A surprise for neptune k.., p.27
A Surprise for Neptune King, page 27
“Thanks.” Neptune gave him a grateful smile.
“Well, if you are going to be out in the cold, then you’d better have some hot lunch to warm you up,” said Rachel. “I’ll tell cook there are two extra.”
Finlay phoned in just as they were about to sit down to the meal. “Do you mind staying there for a bit longer, Finlay?” asked Neptune. “Mr Redfern will come take over, but he’s just sitting down to lunch.”
“Yes, sir. I have a good observation post. There is a small park across from their house with a sealed pergola. It’s fairly sheltered in here and allows the watcher a good view of the house without being seen.”
“Excellent. He’ll be out soon. Good work, Finlay.”
Neptune joined the others. “That was Finlay. He followed Mrs Mackay home and has found a good vantage point from which to spy—it’s a pergola in the park across the road from their house.”
“Good, was wondering how we’d do it,” said Shark. “Was thinkin’ I’d have ta borrow your van. Don’t fancy sittin’ outside in the cold on mi bike.”
“Still take the van when it is your turn,” replied Neptune. “It’s less conspicuous. They’re more likely to notice a Harley parked in the street, not to mention it’s noisy when you start it up.”
They discussed the case in a little more detail over lunch, bringing Redfern up to date with what they’d been doing. He was impressed, while he in turn impressed Rachel. He practically shoveled the mountain of food on his plate in.
He glanced up when he noticed her staring. “Something wrong, Mrs King?”
She shook her head. “Do you always eat so much, Mr Redfern?”
He nodded.
“That’s incredible.”
“Fast metabolism,” he explained. “If I didn’t eat big meals I’d be a skeleton.”
Shark grinned. “No offence, Garth, but I reckon you oughtta eat a bit more.”
Garth Redfern grinned back at him. “I try. Costs a fortune.”
After the meal, Neptune gave him the address. He already knew Finlay from having met him when Finlay maintained the office during their trip to Australia.
“I’ll come relieve yuh around eight, is that okay?” asked Shark.
“Sure thing and I’ll be there at six tomorrow morning.” Redfern left to begin his watch.
“I’ll do eight till one and you can do one till six. That way we only have five hour shifts tonight,” suggested Shark.
“Yes, all right,” agreed Neptune.
Shark didn’t see any point in leaving so he stayed at Neptune’s and played billiards until it came time for him to relieve Redfern. He found the man in the pergola. It was as Finlay said. The bottom was sealed in with solid boards and the top was surrounded by trellis on three sides allowing the watcher to stay hidden inside but still be able to see through the gaps to the Mackay’s house.
“Nothing to report,” stated Redfern when Shark arrived. “Their car is in the driveway and it doesn’t look like they are going anywhere tonight.”
“Goodo. Thanks. See yuh tomorra.”
Shark settled down in the pergola and wrapped the blanket Rachel had given him around himself. He didn’t envy Neptune having the nightshift. Despite being partially undercover, it would be freezing during the night. He was half expecting it to snow any day now, it being the coldest November on record.
Neptune turned up at one. He had managed to get four hours sleep, but still felt tired. He was also starting to think it was pointless keeping watch on them overnight as it was unlikely they would do any business during the night. He said as much to Shark.
“Maybe, but yuh never know. They’re crooks. Crooks like to work in the middle of the night when they’re less likely to be seen. If they don’t have the baby, someone might come in the middle of the night and drop it off.”
Neptune sighed. “I hate it when you are logical.”
Shark chuckled. “You’ll be right; just don’t go to sleep on the job.”
“No fear of that. It’s freezing.”
After Shark left, Neptune fetched a bag out of his car. It contained two thick blankets, a hot water bottle, two thick scarves, gloves and a woollen hat with ear muffs. He pulled the hat on and wrapped himself in the scarves and blankets before taking up his position. It was only five hours but they were long hours and he was pleased to see Redfern when he turned up at six.
“Nothing happened overnight,” he reported. “If they go anywhere during the day, give me a ring if you can. Don’t stop and telephone if they are on the move, but soon as they settle somewhere keep me posted.”
“Will do.”
