Curse of Thieves: Another Major Vince Hamilton Investigation Read online

  I obviously couldn't see anybody as the tarpaulin covered the superstructure where they would be working. I assembled my listening device and pointed it at the target. Success, I picked up Italian voices. This was the proof I needed to confirm my theory. As I suspected, they had moved their boat altering operation from Sete to Bizerte. The next problem was; how was I to get closer to where they were working without being seen? In Sete, I might have been taken for a Frenchman, but here, there was no way that I could pass as an Arab. I would be spotted if I went closer. I decided to retreat from the marina and go and do some thinking.

  Due to the industrialized nature of the area I had to walk quite a distance before I found a place where I could get a coffee. It was called Café Nesma and from the outside looked colourful and quite respectable.

  I went up to the counter to order but was totally lost when the old man behind the counter shrugged and gabbled back to me in a foreign tongue. I had spoken in French, assuming that they would understand. Seeing my situation a young Arab man, who was reading a newspaper sitting on a stool a bit further along the counter, came over to help me.

  'Can I help you,' he asked in perfect English, but with a heavy accent.

  'I am sure that you can. I wanted to order a coffee and a croissant if they sell them.'

  'I will order it for you if you like.'

  'Thank you. I really would appreciate it as I don't speak one word of Arabic. Would you like to order one for yourself as well?'

  'That would be very kind of you, I will have an espresso.' He turned to the old man and ordered the coffees and two small cakes that looked like a distant relation of a croissant.

  The old man muttered something at him and pointed at me.

  'He asked me, as you are European, would you like coffee with milk, rather than an espresso?'

  'Yes please, the espresso is far too strong for me.'

  'I will bring them over to you if you like when they are ready,' he suggested.

  A few minutes later he arrived carrying the coffees and two croissant shaped cakes. As he put them down, he asked me.

  'May I join you at your table as I would like to talk English to you? I am studying English at the University, and I don't have many opportunities to practice.'

  'I would be delighted if you joined me as you have already rescued me. What is your name?'

  'It is Farid El Halabi. The Farid means in Arabic precious or unique, and what is your name?'

  'It is Vince Hamilton, and unlike you, I don't know what my name means.'

  'Are you on holiday in Bizerte Mr Hamilton?'

  'No I am in Tunisia on business just for a few days.'

  'What sort of business are you in?'

  'I am involved in gathering information for clients back in the UK.'

  'Are you a spy then?'

  'No Farid, I am not a spy.' I smiled at the thought.

  'It must be a nice job if you have to travel a lot. I want to travel to America and see that vast country. That is one of the reasons that I have learnt English. My brother is studying for a year at a college in Ohio.'

  As he was talking, a plan was forming in my head. It was when Farid asked me if I was a spy that he had activated my thought processes. I wonder if I could ask him if he would go and find out exactly what was under the tent-like tarpaulin at the boatyard for me. He looked and was dressed, like a native, so he wouldn't arouse suspicion.

  'Farid if I told you what I was doing here in Bizerte would you be willing to help me gather some information.'

  'I would be very happy to help you Mr Hamilton. What would you like me to do?' His face lit up with enthusiasm.

  'I am trying to find out, who is stealing very large boats from their moorings in Cannes, in the South of France. One of the stolen boats has been tracked to Bizerte, and I am almost one hundred percent positive that it is sitting on the quay of the near-by marina under a tarpaulin.'

  'There is a stolen boat here in Bizerte?' he asked incredulously.

  'I think so. We have tracked it here using a satellite tracking system, and I have seen, what I think, is the boat I am after at the local marina. Unfortunately, I cannot get close enough to it to have a proper look as, being a European, I cannot just walk across the boatyard.'

  'So you want me to have a look for you?' He interrupted again full of enthusiasm.

  'That's right. Would you do that for me? I will pay you two hundred Dinars for your services.'

  'You don't need to pay me; I will do it for nothing as you have spoken English to me.'

  'No, the deal is that if you help me I will pay you, especially as you are a student.'

  'When do you want me to help you?'

  'We can do it now if you are free. I will give you the money to pay for the coffees and cakes, and we will leave now.'

  'This sounds exciting. Let's go.'

  Farid and I left the Café and walked back down to the marina. I must say that I felt far less exposed to prying eyes, having a genuine Arab walking beside me.

  I returned to the group of boats that I had used as cover on my previous visit to the marina, and I got out my listening device again. The look on Farid's face was a picture as he looked at the listening device.

  'What is that Mr Hamilton? It looks like a television aerial.'

  'I can use this to listen to what people are saying even if they are quite far away.'

  I switched the device on and pointed it towards the tarpaulin that I was sure covered Whispering Legend. We could clearly hear Italian being spoken..

  'That is amazing as the voices are exceptionally clear. They are also speaking Italian,' Farid exclaimed.

  'The fact that they are speaking Italian convinces me that this is the boat that I am after. The last boat that was stolen also had Italians working on it.'

  'So I must walk over there and find out what is under the tarpaulin.'

  'That's right; do you think that you can do that?'

  'Of course, and if they stop me, I will tell them that I am looking for a friend.'

