Murder at Canary Wharf (The Ralph Chalmers Mysteries Book 8)

by P. J. Thurbin

  “Now that really is a boat,” Katie said to Ralph. “Aren’t you glad we came?”

  He could hear the rattle of the pulleys and the shouts from the ship as the cadets climbed the rigging. Ralph was surprised at the emotion he felt. He recognised the Tall Ship as the Dar Mlolziezy. Thoughts of Renton and the idea that the ship could be involved in a terrorist attack on London spoiled his vision. Surely no one would want to destroy such a thing of beauty, he reflected. She should be free from all the modern threats to its heritage and what it represents.

  “I guess it’s not so easy to turn those buggers around, eh Ralph?” Lance said and brought Ralph crashing back to reality.

  “No, not when they’re just under sail like that, although they do have engines. She was built sometime in the early ‘80s, I believe. As I recall she was designed as a training ship for the Russian Navy. There are probably at least a couple of hundred cadets aboard that one.”

  “Any girls or just blokes?” Asked Lance.

  “They used to only take lads, but these days it’s most likely fifty-fifty. For that matter the skipper could well be a woman. Full up and with a following wind it can do as much as 18 knots. Quite a sight, isn’t she.” Said Ralph as Katie clicked away with her Leica.

  “Do you think they’d let us go aboard when she’s docked at Falmouth?” Katie asked.

  He thought of Renton’s request for him to check out the Mlodziezy.

  “I think so. The idea of the Festival is that people get a chance to go aboard and see what the Tall Ships project is all about first hand. I’ll check it out when we get to the hotel. Maybe we could take a look at some of the others as well while we’re at it. They seem to be all coming in.”

  Back at the hotel Lance and Cynthia said that they wanted to take a nap after their early morning drive down and all the sightseeing and the long walk over on Mawes. Ralph had to admit that he was impressed with Cynthia. She had strode up the hills and over some pretty rough ground that had him and Lance puffing. They agreed to meet in the lobby at 8 and go down to the town and find a nice restaurant.

  “Anywhere will suit me as long as it’s Italian,” Lance said as he and Cynthia made their way upstairs.

  Katie said that she wanted to send some postcards to her friends back home in Australia, so Ralph went for a stroll along the front. He planned to sit on the sea wall and just take in the scenery.

  As the sun dipped down and the festive lighting along the seafront came on he saw a news board propped outside a confectionary shop. The headline read: Man found shot in Fowey. He froze for a moment. He had a knot in his stomach as he strode quickly across the busy road to get a paper. The Evening Standard came out about three in the afternoon. Inside the shop had that musty smell of stale biscuits and mothballs. He surmised that the owner more than likely lived on the premises or in the back. A beaded curtain divided the store from the small living quarters at the back of the shop. He purchased what the old proprietor called the Lunnun paper and went back to sit on the sea wall to read it. Turning so that the wind would not flick the pages, he scanned the front page.

  Early this morning a man was found shot dead in a car outside the seaside town of Fowey. The local police will not confirm the identity of the man until they notify his next of kin. The police say that they have ruled out suicide. The police have released a statement about the incident saying that a middle-aged couple had been seen earlier this week near the cottage in Fowey where the man’s car was found. The cottage was owned by Owen James who was found dead a week ago in London. According to a witness, the couple were driving either a Jaguar or a Rover car. The witness had not been able to confirm the colour. It did not appear to be a case of robbery as nothing had been stolen from the victim. Police road blocks have been set up and are causing major disruptions to holiday makers and local traffic.

  Ralph was certain that the victim must be Brandt Kessler. For some reason he must have gone to Owen’s cottage after he had been to the police. But why? Ralph wondered if it had anything to do with that memory stick that he had turned in to the police. Brandt would have told the police about his conversation with Ralph and they already knew that he and Katie had found the memory stick. It would only be a matter of time before they discovered where he and Katie were staying. He knew that they had nothing to worry about from the authorities, but he also knew that he had to do something, and quick. He hated being at the mercy of someone else’s enquiries. He threw the paper into a bin by the path and dialled the number that Renton had given him.

  “I was expecting a call.” Renton’s voice was calm and clear. “I presume you’ve heard about what happened in Fowey.” Ralph despised Renton’s callous approach and tone.

  “Let me call you back. Bad line,” said Renton. Ralph remembered the security. Phones were easily tapped nowadays.

  The few minutes that elapsed seemed like an eternity. He paced up and down as holiday-makers laughed and joked as they walked back to their accommodation, no doubt talking about their perfect day with the kids and family and looking forward to their tea and a chance to watch their favourite soap on TV. For them it was no different from home but with the seaside thrown in as a bonus. It reminded him of those idyllic days as a kid when he and his pals would fish around rock pools all day and then go back to tea before they fell asleep in a strange bed. He remembered how his parents would tuck him up in cool white sheets as he dreamed of what treasures he might find the next day. The ringing phone interrupted his reverie.

  “That’s better. Now we can talk freely. It seems as though Mr Kessler was shot by some of his acquaintances from ISIS. Naturally we have to be a bit sensitive about our involvement in all of this since it comes under the jurisdiction of the local police down there.”

