“Where are you going?”
“You want to do this now?”
“No, ’cause I don’t, but we need a can of petrol, ’ere’s a few euro, five litres will do. And get some milk and breakfast cereal, oh and coffee. Here, there’s another fifty.”
Again Carlinhos went to walk towards his brother, “Oi your car’s over there, Bento can carry on with the clearing job while you’re away.”
Reluctantly, Carlinhos walked towards his car, his hopes of taking his younger brother, Bento, with him dashed. It was only his loyalty to his brother that had him returning an hour or so later having completed all of the errands.
As he unloaded the food stuff onto the kitchen table Jacobs asked, “What have you done with the petrol?”
“I left it in the back of my car.”
“Did you have enough money?”
Carlinhos nodded. “I bought some wine as well.”
“Yeh, nice one, that’ll be good with that cheese we was given, good idea,” Jacobs looked up at Carlinhos and noted the rather scared expression on his face. “By the way, you did good this afternoon, I know you two didn’t sign up for all of this bit down ’ere. I’ll make sure Leonardo gives yer both a good bonus, I promise.”
***
Considering a waterline length of just over twenty-eight feet, the yacht’s performance over the distance of one hundred and twenty-five nautical miles was impressive and proved that the hull cleaning in Madeira had been worthwhile. Six hours after Jacobs had taken the women from the apartment in Lagos to Burgau Vaughan reached the Marina do Lagos in the city centre, tying up to the arrivals’ pontoon just to the seaward side of the footbridge. Checking in and paying for a two night stay he was allocated a berth at the very end of one of the long pontoons. Returning to his yacht Vaughan warped the yacht along the pontoon to the fuel pumps and spent time filling the fuel tank and after paying cast off again to enter the marina, motoring behind two other yachts forming a neat line astern as they passed through the lifting footbridge that formed a type of gateway to the marina pool. Tying up at the berth, he then walked into town via the footbridge to purchase some food and the mobile phones before sauntering around the marina in search of the powerboat. He had almost given up the search when he finally spotted the boat moored between two large “Gin Palace” style motor cruisers. Instantly, he could see why the boy in Gibraltar had noticed the boat, it was very sleek and painted in matt black instead of gloss finish giving the vessel a decided stealth image. Vaughan walked along the pontoon towards the boat and on passing it had a long enough look to be confident that no one was on board. Walking back along the pontoon he stopped and gave the vessel an even closer inspection, before leisurely strolling back to the pontoon where his own yacht was moored. He was about to turn and walk along to his boat when he saw them, two men in suits standing by his boat, one talking on a mobile phone. Turning back, Vaughan hurried to the nearest bridge to the quayside and walked up it then along the line of restaurants and yacht broker offices to a point where he could watch the men without it being obvious. The man holding the phone was looking into Vaughan’s yacht gesticulating as he spoke, while the other man looked about as if searching for someone. After a few minutes both men turned and walked back towards the quayside, the man with the phone going into the Oasis Cafe from where he could keep an eye on Vaughan’s yacht, and his partner walking away in the direction of the car park.
Vaughan needed to know who the men worked for as somehow they didn’t fit the image of either gangland thugs or police, now that they were separated he had the opportunity of making an approach on level terms and keeping close to the buildings he walked briskly towards the café. On entering he saw the man immediately, walked straight towards the table and sat opposite him.
“What is so interesting about my boat?” he asked.
As Vaughan had entered the café the man had been startled, but now Vaughan had spoken the man looked more relaxed. “I am Agent Ascensao of the Servico de Informaçōes de Segurança, we were sent here to look for a powerboat with name of ‘Corredor Rápido’, but we arrived too late to help those your boss is interested in. We then received order to stay and give you assistance.”
“Do you have a badge?”
“What?”
“Do you have any identification that you belong to Servico de Informaçōes de Segurança?”
“Oh yes, here,” said Ascensao, handing Vaughan the leather fold holding his I.D. “You are Senhor Vaughan, yes?”
“Yes I am. You have made enquiries at the Marina Reception obviously,” said Vaughan.
“Yes, they tell that the owner, who lives in Lisbon, had no knowledge that his boat had been taken and used. The owner he now has reported this crime to the police in Lisbon who are now making enquiry.”
“Who is this man?”
“His name is Leonardo de Oliveira, a high level banking official in the Banco Salvadore Tesoureiro. It is a private bank for the very rich and powerful.”
“Does that make him untouchable?”
“No, it does not, but we have been on board his boat and it was obvious that the locks had been broken and the engine start electrics were pulled out, suggesting that they started the engine without using a key.”
“So, he is off the list?”
“Yes, he is off the list.”
“Were there any witnesses to the boat’s arrival here the day before yesterday?”
“We have been asking around and are following up some possible leads, that is what my colleague is doing now.”
“Unlike in the UK, I did not see one CCTV camera around here,” said Vaughan.
“This is a peaceful place, Senhor Vaughan, not so much crime, only a few people that party too much.”
“My information was that the people involved in this are well known local criminals.”
“That is true for Christiano Graciano but he is now dead and we have not too much information regarding the rest of his gang, we are checking with the local police and will probably be knocking down a few doors before long.”
