On knocking they received a gruff ‘come in’. To their surprise they found Max Horton and Will Hartley hunched over a set of charts. The two men glared at them as they walked in.
“What do you want,” growled Hartley. “The public aren’t allowed in here.” Of course that ignored the fact that Horton was a member of the public and he was standing in the office as big as day, but Ralph decided it was best not to point out the obvious.
“It’s Professor Chalmers and his wife Katie,” said Horton, ignoring Hartley’s remarks as he stretched out his hand.
“Hello Doctor Horton, Captain. Sorry to disturb you, but we were wondering if we could look at some of the recent records of shipping in the Lundy area over the last two days?”
He wasn’t sure if this was the right approach but he had been thrown off guard by seeing Horton and had just blurted out his thoughts. Katie came to his rescue.
“Ralph met up with some people in a large motor vessel while he was off Lundy the other day. They gave him some fuel as he had nearly run out. So we just wanted to find out the name of the boat so he could write and thank them. You know, send them a small gift of appreciation, so to speak.”
The two men looked a bit startled at Katie’s explanation. Ralph didn’t think for a moment
her story would be believed. Passing a can of diesel fuel between a bobbing yacht and a large vessel was almost unheard of, at least in his experience. Hartley was frowning and obviously waiting for Horton to take the lead.
“Well I’m sure that you were relieved not to be stranded out at sea. But I don’t think that the Captain keeps records of all the ships and yachts that pass through here, do you Captain? There must be hundreds,” he said turning to Hartley with a knowing look.
“Er, that’s right. My job is to make sure that people follow the rules, not keep tabs on every Tom, Dick and Harry who happens to be out there. I just don’t have the time or the staff.”
“But I wondered if I could look at some of the radar records of vessels around Jenny’s Cove on Lundy for that afternoon. Then I could see if the crew that helped me sailed back into Bideford. It was a large vessel and built for speed so it would be bound to show up.”
Hartley was now getting even more agitated and Max Horton was beginning to look a bit unnerved as well.
“Even if I was allowed to show you the records it wouldn’t help. We just take spot looks and don’t keep a continuous record. I’m afraid you’re wasting your time and mine,” said Hartley. Max Horton eased the situation.
“Well look. I’m finished here with the Captain and I know he’s busy, so why don’t I take you two to lunch? I’m famished and could do with a spot of the local catch.” Ralph saw it as an opportunity to get to know a bit more about the intended prey for whom their trap was now being set.
The Harbour Arms restaurant was only a short walk along the front and they were soon chatting over a delicious fresh lobster salad and a bottle of chilled chardonnay.
“I hear you were in industrial chemicals before you moved down to Devon,” Katie remarked as the waiter removed the luncheon plates and served coffee.
“Yes, that’s right. It seems a long time ago now. Clarissa and I had decided to find somewhere so that she could do her riding and I could potter around with my inventions.”
“When I spoke to Clarissa the other day when we were out riding up at Bay View, she said you hoped to invent and patent a new refining process. It sounds all very clever to me. I’m afraid that I was hopeless at chemistry.” At the mention of Bay View Farm Horton went quiet and took a keen interest in stirring his coffee. Katie thought it was a ruse to give him time to think. He ignored Katie’s question about the refining process.
“Poor Clarissa. That business with that awful villain Jakes. I understand you were there when the police arrested him for Wakely’s murder. I can’t say anything of course as the case is coming to trial in a few weeks and he is trying to drag me into things. Between you and me though, it will be a cut and dried affair. The man is obviously deranged.”
“Yes, it must be quite stressful. But at least you have your hobby to provide a bit of diversion,” Ralph Interjected.
“As much as is possible.”
“So have you made a breakthrough yet?”
Ralph realized he ran the risk of exposing his suspicions about Horton running a gold processing operation up at the Manor but was determined to give it one more try.
“Well funny thing is that it is nearly finished. The patent chaps are looking at the design now. It costs a fortune to iron out those things, but if everything goes to schedule I should be able to sell the patent rights and then Clarissa and I will be able to sell up and move to France.”
“But I thought you moved here because it was such an ideal place for you both,” Katie pressed.
“We thought so too before all of this nasty business with that Jakes character. Now I’m afraid it’s somewhat spoiled for us. And besides, we’ve always wanted to get a place down on the Riviera and just take things easy. Now we are looking forward to making a fresh start. But sorry, I seem to be telling you all my troubles and being an awful bore.”
“It’s always good to talk things through and it sounds as though all your efforts are starting to pay off,” said Ralph. “Katie and I have one or two plans which we hope to conclude in the next few weeks as well. Nothing as ambitious as yours, of course,” Ralph said as Katie shot him a warning look.
Ralph was not surprised when Horton said he had remembered a few things that still needed to be sorted out with Will Hartley. No doubt they wanted to compare notes and agree the schedule for the next delivery of gold. Tariq and his pal would be coming ashore tonight sure as eggs, Ralph thought.
A visit to the Bideford Weekly found Bob Wyman stuck for a lead story for that week’s edition. He did not need much encouragement to go for theirs about the documents, but cautioned them that they might be playing with fire. If it went wrong then both the smugglers and the police would be pretty upset, to say the least. They drove back to Rose Cottage immersed in their own thoughts about what might happen next.