“Here, you might want these.” Neptune handed over the two blankets to Redfern who took them gratefully.
As soon as Neptune got home he had a hot shower to warm up, and after breakfast climbed into bed to get a few hours’ sleep. Shark took over from Redfern at two, and Neptune was on the job again at ten. Their quarry stayed home for the whole day on Sunday and had no visitors.
XII
On Monday, while Neptune was sleeping, Rachel went to the office and opened up. Shark turned up at eleven even though he was on afternoon watch.
Garth had phoned in around nine-thirty to say the Mackay’s were at their office and had arrived carrying a wicker basket.
Shark was busy at his desk writing up the list of things he would need when he started renovating his house when the phone rang.
“K&J Investigations...yes, yes, Shark’s here. I’ll send him out.” Rachel hung up and looked across at Shark. “That was Mr Redfern. A couple, obviously American, have just gone into the Mackay’s office. He thought you might want to follow them when they come out.”
Shark grinned. “Good thinkin’. I’m on my way. You might wanna ring Neptune and wake him up. He’d want to know about this.”
“All right.”
“Tell him to come to the office and I’ll ring him from wherever these people are staying.”
Rachel nodded. Shark wasted no more time but hurried out to make his way to the adoption agency. He wished he had his bike with him now as it was quicker in traffic, but he’d left it at Neptune’s house when he swapped it for the van.
He made good time, pulling up outside the agency just as two people emerged from the building carrying a baby. He spotted Redfern who pointed in the couple’s direction. Shark nodded, gave them a head start before cutting out into traffic to the hooting of several horns. The people were on foot and Shark was wondering if he should ditch the van and follow them on foot. He was just looking for a car park when the man—a tall lanky fellow wearing a Stetson, hailed a passing cab. Shark double parked for a moment and waited for the cab to pull away from the kerb before slipping deftly in behind them. He followed them all the way to the Central Plaza hotel.
When the taxi pulled up in front, he drove past quickly and parked in the section reserved for delivery vans. He was right behind the couple as they entered the building. The man was taller than Shark, but leaner, at least six-foot-three. The woman was also tall, around five-foot-nine. She was wearing a thick overcoat and a Stetson and cradled the well wrapped infant in her arms. Shark got into the lift with them as they went to the third floor.
He gave them a smile. The woman was a redhead and rather attractive, and, on closer inspection the man proved to be at least fifteen years her senior.
When they got out, he did too, casually walking past them when they stopped at door number thirty-seven. Once they entered, he waited a few minutes to see if they would come out again and even put his ear to the door. It sounded like they were there to stay so he hurried down stairs to the lobby and went to the public telephones. Neptune was at the office awaiting his call.
“They’re at the Central Plaza hotel. Third floor. They’ve got a baby with ‘em. I’ll wait for yuh at the top of the stairs,” Shark said before hanging up and going back upstairs to keep watch.
Neptune arrived forty minutes later. He came up in the lift, and Shark, who was waiting near the stairwell hurried over to join him. “They’re in number thirty-seven. An American couple. They picked up the baby from the Mackay’s.”
“Okay. Let’s go confront them. It’s quite possible that they know nothing about babies being stolen in England and are just as much victims as Mrs McPherson. We’ll need to be tactful.”
“Yep.”
Shark knocked at the door.
The man answered it. He recognized Shark from the elevator and looked at them enquiringly. “Yeah?”
“How do you do,” greeted Neptune. “Sorry to intrude but we would like a few moments of your time.”
He handed the man his card. “We’re investigating a crime. May we talk to you and your wife please?”
The man stepped back to let them enter. He glanced at their card. His wife, now minus her overcoat, was dressed the same as the man in denim jeans and denim jacket. Her red hair was long and reached her waist. He handed her Neptune’s card, she read it and smiled faintly.
“My name is Neptune King and this is my partner, Shark Johnson. We believe that the baby you collected from Angel Adoptions has been kidnapped.”
“So do we,” replied the woman, still smiling faintly as if at some secret joke.
Neptune’s jaw dropped as he and Shark exchanged surprised glances.
“You do?”
She nodded and gave her husband a nudge.
