'That's all I needed to tell you, Vince. Enjoy the rest of your lunch.'
'Who was that, Vince?' Carol asked me after I had finished the call.
'It was a Dutchman named Willem who is a friend of mine. He helps me out from time to time using his long list of contacts.'
'Something tells me, Vince, that you are a magnificent investigator and that people trust you. I know that I do.'
'In the short period that I have been a Private Investigator, I have made a lot of excellent contacts. I help them out, and they help me out in return,' I explained. 'It's like the arrangement I have locally with Detective Inspector Baird.'
'When do you have to travel to South Africa?' Carol asked.
'In around two weeks' time. I haven't fixed a firm date yet. It looks like the boss of the crime syndicate that we are up against, is based in Johannesburg, so I may go and find out about him before the ship gets there.'
'Will you go on your own?'
'I have a couple of people in South Africa who I can call on to help me if I need assistance. I will try and line up one of them.'
'So you will be around here to help me out for the next two weeks?'
'Yes, I should be unless something unexpected occurs.'
'I would really appreciate it Vince if you would keep an eye on Peter Taylor for me and ensure that we get the best price for the business. He's a nice guy, but he is a bit weak.'
'I'll keep in contact with Julian Curtis and make sure that he finds a buyer.'
We had a leisurely lunch and then wandered back to Carol's house.
'I'd better get going as I have to carry out my usual chore of picking up Victoria from her school.' I was a bit early, but I didn't want to get involved in any amorous situations. It was better to leave before anything developed. Carol and I were getting on a bit too well.
'Will I see you tomorrow Vince?' She asked me.
I don't think so. There is nothing that I have to do this side of the city, and I would like to stay around Putney to sort Reggie out.'
'I'll let you know what happens on Saturday when that couple comes for their second viewing. Wouldn't it be great if they bought the house?'
'I'll give you a call tomorrow morning to check that you are OK.'
I gave her a kiss on the cheek and headed for the Underground station.
Chapter 17
I had a pleasant evening at home with my family and there was no pressure from my wife concerning my upcoming trip to Africa. I had no pressing business to look after so I was looking forward to spending a long weekend with my family. I even watched a bit of Tele, which was practically unknown for me.
I went to bed and slept like a log as I had a clear conscience for a change. Or I did until I was disturbed by my mobile ringing at 5.30am. I woke up with a start, not knowing where I was.
Eventually, I managed to get the phone the right way up and I was able to answer it.
'Vince, it is Carol here. Alex has gone missing.'
I became fully awake immediately.
'What do you mean, he has gone missing?'
'One of the boys in his dormitory woke up to go to the toilet and noticed Alex wasn't in his bed. He searched around for him and then reported his absence to the Prefect in charge of the dorm. His housemaster has just ‘phoned me to see if he had been in touch with his home.'
'Have they searched the school for him?'
'I don't know Vince. I am extremely worried. Will you please go and see if you can find him?' Carol was close to total meltdown and started sobbing on the phone.'
'Sorry, just to clarify what you just said; you want me to go to the school and find out what is going on?'
'Yes, Vince; I can’t go as I have Nick here. You can take my car.'
'OK, I will leave here as soon as I am dressed and I'll take a taxi to your house. I should be there in about forty minutes, maximum.'
'Thanks, Vince.' She terminated the call.
'I heard all that Vince,' Daphne said. 'While you dress I will order you a taxi.'
'Thanks love.'
'Could he have been kidnapped?' Daphne inquired.
'I wouldn't think so, but it is a possibility. It's dangerous times for that family.'
By the time that I was dressed a taxi was waiting outside my front door. I gave the driver Carol's address and told him to go as fast as possible.
When I arrived in St John's Wood, Carol had the car ready to go. She had even entered the destination into the Sat Nav. I gave her a hug and headed off for Tonbridge.
As would be expected at that hour of the morning the traffic was very light and I got out of London without any delays. I didn't have to worry working out the best route as the Tom Tom told me where to go. I covered the forty-five miles in under the hour and was pulling into the school at 7.15am.
I noticed a police car parked in front of the school.
I was ushered into the headmaster's office.
The police officer, who was already there with the headmaster and the housemaster, asked me; 'Are you Alex’s father?'
'No, I am just a close friend of Mrs Newsome, the boy's mother. She wasn't able to come as she has another son living at home.'
'What is your name?' he fired at me.
'It is Major Vince Hamilton.' I decided to give him my rank as it often helped when dealing with one of the services.
'I have met this man before', the headmaster interjected pointing at me. 'I can vouch for him.'
'Have you any idea Major Hamilton where Alex might have gone or if he might have been kidnapped.'
'Does his brother, Brian, not have an idea where he could be?' I asked. I had expected to find Brian in the heart of the action.
'Mrs Newsome said that you were on the way and we thought it better that he talked to you first. We don't want him getting more upset than he needs to be,' the headmaster explained.
'Where is Brian?' I asked.
'He's in a room just down the hallway. I will take you there now.'
The housemaster took me a short distance away where we went into another room.
