An African Adventure (Vince Hamilton Private Investigator Book 4)

by Patrick Slaney

  'Will you please keep me informed if you get any news.'

  'I will of course,' the Inspector replied. 'I will send you an email.'

  'I'll talk to you later Inspector.'

  'So everything is sorted out for the time being,' Dale suggested.

  'Yes, we can have lunch with a reasonably clear conscience.'

  Dale's Dad arrived a few minutes after 1.00pm and the three of us went into the restaurant.

  I explained how Dale and I had spent the morning emphasising that we hadn't found any container depot called Natal Shipping Agents. I didn't tell him what had happened to Reggie in Mombasa in case it made him worry about Dale's involvement in the exercise. I had also told Dale not to mention the conversation I had with Reggie to his Dad.

  'Let me tell you what I found out about the shipping business,' Dougie Fortuin offered. ‘The boss is indeed Hansie Joubert and he has his offices, as you already know, in Sandton. The container depot goes under another name and is called Consolidated Containers Pty. It is owned by a number of shipping agents but the main shareholder in the company is the Natal Shipping Agency.'

  'So that explains why we couldn't find it,' Dale commented.

  'Consolidated Containers are in Kyalami, which, as you are already aware, is in Midrand, so you were nearly correct.' Dougie explained.

  'What sort of man is Hansie Joubert?' I asked.

  'He is a large Afrikaner and looks like an ex-rugby prop forward. I reckon that he is in his fifties and is quite fit looking for a man of his age. He was very business-like with me but I didn't feel comfortable in his presence. I felt that I was being assessed. His eyes could best be described as shifty and seemed to be scanning me up and down all the time. He was apparently trying to work out whether I was a genuine customer or not.'

  'Dad, you think that of all Afrikaners.' Dale laughed.

  'Thank you for that information Dougie. It appears as if we have found our man and we also now know the likely destination of the containers. I'll take a run up to the depot with Dale this afternoon and have a look.'

  We had an excellent lunch and then Dougie returned to his roofing business. He said that he needed to check up on two jobs that were at a critical stage. Dale and I went to the Kyalami part of Midrand to look for the depot.

  It is amazing how easy it is to find something when you know what you are looking for. Dale and I drove to the industrial estate that had been built on the old Kyalami Grand Prix racing circuit. Low and behold, there was the container depot we had been told about. Consolidated Containers was situated on a large open area surrounded by very high-security fencing. A number of security guards were on duty at the entrance and the only building on the site was an old container that had been modified to act as an office for the guards.

  'They appear to have some large dogs.' Dale pointed at some large Alsatians that were held in a cage and were barking madly. 'They look mean and hungry.'

  'They are obviously leaving nothing to chance as it is very well protected,' I commented.

  'So what do we do now we have found it?' Dale asked.

  'I think our wisest approach is to sit tight and do nothing. We know where the containers will probably be brought to, so we don't need to try and have a better look around until they are transferred here. After what happened in Mombasa, we must be very careful not to give them any indication that we are on to them.'

  We set off back to Sandton as there was nothing further that we could do in Midrand.

  'Dale I want to travel down to East London tomorrow to prepare for the arrival of the Johannes Maersk, do you fancy coming along with me?'

  ''I was hoping that you would still want me to go. I was afraid that with Reggie coming to join you that you wouldn't need me. What time do you plan on leaving at?

  'I reckon that the journey will take us between nine and ten hours, so we should leave as soon as the rush hour traffic eases off around 9.30am. Can you get somebody to drop you off?'

  'Yes, I can get my Dad to deliver me on his way to work at 7.30am.'

  'That's great. We can have breakfast together at eight o'clock which should be perfect timing.'

  'Well, there is nothing further we can do today so I'll see you in morning.' I dropped Dale off at his car and parked the 4 x 4 up for the night under a light and in full view of a CCTV camera.

