Danger Down Under: Another Vince Hamilton Investigation

by Patrick Slaney

  Saturday we took Michael and Victoria into the centre of London to go to a recently released movie entitled Strange Wilderness that they both wanted to see. After the movie we did our usual of going to the KFC in Leicester Square for our evening meal.

  Sunday was a miserable day, cold and windy with squalls of rain, so we had a family day at home.

  Monday the kids went off to school, Daphne went to work, and I headed for St. John's Wood to meet with Clive Newsome.

  I was walking in through the doors of the dealership at 151 Park Road, St. John's Wood at a little after 10.00am and was being shown into his office a few minutes later.

  'Good morning Vince, thank you for coming in to see me.'

  'No problem; has something come up or have the thefts recommenced,' I replied?

  'I am afraid that we have had a few more luxury cars stolen and they seem to be using the same electronic gadgetry as before.'

  'Have you got the police involved?'

  'No, I decided to talk to you first to see what course of action you would recommend.'

  'I can't believe that the thefts have recommenced so soon after all the links in the chain, being used to smuggle the cars out to Greece and Turkey were destroyed.' I was genuinely surprised at what he was telling me.

  'Thankfully only three cars have been stolen so far, so it is not as big a problem,' Clive added.

  'In a conversation that I had with Inspector Baird when I returned from Greece, we did come to the conclusion that the whole operation could start again. In dismantling the chain, we still hadn't discovered what specific brain was behind the thefts that were taking place right across Europe.'

  'Would you be willing to get involved again Vince and try and discover what is going on?'

  'I can't give you an answer now. I need to go and discuss the situation with Inspector Baird as this was his case. I was only helping him out. He would be very upset if I got involved without contacting him first.'

  I had a problem. I had told Daphne that I was not going to do any investigative work so I shouldn’t take on another contract even if it was just a continuation of a previous case. I didn't want to tell him at this meeting that I couldn't get involved as he hadn't paid me all the money I was due for the last job.

  'I'll give you a call tomorrow morning and let you know what I have decided,' I said. 'Is there any chance that you could transfer the rest of the money that I am owed into my account?'

  'I'll do that today Vince.'

  I stood up, shook his hand and left him to it.

  I decided to go immediately to the Royal Free Hospital in Pond Street, Hampstead and try and see the Inspector. I presumed he was still in the hospital recovering from the wounds that he had received when he was shot in Marmaris Bay in Turkey.

  When I reached the hospital, I went up in the lift to the third floor and went to the nurses’ station. There was a nurse sitting behind a large counter.

  'Good morning, would it be possible to see Inspector Baird if he is still here.'

  'Are you family as it is outside regular visiting hours?'

  'No, I am not family, but I thought that I would be able to see him as he is in a private room. I was here the other day with DCS Tedding from Scotland Yard.' I said as politely as I could.

  'Are you a policeman then?' She asked in a more sympathetic way.

  'No, I am a Private Investigator, who was working on a case with the Inspector when he was unfortunately shot.'

  'You sound as if you are a responsible individual so I will let you see him. You will have to leave at 12 noon as it will be lunch time and we don't like people visiting patients when they are eating.'

  'Thank you very much, I greatly appreciate it. Is he still in the same room?'

  'Yes, we haven't moved him.' She turned back to whatever task she had been doing, leaving me to find my own way to his room.

  I knocked on the door and heard a 'come in'.

  He was sitting up in bed looking a lot better than the last time I had seen him.

  'Good morning, Vince. This is a nice surprise,' he had a broad smile on his face. 'What brings you here to see me?'

  'First things first Inspector, how are you and how much longer are you going to have to stay here in the hospital?'

  'I am improving, and they are hopeful that I can go home this coming Friday,' he replied.

  'That's great news. You must be fed up with being cooped up in here.'

  'Anyway, I suspect you haven't come to see me just find out about my health,' the Inspector continued. 'I suspect that you might have a question for me which is related to the last case we were on together.'

  'I have just come from Clive Newsome's office where he informed me that the luxury car thefts have started again.'

  'That’s bad news, Vince. I was worried that the syndicate who we found were responsible for stealing the cars would get back into action again, but I didn't expect it would be that soon.' The Inspector looked fairly shocked at the news that I had given him.

  'At our last meeting with DCS Tedding you did emphasise that we hadn't found the brains behind the operation. You suggested that they would create another chain at some time in the near future,' I recapped. 'If they are operational already then they must have had a plan B already in place.'

  'Did he sign you up again Vince?'

  'He did suggest that he would like me to get involved. I told him that it was your case, and I couldn't give him answer until I had discussed it with you.'

  'I appreciate that and am grateful that you kept me in the loop, but perhaps you should have talked to Tedding and not me.'

  'Can I ask you a question Inspector as I reckon that you are the only one who can answer it truthfully as we have worked closely together?'

  'Fire ahead; I'll try and answer it honestly.'

  'Am I capable of carrying out the role of a Private Investigator or am I a liability?'

  'What has prompted that question, Vince? It sounds as if somebody has undermined your confidence level.' The Inspector frowned and looked quizzically at me.