Brian stood up as I entered and came over to me. 'Uncle Vince, thank God you are here. Do you know where Alex could be?'
'The simple answer to that question Brian is that I have no idea. Did he say anything to you?'
'I have been trying to recall what he might have said to me, but I can't think of anything.'
'Do you see him very often during the day or have you had any conversations with him recently?'
'No, I hardly ever see him as he is in a different dormitory to me and he also attends first-year classes.'
'Do you think that he would have made a point of seeking you out if he had a major problem?'
'I don't know, he's usually very independent and doesn't want to admit that he has problems. Uncle Vince, could he have been kidnapped like Nick was?'
'I don't think so. The police arrested the man who kidnapped Nick and he isn't on the streets anymore. He also wasn’t a part of any gang.'
'Where could he have gone? I am very worried about him,' Tears welled up in Brian's eyes. I gave him a comforting hug.
'I'll stay around until we sort this out Brian so if you think of anything come and tell me.'
'Thanks, Uncle Vince, I will see you later.'
The housemaster had remained in the room while I talked to Brian and he had heard the whole of the conversation.
I now turned to him and asked him; 'Would it be possible to speak to any close friends that Alex might have, you never know but he might have told them something.'
'I know that he has one good friend who is a day boy. He won't be in until closer to nine,' the housemaster explained.
'We better go back to the police and update them on what Brian told me or, more truthfully, didn't tell me.'
As soon as I got back to the headmaster's office and the police, I told them that Brian didn't know anything, so we were no further forward.
'Major, the principal, was tellin
g me about Nick's father and the fact that he had been arrested in Australia,' the police officer commented. 'He also mentioned that you were involved in the events that took place over there.'
'Yes, I was in Melbourne when he was arrested.'
'Is it possible that what has happened here could be connected to the illegal activities that took place in Australia?'
'I wouldn't think so as the people involved would gain nothing by kidnapping Alex,' I replied.
'Perhaps you could explain what happened in Australia?'
'Basically, Clive Newsome borrowed four million pounds from the Mafia and didn't repay them the money as per an agreement he had with them. When he couldn’t repay the loan, they made him kidnap a pilot, together with the pilot's family. I was involved in rescuing the family and the pilot. Clive was caught and is awaiting trial in Melbourne.'
'What about the money that the Mafia are owed? Could they have kidnapped Alex to get that money back?' The police officer was apparently trying to find a link that would explain what had happened in Tonbridge last night.
'The member of the Mafia who was involved in lending Clive the money was killed in Australia; however, I met his replacement in London this week and did a deal with him. I repaid around half of the money and the rest will be paid within the next three months. I only did the contract this week and they are happy with the arrangement. That’s why I said; it doesn't make any sense to kidnap Alex.'
'I agree with you Major, it sounds as if that is a dead end. There must be a simpler explanation.' The police officer was folding up his notepad getting ready to leave.
'We will continue to do our own questioning here in the school and will phone you if we find anything out,' the headmaster said.
'I will raise a missing-persons' file and we will be on the lookout for him. I will also put an officer at the train station in case he tries to use that means of transport to get to London.'
The police officer left us to it.
'I must go and take Assembly,' the headmaster announced. 'I will get some coffee brought to you.
'Would it be possible to see the day boy who we were told is a good friend of Alex?' I requested.
'That will be Tom Young,' the housemaster supplied the name.
'I'll bring him back with me when I return after assembly.'
The headmaster went off to carry out his duties, leaving me on my own.
The bossy Secretary, who I had met the time I was at the school with Brian and Alex, stuck her head into the office.
'Can I arrange tea and toast for you Major or would you prefer coffee?'
'Thank you that would be very kind of you. I prefer coffee if that is alright.'
I heard her phoning the kitchen to organise my breakfast.
Fifteen minutes later the headmaster returned, but Tom Young wasn't with him.
He sat down in his chair behind the enormous desk before he spoke.
'I am afraid that his pal Tom Young hasn't turned up for school this morning.' The headmaster looked very grave.
'So Alex goes missing during the night and then his best friend doesn't turn up at school the following morning,' I said. 'The plot thickens.'
'It would appear to be too much of a coincidence. I will try and get hold of Tom Young's parents.’
The headmaster contacted his secretary and asked her to try and get either of Tom Young's parents on the line.
A very flustered secretary came into the office a few minutes later.
'Headmaster, I have managed to get Mrs Young on her mobile and she is in Eastbourne with her husband. Their son Tom is not with them but should be at his home being looked after by his granny.'
'Did you tell her that her son hasn't turned up for school today?'
'No, I didn't. I decided that it might be too traumatic for her.'
'I will go to the house immediately and see if Alex is there,' I offered.
'Good idea. I will get Alex's housemaster to go with you as he knows the area well.'
Within two minutes, we were on our way heading for Tom Young's house.
We parked outside and went up to the front door.
It was opened by an elderly lady.
'Is Tom Young here I asked.' She must have noticed the urgency in my voice.
'Why, is something wrong?'
'No I am looking for him that is all. He hasn't turned up for school this morning.'