“Ah the soft approach eh.”
Ascensao laughed. “Yes, it is called gentle policing.”
Just then Ascensao’s phone chirped. “Ascensao,” he said, then sat listening intently to the caller. “Have they brought her in?” there was a short pause then, “I have just met Senhor Vaughan, we will come straight away.”
Putting the phone back in his pocket Ascensao looked across at Vaughan. “They have found Graciano’s girlfriend. Let us say she is co-operating,” Ascensao said. “Would you like to hear what she has to say?”
“Most certainly,” replied Vaughan. “Let’s hope she’s not just complaining about the loss of her meal ticket.”
They drove north from the marina through the outskirts of Lagos to the N125 and turning left onto it crossed the river passing the football stadium then, at the next roundabout, Vaughan saw the smart new Police Headquarters in front of them. At the reception they were told that the girl was being interviewed in room “B” by a local police inspector and they were shown to the adjacent observation room, where a young detective sergeant brought them up to speed.
Ascensao then took over interpreting for Vaughan. “Apparently she was due to meet Graciano when he returned from the job and was standing on the footbridge waiting when the boat came in, but she could not see him on board. Then three men and two women came across the bridge and she recognised one of the men as a man who worked for her boyfriend and she asked him where he was. Now as you see she is crying so we have to wait awhile.”
It took several minutes before the girl could be persuaded to continue and when she did Ascensao took up the translating again.
“She is saying that she was told that her boyfriend had been shot dead by a British secret service agent and she should go far away, but she had nowhere else to go as all her family are here in Lagos. She was arrested when she returned to her parents’ home after wandering the streets for two days an
d nights asking friends for help.”
Vaughan immediately wondered how Graciano’s men would know that he was a British secret agent. “She obviously didn’t make many good friends then,” he said.
“Her friends did not want to get involved when they learn her boyfriend he die in a shooting.”
“Good point I suppose. Can she describe the two women?”
“Please wait, I will ask.”
Vaughan waited patiently while the question was relayed.
“She says that she thinks one had red hair but she did not take much notice as she had been told bad news.”
“A redhead, that sounds as if they were the two women I am searching for. Did she see where they went?”
“She is explaining now. Apparently Graciano’s accomplice gave her some money to leave the area and she followed them back across the bridge thinking maybe to take a bus and go to another town but then she felt too scared. She now say that the women were put into a car and driven away.”
“She is going to need protection,” said Vaughan. “The people her boyfriend were working for are very dangerous men with links to arms trafficking in Africa and I suspect in other parts of the world. I doubt if she or they are aware of that, as I think this little snatch job was organised in a hurry.”
“What makes you say that?” asked Ascensao.
“They would have had little time to react to the arrival of their target and I would bet that the power boat left from here in a hurry three days ago,” said Vaughan.
“We will make enquiry if you think it important.”
“It would confirm the urgent response nature of the snatch,” Vaughan replied. “While you are making enquiries can you also find out whether the boat owner has property here?”
“And if he has?”
“I would like you to get a search warrant.”
“Huh, you are a very suspicious man, Senhor Vaughan. Of course I will need to get approval for such action.”
Ascensao gave Vaughan a lift back to the marina and promised to have answers to the issue of property and a search warrant by morning. Boarding his boat Vaughan made a quick meal which he picked at, his mind piecing together the events that had occurred since leaving Madeira. “How did Staunton appear like the rabbit out of the hat in Gibraltar if my little operation was to be a small team affair? I have a link between Staunton and Kazakov’s minder, which could mean a link to Vermeulen, then of course there was the link between Anna-Maria’s husband, Patterson, and her relationship to Vermeulen. Was someone else on that failed Angolan operation still in the loop and feeding Staunton information, if so it would confirm the Commodore’s doubts about Staunton’s part in that stunt. With Kazakov dead the minder is in prime position to deal with any stock holding so it could be simply that Staunton has been tasked to find out where Kasakov’s assets are hidden.
“The other bit that is a mystery is why there was so much fuss made over my revelations concerning the Madeira coup. Maybe our Government wanted the coup to succeed and that was why Staunton was so keen to stop me following the Reshetnikov link with Olavo Esteves and the coup. What was it that they told me on my initial training, ah yes, ‘There are times when your orders might offend your moral principles.’ Well that type of situation would, that’s for sure.”
***
At 2215 hours Vaughan phoned Campbell’s number and brought the Commodore up to date with the situation, then sought his advice. “If this guy Leonardo de Oliveira does have property here but a search warrant is refused, do you want me to make an unofficial visit?”
Campbell thought for a moment or two.
“Yes, maybe he is bankrolling Vermeulen,” replied Campbell, “But remember you are no longer a member of SIS, I.D. or no I.D., so if you get caught you could well end up in a Portuguese jail with not many people wanting to help you.”
“Understood, let’s see what Agent Ascensao brings in the morning,” said Vaughan, before moving the conversation onto his other concern. “Commodore, tell me, why was there so much fuss made of my role in revealing the coup, surely the British Government would not actively support such a thing?”
