Chapter 23

With money to treat my family, we had a marvellous weekend, with no expenses spared. In my army days, my time never seemed to be my own, and there was always some reason for not being able to do what I wanted. Sir Montgomery had put my fee into my account, so I was flush with funds for once.

Monday morning I got up at 6:00 a.m and headed for the gym. My wife had suggested that I was getting out of condition, and I had sadly agreed with her prognosis. I wanted to be back in time to take the kids to school, and knew that if I left the Gym till later my resolve would weaken and I would probably never get there.

With all my family duties done for the morning, I telephoned Sit Montgomery at 9:30 a.m.

‘Hello, Sir Montgomery speaking,’ he answered in his usual way.

‘Good morning sir, its Vince Hamilton here.’

‘Good morning Major, did you have a good weekend?’

‘I had an excellent weekend with my family and was able to switch off totally for once.’

‘How did you get on with John Power? The Inspector phoned me on Saturday and told me that you had been in to see him.’

‘Yes, I was there Friday afternoon. I must say that the Inspector was extremely friendly, and he allowed me to talk to John Power, on my own, for quite some time.’

‘What did you think Vince? Have they caught my son’s killer?’

‘It is hard for me to judge based on my short conversation with the man; however, he claims to be innocent, and, personally, I would be inclined to believe him as he certainly doesn’t appear to a cold blooded killer.’

‘That is what the Inspector told me on Saturday and, in fact, he also said that he is going to have to release him.’

‘Did he say when he was releasing him?’ I asked.

‘Yes, he said that he was releasing him on Saturday and he wanted me to know in case I read it in the newspaper.’

‘The Inspector mentioned to me that he was concerned for John Power’s life if he released him. He was afraid whoever killed your son might want Mr Power out of the way.’

I was trying to remember what exactly Inspector Baird had told me. It seemed strange that with John Power’s life under threat, he still had released him. Perhaps there had been no choice if a legal man was pulling the strings.

I could hear Sir Montgomery talking to somebody at the other end of the phone......

‘Vince, my secretary has just told me that the Inspector is at reception and wants to see me. I will phone you back.’

I waited in suspense for 15 minutes for Sir Montgomery to phone back. On the first ring, I answered.

‘Vince, terrible news I am afraid. The police got a tip off that there was a body in a disused warehouse near the Wapping Basin docks in East London and it turns out that it is John Power.’

‘How terrible, so the Inspector was right in thinking that John Power’s life was in danger if he released him.’

‘I am afraid so and you can imagine how the Inspector is feeling.’ Sir Montgomery said, sounding very upset.

‘So, it looks as if John Power is innocent, and the police are no further on in trying to find your son’s murderer.’

‘I am afraid not Vince. Listen; is there anything else that you wanted to talk to me about as I need to get to a meeting?’

‘I just wanted to tell you that Harold phoned me and asked to meet me.’

‘Did you see him?’

‘Yes sir I did. I arranged to meet him on a ferry on Friday evening, and we had a brief discussion.’

‘What did he want?’ The quiet and assured Sir Montgomery had been replaced by an angry father.

‘He asked me how the investigation was going and whether I had found out anything.’

‘Did you tell him?’

‘No, I didn’t tell him anything of import, and he seemed to take what little I did tell him at its face value. Surprisingly he knew about the car accident and he knew it took place in Limpopo province. Did you tell him?’

‘I haven’t told him anything about you and where you have been Vince. He must have another source of information.’

‘That’s particularly intriguing in itself sir as the only source must be South Africa. Nobody in the UK or Rotterdam would even know where Limpopo is.’

‘I must go Vince. Just be extremely careful and keep me informed. If I hear anything in the meantime, I will phone you.’ With that the phone line went dead and I went to make myself a strong cup of coffee.

I had liked John Power when I had met him last Friday and had been pretty certain that he wasn’t the killer of Brian Fortiscue. He was now dead, most probably murdered by the same person or people who had murdered Brian Fortiscue. Clearly, there was some tenuous link that I hadn’t worked out yet?

It was time for me to sit down and try to work out the English end of the diamond chain. I now knew what was going on at the South African end and the people involved there. I even knew where the protagonists lived or stayed making it relatively easy for me to track them down and spy on them.