'He told me that he had the day off and he has gone fishing with a friend of his up at the quarry.
'Where is this quarry?' The housemaster asked.
'It's about half a mile up that a road.' She pointed in the direction to our right.
'I'm sorry for troubling you we'll drive up there and see him.'
'Is he in trouble?' she asked.
'Well, he should be in school.'
The quarry was easy to find and we discovered the two boys contentedly fishing, oblivious to the fact that they had caused chaos and half the county was looking for him.
They saw us coming and a look of panic replaced the grins on their faces.
'Uncle Vince what are you doing here?' Alex asked me.
'What is more to the point Alex, is, what on earth are you doing here? The police are looking for you and your mother is worried sick.'
'You are both in real trouble and we need to get you back to the school immediately. What did you think that you were doing?' The housemaster's patience had gone and he was venting his feelings on his two charges.
We helped them pack up their fishing gear and brought them back to Tom's house in the car.
'Get changed into your school clothes immediately and we will take you back to school,' I ordered in as cross a voice as I could manage. In fact, I was very relieved we had found them safe and well.
While they were changing, I phoned Carol to let her know that the panic was over and that her beloved son had decided to go fishing. Needless to say, she couldn't believe Alex had been so inconsiderate even though she was ecstatic he was unharmed.
Back at the school, we marched them into the headmaster's office.
He asked us all to leave while he disciplined them. About ten minutes later two very tearful boys appeared.
I was in a very mixed up state. One part of me was euphoric because we had found Alex and his friend safe. The other part of me wanted to take my shoe off and give him a good hiding. I couldn't believe what he had done.
I put my arm around his shoulders and led him to the room that I had used earlier that morning to talk to Brian.
As I held him, he continued to sob.
'Uncle Vince, I am so sorry for what I did. I didn't mean to upset anybody and get into trouble. I went with Tom as an adventure as his parents were away. It was easy to hoodwink his Gran, but I didn't think of the trouble it would cause in the school. Did they really call the police?'
'Yes Alex, they certainly did. When they found you missing from your dorm this morning, they also called your Mum. She was in a total panic and asked me to come and see if I could find you.'
'I'm sorry for all the trouble I caused.'
'Alex, do you remember how you felt when Nick was kidnapped?'
'Yes, there was a big hollow feeling in my stomach and I was extremely anxious.'
'Well, this morning your Mum and Brian had that very same feeling. After all that has happened to your father, you doing a disappearing act was the last thing that your mother needed.'
He started to cry again.
'I'm sorry; I promise I won't do it again.'
'You need a good hiding Alex, but, unfortunately, I am not allowed to give it to you. I'll have to give you a hug instead.'
'Thanks for coming to rescue me, Uncle Vince.'
'I suppose that I will forgive you this time.' I got a smile out of him as I gave him another squeeze.
Brian burst into the room.
'Are you OK Alex?'
'Yes Bri, I am fine. I was just very stupid.'
'From what I have been told, you are a
bloody idiot.'
'I didn't realise that I would be missed and cause all this fuss. We were reading Huckleberry Finn in English class and Tom and I decided that we would have our own adventure.'
'Since I have the two of you together I want to ask you both to look after your mother. She is going to have to rely on you both to get through the next six months. It seems as if the house in St John's Wood will be sold as will your Dad's business. It also appears that the property we have found in Tonbridge is ideal. You will be seeing it tomorrow. So, all being well, you should be relocated to Tonbridge by next term. Don't do anything else stupid, either of you and cause havoc like this morning.'
'We promise to think before we act, won't we Alex,' Brian said.
'You both need to get back to class so I will go and take my leave of the headmaster and then return to London.' They each gave me a hug and thanked me.
The headmaster was busy so I left a message for him. Before I left the car park, I phoned Carol again to tell her that all was under control and I was on my way back.
I sat there for a few minutes just relaxing and getting my blood pressure down to more normal levels. It had been quite a morning. The person who was the more relaxed of everybody involved seemed to be Alex.
Chapter 18
The traffic congestion on the roads for my return journey was considerably more than when I travelled to Tonbridge earlier in the day. Sitting in the practically static traffic, I had plenty of time to think.
My wife had motivated me to take a step away from my investigative work, but I seemed to be just as busy as I had got involved in Carol’s problems. The major difference was that I was home every night and my family had the benefit of my company. I liked Carol and her boys, but I didn’t want to get emotionally involved and there was a danger of that because I was getting very fond of them and they of me.
I could appreciate how she was feeling and how badly she had been let down by her husband; however, she was starting to rely on me a little too much and there was also a danger that I would get romantically sucked into her life. We had been good friends when we were teenagers but had not been an item. We were part of the same group of youngsters who did things together and I didn’t have what might be called a relationship with her. It was clear from her recent contact with me that she would like to get romantically involved with me. The fact that I was married, with a family of my own, didn’t seem to put her off. The question I should ask myself was - ‘Did I want to have a romantic assignation with Carol?’ The answer was very simple – ‘No I didn’t.’
An African Adventure (Vince Hamilton Private Investigator Book 4) Page 16