“According to Sir Andrew Averrille, it was the fact that a British agent got involved operating outside of his mission brief in a way that interfered with another nation’s politics. He claimed that had the coup been successful and Portugal had left the EU, it would have presented a different European political dynamic, which may have been an advantage to Britain, but interference, though in this case helpful, may have been quite the reverse.”
“I see, stick only to the task set.”
“In a nutshell, yes, though personally I think that as Portugal is our oldest ally you did the right thing. It was those thoughts, I think, that led to my suspension and the closure of DELCO. So you see, Vaughan, sometimes our masters move in mysterious ways, their wonders to perform, leaving us floundering as to the reasons why,” answered Campbell. “Why do you raise this now by the way?”
“Oh just the way Staunton got heavy about the coup when he gave me the sack, suggesting that he was having to clear up my mess when there was nothing to clear up from what I could see.”
“Maybe his meeting with Kazakov’s minder was following through on the man’s links to the assassin and he just threw in the coup for good measure.”
“Why should he do that and not leave the Kazakov problem with the Portuguese?” replied Vaughan, “And why refer to the coup when the assassination attempt was in connection with the North African conference and Walid al Djebbar?”
“He could well be operating under orders, Vaughan, possibly the FCO want it followed through your contact Charles Stanthorpe-Ogilvey.”
“Charles didn’t mention anything about a follow-up when I met him back in London,” said Vaughan. “I’m sure he would have done, as he had received the full story from Walid.”
“You met Stanthorpe-Ogilvey on your return?”
“Yes, Sir. In fact we had lunch together just before my meeting with you.”
“Go careful with information there, Vaughan.”
Vaughan was tempted to ask why but thought better of it. He had noticed previously that the Commodore was not a particular friend of Charles Stanthorpe-Ogilvey. “Of course, Sir,” he replied.
“Is that all, Vaughan, as I have got other calls to make? Lorna Parker-Davis will be acting as link between us, you will get a call from her later.”
“Right, Sir, I think that is all, goodnight, Sir.”
The call ended and Vaughan sat worrying about the link added to his chain of command as it would inevitably delay response. It was obvious that the Commodore was under surveillance and probably his every move under scrutiny. Vaughan was still baffled by the reaction to something that struck him as being very minor on Commodore Campbell’s part, which indicated that there was much more driving the situation than his straying from a set task and the Commodore’s support of his actions.
Half an hour later Vaughan’s phone chirped, “Hello”.
“Vaughan?”
“Yes.”
“It’s Lorna Parker-Davis, the Commodore asked me to establish contact.”
“Sorry, Lorna, I was half asleep and didn’t recognise your voice.”
“You’ve been told about DELCO?”
“Staunton briefly mentioned that it has been closed down when he gleefully told me that I was sacked.”
“Where was this?”
“When I was talking with the Gibraltar Police at the apartment where Lieutenant Heathcote and Ms Ronaldo had been held.”
“How did he get to be involved?”
“Apparently London issued his orders, which, as the Commodore is suspended, means Sir Averrille.”
“This is serious, Vaughan.”
“Yes I know it is, Lorna, you don’t have to tell me.”
“No, that’s not what I meant, Vaughan. It means that the Commodore has no access to a higher authority so he must work outside of any official support system,
whilst that sneering ape Staunton gets his feet firmly under the Commodore’s desk.”
“Surely he is not next in line, Lorna.”
“I’m afraid he is, despite the fact that he has only been in the Service for four years.”
“Where was he before?”
“Army, Afghanistan, possibly SAS.”
“I see, well he has lost a lot of his fitness and reactions in that time.”
“What do you mean?”
“He grabbed my shirt and threatened me shortly after I handed over my equipment. He is now walking with a limp and can be identified by a black eye.”
Vaughan heard Lorna gasp then giggle. “Remind me to give you a big hug when we next meet.”
“Um, yes I will.”
“What are you up to now, Vaughan?”
“I’m waiting for two agents of Portugal’s Servico de Informaçōes de Segurança to get back, hopefully with a search warrant.”
“You are onto something then?”
“It’s just an idea. A witness in Gibraltar gave us the name of a boat that could have been used in the snatch operation. It has been traced here to Lagos on the Algarve and the owner has property here as well but lives and works in Lisbon,” said Vaughan, “He apparently is working for a private bank.”
“There had to be big money in it somewhere.”
“Hopefully we’ll find out tomorrow, Lorna. Oh, by the way can I call you on that phone you are holding?”
“I’m not using a mobile, this is a call box and I will use a different one next time.”
“I’m impressed that you can find one that hasn’t been vandalised.”
“It has been a bit of a hunt, but then I went into a hotel foyer.”
“I always knew you were smart.”
“You’ve already earned your brownie points for the day, Vaughan, don’t overdo it.”
Vaughan chuckled, then, serious again, said, “Getting back to DELCO, does it mean that the whole of that set-up has been suspended?”
“Yes, it does, and I am led to believe that we all have to re-apply for our posts in two months’ time. I was speaking to John Jessop earlier, he told me those glad tidings.”
In Treacherous Waters Page 18