I was also pretty certain I knew what was going on in Holland, or more specifically, whom the good and unscrupulous dealers were in Rotterdam. Another known fact was that the diamonds would be transferred by yacht from Cape Town to La Rochelle or some other European port. The big gap in my knowledge was in London, and the identity of the people involved close to home. Harold was in there somewhere, but it was hard to tell what exactly his role was, and, where did the murder of Brian Fortiscue fit into to all of this.

Over the weekend, I had found it enjoyable to spend time with my wife casually talking about family matters. One of the decisions we came to was that I should spend the next two weeks redecorating the kids’ bedrooms. It would also give me something to do and take my mind off the investigation of the Diamond Chain.

I needed to check with Willem, but according to my calculations, the yacht Belle Diamant wouldn’t arrive in Cape Town for at least another twenty one days. There was no need to travel to South Africa for another two weeks. Without something to occupy me, I would go mad simply sitting at home. Doing up the kids’ bedrooms was the remedy to my boredom.

While I drank my coffee, I decided to phone Willem to check on the whereabouts of the yacht.

‘Good morning Vince. How are you today,’ his cheery voice came across the airways.

‘I’m good Willem thanks and how are you?’

‘Can’t complain Vince; it is a glorious spring day here in Rotterdam.’

‘I just thought that I would phone you to get the latest position of Belle Diamant. I need to plan my next trip to Cape Town.’

‘I checked this morning, and she is going well. After the doldrums, she has picked up speed and is making remarkably good progress. According to my latest calculations, she will be in Cape Town in about eighteen days.’

‘Oh, that’s a bit sooner than I thought, but it still gives me plenty of time.’ My idea of flying out to South Africa in about two weeks’ time, would still get me there well before the yacht.

‘Is there anything else Vince?’ Willem asked me.

‘No, I have nothing further to tell you. It has been reasonably quiet on the London front. If there any new developments I’ll be in touch.’

It was now time to switch my mind on to the redecorating of the kid’s bedrooms. I got out a piece of paper to make a shopping list of what I needed to do the work. Not having a car had a lot of advantages living in Putney, where public transport was so good, but it was at times like this where I needed to go to B&Q that a car would be particularly useful. I decided that I would get the bus to the Wandsworth store and take a taxi back with all my bits and pieces.

I was halfway there on the bus when my mobile phone rang. Digging it out I managed to answer it before it went to messaging.

‘Hello, Vince Hamilton here.’ I said quietly.

‘Hi Vince, Inspector Baird. Can I talk to you?’

‘I am on a bus at the moment and would prefer to phone you back in about ten minutes. Is that OK?’

‘Yes Vince, but don’t phone me back on this number. I gave you my card last Friday, so phone me on that number.’

‘Will do Inspector.’

For the rest of the bus journey, my mind was covering every possible reason that he wanted to talk to me.

I got off the bus and found a quiet spot where I reckoned I would get a good signal. I dug his card out of my wallet and phoned him.

He answered almost immediately.

‘Hi Vince, sorry I got you on the bus; are you able to talk now?’

‘Yes, I am all ears.’

‘Would you please spare the time to come and see me today? I would be willing to travel to somewhere near you, to save you travelling all the way to Hampstead if it would help.’

‘I am busy this morning buying some stuff at B&Q, but I could see you this afternoon if that would suit.’

‘That’s fine. Where can we meet?’

‘Well if you don’t mind meeting in a Pub I would suggest the King’s Head in Parson’s Green. It is fairly quiet and easy to find as it is close to the tube station.’

‘No, that sounds good. I’ll see you there at 4:00 p.m if that suits.’

‘OK Inspector, see you then.’

I grabbed hold of a trolley and set off around B&Q to get all the items I needed to decorate the kids’ rooms. The taxi driver looked at my piled up trolley, and I thought he was about to refuse to take me, but, talk of a handsome tip, changed his frown to a smile.

I had a leisurely lunch after stowing my purchases out of the way under the stairs. It was an easy decision not to start the job until after my meeting with the Inspector. I ended up arriving in Parson’s Green very early and had to take a walk around the area to kill the time.

