Danger Down Under: Another Vince Hamilton Investigation

by Patrick Slaney

  I had plenty of time to consider my work predicament and became mentally adjusted to the decision that I still had to take. My ex-army friend Reggie joined me for lunch on two occasions, and I used him as a sounding board for some of the ideas that I was considering. Talking to him helped my mental state although he did have a tendency to be negative. All in all, I was in a more positive frame of mind by the time the day came to fly out to Australia.

  Chapter 5

  The first leg of our flight left for Hong Kong at twenty-one hundred hours. I had booked a taxi to pick us up from our home three hours earlier, and it duly arrived just before six. The advantage of leaving on a Sunday evening was that there were no delays due to rush hour traffic to consider, and it only took us forty minutes to travel to Terminal Four at Heathrow. There were also fewer people going through the security process.

  I was excited at the thought of the long flight, but my wife was dreading being cooped up on a plane for close on twenty-two hours. After we had taken off, they served us dinner and then darkened the cabin so as we could sleep. With my army training, I had learnt how to sleep in any situation, so I had no problem dropping off. Daphne wasn't so lucky and told me later that she had watched movies most of the night. She eventually nodded off about one hour out from Hong Kong, which, of course, meant that she had to be woken to prepare for the landing.

  It had been some time since I had been through Hong Kong airport. I had been stationed in HK in the early nineties when the airport had been on the main island. To land, the aircraft had to weave their way through the cities tower blocks before they could touch down on the runway. The new airport was a lot more civilised.

  We had two and a half hours to spend before our Cathay Pacific flight left for Melbourne. I left Daphne to sleep on a bench beside the gate where we would eventually board the aircraft and went for a long walk around the terminal. You could eat your dinner off the floor, it was so clean. I found a café and bought myself a glass of beer to help pass the time. We had left London the previous evening at 10.00pm and had flown for twelve hours; however, with the time difference, it was now nearly 5.00pm in the afternoon. Having a beer seemed appropriate.

  The flight to Melbourne took off at nineteen hundred hours but this time we would only have nine and a half hours to endure. I was quite fresh after my long sleep on the long leg to Hong Kong, but Daphne closed her eyes and spent most of the time oblivious to what was going on around her. She even passed on having any of the meals.

  Our flight arrived at Melbourne Tullamarine airport early, and we were exiting the arrivals area at 6.30am. My brother was waiting for us looking very fresh for that hour of the morning.

  He gave us both a hug and led the way to his car, which was a large Holden.

  'As you see I am on my own this morning. It was a bit early for any of the family to accompany me,' he explained. 'What was your flight like?'

  'Very long,' Daphne said with a sigh.

  'Not too bad, but it is a long way,' I added.

  'I have not been back to the UK for a few years now; I expect that everything has changed since the last time,' Tony said.

  We reached his car and loaded the luggage. I was relieved to see that the weather was beautiful, and it was going to be a hot day.

  'You'll be glad to hear that the summer weather is still holding out so you should get warm weather for your trip,' Tony explained. 'In Melbourne we can have four different seasons in the same day, but it has been reasonably settled recently.'

  'The Formula 1 Grand Prix is on this week, is there any chance that we can get tickets to see it?' I asked. 'It's something that I have always wanted to.'

  'We will definitely go on Sunday for the race. I have told Andrew and Peter that they will be coming with me, and they won't let me back out of that promise.'

  'Andrew must be eight now, and that should make Peter six,' Daphne suggested.

  'That's right, in fact, Andrew will be nine while you are staying with us as his Birthday is on Wednesday of next week.'

  We started slowing down, and Tony took an off-ramp from the motorway.

  'You are close to the airport; I thought that you were on the southern side of the city,' I said.

  'I used to live on the other side of town, but I bought a business in Brunswick East, and the travelling was getting me down. I moved about nine months' ago to be closer to my office.'

  'Are you still involved in air conditioning?' I asked.

  'Yes I am and I have eight trucks on the road now which keeps me very busy. I spend most of my time talking to existing clients and establishing new contracts, so I have stopped working on the tools.'

