Chapter 40

Having a car for a weekend was a treat for our family and we determined to make best use of it. We voted for where we wanted to go on the Saturday and ended up at Legoland in Windsor. On the Sunday, I needed to return to Henley-on-Thames to see if I could spot a boat at the rear of the Wargrave Road house, so the family had to go there whether they liked it or not.

I was in luck as I spotted a notice at the bridge:

BOAT TRIPS

TRAVEL UP AND DOWN THE RIVER

SEE WHERE THE REGATTA IS HELD

SPECIAL FAMILY RATES

ON THE HOUR - EVERY HOUR

The family jumped at the opportunity of having an hour on the river as it was a perfect day for boating. There wasn’t a cloud in the sky, and there was only a slight breeze. The purpose of the trip, from my point of view, was to get a good look at the river side of the house and to see if there was a decent sized boat moored there.

We went up the river first, which was the opposite direction to where the house was; however, after about half an hour we travelled back under the bridge and went downstream past the Pendleton mooring. Tied up, exactly where I wanted it to be, was a magnificent motor cruiser. Michael discovered the make even before I did; it was a powerful Azimut 48 Flybridge cruiser, and it was certainly large enough to travel from the mouth of the Thames to Rotterdam while still being small enough to travel through the locks on the Thames. Emblazoned on the stern was the name CASINO ROYALE.

‘Why do you want to know about that boat Dad?’ Michael asked me pointing in its direction.

‘A person whom I know lives in that house beside the river and he owns the boat’ I explained.

‘Do you think that he would invite us out on his boat? It looks a terribly posh one?’

‘No Michael, I don’t know him that well. He is more of a business acquaintance than a friend.’

I took plenty of photographs of the boat without making it too obvious to the other members of the tour that I was particularly interested in that house and boat.

We were delivered back to just below the bridge at five minutes to the hour and set off to find somewhere for lunch.

I couldn’t wait to phone Willem on Monday morning to tell him the news about the Casino Royale. I also felt that the Inspector should be told. I already had an appointment to see him on the Tuesday so it could wait till then.

‘Good morning Vince. You’re up and about unusually early this morning,’ Willem sounded in good form when I phoned him first thing on Monday morning.

‘I have some interesting information for you, but how about you? Have you been able to find out where the Belle Diamant is?’ I was eager to ascertain if they had switched on the transponder and we were able to track the yacht or whether we had a problem.

‘Good news Vince, as soon as I came in this morning I activated the tracking process and the yacht came up on the screen. They are on the move and have reached a place called Safi, about three hundred kilometres north of Agadir. They should arrive in La Rochelle by Tuesday week; however, it might be wise for us to be there by next Monday at the latest.’

‘That’s fantastic news Willem, especially the fact that they have left the transponder on.’

‘What’s your news Vince?’

‘I went to Henley-on-Thames yesterday and discovered that Mr Pendleton owns a large boat, big enough to cross to Rotterdam. There is an Azimut 48 Flybridge motor cruiser tied up on the mooring behind the house. It is called Casino Royale.’

‘That’s a long and fast boat Vince. I was reading in one of my boating magazines all about it recently, and I was extremely impressed, even if it travels everywhere by engine. I prefer to travel using the wind even if it is slower.’

‘If the Azimut 48 leaves its mooring anytime next weekend, it will prove they are using the boat to transport the diamonds and drugs to London. If it stays on its mooring, then they must be using some other way.’

Willem then came up with a brilliant idea: ‘You need to find a way of putting a transponder on the boat Vince so as we can track it. You can buy a transponder that is battery driven and the battery lasts from two to three weeks on the one charge. That would be perfectly adequate for what we want to do.’

‘I was thinking of getting Inspector Baird involved as there is no way that I can handle everything that needs to be done at this end on my own. Perhaps he can even arrange for the transponder to be put on board and then to monitor the vessel. I am due to meet him tomorrow and will ask him then.’

‘That probably is a good idea Vince. You will be in France, and they could move the boat sooner than we anticipate. You are better having a good back up plan in place in London, and this Inspector guy sounds OK.’

‘So when are you planning to go to La Rochelle Willem?’

‘I will drive down on Monday, leaving at the crack of dawn from my home in Rotterdam. On second thoughts, I will probably leave from my father’s place as they may be watching my home. It’s about a ten hour drive from Rotterdam to La Rochelle, so I should arrive there in the middle of the afternoon.’

‘I think that I will leave on Sunday, just to be 100% certain that I get there in time,’ I said, thinking about it while I was talking. ‘It would be the precise day when something would happen in the Channel tunnel, and the train would be delayed.’

‘If there is any change in the progress of the Belle Diamant that necessitates us changing our plans, I will let you know. If the yacht is delayed, there is no point in getting there too early.’

‘I’ll talk to you during the week then Willem.’

‘Bye Vince.’

So the die was now cast, and the trap was being set, all I had to do was get through this week. One thing I was confident of, the time was going to go really slowly.