  “But what do you expect me to do now? It won’t take long for them to trace my car. I think I should go to the police before it all gets out of hand. Don’t forget, I took that memory device to the police at Truro, and Brandt Kessler must have spoken to them about me as well.” He could hear the alarm in his voice and tried to calm down. He was afraid lest he had somehow put Katie and his friends in danger.

  “I think it would be best if you disappeared for a while, sir.”

  “What on earth do you mean disappear? I’m implicated in a murder.”

  “That will be cleared up.”

  “Can’t you just inform the local police that I’m working with you so they’ll call off the search and then I can get on with things here?”

  “It’s not that simple, Professor Chalmers. We can’t risk blowing your cover to the people who’re planning something for the Tall Ships entry to London or that you’re connected to Brandt Kessler. I suggest that you find some way to get aboard the Dar Mlodziezy and sail on her to London. That way you will be out of circulation and can keep an eye on things for us as well.”

  Ralph saw the logic, but he was not at all happy about the way SO15 was using him.

  “I think I’ve done enough, Commander Renton. This is all getting a bit out of hand. You know who the ISIS people are, you have the memory device and know that they killed Kessler and most likely Owen James. What more do you want from me?”

  “We appreciate that it’s all a bit stressful, but there are many lives at stake here. We want to catch the whole lot, not just the frontline guys. We think that there are people out there from Cardiff and Birmingham and London who will only surface when the ships get to Canary Wharf. You are vital to our operation to catch them. I’m afraid it’s gone too far for you to back out now. And from what my sources tell me, you’re no quitter.”

  Ralph knew Renton was right. And he also knew which buttons to press to reel him in.

  “Okay. But if I agree to do what you ask, what do I do about the car?” It sounded such a trivial thing to say but it just popped into his head and he had said it.

  “Just leave the keys in the glove box. We’ve arranged for the National Road Rescue service to collect it tomorrow morning and take it back
to your apartment in Surbiton. We’ll just say it broke down while you were on holiday.”

  Ralph swore under his breath. The bugger had it all planned. He was just the sucker who had to keep treading the bloody wheel in the hamster cage.

  “All right, Commander. As you say it’s too late to pull out now.”

  “Good man. We’ll see you at Canary Wharf. Have a good sail and let me know if anything crops up. And thanks. We do appreciate all of this, sir. Have a good evening.”

  The line went dead. Now Ralph had to decide exactly how to go about fulfilling his mission without arousing undue suspicion from Katie and the others. For the moment he would just have to put it out of his mind as best he could and enjoy dinner out with his friends and his girl. Tomorrow he would have to work out how to get a berth on the Dar Mlodziezy.

  ****

  They sat out and ate their breakfast as they looked out over the bay and joked about whether or not Lance should be wearing a sun hat. The night before, after they had dinner in the town and got back to the hotel, Ralph had told Katie about Brandt and his conversation with Renton. She was annoyed that he had not confided in her about his role in the SOI5 operation, but he had played down the threat from the terrorists and the fact that Renton was convinced that they had killed Owen James and now Brandt.

  Katie had only met Brandt once at a dinner party and her main concerns were for his wife. Her own experiences of having lost two husbands in tragic circumstances, all came flooding back. She agreed that it would be good if he could join the Dar Mlodziezy, but she was worried about him running into danger.

  They left it that he would check with the skipper and they would then take it from there. Explaining about how they were now being sought by the police and why the car was being towed back to Surbiton resulted in quite a row, but by morning they had sorted things out. If Ralph got a berth then she would go back with Lance and Cynthia as she had managed to squeeze into their jump seat once before.

  ***

  Katie and Cynthia decided that they wanted to go to see the Eden Project near St Austell. The attraction centred around giant biomes where they grew many unusual varieties of plants in diverse environments. Ralph and Lance wanted to take a look at the ships that were entered in the upcoming Race.

  Crowds of visitors clambered over the decks of the Mlodziezy and the eager cadets were only too pleased to have a chance to show off their newly gained seafaring knowledge. Ralph introduced himself to the ship’s mate who was working on some navigation charts. They soon struck up a good rapport. Two young women cadets took Lance off to see the ship. They told him that this was their first long sea voyage and that they were in training as part of their induction into the Ukrainian Navy. They found Lance’s New Zealand accent intriguing and he, for his part, was flattered by the attention as they explained to him and a crowd of visitors how to set the sails.

  The mate, who Ralph guessed was about 30 years old, introduced himself as Vadim Melnyk, which he was quick to explain was a Ukrainian and not a Russian name. He told Ralph that his father had been a Naval Officer and that he was happy to be following in his footsteps. He said that he was proud to have been named after his father. Ralph got the impression that the Russians were not Vadim’s favourites. Having been in the Ukraine with Alex, he could see why. When Ralph complimented Vadim on his English, Vadim explained that he had spent some time in London and spoke good English as a result. Ralph told his new pal that he was interested in joining the ship for the voyage to Greenwich and that he had some experience on square riggers, although he admitted that it had been some years back and he was a bit rusty. Vadim called up to the Skipper and asked if he might bring a possible new crew member along and introduce him.

