The Diamond Chain

by Patrick Slaney

  On my return to Cape Town, I grabbed a quick meal before settling down to review my day’s work. As I went through the photographs, I deleted any that were clearly well wide of my criteria. By the time I had finished my first run through, I was only left with ten properties, and these, on further close examination, were reduced to four.

  Bingo; I had found what I was looking for. Unbelievably, the property I was looking at had all the features in the list I had drawn up from my memory of the Johannesburg house. Even the gates must have been made by the same company as they were exactly the same. I had wasted four days using the cars as my criteria, but I now had a property that I could investigate further. It was an easy step to work out the address as I had written down the names of the roads and the numbers of the photographs that related to each street. It was Number 42, Fernkloof Drive.

  I felt elated at my success and immediately walked down to the waterfront and celebrated with a beer. I would drive back to Hermanus tomorrow and have another good look at 42 Fernkloof Drive.

  Being a Sunday, with more people likely to be around, I had to be even more careful in case I was spotted lurking around the property. I dumped the car in an adjacent street and took a leisurely stroll past. It was unmistakably the house in the photograph and all the features checked out. Seeing the property up close, I was even more convinced that this was the right one. What was also encouraging was that there appeared to be a narrow laneway that ran behind the property, and, from what I could see, it would be possible to drive a car along the laneway.

  I walked along the road in front of the house and took the next turn right to see if I could find the entrance to the laneway. There was a house where the entrance should have been. I kept walking around the block until I reached the other end of the laneway. There, I did find an accessible entrance.

  There were a number of people out and about, mowing their lawns and washing cars etc. I decided that it would be more sensible to leave now and return that evening after dark when it would be a lot quieter.

  From my initial observations, it appeared that my best approach was to use the access at the back of the property. By parking the 4 x 4 in the laneway, I could climb onto the roof, to access the property over the wall. The electric fence would be a problem; however, with the right tools and other bits and pieces, the fence could be cut and I could gain access. Being a Sunday there would be no hardware shops open where I could procure the items I needed, so, all I could do when I returned that night, would be to conduct some further reconnaissance. If I bought the items in Cape Town tomorrow, then I could return to Hermanus on Monday evening and try and get into the property. From what I had seen so far the property appeared to be locked up. There were clearly no people or dogs to bother about.

  Just after 11:00 that night, I returned and had a much better look at the challenges facing me in trying to gain access. My initial analysis was correct. To try and get in through the front would be far too risky. There were no trees or other camouflage to protect me from prying eyes.

  My investigation of the laneway at the rear of the property proved it to be ideal, provided, of course, nobody heard the engine noise. Once parked in the laneway, I could stand on the roof of the 4 x 4 and use it as a platform to launch myself over the wall.

  While I was weighing up my options and studying the electric fence, I heard a car driving up the road past the end of the laneway. The noise it made was extremely loud, and I quickly realised that my idea of using the car to drive up the laneway to where I now stood was not a realistic proposition. The whole world would hear me driving down the rear of the properties if I used the car. I would have to park on the road and use a ladder to get over the wall. A big disadvantage of this method was I would not have a fast means of escape if anything went wrong, such as me setting off an alarm.

  I was satisfied I had seen enough to draw up a workable plan, so it was time to leave and drive back to Cape Town. I would return the following night, provided I was able to buy the necessary items. Tomorrow I would spend the day preparing for my adventure and purchasing what I needed. I hoped, that between now and when I returned the following evening, neither of the Fortuins would have returned to their property and created a new challenge.

  Chapter 17

  I had warned Mrs Cronje, the owner of the guest house that I would be quite late as I was a taking a lady out dancing, and she, with a knowing wink, had given me a key to let myself in. The journey from Hermanus back to Cape Town was long but uneventful, and I was safely tucked up in bed by 2:00a.m and asleep shortly afterwards.

  The following morning I phoned Willem to bring him up to date with what I had found in Hermanus and also to get the latest status on the Belle Diamant.

  I got straight through to Willem when I rang his mobile.

  ‘Good morning Willem, Vince here. How are you this morning?’

  ‘Good thanks Vince. How are things in the other half of the planet this morning?’ he sounded in good form, so I presumed that nothing had come of the threats that he had received.

  I have made good progress and am pretty certain that I have located the Fortuins’ house in Hermanus that I told you about. I am going back there tonight to have a closer look,’ I explained.

  ‘I expected to hear from you sooner. You thought that you would locate the house reasonably easily,’ he said. I almost could see the question mark hovering over his head.

  ‘It was an exceptionally large area to search as Hermanus is a much bigger place than I thought, but I am 99% certain I have found the house now. I will give you the address in case something happens to me. You never know, but I might bump into some of my South African rugby friends. Have you a piece of paper there?’

  ‘Yes Vince, go ahead.’

  ‘It’s Number 42, Fernkloof Drive, Hermanus.’

  ‘Did you say 42 Vince?’ there was a pause. ‘And how do you spell Fernkloof’

  I confirmed that it was number 42, and spelt the name out for him.

