Curse of Thieves: Another Major Vince Hamilton Investigation

by Patricki Slaney

  'It's an old coast guard station and is no longer in use,' he announced, giving me one of the beers. 'It is perfect for my needs as it will give me protection from the sun while I do a day's surveillance.'

  'I am sorry I won't be here to keep you company Inspector, but I really must get home.'

  'I will be OK on my own, and I will probably fly home myself on Saturday, so you won't miss much.'

  Another tourist boat came close to where we were moored and also dropped anchor.

  'It seems as if most of the tourist boats arrive here in the afternoon as they seem to go anticlockwise around Marmaris Bay. Obviously whoever is occupying the hidden caves will stay hidden when the tourists are around,' I suggested.

  'By watching the place for a day Vince, I will be able to see how many people are around and what they are doing.'

  'I look forward to hearing your story of what you spotted, when you get back to the UK.'

  'I'll call you immediately I return. It will probably be on Sunday.'

  'I look forward to that.'

  After we had departed from Green Sea Bay, we stopped in Icmeler for about an hour before we headed back to the main quay where we had joined the boat.

  I ordered a Taxi to take me to the airport and still had time to sit down with the Inspector for a beer before I had to leave.

  'Well Vince, are you happy with the progress we are making?' He asked me when we sat down with a beer in hand.

  'I am extremely relieved that we have found something concrete, in all the senses of the word,’ I said. ‘I now don't have to rely on remote tracking devices. I always felt that I was about to lose the valuable stolen item. If we have stumbled upon the base of the operation then, that is a significant step forward.'

  'I agree with you. The problem we now have is how to exterminate their base in Icmeler and how to eradicate the network that extends from London, right across Europe to here.'

  'Do you think that we are up against the Mafia, Inspector?'

  'We can't confirm that for definite, but all the signs are pointing towards that conclusion. I am going to assume that we are up against that organization and whatever we decide to do must be capable of dealing with a threat of that magnitude.'

  'Will we be able to ask the Turkish authorities for help?'

  'If the Mafia is running the operation from the Green Sea Bay derelict buildings, then they can only do that if they have the police in their pocket. If that is the case, then going to the Turkish authorities for help will not be much use. In fact, it would be a great way of informing the Mafia that we are on to them. Whatever plan of action we decide on, must not include Turkish assistance.'

  ‘It is going to take more than the two of us to crack this one, especially without your men to back us up,' I said.

  'I can't bring a group of my policemen into Turkey, so that is a non-runner. I will try to come up with a workable solution once I get home and talk to my superiors. I am sure my bosses will have some suggestions.'

  'I had better make tracks as I don't want to miss the plane. My wife would not be impressed if I didn't get back tonight or rather tomorrow morning.' I got up, shook the Inspector's hand and went out to get a taxi. He accompanied me to the forecourt of the hotel and waved me off. Little did I know the drama that was about to unfold. If I had, I would have postponed my departure for a further day.

  Six hours later, after little more than what might best be called an adequate flight, I was putting my key in the front door of my house in Putney, South London. I crept in, undressed and climbed into bed, very glad to be home.

  Chapter 28

  I didn't wake up the following morning until 11.00am, which of course, because of the time difference, was 1.00pm in Turkey. As I lay there going through the process of waking up, my thoughts went to Marmaris and the Inspector's stake out. His plan was to go down to the harbour early and try to hire a boat. He would then spend the day in the cover of the cottage on the island observing what was taking place at the derelict buildings in Green Sea Bay. I wished that I was with him.

  The kids were at school, it being a Friday, and Daphne was out at work. Daphne’s mother had gone to visit a friend for the day. I had the house to myself, and I planned on making a few telephone calls to let people know what was happening. Top of the list was Freddie Shuttleworth, who would want to know about the stolen motor yachts. Second in line was Clive Newsome and his group of car dealers. Lying in bed, I assessed the risks of telling my contacts what we had found in Turkey. I decided to keep most of the details to myself and just inform them that we were making progress. The investigations were at such a critical stage that I didn't want information being leaked that might get back to the enemy. I also didn't know who I could trust!

  I got up and went downstairs, made a cup of coffee and phoned Willem in Holland.

  Hi Willem; how are you today?'

  I’m good Vince, where are you phoning me from?'

  'I am presently at my home in London. My wife's father died, so I had to come home. The funeral is on Monday.'

  'I am sorry to hear that news Vince. Please give her my condolences.'

  'I will Willem as soon as I see her. She is out at work at the moment.'

  'How are things going with the investigation?'

  'I think that we are making progress at last. We are pretty sure that we have discovered where the syndicate operates from. Inspector Baird is spending the day observing some derelict buildings where we spotted signs of activity.'

  'How do you know that it is their base?'

  'The simple answer is that we don't and that is why he is spending the day on an island close by, having a look at what is going on,' I explained. 'A Maserati that we were tracking vanished off the screens when it arrived close to that spot. In addition, we have found a large door set into the side of the mountain, and we think it must have gone through that door and is being stored inside.'

