The Diamond Chain

by Patrick Slaney

  ‘Vince, it doesn’t look as if either Harold Fortiscue or Edward Crawford is here, so we had better arrange for them to be picked up. I think that the two of us should take the responsibility of picking up Harold Fortiscue. I will get one of my team to go and pick up Mr Crawford. We need to act fast before they hear about what we have been up to here.’

  ‘Can I have a look in the room that I was held in yesterday?’ I asked the Inspector.

  ‘Yes, go ahead but try and not touch anything. We will have to go through everything here with a fine tooth comb to help build the case against Mr Pendleton.’

  ‘If I locate my bag can I take it?’

  ‘Yes that’s permissible.’

  I found my ‘prison’ and it didn’t take me much longer to find my bag, which was still intact. Even my gun was still in it.

  “OK Vince, I think that it is time that we went looking for Mr Fortiscue. You got your bag?’

  ‘Yes Inspector and it’s all intact. I wouldn’t have liked to lose my gun after going to all the trouble of getting one. Can I go and get the diamonds from the boat now before we leave?’

  ‘Afraid not Vince; the diamonds and drugs are the crucial part of the evidence in this whole affair, so we will need them. Sorry!’

  ‘I thought that you might want them, so I didn’t promise them to Sir Montgomery.’

  We walked back to the pub car park in Henley-on-Thames where the Inspector’s car was parked and set off back into London.

  Chapter 48

  We travelled in silence for quite a while. I suspect we were both reflecting on the afternoon’s activities, I know that I was. The Inspector suddenly broke the silence.

  ‘I have an idea Vince as to how we might trick Harold Fortiscue into coming to meet us.’

  ‘You think that you could get him to come to us Inspector.’

  ‘Yes, I think that he would be interested in meeting you again to find out if you’re getting closer to the truth, especially as he probably received a call from Ronald Pendleton last night. We are aware now of how much the truth is going to hurt him.’

  ‘It’s worth a try as he came to meet me a few times before so he wouldn’t be suspicious if I asked him to meet me. He also won’t have heard of today’s events in Henley-on-Thames.’

  I got out my mobile and dialled his number.

  ‘Harold Fortiscue, can I help you?’ he answered.

  ‘Hi Harold, its Vince Hamilton here.’

  ‘Hi Vince, I didn’t expect to hear from you?’ He sounded a bit hesitant.

  ‘I thought that it was about time that I brought you up to date on how my investigation is going. I have found out a lot of fascinating facts since I last saw you, and I am closer to a solution. Is it possible for you to come and meet me somewhere this evening?’

  ‘Why don’t we do that ferry trick again as it worked well the last time? Can we meet on the 6:30 p.m ferry from Westminster pier?’

  ‘I’ll see you then.’

  I looked at the Inspector with a wry smile on my face.

  ‘That worked a dream, so let’s hope that nobody phones him about the raid before we can pick him up.’ I was genuinely delighted that he had taken the bait.

  ‘I’ll be waiting inside the ferry for him Vince, and I will also have other men on the pier just in case he gets cold feet at the last minute and makes a bolt for it,’ the Inspector confirmed to me.

  ‘Have we time for a quick beer Inspector. I think we have both earned one.’

  ‘Let me find a parking place, and I’m sure that we have time for a celebratory beer Vince.’

  We found a bar around Embankment tube station and each got two beers.

  ‘Excuse me a minute Vince I need to arrange something about our Ferry trip.’

  He phoned some contact of his and spoke to them for a few minutes. I heard him thank the person for their help. Presumably he had got what he wanted.

  ‘I was just making sure that the Ferry would call at the London Eye pier on its way up the river, which is the stop before Westminster pier. I will board there so as to be ready to grab him,’ the Inspector said.

  ‘Have they agreed to do it?’

  ‘Yes it is all organized, and they will also stop there on the way back down the river.’

  ‘I forgot to mention Inspector that Caas Teifel wasn’t on the Casino Royale so he must still be in Rotterdam.’

  ‘Don’t worry; I will get in touch with the drugs squad after we have dealt with Mr Fortiscue. I’ll get them to organize his arrest with the Dutch police.’

  ‘I wouldn’t want him to be still free when Willem returns home from La Rochelle. Caas might try to shoot him again.’ I feared what Caas’s reaction might be when he heard about the raid, and I worried for Willem and his family.

  ‘They already have him under surveillance so it should be a straightforward job to pick him up. I will let you know the outcome as soon as I hear from the Dutch police.’

  ‘It’s nearly six o’clock Inspector. Had we better get going if you have to get across to the other side of the river?’

  ‘Yes, let’s go, and I will meet you on board.’

  The Inspector headed over the bridge to the London Eye, and I headed up river to the Westminster pier where I bought two tickets for the ferry.

  I had a look around to see if I could locate Harold Fortiscue and spotted him looking down from the ramp that led to the quayside. The ferry approached, and he came down the ramp and joined me.

  ‘How are you Vince,’ he said as he shook my hand.

  ‘Let’s find a quiet spot on board, and I will talk to you there,’ I said as we moved towards the gangway onto the ferry.