  'Can you speak in Italian?'

  'No; I will speak in Arabic.'

  'When you come back you had better not come here. I will meet you back at the place where we had coffee.'

  He headed off towards the boat, and I returned to the gate and left the marina.

  Forty minutes later he entered the café.

  'How did it go?' I asked him.

  'They did talk to me when they saw me having a look under the tarpaulin, but I managed to convince them that I was an Arab student looking for a friend who was supposed to be working on a boat. There was an Arab gentleman working with them, and he translated from Arabic into Italian.'

  'What did you see?'

  'It is a large boat, and they are repainting it. They seem to be also changing the name, and I just could pick out the letters ND where they are removing the old name.'

  'That would be the last letters of LEGEND. I think that we can be certain that the boat they are working on is Whispering Legend. Well done Farid, you have done a marvellous job.'

  'It was easy, and I am glad to be able to assist you. Is there anything else that I can do for you?'

  'Would you be able to keep watch on the motor yacht for the next few days and let me know when it leaves here?'

  'I should be able to do that. If you give me your mobile number or your email address, I will send you a message as soon as it is put back in the water and departs.'

  I got out a piece of paper and wrote down the information for him. I also took his details as I might need to get in touch with him at some later date.

  'Thank you Farid for helping me, and here is the two hundred Dinars that I promised you.'

  He objected and tried not to take the money, but I insisted and in the end he took it. We said goodbye and I made my way back towards the station.

  The train left Bizerte at 2.15pm, and I was back in Tunis two hours later, my task for Tunisia complete. I had managed to check on Whispering Legend
and had not been spotted. A real bonus was the fact that I also had arranged for an eye to be kept on the boat so as we could confirm when it left Bizerte. Willem should be able to spot when it left, but there was always the chance that they might find the tracking device and remove it. I now had insurance in place.

  Back in my hotel I showered and put on a change of clothes before going to explore the old town or Medina. The first thing I noticed was the smell of spices in the souq or market. There were also many carpet selling outlets. In fact, men kept coming up to me trying to steer me in the direction of one carpet dealer or another. It was irritating, and I gave up on the idea of exploring and returned to my hotel. After an early dinner, I retired to bed. Tomorrow would be another busy day when I would be flying to Venice and catching the ferry that went to Patra in Greece.

  The last thing that I did before I went to sleep was to phone the tracking centre in London to establish the position of the two cars. Luckily everything was in order, and the Maserati was heading for Nice and would be in Venice in time to catch the ferry tomorrow. I also intended to be on that ferry. The Aston Martin had arrived in Patra had then travelled to Piraeus from where it was on a ferry that had its final destination in Rhodes. My final task of the day was to telephone Willem in Holland to tell him that I had located Whispering Legend without getting hit on the head and blowing my cover. He was able to confirm to me that the tracking device was still active.

  Chapter 21

  I was woken the following morning by the call to prayer from the local minaret, reminding me that I was still in Tunis. After a quick breakfast in the dining room of the hotel, I packed my bag and headed for the station to catch the airport bus. After a short but interesting journey through the bustling and traffic congested street of Tunis, I arrived at the airport and was checking in at the Tunis Air desk for my flight to Venice. Bang on time, at 10.30am, the plane moved back from the air bridge, and we were on our way.

  The flight gave me time to think about my investigation and to write down a few facts in my notebook. Things had been happening so fast that I was in danger of losing track of what was going on:

  - The first car that was stolen with a tracking device fitted was now on its way to Rhodes; however, the ferry called at a number of other Greek islands on the way and, in theory, the car could leave the ship at any of the ports the ship called at.

  - The second car was following the same route and was scheduled to take the ferry to Patra in Greece this evening.

  - First stolen motor yacht, Splendiferous, I had tracked to Sete, and it had then vanished.

  - Second boat, Whispering Legend, was now in Bizerte and due to leave probably next Monday. Willem and Farid were monitoring.

  - Both cars had stopped, for a pick-up, in Paris at an art dealers.

  - Also been jewellery thefts - possibly the same gang.

  - No resolution to murder in Annecy wood - stolen paintings found in the boot of the car.

  - No firm idea as to who is running the whole show or where the headquarters are?

  - Next key step - find out the final destination of the cars and the motor yachts.

  By the time the flight arrived in Venice at 1.30pm, I had organized my thoughts and had a clear path mapped out for my investigation. I felt that I was getting closer to the answers, even if that was taking me all over the place, and into a number of different countries.

  Venice was remarkably different to Tunis. The airport was right beside a large stretch of water which appeared to be at the same level as the runway. There was a large cruise liner moored nearby which towered over everything. It was an extraordinary sight.

  The airport terminal was different to any other I had ever passed through; it was constructed from rustic brown bricks. The whole appearance gave me the feeling that I was arriving at somewhere truly special.

  By the time that I collected my bag, and passed through customs, it was 2.45pm. The ferry for Greece left at 6.00pm, so I had some time to kill. I decided to visit the hotel where the drivers of the stolen cars stayed before they headed for the ferry. With a bit of luck, the Maserati might still be there. The Annia Park Hotel was right beside the airport, and I found out that there was a courtesy bus that would take me there.