  'Do you want me to be honest with you?' the Inspector continued.

  'That's why I am asking you; I know that you won't bullshit me.'

  'You have a good analytical brain Vince, but you are too soft and easily manipulated.'

  'So you're saying that I am not suited to the role of a Private Investigator.'

  'No, I am not saying that, but you need to stop and think and convince yourself that you are suitable for a role as a PI. You also need to confirm that it is a job that you want to do.'

  I was shaken to the core by what the Inspector had just said.

  'If I hadn't been offered my first contract on a plate after I was discharged from the army, I probably wouldn't have ended up doing this job.'

  'I think that you have hit the nail on the head. You became a Private Investigator by accident and didn't take a conscious decision that this was a role that you wanted to do,' the Inspector continued. 'You have learnt what the role involves as you have gone along, and it is only by the grace of God that you haven't been killed.'

  'But I had my experience in the army to fall back on, surely that is worth something.'

  'As you know Vince, I was also in the military. When I joined the police force after leaving the army, I had to make major adjustments to my thought processes.'

  'I never had a chance to think about the different approach required as I got involved in an investigation as soon as I returned from Iraq.'

  'If my men hadn't been stationed on the Thames outside the house in Henley where you were being held captive, you would have drowned in the river when they tried to get rid of you. We wouldn't be having this conversation today.'

  'I will forever be grateful to your men and the way that they rescued me; however, I don't see how I could have done things differently. I was picked up by the syndicate outside Victoria station in broad daylight and forcibly taken to that house on the Thames in Henley.' I was feeling very hurt
by the Inspector's remarks.

  'You had created an extremely dangerous situation for yourself and you were still working as a lone ranger. You had no protection or backup,' the Inspector said quite forcefully.

  'I admit that in every life threatening situation I have encountered I have been on my own,' I explained. 'On reflection I was stupid and what you have just said has shown me that I must never operate on my own again.'

  'Vince, my recommendation to you is as follows; give up being a Private Investigator and retire gracefully. You're not a cat with nine lives so the next time somebody tries to kill you they might just succeed. Tell Clive Newsome that he should find someone else to solve his problem or better still, leave it to the police.'

  'You reckon that is my only option. Funnily enough, your comments agree exactly with what my wife told me when I got back from Rhodes.'

  'Well, then Vince may I suggest that you listen to your wife for once.'

  There was a knock on the door and the lady delivering his dinner stuck her head into the room.

  'Sorry Sir, you will have to leave now as I am about to serve the gentleman his dinner.'

  'I had better go and leave you in peace. I am very grateful that you didn't pull your punches and were honest with me.'

  'That's OK Vince; somebody needed to say it to you before you got removed from the planet. Now that you have more time on your hands you can come back and visit me in here or at my home.' He smiled at me.

  'I'll definitely do that, but I am going to Melbourne in Australia for three weeks in March.'

  'Well then telephone me on my mobile when you get back. You will be able to tell me all about your holiday rather than about your latest case.'

  I left his room and apologised to the dinner lady for upsetting her routine.

  Chapter 4

  I nearly took the wrong train at Earls Court on my journey home to Putney as my thought process was trying to deal with what the Inspector had said to me. I was extremely bruised from the words of wisdom given to me at the hospital even though I had asked the Inspector not to pull any punches as I wanted the brutal truth. There is no truer saying than the one that states; 'The Truth Hurts'. My brain was in overdrive.

  I felt that by giving up my job as a PI at this juncture I was admitting that I had been a failure. My pride had been hurt and for that reason the advice I had been given was hard to accept. I hopped off the tube at Parsons Green in an agitated state and went to a pub I knew for a beer. I needed to have a clear plan concerning my future before I got home and was questioned by my wife.

  I recalled the feelings I had felt when I had first been told that because of my injuries I would have to leave the Army. I had been shattered at the time as I felt that my life as a useful member of society was at an end. I had similar feelings now. I also had a new sense of guilt as I had put people, who had supported me in my investigations, in mortal danger.

  Being offered the role as a Private Investigator when I was on the way back from Iraq, where I had said goodbye to my army colleagues had been a life-saver. I had embraced my new role with all my energies. It hadn’t bothered me when it later turned out that I had only been selected for the job because the person offering me the contract was convinced that I would fail. This fact hadn't weakened my resolve to continue in my job as a PI.

  I now felt as if I was a double failure. I had been thrown out of the army on health grounds, and my severe limp was a sign to everybody that I was a cripple. I had now been shown that I had failed for a second time. My life could now be summarised as a double disaster. Since leaving school I had been successful in what I had done, that is, up to now.

  In the army, I had been selected for the elite service, the SAS, and I had risen to the rank of Major. The explosion of an IED had been totally outside my control, but it had put an end to my military career. In addition, I was now a failed PI. Was I now expected to sit at home all day and wallow in my failure? I had never felt so depressed and miserable. In fact, there was an air of panic in my spirit.

  Sipping my pint of beer, I took two decisions:

  1. I would not decide on my future until I had been to Australia. Mentally I was unable to accept walking away from being a Private Investigator. I would be branded a failure, and my pride couldn't handle that.

