found in the sea. Against all the odds, they identified that they belonged to Semesi Inia, who was placed as a fishing observer on Joy-13 under the terms of the WCPFC, of which both China and Fiji are founding members. We are pleased to fully cooperate with Chief Inspector Han’s team, sharing our resources and pooling our skills. Again, welcome.’

  Polite applause followed. The First Secretary of the Chinese Embassy stood to reply.

  ‘Thank you for your hospitality, Commissioner. As I said at our last meeting, the investigation into any alleged incident on Joy-13 is China’s duty. Inspector Han and his team have arrived with all haste and are ready to start now.’

  The Deputy Commissioner was a little put out by the brevity of the First Secretary, Horseman could tell.

  ‘Would Chief Inspector Han care to ask any questions about our CID investigation?’

  Han also stood to speak. The Deputy Commissioner waved him down. ‘Do sit, Chief Inspector. We do things bula-style here in Fiji, you know.’ His bass chuckle rumbled.

  Han remained inscrutable but did sit after a brief hesitation. ‘I have no questions yet. I would prefer to read the case file first, and I may have questions for the Senior Investigator later.’

  Although Han’s English was grammatically correct, his pronunciation made him difficult to understand. The Deputy Commissioner slowed his speech in response, pronouncing each word separately.

  ‘Certainly, very sensible procedure, Chief Inspector Han. Shall we set a time for our next meeting after you’ve had a chance to digest the files?’

  Han did not consult anyone before he answered. ‘No, that won’t be necessary.’

  The Deputy Commissioner addressed Navala. ‘Are your contact details in the file, Superintendent?’

  ‘Yes, sir. Chief Inspector Han is welcome to call me at any time.’ He nodded to Horseman, who handed him the ceremonial files. Navala got to his feet, walked around the table to Han, bowed slightly and offered the sky-blue folders.

  Han stood to accept them. ‘Thank you, Superintendent. Goodbye.’ Then the other three Chinese stood, all four bowed stiffly and walked out without a backwards glance. One of the caterers closed the double doors.

  The Fijians looked at each other. ‘We’ll be generous and put it down to jet lag, eh?’ the Deputy Commissioner boomed. ‘Just an anecdote from the cross-cultural interface, eh?’

  The Commissioner was mildly irritated. ‘I’d laugh if it weren’t so serious. I can’t read this situation, and I’m no stranger to inter-governmental negotiations, as you know. They haven’t asked us to stop surveillance on Joy-13, which was the first request I expected. They haven’t asked us for anything.’

  ‘Except the files,’ Navala reminded them.

  ‘Io, except the files. Selected files, I assume?’

  ‘Io, sir.’

  The Commissioner nodded. ‘So we wait. I don’t have a good feeling about this one, gentlemen. Let’s hope I’m wrong.’

  *

  ‘What’s behind this?’ Horseman asked the super on the way back. ‘Here I was, expecting to be accused of overstepping my authority, maybe even banned from the investigation, and—nothing. Why weren’t we asked to stop watching Joy-13?’

  ‘Well, well. I suppose they know the wharf isn’t Chinese territory—yet.’

  Was the big man joking? Horseman looked at his face but detected no trace of humour.

  ‘Okay, but the other day the First Secretary protested about that—claimed we’d no right to investigate anything connected to the MOB incident.’

  ‘He certainly made his point, didn’t he? Perhaps that’s all he wanted. As the Deputy Commissioner says, now we wait.’

  ‘The possible people smuggling is unrelated. I’ll pursue that. I’m expecting intelligence from Interpol any moment about Shen and Yee. Shaddock told me Yee was a sort of roving inspector for Joy-13’s owners. It fits so neatly, almost too neatly. Yee is likely to be the people smuggler, which means the vessel’s owners are the ul
timate criminals.’

  ‘Who would have thought fishing was such a stinking business?’ The super betrayed no hint of a smile.

  ‘Ha, ha, sir. You know, when I was shown over Joy-13 last week, I didn’t catch a fishy smell anywhere. I was really surprised.’

  ‘Well, well, it’s not the fish that stink.’

  ‘Io, sir. Finding Santo and Filipo is even more urgent now. They could be in danger. Not everyone around the wharf can be trusted, so I haven’t widened our search. What do you think?’

  ‘I agree. Keep going but keep it quiet for now. Smuggling entails lots of people being paid to turn a blind eye if nothing more. Can’t afford to telegraph our suspicions, or whatever people do these days. Post it on Facebook, isn’t it?’

  ‘Good analogy, sir. I’ll keep in touch.’

  WEDNESDAY 27th September

  43

  At last! The call he’d been waiting for: his rugby mate from the Interpol office in Hong Kong.

  ‘Bula, Joe. See, I remember my one word of Fijian. It took me a while, but I’ve now got hold of what you need. Can’t be a hundred per cent that we’ve got the same man but it’s ninety-eight per cent certain, I reckon. Best I can do.’

  ‘Vinaka vakalevu, Dave. That’s thanks very much.’

  ‘Right—I remember now. Can you give me your best fax number please?’

  Horseman gave the number. ‘Can you email it?’

  ‘Sorry, security problem. Are you near your fax?’

  ‘Yes, stepping across now.’

  He heard the warble of the fax handshake and the chug of the printer. ‘It’s coming through.’

  ‘Cover plus one page. I’ll wait till you tell me it’s through. Are you coming up for the Sevens?’

  ‘Man, I’d love to. You’ll have to arrange a temporary job for me to justify it. I desperately need Interpol training, so see what you can do,’ he joked. ‘All through now, Dave.’