  ‘If you are going there tonight, please telephone me tomorrow morning to let me know you got back safely. I also want to know what you discovered,’ he sounded concerned on the phone. ‘I wish I was there with you and not stuck here in Holland.’

  ‘I should be able to get in and out without too much trouble as there is nobody at the house and there are also no dogs. Can you tell me where the Belle Diamant has got to? I take it that you are still plotting its position on a regular basis,’ I asked him changing the topic.

  ‘The yacht is still heading in a southerly direction, off the coast of Africa, although it has slowed down over the past few days due to the doldrums. Once it is through that area of calms, it will speed up as the winds get stronger. It looks as if our original estimate of the travel time will be about right.’

  ‘That’s exciting news Willem. I intend to fly back to the UK in a few days’ time as there is no point in staying here while the yacht is travelling on its long and slow route down here. I will return to Cape Town just before Caas Teifel and his yacht arrive.’

  ‘That sounds sensible. Phone me tomorrow then and good luck tonight. I hope it all goes well.’

  ‘Speak to you tomorrow,’ I terminated the call and sat down. I had been walking around my bedroom as I talked to Willem.

  Getting out my trusted notebook I made my shopping list:

  3 Metre ladder

  Torch

  Blanket (or something to put on top of the wall in case it was spiked or protected with broken glass)

  Wire cutters

  Pliers

  Alligator clips and wire. (If I was going to cut the electric fence, I would have to bridge it with a longer length of wire before I cut it. I must prevent the alarm going off. I had learnt how to do this in the army as part of my SAS training.)

  Electric fence wire to repair the fence before I left.
r />   Gloves

  Bolt cutters (In case I had to cut barbed wire or a lock.)

  Electrical insulating tape.

  Toolbox to fit all of the above.

  Next step; find a hardware store? I thought of asking Mrs Cronje, but decided that I was better leaving her with the idea that I was chasing after the ladies and not with doing DIY. I went down to the residents’ lounge and had a look in the bookcases. I managed to unearth a copy of Yellow Pages covering the Cape Town area and located a building supplies store, called ‘City Build It’, a few streets away.

  Again my friendly Tom Tom came to my rescue as I punched in the address and let the lady with the posh accent guide me there.

  ‘City Build It’ was able to supply me with most of what I needed. In fact, all but the Alligator clips. A very helpful sales assistant directed me to an electrical supplier not too far away.

  I parked the car in the multistorey car park and selected the items I needed to take with me to my room to prepare for the evening. I would have to attach the alligator clips to the wire securely to prevent them coming adrift when they were being used to bridge the electric fence. I also needed to prepare the pieces of electric fence wire that I would leave in place when I removed my temporary bridges. As far as possible I wanted to cover up my cutting of the electric fence so as a casual observer wouldn’t notice it. Obviously, once the Fortuins returned to the property, they would notice the break, but I would be long gone by then.

  When I was in the army the other officers used to rib me about my being a creature of habit, and once I found a place that I liked, I always stuck to it. The Paulaner Brauhaus at the Cape Town Waterfront was one such place, and that is where I headed for my lunch. I reckoned that one beer wouldn’t affect my ability to prepare the wires and other bits and pieces I needed for the evening adventure.

  Having been out late the previous evening and also predicting that I would be out particularly late tonight, I took the opportunity of having a siesta before I tackled the electrical tasks. One significant advantage of my army training is that I can sleep when I decide to, and, even though the adrenaline was starting to flow, I was able to relax enough to have a few hours’ sleep.

  I woke up refreshed, had a shower, and then worked preparing the various wires that I would need to bridge the electric fence. After about two hours, I was ready, and, packing up all the bits and pieces, I headed for the multistorey car park where I dumped them in my car ready for the evening. I then headed down to the waterfront again to get something to eat and pass the time until it was time to leave.

  I was back at my car by 11:00 p.m, all ready to go and extremely pumped up by the task that lay ahead of me. An hour and a half later I was parking my car in a street close to the laneway that went behind the Fortuins’ house, using some strategically placed trees to make my car less obvious.

  I went on a recce of the area, to see how many lights were still on in the neighbouring properties to the Fortuins. One of the houses was still not in darkness, so I decided to conceal myself opposite and keep an eye on it. About twenty minutes later the light went off, and, presumably the occupants went to bed as the lights went on briefly upstairs and then the house became totally dark.

  I reckoned that if I waited a further forty five minutes that they would be asleep. I decided to start the action by a quarter to two and went back to the car to wait, but also to check all my gear again. I had brought dark clothes and a balaclava which I donned before setting out.

  First step was to take the ladder out of the back of the 4 x 4. There was a horrifying crash when the aluminium ladder hit against the tail gate. The still of the Hermanus night seemed to amplify the noise. I froze for a moment, but no lights went on and I was able to proceed. I was ultra-careful after that and managed to convey the ladder silently to the spot where I had decided to get over the wall. I returned to get my other tools using the light of a very full moon to guide my path.

