An African Adventure (Vince Hamilton Private Investigator Book 4)

by Patrick Slaney

  Carol moved around the table and stood behind where I was sitting. She put her arms around my shoulders resting her hands on my chest. I could feel her breasts pressing against my back. It was quite an intimate moment.

  ‘Thank you, Vince, for all you’re doing for the boys and me. I couldn’t have managed this situation without you,’ she said in a tearful voice.

  There was no escape from the way she was holding me, and she made it worse by putting her left cheek beside mine. I could feel the dampness of her tears as our faces touched.

  I moved my hands up to hold hers and stop her caressing my chest. She was clearly very emotional, and it was having an effect on me.

  I stood up and turned around to face her.

  ‘Carol I am delighted to be able to help you for old times’ sake; however, we must be very careful that we do not get emotionally involved. You are married to Clive, and I am married to Daphne and we both have wonderful children, in every sense of the word. I can only agree to help you if we keep our distance.’

  ‘I’m sorry Vince, I got carried away.’ She took a tissue and wiped away her tears, sitting down opposite me. ‘Carol, you obtain all the information that I have asked you to get, and I will come back on Monday to see you. Once we have developed a plan it will be a lot easier.’

  I gave her a peck on the cheek just to show that I wasn’t upset with her. We would just have to be careful that we didn’t get emotionally attached.

  ‘Thanks, Vince I am very grateful.’ She kissed me back.

  As we went through the hall towards the front door, she called out to Brian and Alex.

  ‘Boys, Uncle Vince is going now. Come down and say goodbye.

  There was a clump of feet on the stairs and two heads appeared.

  ‘Bye Uncle Vince, and thanks for coming to talk to us,’ Brian said on behalf of the two of them.

  I left the family waving to me as I headed for the tube. Fortunately, I still had plenty of time to get to Putney so as I could pick up Victoria from school. Carol’s intimate squeeze had made me feel guilty. I decided that I had better spend the weekend fussing over my family.

  Once I was on the District line train heading home, I had time to go over my morning’s work.

  Contrary to what I expected, talking to the two boys had been the least of my challenges, and already they seemed to trust me. This despite the fact that I had been instrumental in having their father locked up. Julian Curtis had been a different kettle of fish and in getting his help for Carol I had committed to helping him solve the car theft problem. I would have to keep the fact that I had agreed to help him a secret from Daphne, for the time being. There was no need to tell her for the moment.

  While I thought about my latest conundrum, I suddenly came up with a good idea. I would ask my ex-army friend Reggie Talbot to help me in my investigations. He was in his fifties and liked the booze a bit too much, but he was available and was always going on to me about how lucky I was to be a Private Investigator. He would be an ideal choice to do some of the foreign legwork for me.

  By the time I got to Putney, I had decided to meet Reggie later that day, after I had done my duty in collecting Victoria from her school. I would also make an appointment to see Inspector Baird at Hampstead police station on Monday after my meeting with Julian Curtis. With a bit of luck, the police would have found the source of the thefts in the meantime, and I wouldn’t have to get involved.

  Reggie didn’t need any persuading to join me for a drink when I phoned him. I suggested that we meet at our usual pub at 5.00pm.

  I collected Victoria, and we travelled home on our usual route, via the sweet shop. I even had time to talk to Michael when he got home from school. Being the start of his half term break, he was home a bit earlier than usual. Thankfully he had not been bullied, and he had enjoyed his day.

  Lastly, I managed to make an appointment to meet with Inspector Baird on the following Monday. He invited me to have lunch with him.

  It was shortly after five when I joined Reggie in the pub. Needless to say, he already had a drink in front of him. I got myself a pint of lager and sat down beside him.

  ‘Why the rush to see me tonight Vince?’

  ‘I have a proposition for you to consider and wanted to give you the details before the weekend to give you a chance to chew it over.’

  ‘What’s this proposition?’

  ‘In the past, when I have talked to you about the jobs I get involved in as a Private Investigator, you have said that you would love to do something like that as you are bored stiff sitting at home on your tod.’

  ‘That’s a fair summary of my life,’ he nodded his head energetically.

  ‘Well, how would you like to help me out and do some of the travelling?’

  ‘What exactly would it involve?’ He leant forward on his stool and was obviously very interested.

  ‘I have promised my own family that I will be away from home a lot less, so I am looking for somebody to stand in for me when something needs checking out in a strange foreign place. Obviously, at the moment, I don’t know where that place could be, but, literally, it could be anywhere. In the past, I have had to go to Tunisia, the South of France, Turkey and similar spots.’

  ‘What do I investigate when I get there,’ Reggie asked.

  ‘It could simply be trying to locate someone or something. It will vary.’

  ‘Will you be with me?’

  ‘No, the idea of asking you to help is that it will save me travelling. If you get stuck or have a major problem, I will, of course, fly out to join you.’

  ‘And, you will pay me for this?’

  ‘Yes, of course, I will. You will be paid three hundred pounds per day plus expenses.’ In fact, I charged four hundred pounds a day to my clients, but I reckoned that Reggie could be high maintenance. I would need some money in the kitty just for emergencies.