  “How nice to meet you, Professor Chalmers. I’m Captain Anton Koval. Welcome aboard. I see you have met my first mate. We are both from Ukraine. Most of my officers speak reasonable English and some have spent time on exchange visits with your Royal Navy. Ralph explained that he had been a Lieutenant in the Royal Navy Reserve and had sailed on Square Riggers on voyages between the UK and the Caribbean. It seemed that the deal was set.

  “We have to go through some hospitality here in Falmouth before we set sail for Greenwich. But we would be delighted if you could come aboard. We have an opening for a 2nd mate if that would be acceptable?”

  Ralph suddenly had an idea of how he could get Katie out of the potential mess he had created for her with Kessler’s death and finding the memory device.

  “My wife is with me, Captain. Perhaps you would be interested in having her sail with us as well. I am certain that she would be willing to tutor your cadets in English. She speaks fluent Russian and she’s an experienced sailor as well.” He knew it was a long shot but decided to take it.

  “My cadets are mainly Poles and Ukrainians, but we have one or two Russian cadets and nearly everyone on board understands Russian. We would be very pleased to welcome her services. Please offer her my invitation. I will ask the ship’s Purser to make some accommodation arrangements for her straight away.”

  Ralph knew that that meant hammocks slung between two pillars and then cleared away during the day. But knowing Katie, she would find that part of it a lark. And he knew that she was a good sailor. She had sailed in the Sydney to Hobart races in her younger days and the two of them had handled some very rough weather sailing back on his boat Gypsy Lady on a voyage from Gibraltar. So it seemed that getting aboard the Mlodziezy was the easy part. The fact that Katie would be there as well was an added bonus. He thanked Captain Koval and Vadim and went in search of Lance.

  When he finally found his friend, Lance looked a bit the worse for wear.

  “Wow that business of climbing the rigging is not as easy as those young women cadets made it look,” he said as he stopped to catch his breath. “And I only went up as far as the first spar or yardarm or whatever it’s called. Anyhow, I don’t think I’m cut out to be a sailor. I think I’ll stick to rugby.”

  The four friends spent the next two days enjoying the Festival and the healthy comradery that the presence of so many young people from the ships and sailboats brought ashore. It was contagious and the time seemed to fly. Lance and Cynthia said that they wanted to go on to see Land’s End before they went home and wished them bon voyage when Ralph told them about his and Katie’s plans to crew on the Mlodziezy. Lance said that he thought they were mad and it was easier to just take the train back to London. Renton had had the Jag picked up as promised and Ralph told the others that it had an old oil leak that needed to be fixed and he thought it was best to have it towed to Surbiton and he could get it sorted when they got back.

  Sailing to Greenwich would also solve the transport problem. Katie had been delighted with the new agenda. It would give her a chance to practice her Russian and to sail on a ‘real ship’, as she put it. Ralph kept the hammock and the possibility of a rough passage to himself. He had checked the weather reports and a strong South Westerly then a North Easter as they approached the Straights of Dover would mean a lot of changes to the sail patterns. But it was sturdy ship and he had no doubts that Anton Koval would bring them to Greenwich safe and sound.

  He knew that once they got there things were far less predictable. But for some reason he felt more relaxed now that the die had been cast. He hoped that the fates were on their side.

  ________________________

  Chapter 8

  Leaving Falmouth invoked feelings of sadness and of joy. Sad to be leaving what had been an incredible few days of hospitality and revelry and joy to be heading out to sea leading a flotilla of large and small ships. Ralph and Katie watched as the crew of the Dar Mlodziezy stood by to set the sails as the ship cleared the Bay and started to pitch into a stiffening breeze, riding the swell from the Atlantic rollers. Then the youthful cadets were up the rigging, sails were set and the voyage had begun. Katie soon made herself known to the cadets and Ralph could see that she was in her element and enjoyed being able to converse in
Russian. He had plenty to do as the ship headed northeast en route to Dover and then up the Thames to London.

  He noticed quite early on that Vadim had problems making himself heard and relied on the older cadets to give orders to the crew. Anton Koval was a somewhat aloof figure until the ship had set course and things were running to schedule. Once he was satisfied that everything was under control, he handed the ship over to Vadim and started to relax.

  Over a cup of coffee Ralph told him about their recent trip to Kiev and Chernobyl. The Captain said that he knew Alex Shevchenko as he had met him when giving talks on Maritime History at the University in Kiev. Anton was extremely passionate about the Maritime Academy and the work that they were doing to train young people. Their home port of Gdynia, on the South Coast of the Baltic, was his home, but Ralph could see that he had very little life outside of the ship.

  On a voyage people get to know each other more quickly than on shore. It is a combination of the proximity of shipboard life and a feeling of reliance on each other for survival in the face of potential adverse conditions. The passage up the English Channel, past Dover and around to the Thames Estuary was uneventful. Good food, some sing-alongs that the cadets were keen to practice before they reached London, and long night watches where people exchanged stories and expectations about their futures in the Military or in the Merchant Marine. It was easier to talk about your dreams and fears under cover of night with only a fitful moon that occasionally illuminated the ship and your sense of reality. Vadim was quite philosophical about his future.