  We went through the door into the main saloon and turned left to go towards the stern of the boat. I was on his left, and the Inspector emerged from the crowd and took his right arm at the same time locking a handcuff onto his wrist. The other end of the pair of handcuffs was already locked onto his own wrist.

  Harold tried to snatch his wrist away, but was too slow.

  He turned round to me, shouting - ‘You’re a bastard Vince, you’ve tricked me, and who is this.’

  ‘The man, who has just handcuffed you, is Inspector Baird. He just happens to be investigating your brother’s murder.’

  ‘But I never murdered my brother,’ he shouted at me.

  ‘Let’s move to where it is a bit quieter Vince,’ the Inspector said, leading him over to the side of the boat. By this time people had seen what was happening, and were going as far away from us as possible.

  ‘But I have told you already. I never killed my brother,’ Harold shouted again.

  ‘We are not saying that you murdered your brother Harold, but we are reasonably sure that you know who did,’ the Inspector said calmly. ‘You were also present in the Western Cape in South Africa when Phillip Fortuin was shot.’

  Harold started to sob, losing his aggressive attitude and becoming compliant. ‘It wasn’t my fault. I only followed orders so as they wouldn’t kill me.’

  The ferry was pulling into the pier beside the London Eye as prearranged by the Inspector.

  ‘We’re getting off here Harold. I will be handing you over to some of my fellow officers from Hampstead. You will be taken there and put in a cell. I will set up a meeting with you tomorrow afternoon and will bring Major Hamilton along.’

  ‘But I keep telling you, I am innocent. I did nothing to hurt my brother,’ he was now sobbing as he spoke.

  ‘If you tell us everything, including all the names of everybody who was involved, the judge will take that into account when he is deciding how long you should be locked away for. We will talk about that tomorrow.’ The Inspector was clearly hoping to use Harold to give him all the information he required to prove the case against Ronald Pendleton a
nd the others.

  We got off the ferry, where there were other police officers waiting for us. The Inspector transferred the handcuff that was around his wrist to another police officer. Harold was transferred to a police van and driven off.

  The Inspector put out his hand to shake mine.

  ‘Well done Major Vincent Hamilton, that was brilliantly done and we have our man behind bars.’

  ‘I felt guilty tricking him like that, especially when he called me a bastard.’

  ‘Better he calls you a bastard than he shoots at you Vince.’

  ‘True Inspector, but I still feel sorry for him as he was a victim of circumstances.’

  ‘Circumstances, which are of his own making Vince. If he hadn’t run up massive gambling debts with Mr Pendleton, he wouldn’t have ended up being controlled by him.’

  ‘True. What’s the plan now Inspector?’

  ‘I think the best idea is that I will drop you off at the safe house, where you can get some food and some sleep. Mr ‘Charlton’ Crawford has probably not been picked up yet? We will keep you hidden away until we hear he has been locked up.’

  ‘I won’t argue with that, and I could do with a long sleep after such a hectic day.’

  ‘You should phone Willem to tell him what is happening and see how he is.’

  ‘Can I also call Sir Montgomery now as we have Harold in custody?’

  ‘Yes I think that would be a good idea. He must be extremely anxious by now as you haven’t reported back to him for a while.’

  ‘I’ll phone him when I reach the safe house,’ I suggested.

  ‘I will send a car at 1:00 p.m tomorrow, and it will bring you to my office in Hampstead. We will see what Mr Harold Fortiscue has to say after a night in a cell. I’ll arrange that for 2:00 p.m.’

  The Inspector dropped me off at the house, and I went in to find Martha. This time I felt less like an orphan as I had my bag with me.

  She greeted me when she heard me come through the door.

  ‘Welcome back. I presume that you would like something to eat.’

  ‘Yes Martha, I haven’t had time to eat all day, so I am pretty hungry.’

  ‘Give me about forty minutes and I will have your dinner ready for you. Is there anything that you don’t like or can’t eat?’

  ‘After being in the army I will eat anything, and I am not fussy.’

  I took my bag upstairs to the same room that I had used last night, showered, shaved as I now had my razor, and dressed in some fresh clothes. Just as I had finished my ablutions Martha called up the stairs to tell me that my food was ready.

  Fed and watered I was ready for anything, so I decided to phone Sir Montgomery. I wasn’t looking forward to telling him the news about his son Harold, so I decided to keep that bit of news until I had told him about the successful raid on Mr Pendleton’s property.

  ‘So you have the diamonds then Vince?’

  ‘No sir I don’t, but the police do, plus a large quantity of drugs.’

  ‘And you say that they have most of the people involved in the smuggling?’

  ‘Yes, they have all the people who were at Pendleton’s house in Henley-on-Thames, plus the crew of the boat.’

  ‘Are there others involved Vince?’

  We had reached the point in our conversation where I had to tell him about Harold.

  ‘The answer Sir Montgomery is that there are quite a few other people involved and one of them happens to be your son Harold.’

  ‘I was afraid that you were going to say that Vince, and you needn’t worry about telling me, I am already prepared for the news. In fact, I am quite relieved that it is now out in the open.’

  I was immensely relieved at Sir Montgomery’s reaction.