As it turned out I had an even longer wait as the Inspector didn’t appear until about twenty past four when he came rushing in looking for me.,

‘Sorry I am late Vince. I couldn’t get away, and then the traffic wasn’t too kind to me,’ he apologised.

‘I have been quietly sipping a pint here, so it was no hardship.’

The waitress stopped at our table, and he ordered a pint of Carling.

‘I suppose you have heard about John Power?’ the Inspector asked me.

‘Yes, Sir Montgomery mentioned it to me. So I suppose that proves he didn’t kill Brian Fortiscue.’

‘Not necessarily so, but it’s unlikely that he was the culprit.’

‘Have you any idea who killed John Power then?’

‘I have some ideas and have been following up some of my hunches, and that is what I want to talk to you about.’

‘You think that it is connected with the diamond smuggling?’

‘I have a strong feeling that it could be and you might be able to help me.’ The Inspector moved his chair much closer to me and leaned towards me.

‘You have met the Fortuins in Johannesburg haven’t you?’

‘I have talked to Moira Fortuin twice and have seen her husband in a restaurant.’

‘What about their two sons Dale and Phillip?’

‘To be perfectly honest I didn’t even know that they had two sons,’ I replied genuinely surprised.

‘Well, in fact, they have only one surviving son and he is in prison for murdering his brother.’

I was gob smacked! When I met Moira Fortuin in Johannesburg she had never mentioned that she had two sons, or even one son, and she also never mentioned that he was in prison.

‘When did this event occur Inspector?’

‘Phillip was found shot at an airport in Stellenbosch a year ago, and his brother was arrested at the scene of the crime.’

‘How do they know that it was Dale who carried out the murder?’

‘Out of curiosity I got in touch with the South African police, and amazingly enough, he was convicted on the testimony of a visiting Englishman, who just happens to be called Harold Fortiscue.’ The Inspector announced this last bit of information with a note or triumph in his voice.

I put my hand to my head and sat back, it was hard to believe this latest piece of information. Why on earth would Harold Fortiscue have been in the Western Cape just over one year ago and be at the scene of a murder? Then the penny dropped.

‘You know Inspector that the first shipment of diamonds probably occurred one year ago. Harold Fortiscue was most likely in South Africa to oversee their shipment back by yacht from Cape Town. He wasn’t just on a holiday.’

‘I think that you are one hundred percent right Vince. Harold Fortiscue is in this right up to his neck and probably as a result of his gambling debts. What is also fascinating is that all the murders have been by shooting, although a different gun has been used each time. Even the murder of Phillip Fortuin was the result of a shooting.’

‘What are you going to do Inspector? Can you arrest Harold Fortiscue on the charge that he murdered his brother, John Power and probably Phillip Fortuin?’

‘At the moment I am not in a position to act on my suspicions. I have no hard proof. He will just hire a top lawyer who will pick holes in my case and most likely have it thrown out. I will have to continue building up the case against him, and that is where you can help.’

‘What would you like me to do?’ I asked, now extremely keen to help in whatever way I could.

‘Vince, I would like you to go and visit Dale Fortuin on your next visit to South Africa. He is being held in the maximum security prison at Leukop, on the outskirts of Johannesburg. I have tried to get permission from the South African authorities to see him, but have met a brick wall. I can’t even ask them for special permission for you to visit him, so you will have to go as a general visitor.’

‘It sounds a bit daunting. Are you sure that they will allow me in to see him?’

‘I telephoned the South African prison service, and they said that, as long as you bring some form of ID with you, such as a passport that you will be allowed to see him. Sorry, I forgot to mention that the only visiting days are Saturday and Sunday.’

‘If you think it will help I’ll go and see him. I was planning on flying direct to Cape Town in two weeks’ time but can now fly to Johannesburg on the Friday. I’ll go and visit Dale on the Sunday.’

‘I would really appreciate you doing that for me Vince. I would go myself, but there would be hell to pay if they found out I was a police officer.’

I’ll phone you from Cape Town on the Monday to let you know how I get on.’

‘I won’t delay you any longer Vince so as you can get back to your decorating. If anything comes up before you fly, I will phone you.’

He stood up and shook my hand and I left to catch the tube back to East Putney and home.

I had set myself up for another new experience; visiting a maximum security prison in South Africa.