  Attaching my prepared bridging wires with the alligator clips, I cut out the strand of barbed wire that was above the electric fence. I then gingerly cut the electric fencing wires. It worked, the alarm didn’t go off, and I now had a way into the property.

  I sat on top of the wall and pulled the ladder up so as I could use it to get down into the garden. I had by-passed the first security system with its alarm. Now, where was the next alarm? I was sure that there would be security lights, activated by movement, but I was hopeful that the next alarm would be inside the house, and I had no intention of going inside.

  Pointing the beam of my torch at the ground, I moved across the rear garden towards the house and had a look around there.

  It would have been encouraging to have found an open window. No such luck - the Fortuins had been extra careful when they left, and all the windows were secure. The next thing that caught my eye was a narrow window that ran the full width of the garage above the double door. If I was able to look through the window into the garage, I might find either the Merc or the BMW. Returning to where I had entered the property I fetched my ladder. Arranging it in its step ladder format I was able to look in through the window. My torch illuminated a BMW Z4 and to my absolute delight the registration plate was - BMW004GP. I had hit the jackpot; this was unquestionably the Fortuins’ house. Now I had to get out and leave the place so as a casual neighbour or passer-by wouldn’t detect that I had been there.

  I retraced my steps with the ladder, transferring myself and my torch to the laneway. I made loops in the electric fence wires that I had cut to get entry, and, using the pieces of wire that I had prepared for the purpose, I repaired the gaps in the fence. It worked like a dream and I took off the bridging pieces safely without the alarm going off.

  Looking up at my handiwork, I was very pleased with what I had achieved; unless somebody inspected it particularly carefully, they wouldn’t notice the break. I took my ladder back to the car and stowed it. I then hurried back for my tool kit, and, in a few minutes I was driving out of the housing estate, feeling extremely pleased with myself.

  On my drive back to Cape Town, a new concern started to occupy my mind. Moira’s car was at the house, but it didn’t have the feel of a house that people were living in. I had seen nobody at the house on any of the occasions that I had viewed it. Where was the black Mercedes 500 and where was Jacques? It wasn’t much use finding the house if I couldn’t locate the Fortuins. Moira Fortuin was obviously close and not in Johannesburg as her car was there, but was that any use to me as the Fortuins could be anywhere, and Cape Town was a large area. I also still had no idea where the diamonds were. The key was to find Jacques Fortuin, and I most likely would then find the diamonds.

  Exhausted, I eventually got to my bed in the guest house at close to 5:00 a.m and despite the adrenaline still coursing through my body, I slept.

  Waking at close to midday, I switched my brain on and phoned Willem.

  ‘Hi Vince.’ He answered his mobile on the first ring.

  ‘Hi Willem. Good news. The house is undoubtedly the Fortuins, and Moira’s car is in the garage.’

  ‘Did you see anything else?’

  ‘No. Other than the car there were remarkably few signs that anybody lived there,’ I explained.

  ‘You didn’t trigger any alarms or anything Vince,’ he asked.

  ‘No, it all went remarkably smoothly and my planning and preparation did the trick.’

  ‘So are you still due to come back to Europe for a few weeks?’

  ‘Yes I am booked on a flight out of here tomorrow evening as there is no reason for staying in Cape Town any longer. I will phone you when I get back to the UK, and we will see if we can meet.’

  ‘OK, that’s wonderful Vince. Well done on such a good job. I am impressed that the British Army has trained you so well.’

  ‘I’ll talk to you soon,’ I put down the phone and stopp
ed my pacing around the room.

  My next call was to British Airways to confirm that I would be flying with them the following evening. With nothing further planned for this visit, I decided to relax and enjoy what Cape Town had to offer.

  Chapter 18

  Slightly later than usual I headed for the Waterfront to my usual lunch spot, but this time without my notebook in hand. The afternoon was spent touring the wide variety of retail outlets at the Waterfront buying presents for my family. My wife has a particular penchant for glass ornaments, and I found a glassblower in a craft shop who made me a unique piece. I just hoped that I would be able to transport it home without breaking it.

  That evening I dressed up a bit smarter than usual as I had decided to visit an Italian restaurant that I had picked out on my frequent visits to the Waterfront. Any time that I had passed Balduccis it had always seemed to be full of people and there was a fantastic buzz coming from it. I reckoned that tonight I was in the right frame of mind, to enjoy such a place. It certainly wasn’t a venue to do any thinking in.

  The manager, who showed me to my table, was obviously disappointed that I was a single booking. He also tutted at me for not having made a reservation as he conducted me to a table well away from the door and in an alcove where there were three other tables. The largest of the three tables was overflowing with a large family, obviously celebrating some occasion. There was a lot of good natured banter going on. I decided to enjoy the atmosphere and enter into the spirit of the place.

  The food was excellent, and the wine that my waiter suggested was probably the best that I had tasted in my visits to South Africa. Sir Montgomery Fortiscue was paying for all of this, so I might as well enjoy it.