  ‘That sounds very fair Vince. When do you want me to start?’

  ‘At this stage Reg, I am merely sounding you out on the concept. I am going to talk to some people on Monday, and, now that you are willing to help me, I can accept any PI job that they have to offer.’

  ‘Thanks for thinking of me Vince.’ Reggie seemed genuinely grateful.

  ‘One thing that I should mention up front is that if you do end up doing some jobs for me, you are going to have to be careful not to drink too much when you are on an assignment.’

  ‘Don’t worry, I only drink when I am bored which is most of the time when I am at home. Since my wife died, it is very lonely for me. I don’t have any family who I am in contact with in this part of the world.’

  ‘I’m sure you will be fine,’ I said. ‘Sorry, I can’t stay for a second pint I have to get home to the family.

  We shook hands, and I left to return home.

  The weather over the weekend was beautiful, and we were able to go on two family outings. As a treat, I hired a car so we went to the Zoo on Saturday and to visit Daphne’s Mum in Maidstone on Sunday. I was consciously trying to pile up the Brownie points with my wife in case I needed to travel overseas for a few days.

  At the Zoo, I didn’t want to go into the monkey house, so the kids went in together and Daphne, and I sat outside.

  ‘How did your meeting with Carol go yesterday,’ Daphne asked me out of the blue. It had obviously been on her mind, and she had been waiting for a suitable time to bring up the subject.

  ‘It went very smoothly, and the two boys took the news remarkably well.’

  ‘Are you going to see them again?’

  ‘Well, I am going to see Carol again, I asked her to get hold of as much information as she could on their financial situation, and I would return there on Monday afternoon to help her work out a way forward.’

  ‘So, how long are you going to help them for?’

  ‘There should be no need for me to stay involved after we have drawn up a comprehensive way forward for the family and she knows what she should be doing. I have emphasi
sed that to her, just in case she thinks that I am a long term support.’

  ‘Have you any idea how she is going to survive?’

  ‘The only thought that I have at the moment is that she must sell the house in St John’s Wood as quickly as she can. She should then move out of London to Tonbridge where she can buy a house a lot cheaper than in London. She will be able to live on the difference between what she gets for her London home and what she has to pay for one in Tonbridge.’

  ‘Why are you suggesting that she goes to live in Tonbridge, has she got family there?’ Daphne asked.

  ‘No, her family are all in Rainham in Kent. If she moves to Tonbridge, the boys could still attend the College as day boys so they wouldn’t have to change schools.’

  ‘That’s quite clever of you Vince. Does Carol not have a job in London?’

  ‘No, she is a stay at home Mum, so moving isn’t a problem for her and the seven-year-old will be able to attend a school in Tonbridge.’

  Michael and Victoria appeared at our side ready for their next adventure.

  ‘Where can we go now Dad?’ Victoria asked.

  ‘How about lunch?’ Michael suggested. He was getting to that stage in life when a teenager's stomach rules their world.

  ‘Okay, let’s go and get some lunch,’ I concurred.

  I was delighted to escape from my conversation with Daphne. Fortunately, she didn’t appear to be too upset that I was still supporting Carol, but I didn’t want to push my luck.

  Chapter 4

  Monday morning I arrived at the InterContinental in Park Lane in plenty of time for my meeting with Julian Curtis. My army training had ingrained in me the importance of being punctual, so I was usually early.

  Julian entered the hotel only five minutes late, so I didn't have long to wait.

  'Let's find a quiet corner Vince and order some coffee.'

  He led the way over to a corner that appeared to be devoid of people.

  A waiter approached to take our order as we sat down.

  'Would you like coffee or tea Vince?' Julian inquired.

  'I'll have coffee, please.'

  Julian addressed the waiter. 'We'll have a pot coffee, some warm milk and a few of your croissants, please.'

  ‘Thank you, Sir.’

  The waiter left to go and get our order.

  'Since I saw you last Friday, Vince, I have been thinking about what you told me about Clive. It's a dreadful situation. He hadn't told me that his business was in such a disastrous financial predicament; he kept it well hidden.'

  'And, by all accounts, it appears not to have been performing well for some time,' I added.

  'What a great pity that he didn't mention it to me; a few of us might have been able to help him in some way,' Julian said.

  'I think that it is too late for the business to be saved in its present format, and, anyway, Clive won't be around to run it, I added. ‘His wife couldn't possibly cope as she has zero experience,' I added.

  'As promised I talked to my son Frank, and he promised to speak to a few people he knows about taking it over. We will have to see what he comes up with.'

  'I have asked Carol to get me copies of the accounts of the business, and she should have met with the accountant who does the books for Clive's company, over last weekend.'

  'OK Vince, let's leave it at that regarding the business. I want to move on to talk about the continuing car thefts.'

  'How bad is it at the moment,' I interjected. 'From what you said previously, I gather that it isn't as bad as before.'

  'Yes, when you were involved last year it was severe, and we were losing, at least, four or five luxury cars a month. At present, there are only one or two cars being nicked in a month.'

  'Have you any idea where they are going?' I inquired.

  The waiter arrived with our order.

  'Hold on Vince while we pour the coffee.'