  'It sounds very mysterious Vince. Can you tell me a bit more about it?'

  I spent the next five minutes telling him in more detail what we had found and why we felt that the Mafia were involved.

  'You might want to know Vince that Splendiferous or whatever it is called now is still sitting in the bay in Lindos where you saw it,' Willem said when I had finished giving him the details about Marmaris.

  'Its latest name is Habibi, Willem. By the way is the new tracking device still working,' I asked.

  'Yes it is and it is just as well that you put a new one on board as the batteries in the other one must have died as it went off.'

  'What is happening to Whispering Legend or Golden Spirit as it is called now?'

  'It has stopped in Heraklion in Crete and has been there for the last day.'

  'So it is also heading in the direction of Turkey.'

  'Yes and my bet is that it will also arrive in Marmaris or somewhere close to there, in the near future.'

  'I'll call you Sunday evening Willem to see if there are any developments. If there is any movement before that, please let me know.'

  'I will indeed, have a good weekend.' Willem terminated the call.

  I contacted both Freddie Shuttleworth and Clive Newsome just to inform them that I was back in London and that there was some progress. I was careful not to give them any detail of what we suspected was going on. I simply told them that we were making progress and the end was in sight.

  My wife came home before lunch. The manager of the boutique where she worked had ordered her home and told her not to come back to work until after the funeral. We sat down and had lunch together while she brought me up to date on the arrangements for the weekend. Her mother had obviously been devastated by what had happened as they had been married for over forty-five years. Daphne's brother had invited his mother to stay for the weekend.

  'I don't know where she is going to live in the long term?' Daphne said in a forlorn voice. 'Perhaps we should consider creating a space for her here.'

  'We only have the three bedrooms
, and we can't put Michael and Victoria in the same room,' I replied.

  'We could add an extension out the back just like the neighbours have done,' Daphne suggested.

  'Does she really want to come and live with us as she would have to leave all her friends in Maidstone? We are all out every day, and she would be on her own a lot of the time,' I added.

  'I will talk to Mum after all this is over, and she has settled down a bit. She is too upset at the moment to make any long-term decisions.'

  'Can we go and see her today as I would like to see her. We also need to discuss the arrangements for Monday.'

  'Peter has invited us all over for tea this evening so we can talk about the funeral then. If you look after the children this afternoon, when they get in from school, I will take a quick trip to the shops and make sure that the house is stocked up for the weekend.'

  'Do you not want me to go with you to help you?' I asked.

  'No, you stay here for the kids as they haven't seen you since you got back, and they need cheering up. They are very upset at losing their grandfather.'

  'We could all go together to the shops?'

  'No Vince we can't. You would all drive me mad, and it would take twice as long.'

  The rest of the afternoon went as planned and I took Michael and Victoria into Putney for an ice cream when they had both returned from school. Being a Friday they were home slightly earlier than usual.

  Later that evening, when we were returning from Daphne's brother's house, she told me that she had talked to her mother about where she wanted to live, and she had emphasised that she didn't want to relocate from Maidstone. She would consider downsizing but not moving out of the area.

  Saturday, Daphne and I, plus the kids, took the train to Maidstone. The main task was to meet the undertaker and sort out the remaining details for the funeral. We also had to make sure that the cat was still being looked after by the next door neighbour. She had kindly offered to go and feed the cat and make sure that it was OK.

  We took the opportunity of visiting a local estate agent's office to discuss with them the possibility of selling the family home and the approximate price that we would get. Daphne's mother was quite frail and wasn't up to looking after the large house. She still wanted to live in Maidstone, but had agreed it was time to get a smaller place, perhaps even a retirement home where she would have support and company.

  We had a very busy day but got everything sorted and left the house ready for the funeral that would take place on Monday. We also managed to reserve the back room of a local pub where we would be able to hold a tea for those attending the funeral after the ceremony. We were home by 7.30pm having picked up a Chinese meal on the way from the local take away.

  On arriving home, I noticed that the message light on the phone was flashing. Somebody obviously had left a message for one of us.

  I pressed the replay button to get the details.

  'Major Hamilton, this is Chief Superintendent Tedding here at New Scotland Yard. Would you please phone me as a matter of urgency on my mobile number which 07849 455765. Thank you.'

  'Who is that Vince?' Daphne called out from the kitchen.

  'It's somebody called Chief Superintendent Tedding from Scotland Yard.'

  'Who is he when he is at home?' She asked.

  'I have no idea. I have never met or even heard of him. He has asked me to phone him urgently.'

  'I have your meal ready for you here in the kitchen, so you had better have that before you call him.'

  'Just coming; I don't imagine it can be that urgent.'

  I opened a bottle of white wine for Daphne and me, and poured two glasses of Coke for the kids. We sat down around the table and ate our dinner. I wasn't very chatty as I was starting to get worried. Why was the Superintendent phoning me?

  I rushed down my dinner and then shut myself away in the front room with a telephone and a glass of wine.

  'Tedding here,' was the response.

  'It's Major Vince Hamilton here Sir. You left a message asking me to return your call.'