  Once inside the hotel, I found a quiet corner of the lounge, ordered a beer and settled down to do some serious thinking.

  I hadn't mentioned anything to Dale while we were looking at the Consolidated Containers depot, but the security on the premises was much higher than I would have expected for a standard container depot. A lot of money had been spent on the protection of the property. There was extensive high-security fencing and I had also noticed a sophisticated CCTV system with associated floodlights. We had counted at least six security guards and they don't come cheap. Selling five expensive luxury cars wouldn't pay for the set-up we had seen. There was a big question mark over the whole operation and what exactly was going on.

  What had happened in Kenya now had to be added to all this. I could understand how somebody might have let all the air out of the tyres to slow the chase down, but shooting up Reg and John from a helicopter was taking it to a much higher level. I was convinced that I was missing some vital clue. Could there be something else in those sky-blue containers.

  In the past, when I had needed input from someone else's brain, I had always talked to Willem in Holland or, alternatively, Chief Inspector Baird in London. Perhaps it was time to get their input. I had the time as I had nothing scheduled until tomorrow morning.

  I decided to call Holland first.

  Back in my room, I put a call through to Willem van Grimbergen in Rotterdam.

  'Hi Vince, you are the last person I expected to hear from,' Willem said when he answered. 'I thought that you were in South Africa?'

  'I am, but I need to pick your brains.'

  'As I have told you before, Vince, that doesn't take very long.' He laughed.

  'I will tell you what has happened in the last forty-eight hours and then I'll explain why I am phoning you.'

  'Go ahead; I am all ears.'

  I gave him the details of what had taken place in Mombasa and then told him about what I had found at the Consolidated Containers depot.

  When I had finished he said:

  'Vince, I agree with you. You are right to feel very suspicious about the whole operation. Have you found out anything more about the man you mentioned? I think that you said his name was Hansie Joubert.'

  'All I can tell you is that he runs a company called Natal Shipping Agents and he is based in Johannesburg. They also have a major share in the Container Depot.'

  'His name was also on the manifest for the shipment that was offloaded in Mombasa; isn't that right?' Willem asked.

  'Yes, and as far as I know there is no other name on the paperwork. Can you please check whether there is a delivery address on the shipping documents?'

  'I'll ask my friend who gave me the original information.'

  'Have you any bright ideas as to what may be going on Willem?'

  'The only suggestion that I can make is that something else is being sent in those containers in addition to the cars.'

  'What do you think that could be?'

  'It could be drugs. Rotterdam is such a hub for goods from all over the world that it is a distinct possibility. The ships sometimes visit other countries as they progress down the east African coast.'

  'The containers were sent to Rotterdam from the Tilbury Docks in London and they were then transferred to the Johannes Maersk. How could anything else have been added to the containers before they left for Africa?' I thought that Willem's suggestion was a bit farfetched and not actually a likely solution.

  'It is only a suggestion Vince, and don't forget that you came up with the idea that there is something bigger cooking. At the moment, the containers are the only thing we have to work on.'

  'Wi
llem, are you able to find out if drugs could have been put in the containers during the time that they were in Rotterdam. Presumably, they must have been stored somewhere between the time they were offloaded from the vessel that brought them from Tilbury and when they were loaded onto the ship going to Mombasa.'

  'I can't enlighten you at the moment, Vince. What I will do for you is to ask a few of my friends who work in the port of Rotterdam. They may have some suggestions. I'll 'phone you back later this evening.'

  'I would appreciate any help you can give me.'

  'Talk to you later Vince.'

  I was, even more, confused after my discussion with Willem. If drugs were involved, then it might explain why we were meeting so much resistance.'

  I decided to 'phone the Inspector.

  'Have you any news on John Griffiths, Inspector?' I asked after we had got through the niceties of welcoming each other.

  'He seems to be recovering well if he is still a little sore. They are planning to fly him home on Thursday although he is being well looked after at the Jocham Hospital in Mombasa. Somebody from the British Embassy has been in to see him and has organised his flight.'