------------------------------
Chapter 16
With the Bideford Weekly containing Bob Wyman’s article due out on the Thursday it was time to search the barn again. Without Wakely’s documents their plans to expose Max Horton would fail.
“Okay Ralph, you’re the one who claims to be the King of logic. Put yourself in Wakely’s shoes. Well not literally, of course.”
“No need for that. I know what you mean. The poor man’s dead you know.”
Katie kept quiet to avoid getting into an argument. She remembered the saying that you should only sweat the big stuff. And Ralph’s view on what was proprietary language in certain circumstances, she considered, was definitely the small stuff.
After searching through all of the old cupboards and opening lots of boxes they had found nothing.
“I don’t think he was a very practical bloke by the look of things,” said Katie.
“Why’s that?”
“Well, he put most of the tools like wrenches and spanners and that wheel brace up on that top shelf. If he had to change a tire or tighten something they’re not very handy. But perhaps they’re left over from the previous owner and he just never bothered to get rid of them.”
“Not everyone wants to get their hands dirty messing around with cars,” Ralph said. “And I’d be very surprised if you could change a tire. So don’t throw stones in glass houses and all that.”
“Well as a matter of fact I can. You forget I was brought up on a farm outside Sydney and I could drive a tractor by the time I was 8. At that age I expect, you were still playing with a pile of toy bricks,” she said with a laugh. “I’m going to put that wheel brace and a few of the spanners in the back of the Morgan just to be on the safe side as the garages around here are a bit few and far between.”
A few minutes later she was shouting for Ralph. Under some carp
et in the back of the Morgan she had found a leather pouch containing the missing documents.
“Now we have the documents I’m having second thoughts about our plan,” said Katie.
“Why? We agreed it was the best way to flush out Horton, and it’s probably too late to stop the article going out anyway.”
“Well yes, but if we called Hans Clim he could collect them and take care of everything.”
“We talked about that before. If Clim gets hold of them he will probably just suppress that evidence in order to get Horton to collaborate on his bigger plan and the upshot will be that Horton gets off Scott free.”
“You’re right. It’s just that I’m not sure if by inviting those crooks to come looking for these documents we are sticking our necks out too far. I’m just acting like a sissy, I suppose.”
“Well to be honest, I’m a bit worried too. But we’ve come this far and I think we should carry it through. I’ll set up a sensor pad at the top of the drive so we’ll have advance warning if anyone starts nosing around. We have that old harpoon gun you found in the barn last week and being Australian I’m sure you know how to use that as well as change a tractor tire.”
“Look Ralph, I may be tougher than some of those helpless English women you’ve been out with, but if you think I’m sleeping with a harpoon gun by the bed so we can defend ourselves from some tough characters like those Turks that Horton’s in cahoots with, then you can think again.”
“Hey I was only joking. Look if we hear the sensor we’ll call the police so they can be on their way. It’s not as though we won’t have any safety net at all.”
“It sounds good on paper, as they say, but let’s hope the bad guys are as stupid as you are trying to make out.”
“I think we should make copies of the documents so we’ll have one set for Horton’s boys and another just in case they try to destroy the evidence. We’ll leave one set as a decoy somewhere in the barn. That way when the police arrive they’ll catch them red-handed,” Ralph said. “And meanwhile we can stash the other set at the back of that big wardrobe in my bedroom.”
***
Thursday morning dawned windy and a few grey clouds were moving in from the sea. As they sipped their morning coffee neither Katie nor Ralph mentioned that this was the day that Wyman’s article would be out on the stands.
“I think I’ll just run in to town and get a few things,” Ralph said as he piddled around with his toast. Katie saw that his eggs were left untouched, as was the tomato and bacon that he had pushed to the side of his plate.
“Are you getting cold feet?” Katie asked. “We could always decide to drive down the coast and stay the night, and just let the cards fall where they may; or even telephone that Inspector Fletcher and tell him we are a bit concerned about staying in the cottage tonight, what with the article virtually inviting the crooks to come calling.”
“No, of course not,” Ralph replied a bit testily. “But perhaps I should stay here and test out our early warning system while you pick up the things we need in town.”
“Ralph Chalmers, you are just afraid that Horton’s boys will have already seen the article and decide not to wait until nightfall to start their search. I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself for a few minutes on my own.”
“Okay, I take your point. Let’s just presume they wouldn’t take a chance in broad daylight and both go in and run our errands. We shouldn’t be gone that long, and no doubt they’ll need to get the okay from Horton before they make a move anyhow.”
With the sensor pad set up and tested, Ralph attached a wire to a buzzer at the side of his bed. He was a light sleeper, a habit he had developed when sailing at sea and lying in his bunk waiting to respond to any emergency. They had bought a copy of the Bideford Weekly when they were in town earlier and knew that the trap was now well and truly set. It was a question of just waiting for their night visitors.