  As the bus entered the grounds of the hotel, I spotted the Maserati. If the car was in the car park, that meant that the driver would be in the hotel. The last thing that I wanted to do was bump into him. After a bit of reflection, I reasoned that the risk of entering the hotel was minimal as this particular driver only took over after the car had been delivered to France on the cross channel ferry. I could go into the hotel, get a cup of coffee and a sandwich and make some telephone calls.

  I went up to the receptionist and asked if I could use a room with a telephone for about an hour and if she could have some food sent up to me. I wanted to call the Inspector in London and Willem in Rotterdam before I went out of circulation on the ferry to Greece. She told me to use bedroom 103 provided I didn't use any of the facilities while I was there. The receptionist said that she would send up some coffee and sandwiches to the room.

  On my first call, I got straight through to the Inspector.

  'Good afternoon Inspector, just to bring you up to date and let you know that I have now arrived in Venice. I also can confirm that the Maserati is in the car park of the hotel I am at.'

  'Great to hear from you Vince; what is your next plan of action?

  'I will be catching the ferry to Patra that leaves at 6.00pm this evening. I am assuming that the Maserati will be on that ferry.'

  'That sounds good. Be extremely careful that you don't end up being thrown overboard or meeting some such fate.'

  'I hope that I have learnt my lesson, and I don't intend to get too close.'

  'You might also be interested in knowing that we tracked the Aston Martin, all the way to Rhodes. Unfortunately, the battery on the tracking device went flat, so we have no idea where it has gone from there. I have to assume that it won't stay in Rhodes as it is such a small island.'

  'That makes it even more important that I follow the Maserati to its final destination and that I try and fit a new battery in the tracking device. Is there anything else that I should know about?'

  'Yes, there is one other event that may be connected. The day before the Maserati went through Cannes there was a big jewellery theft in the resort. I have a hunch that the stolen jewels may be in the boot or secreted away somewhere else in the Maserati.'

  'I was given a master key by Clive Newsome before I left London I will use that to get me into the boot of the Maserati. I should get an opportunity to have a look during the long voyage to Patra.'

  'Well, just be extremely careful as I won't be around to pull you out of the water if you are thrown overboard. At least there are no sharks in the Mediterranean.' I could sense him smiling when he said that.

  'I'll do my best. Have they found out who murdered the family in Annecy Forest?'

  'No, there are no developments there, but, I am still convinced that the victim was an art dealer who double-crossed his paymaster.'

  'I'd better go now Inspector as I need to get to the ferry and buy a ticket.'

  'Good luck Vince and be careful.'

  I dialled Willem's mobile number.

  The phone was answered in Dutch as my name wouldn't have come up on his phone.

  'Hi Willem; it is Vince. I am phoning you from Venice.'

  'How is it going Vince?'

  'I can confirm that Whispering Legend is being worked on in Bizerte.'

  'I hope that they didn't see you.'

  'No; I met a young Arab student who spoke excellent English, and he did all the snooping around for me.'

  'Have you any idea when it is likely to be departing?'

  'I assume that it will be the start of next week, but I have arranged that my Arab friend will let me know immediately it leaves Bizerte.'

  'I should be able to pick it up with the tracking device, but it is a go
od idea to have a backup plan.'

  'I am going to have to leave Willem as I am about to catch the ferry. I have already seen the Maserati in the hotel's car park, and I will follow it to its destination.'

  'OK Vince; please contact me as soon as you can and let me know where you are.'

  'I'll talk to you later then. Good luck.'

  I terminated the call, paid for the food and the use of the phone and caught a taxi to the ferry terminal.

  When I went outside to get in the taxi, I noticed that the Maserati was no longer in its parking spot. If my deductions were correct, I would see it again when I got to the ferry terminal.

  The thought did enter my head as to whether I would have to transfer to a Gondola for the latter part of the journey. In fact, there was a four-kilometre causeway with a road and railway line connecting the mainland to the city of Venice. The taxi was able to bring me the whole way.

  I located the ticket office for the Anek Lines ferry which was the one that I needed to book with in order to get to Patra. The trip was going to take close on thirty-six hours, so I needed to pay for a cabin. Rather than face the possibility of sharing I paid for both births in a twin cabin.

  It was now 4.30pm, and I had been told that I couldn't board the ferry for a further hour. I found a bistro that had a good view of the car loading area for the ferry. From there, I could keep an eye on the Maserati and get a glimpse of the driver. As soon as I sat down with my beer in hand I spotted it, but there was nobody sitting in the driver’s seat. Ten minutes before we were due to board, I saw a dark Italian looking man approach the car. I was relieved to see that he was of quite a slight build and only about one meter six centimetres tall. He looked about fifty years of age. If I did happen to have an altercation with him, I reckoned that I could handle the situation. Mind you, if he was armed, I had a problem as I didn't have my Glock with me.

  The ferry that we were all waiting for was moored against the quay about half a kilometre away. It looked far past it's sell by date, and I wasn't looking forward to the journey. I was hopeful that it wouldn't be too rough; however, if it was, I had a cabin to myself that I could spend a lot of the time there.