  'Inspector, I need to get your input on what is happening out here. I am a bit worried, to say the least, as we appear to be meeting much stronger opposition than I expected.'

  'I think that I would have to agree with you, Vince. Bring me up to date with your thinking on the current situation.'

  I gave the Inspector a detailed account of what we had found at the depot in Midrand and I expressed my fears about how the case was progressing. I also told him that I had talked to Willem in Rotterdam. He obviously was aware of the events in Kenya so I only had to tell him what we had found in South Africa.'

  'In summary Inspector, I feel that there is more involved here than just the luxury cars. You should see the setup they have just outside Johannesburg. It's like Fort Knox.'

  'Let me talk to the Drugs Squad Vince. I'll see if they have any information they can share with me.'

  'Will you 'phone me back please as I would like to know what I am up against before I head off tomorrow morning.'

  'I doubt if I will be able to get anybody tonight so perhaps you should contact me when you get to your destination tomorrow evening.'

  'OK, I will leave it like that then.'

  I finished the call with the Inspector. When I put the telephone down a light on the handset flashed. There was a message for me. I had missed a call from Willem. I dialled his number.

  'Hi Vince, I have some information for you. The Johannes Maersk called at Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, on its way down the east coast of Africa. It wasn't a planned stop.'

  'Were you able to find out why it called there?' I interrupted him.

  'There was evidently some incident on board. A crew member was injured and had to be put ashore so as he could get urgent medical treatment.'

  'You have no further details about what actually happened Willem?'

  'My source didn't have the details so I am sorry that's all I have for you.'

  'That's very useful Willem and gives me another piece of the puzzle to put in the jigsaw. 'If I hear anything else I will contact you. I'll talk to you later.'

  The 'phone went dead.

  I didn't know much about Somalia, but what I had heard wasn't good. Evidently there was mob rule in parts of the country and pirates operated from some of the coastal towns. It was not an impossible scenario that drugs had been placed in the containers while the ship was in Mogadishu and the injury to the crew member had been staged.

  I sent the Inspector an email letting him know what Willem had told me. I emphasised that it was all supposition at this moment in time. I couldn't prove anything until I got a look inside one of the sky-blue containers, and, from what I had seen of the Consolidated Containers site, where the containers would soon be stored; it wasn't going to be an easy job. The danger level in this investigation had just stepped up a notch.

  With my business calls complete I telephoned my wife to find out how everybody was at home. I naturally didn't tell her about the change in the danger level of this excursion into Africa. I also had a brief chat with Michael and Victoria. After talking to my wife, I was about to 'phone Carol but at the last minute thought the better of it. The last thing that I needed to do at this stage was get involved in one of her crisis.

  I went down to the restaurant, had a splendid meal and then retired to bed. I had a long drive on bad roads in the morning and needed all the rest that I could get.

  When I went down for breakfast, I found Dale waiting for me. His father had dropped him off and he was raring to go. He had a backpack with him which he brought into the dining room.

  We weren't in any hurry so we were able to take our time over breakfast. I had been told that there was no point trying to head south on the M1 until the rush hour traffic eased after 9.30am. I ate about fifty percent less than Dale was able to put away.

  I debated with myself whether to tell Dale about the latest developments in the investigation. I decided that it would make things a lot easier if I told him, so over breakfast I outlined my fears to him.

  'Does that put us in greater danger?' he asked me.

  'No, it has not increased the danger level; it just means that we have a much clearer picture of what we are up against,' I replied.

  'So presumably, that is why your friend Reggie was shot at in Kenya.'

  'I don't know for certain; however, I think it is sensible to assume that they didn't want them to find out what they were up to and decided to prevent Reggie and John getting too close.'

  'Are you sure that we will be safe travelling to East London. It is a long way and we will be on roads out in the back of beyond.' Dale sounded and looked worried.