  'We pulled up outside a large house. There was a Holden Utility vehicle parked outside with ExpelAir in large letters on the side.'

  'That's your work vehicle I take it,' I commented.

  'Yes Vince, that's my Ute.'

  'It looks very smart.'

  'Each of my service guys has one of those so when they are all together it looks very impressive.'

  He used a remote control to open the gate and drove into the driveway of the house.

  We unloaded the bags and brought them into the house where we met his wife Sally and Andrew and Peter. The boys were a little shy in meeting their seldom seen Aunt and Uncle. I hadn't seen Tony for at least seven years so had never met Peter, and Andrew was just a baby at the time. Sally showed us to the room she had prepared for us while Tony brought one of the bags.

  'You must be worn out from the trip so why don't you have a shower and then join us for breakfast on the back veranda,' Sally said.

  'I will have to head to the office I am afraid. I have some urgent jobs to get under way. I will try and get back for lunch.' With that parting shot, Tony climbed into his Ute and departed.

  'You must get your bike and get to school Andrew. You don't want to be late,' Sally suggested to her eldest son.

  'Does Peter go to the same school?' Daphne asked.

  'No, he goes to a kindergarten just up the road and he doesn't need to leave for another hour.'

  Daphne and I unpacked and then had a shower. By the time we were ready to join Sally, we looked like a couple of tourists in our shorts and tee shirts.

  The veranda extended right across the width of the back of the house and looked out on a beautiful garden. It was an idyllic setting. After all the airline food, I didn't feel like much to eat but Daphne tucked into a full breakfast.

  I was delighted to see that Daphne and Sally hit it off extremely well which increased the prospect of a magnificent holiday.

  'Vince how would you like to take Peter to his school, it's about time that he left,' Sally suggested. 'Would you like that honey.'

  Peter brightened up at being the centre of attention and having his uncle all to himself for a while.

  'Will he also pick me up later when school finishes,' Peter pleaded.

  'You can ask him yourself when you are going to school,' his Mum replied. 'Off you go now, Mrs Harris will be cross if you are late.'

  The reality was a bit different; I was walking, and he was cycling. The roads were quiet, and there was no danger as he rode on the pavement, and there were no major roads to cross. I was impressed at how orderly and tidy everywhere was. The bright sun surrounding me had something to do with my feeling of liberty.

  As he was locking his bicycle to a railing at his school, he asked me, 'Uncle Vince will you please come and pick me up from school?'

  'I won't promise you as I don't know what we are doing today; however, if I can I will.'

  'Can we go to the field on the way home and play cricket?'

  'We'll have to see Peter. I imagine I won't be doing anything much today as I am still exhausted from the journey out here so I will probably come and pick you up.'

  'I'll see you later then.' He ran off to join the rest of his class, and I walked home.

  As it turned out, we just relaxed around the house all day, so I was able to go and pick a jubilant P
eter up from his school. I brought a tennis ball with me plus a cricket bat when I went to fetch him. We then played cricket at the field on our way home. What a great place to bring up a kid.

  Once I had arrived back at the house, I went for a snooze, but I was up and refreshed by the time Tony got home.

  At dinner, he brought up the topic of the Grand Prix.

  'I bought tickets for Albert Park for next Sunday, which is the day of the race. A friend of mine called Stuart Smith is joining us with his son Paul who is a little older than Andrew. He will leave his car at our house, and we will travel together to the Grand Prix on the tram.'

  'Is it possible to go on Saturday as well as that is the day that the qualifying takes place?' I asked.

  'There is nothing to stop you attending on Saturday if you want,' Tony replied. 'I can't go that day because I have a prior engagement on a golf course.'

  'Can I go with Uncle Vince?' Andrew piped up.

  'I want to go too,' Peter said enthusiastically.

  'What do you think Tony?' I turned to my brother.

  'It's up to you Vince. The tram stop is only a short walk away from the entrance and once you are inside you won't have to walk far to see all the activities. The only problem is catching a tram back to the city, but even that shouldn't be too bad as it is not race day. Also, you won't need a ticket for the tram as your race entrance ticket allows you to ride the tram for free.'