  2. I would not continue to work with Clive Newsome as my wife would probably leave me if I did. I would indicate to her that I wasn't taking on any more jobs, but I wouldn't categorically state that I had retired.

  I finished my drink, returned to Parsons Green station, and re-boarded the tube to continue my journey home. I was still bruised from what had been said to me, but I did see the light at the end of the tunnel. There was no need to take a firm decision about my future until the end of March when I returned from Melbourne.

  'Where have you been?' Daphne asked me when I joined her in the kitchen.

  'I took a sudden decision to go and see Inspector Baird at the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead.'

  'How is he getting on?'

  'He is a lot better and hopes to be allowed home this coming Friday. He has made an excellent recovery from the wounds he received in the shooting.'

  'He is too old be gallivanting around foreign parts on his own,' she added. 'You men think that you are invincible and needlessly put yourselves in dangerous situations.'

  'Yes dear, point taken. I imagine that the Inspector will be retiring fairly soon and putting his slippers on.'

  'I hope that you have come to your senses and have decided to join him in retirement and stop being an Investigator.'

  'I have, and I am also in the process of declining another job. In fact, I must go and ring the client now before I forget.'

  'Perhaps you are at last getting sense,' Daphne sighed.

  I went into the front room to telephone Clive Newsome. He wasn't in his office, and I had to leave a message with the receptionist asking if she could get him to ring me.

  We had dinner together as a family, and I took the opportunity of telling the kids of our planned holiday in Australia. I had expected violent protest from both of them; however, they seemed to be delighted with the arrangement.

  'I expected Michael and Victoria to be upset at us going away for nearly three weeks,' I said to Daphne after they had left the kitchen to go and do homework in their bedrooms.

  'They know that my mother will spoil them rotten while she is in charge, and they won't have me nagging at them for the period,' Daphne suggested.

  'I am relieved; I thought that there might be a problem. We should have done it before.'

  'No, we shouldn't. They were too young. Now they are older they can handle the situation and won't be a burden to my mother.'

  'It still makes leaving them behind a bit easier,' Daphne said.

  The following morning Clive Newsome phoned me in response to my message. He wasn't too pleased when I said that I wouldn't be joining him in solving his luxury car theft problem. I told him that I was going away on three weeks holiday. I gave him no indication as to where I was going.

  I was surprised to get a call from Inspector Baird. He had been allowed home at the weekend, and he wanted to see me again.

  Since I still had a few days before we left for Australia I agreed to visit him.

  Unexpectedly I found him dressed and sitting in his living room. A lady, who I assumed to be his wife, opened the door and showed me into his presence.

  'Betty this is Major Vince Hamilton, who I told you about. We were working together in Marmaris before I was wounded.'

  'Hello Vince,' she shook my hand. 'Would you like a cup of tea?'

  'Thank you, that would be nice,' I replied.

  The Inspector and I talked on general topics until the tea had been served, and we were on our own again.

  'I have told Clive Newsome that I won't be able to help him,' I said.

  'I know he telephoned me after you phoned him. He was a bit upset and felt that you had let him down.

  'I had
already booked to go away on a holiday with my wife, so I couldn't commit to him.'

  'He wants the police involved, and unfortunately he has my mobile number which was how he was able to get hold of me,' the Inspector explained.

  'Even if I wasn't going away I probably wouldn't have got involved,' I added. 'It seems a bit strange that the whole thing has started up again especially since we dismantled the previous operation in its entirety so recently.'

  'I agree with you Vince; however, he has reported the thefts and therefore we have to respond. I don't intend putting many resources on the case unless it continues, and large numbers of cars are stolen.'

  'We are both in agreement then, but I definitely won't be getting involved,' I said.

  'Have you decided if you are going to give up being a Private Investigator?' He asked me the direct question that I didn't want to answer.

  'I don't have to decide before I get back from my holiday, so I have a few more weeks to cogitate on the matter. As far as my wife is concerned I have retired gracefully, but things may change, and I may continue in some format.'

  'I was probably a bit hard on you when we spoke at the hospital, but you needed to know my views. No matter what your final decision is, you need to review your modus operandi and learn from your past mistakes.'

  'I didn't appreciate your input at the time, but I have thought long and hard about what you said, and it has helped me in my overall decision.'

  'Come and see me when you get back and we can discuss it further.'

  I left him, feeling a lot better than I had felt the last time he had calibrated me. For a change, I went home with a smile on my face.

  I managed to keep my mental dilemmas under control until it was time to leave for our holiday. It had been a great decision to go and visit my brother in Australia. It gave me a target in my life and hope in my heart that a future would develop for me. For some reason, I felt that the upcoming trip would be a watershed in my life.

  For the intervening three weeks, before we went to Australia, I was the perfect husband and father. I took my wife out for lunch a few times, I picked the kids up from their respective schools, I helped with homework, we went on some family outings and I even tried my hand at cooking. For once in my life I felt I was contributing around the house. I also went every day to the gym and got quite fit.