  We stopped talking while the waiter organized our drinks. As soon as he had finished Julian started again.

  'This time, the cars are vanishing without trace making it look as if they are not being driven out of the country. When you were involved about nine months’ ago, the cars were being taken to have their registration plates changed at a garage in Battersea. They were then moved to a respray facility close to Rainham in Kent. Finally, they were driven, with their new colour and plates, across the Channel into Europe.'

  'But the workshops they were using were all closed down when the gang was broken up and the people doing the work arrested,' I said. 'Do you think that they have re-established the respray facility somewhere else?'

  'We certainly know that they aren't using the original set-up; that has all been checked. The police have an idea what might be happening but they haven't been able to prove it yet.'

  'I'm seeing Detective Inspector Baird of Hampstead CID for lunch today. I will try and find out from him if he has any new theories,' I said.

  'That could help a lot. The fact that you know the Inspector well is one of the reasons that I wanted to get you involved again.'

  'So all you can tell me at the moment is that luxury cars are still being stolen from the streets of London at the rate of roughly two or three per month.'

  'I can give you another piece of information,' Julian said. 'These cars are not appearing again in the UK or, as far as we know, anywhere in Europe. To all intents and purposes, they are disappearing.'

  'So what do you want me to do?' I asked him.

  'Simple, find out what is going on and try and stop the cars being stolen. If you can recover some of the cars, then that would be a real bonus.'

  'I am afraid that is easier said than done,' I replied.

  'I'm not expecting quick results, but I need to be able to tell the consortium of Insurance companies, who handle the premiums on luxury cars, that steps are being taken to solve the problem. They are threatening to pull the rug out from under the industry.'

  'I feel that I need to tell you about a change that I have made to my method of operation. I have joined up with another ex-military man, and he will do some of the legwork. I found doing everything on my own too much of a load. I was spending very little time at home, much to wife's displeasure.'

  'What is the name of your new partner?'

  'His name is Captain Reggie Talbot. He is a widower in his early fifties but still very fit as he is a keen golfer.'

  ‘Are you able to give me any idea how you are going to tackle the task?' Julian asked.

  'Not at the moment, but I will draw up a plan of campaign after I have talked to the Inspector. If you give me your contact details, I will 'phone you tomorrow to give you an idea of what I am planning to do. By then I will also have financial data on Clive's business that I can pass on to your son so as he can give us some advice as to the best way of proceeding with that matter.'

  'I look forward to hearing from you tomorrow then Vince.' He stood up and shook my hand.

  My next step was to get to Hampstead on the tube as I was meeting Inspector Baird at his office at twelve noon.

  At the Police Station, I gave my name to the Sergeant on the front desk telling him that I had an appointment with Detective Inspector Baird. I was instructed to wait, and he would come and pick me up.

  True to his usual practice, it was fifteen minutes before he appeared. He was always late. In fact, fifteen minutes was nothing.

  He shook my hand warmly. We had become good friends during my previous cases when our paths had crossed. He had saved my life on one occasion in Henley on Thames when his police divers fished me out of the river after I had been thrown in by my captors to drown. [Can be found in the first book in this series - The Diamond Chain].

  'Let's go out and get a sandwich and a pint,' he suggested.

  'Sounds good,' I replied. 'How have you been since I last saw you. Have you had any further problems from your injuries?' The Inspector had been severely wounded when he had been shot by the Mafia in Marmaris Bay in Turkey.

&nb
sp; 'Thankfully, I have made a full recovery and am back working full-time again.'

  We hadn't gone far when he stopped outside an old pub called The Flask.

  'Will this do you Vince or do you want something fancier.' He gave me a quizzical look.

  'It’s perfect and your type of establishment,' I replied. It was a Victorian-style pub that had been recently done up.

  We went inside and found a table that was just being vacated. The pub was obviously a favourite spot for the local businesspeople as it was fairly packed.

  'Vince, I'll sit here while you go and get what you want,' the Inspector suggested. 'When you come back you can reverse the process and look after my seat for me. Ask the barman to open a tab for me and I will pay it when I get my food. They know me here and the way I operate as I am a frequent customer.'

  I went up to the bar and ordered a Ploughman's Platter and a pint of Carlsberg. I carried my pint back to the table. The food would be delivered by a waitress when it was ready.

  As I sat down, the Inspector took his turn to place his order. He returned clutching a pint of Young's, the house Ale.

  'Well, Vince, it is great to see you again. Are there any developments in the case against Clive Newsome in Melbourne?'

  'No, that's all under control. I am trying to sort out Clive Newsome's wife and the financial problems he left the family in the UK when he was arrested.'

  'How did you get roped into helping his wife?'

  'At my last meeting with Clive in Melbourne, he begged me to go and see her and explain the details of his arrest. It turned out that his wife Carol and I had lived on the same street in Rainham while we were growing up. We had been good friends as teenagers, so I agreed to help her out.'

  'You always were an old softy Vince. Fancy helping the wife of a criminal you have been instrumental in exposing and locking up. I would be very busy counselling wives and families if I followed your approach. I tend to keep my distance from criminals and their families,' he smiled.

  I decided to switch topics to the one I wanted to talk to him about.