  'If they promise to be well behaved I suppose I could bring them with me,' I said.

  'Will you both be very good for your Uncle?' Sally asked.

  'Of course we will,' they both chorused like angels.

  'I want to take Daphne on a shopping spree to the Victoria Market on Saturday, so we can escort you as far as the centre of the city,' Sally said.

  'I should be able to handle them both. Andrew can be my guide and show me where to go,' I said.

  We spent the rest of the evening drawing up a programme of activities that would keep us busy for the rest of our holiday in Melbourne. Tony was willing to lend us his car and his Tom Tom GPS device. The fact that they drove on the left in Australia was a great advantage as it meant that I didn't have to relearn my driving skills. We started off by visiting all the sites centred around the city which meant that we could use the train and tram network. From the Thursday, there was an incredible noise that spread across the city. I was reliably informed that it was the sound of the Formula 1 cars

  By the time that Saturday came I was an expert on the trams and had no problem getting the two boys plus myself to Albert Park. Our equipment included ear protectors to prevent us going deaf. As we got close to the track, the noise was unbearable. The tram dropped us off about one hundred meters from the entrance, and we were soon in the thick of it. I was amazed at the number of ancillary activities and side shows that were taking place. The two boys loved it and wanted to stop and look at everything. They were less interested in watching the cars going around the track as it was difficult to understand what was happening to each car. I was delighted that I had brought them with me as I enjoyed looking after them, and they had unbound enthusiasm.

  Chapter 6

  I hadn't realised that there would be so many activities as the sideshow to the Grand Prix to keep us amused. It was almost as if the qualification process for Sunday's race was the secondary activity. There was a spectacular show on every hour to entertain the two boys. I didn't have to worry about keeping them amused.

  'Uncle Vince can we please go over there and look at those old cars?' Andrew asked me pointing towards an area where there were a lot of vintage racing cars on display.

  'The qualifying isn't for another hour, so we have plenty of time,' I replied.

  'I'm tired,' Peter whined. 'Do we have to?'

  'We'll look at half of them today and the rest of them tomorrow. How's that Peter?'

  'Can we have an ice cream after that?' He looked up at me with pleading eyes.

  'I'll buy you an ice cream if you don't complain again.' I thought that bribery might resolve the tiredness problem.

  He cheered up and took my hand.

  I was lost in another world as we walked around looking at the old racing cars and visualising the races they must have participated in many years ago. The two boys kept me on my toes as they came up with a string of questions relating to each one. I was surprised at how interested Andrew was and the depth of his questions. He was particularly interested to know the name of the drivers who had driven each car. Luckily I had followed Formula 1 since I was a teenager.

  Focusing on the cars and lost in my thoughts, as well as talking to Andrew, I nearly bumped into another interested spectator. I looked up and apologised. To my amazement, it was Clive Newsome from the luxury car dealership in St. John's Wood, London.

  'Hello Vince, you are the last person that I expected to find here in Melbourne.' He was as surprised as I was.

  'I am here on holiday for a few weeks and am staying with my brother. These are his two sons.'

  'Hi guys; did your Uncle bring you to see the qualifying today?' he asked them.

  They both nodded their heads.

  'Do you always come to the Australian Grand Prix?' I inquired.

  'Yes, I try to come every year because it is the first Grand Prix of the new season. I like to get here to see all my friends. It's one of the treats that I get from Ferrari because I sell their cars.'

  'Yes, I forgot that you would have a connection with some of the Formula 1 teams.'

  'By the way let me introduce you to a friend of mine.' Clive turned to an Italian looking gentleman who looked about sixty years of age and who was standing beside him. 'This is Luigi Bandarella, who is a Director with Fiat in Italy.'

  Mr Bandarella had an extremely firm handshake. He gave me a semblance of a smile as he greeted me.

  'We have to go now Vince, but why don't you meet me tomorrow morning around twelve noon and I will show you the Ferrari garage in the pit lane. Meet me in the Ferrari tent at the entrance to the pit lane.'