  'So far I am reasonably confident that we have not been spotted so there will be nobody chasing us; however, if you would rather stay here rather than travel with me, please free to opt out. I won't think any less of you.'

  'No, I want to go with you. I wouldn't miss this adventure for the world and I trust you to look after me.'

  'Thanks, Dale, having two of us in the car will make it a lot safer. One can be on watch while the other drives.'

  'When do you want me to do the driving?'

  'It's a busy road as far as Bloemfontein so there should be a minimal threat on that stretch. When we get past Bloemfontein, you can take over the driving role and I will be on guard with my gun at the ready. How do you think you would do if a car was chasing us?'

  'My father is always saying that I drive too fast, so I should be OK.'

  'I think that it is time to leave. I will check out of the hotel and we can get going. I'll be down in about five minutes.

  I paid my bill and went up to get my bag. In another twenty minutes, we were heading south on the M1. By 1.00pm, we had done just over four hundred Kilometres and were passing Bloemfontein. This was the last major city on our route, so I decided to take a break and stop for lunch. An hour later we were off again with Dale driving while I was in the passenger seat with my Glock at the ready. If we were going to be attacked, then I reckoned it would be on this leg of our journey.

  Chapter 22

  Thankfully it was a trouble free trip, and there were no alarms along the route. We pulled up in front of the Holiday Inn in East London six hours after leaving Bloemfontein. In fact, there was very little traffic, and we encountered more trucks than cars.

  ‘Where are all the trucks coming from?’ Dale asked me at one stage.

  ‘It would appear that a container ship has arrived in East London, and they are all heading for Jo’burg,’ I suggested.

  ‘This will be what it will be like later in the week when our ship arrives.’ Dale commented.

  ‘Just keep your eyes open for trucks passing each other out. If we meet two trucks abreast of one another on some of these hills, there won’t be any room for us.’ The roads were so narrow that there was barely room for one tr
uck let alone meeting two abreast trundling towards us.

  ‘I’ll keep my speed down just in case I have to take evasive action.’ Dale slowed to around eighty kilometres per hour.

  It wasn’t hard to work out that our containers would be following this route later in the week after they had been offloaded from the ship in East London. We, therefore, took note of truck stops and other similar features that supplied services for the trucks.

  After checking-in to the East London Holiday Inn, we headed to our rooms to freshen up. As I was signing the register, the receptionist had given me a piece of paper with a message from Reggie on it. The note was informing me that he would be flying into the local airport at mid-morning the following day. That would give Reg and I a day before the Johannes Maersk arrived in which to explore the area together. It was now scheduled to dock sometime on Friday, provided, of course, that it wasn’t further delayed in Durban.

  We had dinner and then went for a walk along the esplanade that stretched the length of the seafront. The evening air temperature was considerably warmer than it had been in Johannesburg and it was a very pleasant walk.

  The Indian Ocean with its long rolling waves, ideal for surfing, was to our left. At the far end of the esplanade, we went into a pub for a beer. I decided only to have one as the local Castle beer was considerably stronger than the English bitter I was used to. If we hadn’t been there with a dangerous task to carry out, it would have been a good spot for a holiday and a few more beers.

  Back at the hotel, we arranged a time to meet for breakfast and retired to our beds; both worn out from the long drive and relieved to have arrived safely. There had been a nervous expectancy in the 4 x 4 during our long journey. I had felt that we were driving into danger.

  I was woken up by a loud banging on the door of my room. In my sleepy state, I naturally assumed that it was Dale. I got up and shuffled to the door calling out to whoever was there to 'hang on' as I was on my way.

  Imagine my surprise when I opened the door to find Johan Nel outside. He was the man I had talked to on the London to Johannesburg flight earlier in the week. When we had gone our separate ways at the airport, I had never expected to see him again. He was certainly the last person I expected to be banging on my door in East London at some ungodly hour of the morning. He glanced behind him and then pushed past me into my room.