***
It had been a wet and windy day and as Ralph lay dozing in bed he could hear a loose shutter banging on the side of the cottage and the rain beating in squalls against the leaded windows. Suddenly he heard a muffled buzz. At first he thought he was dreaming but soon realized that someone had triggered the sensor alarm. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed he got dressed, and grasping a heavy torch he had left on the bedside table, he headed downstairs. Without turning on any lights, he remembered to open both halves of the back door, an oversight that had led to a few bruises in the past. He could see a light being shone in the barn. Whoever it was, they were going to stay there until the police arrived, he thought.
Ralph crept up to the barn door and watched as the lone figure began systematically searching. Eventually he found the planted copies and stood up to leave. It was the Turk, Tariq Alman. Just at that moment Ralph grabbed the heavy latch, swung the door closed and slid home the bolt. A shout from inside told him that the trap was sprung.
Katie suddenly appeared at his side as the rain and wind beat down.
“We’ve got the bugger!” Ralph shouted over the howl of the rain in the trees.
“I phoned the police and they should be here any minute,” Katie shouted back as she indicated the cell phone in her hand. “Let’s get inside out of this rain and wait for them to take over.”
“Not yet. Someone might be waiting at the top of the drive to make the getaway. I’m going up there and see.”
“I brought this, just in case,” Katie said as she handed him the harpoon gun. “And be careful, it’s loaded.”
Grabbing the gun, Ralph and Katie walked quietly along the grass verge avoiding stepping on the gravel. With such a noise from the wind it was unlikely that anyone would have heard anyway, but there was no point in taking the chance. Just as Ralph had expected, an old Land Rover was parked under the oak tree at the top of the drive with the engine off and the lights out. He could just make out through the steamed up windows a shadowy figure hunched behind the wheel. Wrenching open the passenger door Katie shone the torch while Ralph pointed the harpoon gun at the muffled figure.
“Games up. Don’t try to move. Your chum is locked up and the police are on their way.”
“Don’t point that thing at me you stupid man. And if you want to blind me then you’re doing a good job.” It was a woman’s voice and Katie could have sworn that she had heard it before, but whoever it was had averted her face from the light. Just then they heard the wail of police sirens and could see the flashing blue lights coming along the lane. Within a few minutes they had told the police about Tariq locked in the barn and everyone stood back as the tall slim figure emerged from the Land Rover.
A faint moon broke through the rain clouds and Katie recognized Amanda Darant from Bay View Farm. She stood braced against the wind and rain glaring at them defiantly.
“I told Max sodding Horton that we should just forget about those bloody documents but he would try to control everything. Once they had Jakes under arrest for Wakely’s murder we were almost home free. You’ll find Tariq in your damned barn and his friend Ahmed is down at Max’s place trying to get the last load of gold away. It’s all over now bar the shouting,” she laughed as the constable led her away to the waiting police car.
“I’m going to try and get to Horton’s place before he can make his getaway as Tariq will have called him on his mobile once he realized the game was up,” Ralph whispered to Katie.
With that he jumped into the old Land Rover and before the startled police officers could stop him he had driven off into the night. Horton’s house was less than a ten minute drive along the now deserted country lanes. His intuition was right and he could see that Horton had parked his Toyota Land Cruiser outside one of the industrial buildings. Ralph parked across the front of the SUV blocking Horton’s escape route. Just then he saw Clarissa running across from the main house.
“Thank god you’re here, Ralph,” she gasped. “Max has gone mad. He’s inside with one of those two Turkish men Katie and I saw at Bay View. He sh
outed at me to mind my own business when I asked him what was going on. I think he’s trying to escape before the police get here.”
Ralph reached down to get his mobile and realized that in the panic he had left it at the Cottage.
“Did you call the police yet, Clarissa?”
“No I didn’t know what to do. But I grabbed my mobile when I saw what they were doing.”
“Okay. Call them now and tell them that there is an intruder in the house. If you say it’s your husband they won’t be so quick to respond. I’ll try to distract them until the police arrive.”
With that he pushed open the door and was confronted with the sight of Horton, who was lifting gold bars into a wooden box, while Ahmed spread petrol around the walls of the building. They stopped when they saw Ralph framed in the doorway. As Ralph adjusted to the bright light he heard the click as Ahmed grabbed a revolver from inside his jacket and pointed it at Ralph. Just then Clarissa burst in shouting that the police were on their way. Horton’s hand caught his wife a glancing blow and her cell phone cluttered to the floor.
“Damn fool,” he shouted. “Always messing around in my business. I told you to keep out of things. And you Chalmers have gone too far this time. I’ve blocked the main road into the Manor with a couple of tractors. By the time they sort that out I’ll be away across the fields.”
Ralph kept an eye on Ahmed whom he could see was looking agitated.
“So, Ahmed,” Ralph shouted. “The police have already got Tariq. I don’t think he will want to spend a lifetime in prison for killing those fishermen on the Mary Ann while you escape to some little hideaway beyond the reach of extradition. I expect that by now he is singing like a canary and you will be sewn up tighter than a drum. And as for your boss here, no doubt his barristers will be laughing when he gives evidence absolving him of any wrongdoing and painting himself as a pillar of society while placing the blame squarely on you.”
Murder at High Tide (The Ralph Chalmers Mysteries Book 4) Page 15