  'That's very kind of you, Clive. Can I bring the two boys with me?'

  'I am afraid not as children are not allowed in the pit lane on race day.'

  'I'll see you tomorrow then,' I said as he walked off with his silent Italian friend. There was something very sinister about Mr Bandarella; he didn't appear to be the friendliest of people.

  'Can we go and get the ice creams now?' Peter brought me back to the real world again.

  'Yes, let's go and get an ice cream.'

  In fact the kids had an ice cream each and I ended up having a beer.

  We then positioned ourselves on a grassy bank overlooking the track, just after the start. We had an excellent view of the cars as they raced by; however, it was impossible to work out which cars we were looking at as they sped by in a blur. I found it impossible to spot the numbers on the cars, and it was even difficult to pick out the colours.

  I felt a tap on my shoulder. Andrew wanted to talk to me. I removed my ear protectors, and he said, 'what is happening Uncle Vince?'

  'To be perfectly honest with you Andrew, I haven't a clue.' I shouted above the engine noise.

  'Can we go and find somewhere better?' he shouted.

  'Let's head over to the other side of the track where we came in. It may be better there with less people.'

  We found a bridge over the track close to the entrance and close by there was a giant TV screen showing the qualifying session. We were able to stand right beside the fencing and even Peter was able to see the track as well as the screen. Thankfully there was also a commentary so we could hear what was happening. The cars still flashed by in a blur, but I was able to work out who we were actually looking at. The two boys I am afraid still hadn't a notion what was happening, but they were enjoying the experience.

  Lewis Hamilton qualified in pole position, so I was happy.

  We left Albert Park and headed for the nearest tram stop. After a short wait, we piled onto one and went b
ack into the centre of Melbourne. Andrew then very cleverly led us to the stop where the tram for Brunswick East left from.

  Three utterly exhausted Grand Prix enthusiasts reached home at around 6.30pm.

  Tony was already home from his golf and was drinking a beer.

  ‘Can I tempt you to a beer Vince?' he asked me. 'You must be worn out from your expedition and looking after the two boys for the day.'

  'Thanks, Tony, I am badly in need of one.'

  'How did it go at Albert Park and did the boys behave themselves?'

  'They were as good as gold although Peter got a bit tired.'

  'Dad, Uncle Vince has been invited to visit the Ferrari garage tomorrow before the race,' Andrew piped up in a loud voice full of pride for what his uncle had achieved.

  'How did you work that one out?' Tony asked me.

  'I met one of my clients who has a luxury car dealership in London and he invited me.'

  'That was a bit of luck,' Tony continued. 'What time do you have to meet him?'

  'At twelve noon in the Ferrari tent that he said is behind the Grandstand.'

  'That means that we should leave here at 10.00am tomorrow morning as it is going to be busy on the trams. I will phone Stuart and let him know.'

  Sally and Daphne joined us on the veranda with a glass of white wine each.

  'We are ready inside, so you had better cook the meat,' she suggested.

  I was surprised to see that Tony had a barbeque that ran on gas, I thought that he would have had a charcoal one as he was traditional in most things that he did. I was enjoying the outside life. It added a lot to the lifestyle in this part of the world.

  As I lay in bed that night trying to get to sleep, my mind kept returning to my encounter with Clive Newsome. A bit of England and what I was attempting to escape from had intruded into my holiday. He was not somebody that I would have expected to have bumped into, but, of course, it was perfectly natural that he would be at the Grand Prix since luxury cars were his business. The man with him, Luigi Bandarella, didn't look the type of person that I would expect Clive to be associated with. He had been dressed in a very expensive looking dark grey suit and had been immaculately turned out. I reckoned that he was in his sixties, but he still had a full head of silvery black hair and his skin colouring was very Mediterranean. He had looked a very distinguished individual. Clive had mentioned that Luigi was a Director of the Fiat Motor Company. If he was then he must be in the upper echelons of the motor world I finally dropped off to sleep.