  'Thank you for phoning me and I apologise for calling you on a Saturday. I have some bad news for you and I also need your help.'

  A horrible cold, clammy feeling came over me. I immediately thought of the Inspector.

  'I am afraid that Inspector Baird has been shot and severely injured. He is fighting for his life in a hospital in Marmaris, Turkey.'

  'What happened to him?' I blurted out.

  'I don't have any details yet, but I am hoping to have some in a few hours. I need to talk to you urgently as I know that you were with him in Turkey, and you have all the details of the case, especially what he found out in Rhodes and Marmaris.'

  'How urgently do you need to see me?'

  'Can you come to New Scotland Yard at 10.00am-tomorrow morning Major? I should have more details of what happened by then.'

  'As far as you know Sir, is he still alive?'

  'I didn't get very much from my contact in Turkey, but yes; he is still alive but is evidently in a critical condition. I am sorry that I do not have any more information.'

  'That's terrible news. I'll see you in the morning and just hope that he pulls through.'

  The phone went dead, leaving me in a shocked state. I took a long slug of wine. What could possibly have gone wrong? Where in Marmaris had the shooting taken place? How severe were his injuries?

  I never should have left him there on his own.

  I went back out to the kitchen.

  'What's happened Vince,' Daphne asked me.

  'The Inspector has been shot and is seriously injured. He is lying in a Turkish hospital.' I replied.

  'Is he going to live?'

  'The Superintendent didn't have any details on his condition. I have to attend a meeting tomorrow morning at New Scotland Yard so I should find out more then.'

  'That's terrible news. I am just glad that it isn't you that is lying in that Turkish hospital.'

  'I can't believe it has happened. He is an indestructible type of individual and I never imagined for one minute that something like this might happen.'

  It took me a long time to get to sleep that night as my mind kept going over all the scenarios that might have occurred. All I could do was hope that he would pull through.

  Chapter 29

  At ten minutes to ten the following morning I was going through the visitor's entrance at New Scotland Yard ready for my scheduled meeting with Chief Superintendent Tedding. I had prepared myself mentally for the worst news possible and wouldn’t be surprised to be told that Inspector Baird had passed away during the night. I had convinced myself that there was no hope for him since he was stuck away in a foreign hospital, unable to speak the language.

  An officer on the desk pointed to an interview room where I was joined a few minutes later by Superintendent Tedding.

  The Superintendent was about six feet tall, and I would say in his late fifties. Rather like Inspector Baird he had very piercing eyes that scanned me up and down conducting an assessment. For a man of his age, he still had plenty of hair and most of it was still a dark black. He filled out his uniform with muscle rather than fat and looked remarkably fit for a man of his age.

  'Good morning Major,' he said as he shook my hand in a vice-like grip.

  'Good morning Superintendent. I would prefer not to be called Major as I am no longer a serving officer; just call me Vince.'

  'OK Vince; please take a seat, and I will bring you up to date on the condition of the Inspector.'

  We both sat down on either side of a small rectangular table. The Superintendent leaned back in his chair and started to talk in a relaxed manner.

  'You will be glad to hear that the latest bulletin on the Inspector is that he was operated on last night, and he has come through the procedure very well. He is still in intensive care and is not conscious, but he is not in a critical condition.'

  'That is great news. I was half expecting you to tell me that he had die
d during the night. Have you got the details of how it all happened?'

  'I have some information, but I am hoping that you will be able to fill me in on some of the missing details.'

  'I'll do my best,' I added.

  'Rather mysteriously he was found lying in a rubber inflatable ten-foot dinghy. The dinghy was drifting in the main shipping channel that connects Marmaris port with the Mediterranean. A tourist boat found the inflatable, and they were able to lift him on board. They then radioed for help to the emergency services. A coastguard cutter was dispatched to pick him up. They brought him to their base on the quay in Marmaris, where he was airlifted to hospital. I was told that if he had been picked up one hour later he would have been dead from loss of blood.'

  'When did it happen?' I asked.

  'He was found yesterday around lunchtime. Can you tell me what his plans were?'

  'When I left him on Thursday evening, his intention was to spend Friday on an island half a kilometre from Green Sea Bay. He wanted to observe what was happening around some derelict buildings that we had found and which we believed were being used as the headquarters of a Mafia based operation.'

  'So do you think that he might have gone back to the island on the Saturday?'

  'That's the most likely course of events, unless, he was shot on the Friday, and only managed to get to his rubber dinghy on the Saturday.'

  'I think that his wounds were too severe for him to have survived for a whole night. It is more likely that he went back to the island on the Saturday and was shot then.'

  'Did he report back to his office on the Friday night to let them know what he was up to?'

  'No he didn't, but he did get them to book a flight back to the UK for him for the Saturday evening.'

  'I wonder how the enemy discovered that he was watching them.' I said, scratching my head totally puzzled by what had happened.

  'Why don't you tell me the whole story as to what the two of you did from the time that he arrived to join you in Rhodes, until you left.'

  I spent the next twenty minutes giving him all the details of what we had been up to and I added the conclusions that we had come to.