  ‘I was actually present when Harold was arrested on a ferry this evening. They have taken him to Hampstead police station and will hold him overnight. If it is any comfort to you, the Inspector believes his involvement was solely as a result of his gambling debts.’

  ‘Those bloody gambling debts. I felt that they were behind everything.’

  There was a pause in our conversation as I sensed that he was reflecting on the news that I had just given him.

  ‘Vince, can you come and see me tomorrow morning and give me the rest of the details. I need to work out the impact of recent events on my life and my business. Up to today I had hoped that my suspicions were wrong, but it is still hard to believe that my own son was one of the people trying to ruin my business.’

  ‘Yes, at the moment I am free in the morning, provided we can meet at around 10:00 a.m.’

  ‘Alright Vince; I will see you at our usual place at 10:00.’

  ‘Good night sir and I must apologise for being the bearer of distressing news.’

  ‘Good night Vince and thank you.’

  That had gone better than expected, and it would be an easy task to tell him all the finer details face to face in the morning.

  I phoned Willem on his mobile.

  ‘Hi Vince,’ I was very relieved to hear his voice.

  ‘Hi Willem; How are you, I have been so worried about you.’

  ‘I am recovering well. I still can’t believe how stupid I was to drive into the marina like that. I deserve to have been shot.’

  ‘What made you do it Willem? I couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw you drive up at speed and stop on the top of the ramp. You presented such a beautiful target for Caas.’

  ‘The adrenaline was pumping Vince and I got carried away. I must have switched my brain off. Anyway what have you been up to?’

  ‘I was involved in a massive police operation today. We got the diamonds and the ‘brains’ behind the whole operation. This evening I was also there when they arrested Harold Fortiscue.’

  I then went on to tell Willem more details of the raid. How they had tracked the Casino Royale across the channel, and up the Thames to the jetty in Henley-on-Thames.

  ‘Did they arrest Caas Teifel, Vince?’ Willem asked me with a more urgent tone in his voice.

  ‘No he didn’t travel with the shipment to London, so he wasn’t arrested here. The Dutch police have been informed that he has been involved in one murder, one attempted murder, and also smuggling drugs and diamonds. They already have him under surveillance and are going to pick him up tonight.

  Tell me what happened after I left you in France.’ I asked Willem.

  ‘In La Rochelle, the Belle Diamant was left moored against the main jetty in the marina when they ran off. Luckily I was in the hospital there and was able to arrange to have the yacht placed on a mooring, once the police had finished with it. I have now paid for a couple of months mooring fees in advance so it can stay there until I can sail it back to Rotterdam.’

  ‘I will come over and help you move it back to Rotterdam Willem. I need a break after all this,’ I suggested with a smile on my face.

  ‘That might be an idea Vince. Many a true word has been spoken in gest.’

  ‘I will get over to see you in Rotterdam when the dust settles here, and you feel well enough to go out for lunch. For old times’ sake, we will have to go to the restaurant beside the marina where your boat is kept.’

  ‘I look forward to seeing you then Vince. In the meantime phone me to let me know what is happening. I especially want to know when my pal Caas has been put under lock and key.’

  The last thing that I did before I headed for bed was to phone Daphne at her parents’ house and give her a condensed version of what was happening. I didn’t give her all the details, especially about my swim in the River Thames and my rescue by the police divers. I was able to tell her that my investigation was coming to a successful conclusion, and I probably would be able to move back into our home in Putney tomorrow. She was happy to let the kids stay with h
er parents in Maidstone for at least another week, but she said that she would come back to be with me as soon as the coast was clear.

  Chapter 49

  ‘Good morning sir,’ I shook hands with Sir Montgomery who had been waiting in his usual chair in the Sherlock Holmes Hotel when I arrived.

  ‘Good morning Vince. What on earth has happened to your eyebrows and your face?’

  “My latest battle scars I am afraid.’ I had not told him about my capture and narrow escape from the house in Henley-on-Thames.

  ‘Are you going to tell me what happened?’

  I didn’t particularly want to go into a detailed explanation of what had happened as I was still a bit traumatised by the experience, but I gave him a brief summary, including my rescue by the river police.

  ‘Sounds like the Inspector’s foresight saved the day Vince.’

  ‘The Inspector has been an absolute star. Without his support, I never would have sorted the London end out. In fact, I would be dead by now.’

  ‘So where are we now Vince in wrapping up this investigation; I must compliment you on what you seem to have achieved.’

  ‘Probably the best approach at this stage is to give you a overview of where I think we are; based on the latest information that I have. Just remember that things are changing by the hour.’

  ‘Do you mind if I make a few notes as you talk?’

  ‘No you are welcome sir if you feel it will help you.’

  ‘OK, far ahead Vince.’

  ‘I’ll go point by point:

  The latest shipment of diamonds has been captured by the police, so they are not going to be used by Charlton Diamond Traders against you.

  I will inform the Directors of Limpopo Resources that there are at least two of their employees who are robbing them blind. That should stop the thefts.

  The brain behind the whole diamond chain was Ronald St John Pendleton. He has been arrested.

  His hit men have also been arrested. They are almost certainly the people who killed your son Brian.