He grinned and pulled out his wallet, extracted a business card and handed it to Neptune.
“Sally and Bruce Hart, Private Investigators,” read Neptune.
“Well, what do yuh know,” said Shark with a grin. “They’re like us.”
“We’re trying to recover kidnapped babies,” explained Bruce Hart, his American twang sounding alien to their ears.
“So are we,” said Neptune. He looked past them at the baby asleep in the centre of the double bed. “In fact, we think that baby you just collected is Jessica McPherson. May I take a look at her?”
“Feel free,” offered Sally.
Neptune unwrapped the baby from her blankets explaining as he did so, “She has a red leaf-shaped birthmark on her left thigh.” The other three moved closer.
Neptune held up one chubby little leg to show them the birthmark.
“It’s Jessica all right,” agreed Shark. “She doesn’t look ill-treated. Guess they looked after her well enough.”
“Of course. How much did you pay for her?” he added looking at the Harts.
“Five thousand dollars.”
“It is our belief that they’re working on both sides of the Atlantic,” said Neptune. “Stealing babies in England and selling them to Americans, and stealing babies in America and selling them to English couples.”
“Yep,” agreed Sally. “That’s it in a nutshell. We were actually hired by Mr and Mrs Westicoot to find their son, Wally. We figured by pretending to want a baby we could follow the trail to the English end.”
“When was Wally kidnapped?” asked Neptune.
“Two weeks ago.”
“Hmm, it may be same one. My wife and I approached various adoption agencies pretending we wanted to adopt a baby. The Mackay’s contacted us on the weekend and said they had a little boy for us. They’re charging us twenty thousand pounds though.”
“Whew! That’s a lot of money,” exclaimed Bruce giving a whistle. “What’s that—about forty thousand US?”
Neptune nodded. “Something like that.”
“What’s the name of the agency you went through in the States?” asked Shark.
“Jenkins Adoptions. We did like you, pretended we wanted to adopt and money was no issue. Peter Jenkins contacted us a few days ago and told us they had a baby for us but we had to come to England. I had to pretend like I was pregnant on the flight over here.” Sally explained.
“Yes,” agreed Neptune, “That’s what Mrs Mackay told my wife she had to do. Claimed the baby we would be getting belonged to a poor woman who had seven other children and had just lost her husband. That she was selling the baby to make ends meet.”
“Exactly the same for us,” said Bruce. “Same story, poor woman with seven kids wanting to sell one. That’s why they needed the money. Anyway, we came over hoping it would lead us to the Agency and maybe to the other missing American babies.”
“How many have been stolen over there?” asked Shark.
“Twenty-three.”
“Bloody hell that’s a lot.”
“It’s a big country.”
Neptune nodded. “Only fourteen here over a one year period. Still, thirty-seven babies, each selling for several thousand pounds adds up to a small fortune.”
“Uh huh. I guess they vary the amount depending on the prospective parents’ means,” said Shark.
“It would seem that now would be an ideal time to pool our information and join forces,” said Neptune to the two Americans. “Clearly we are both working on the same case.”
“I got no problem with that,” replied Bruce, and Sally nodded.
“Sure,” she said. “It’d be the smartest thing to do.”
“Why don’t you come back to our office with us,” suggested Shark. “We can ring Mrs McPherson and give her Jessica back and then we can sit down and talk things through.”
“All right,” agreed Sally. She turned to the baby and wrapped her back up in the blankets. They collected their coats then all four made their way downstairs.
“We’ll have to split up,” said Neptune. “My car is only a two-seater and so is the van Shark is driving.”
“I’ll ride with Shark,” said Sally with a smile. “Always did have a weakness for handsome blond hunks.”
Shark grinned. “Well, you’re outta luck ‘coz I’m taken.”
She returned his grin with a wink and said, “That’s okay. I’m married.”
“And I’m not lucky enough to have her run off with another man,” complained Bruce.
“Don’t mind him; he’s secretly seething with jealousy. He just conceals it well.”
Neptune smiled at their banter. It was obvious they were a close couple. “We’ll meet up at the office, Shark. I’ll detour and fill Redfern in and ask him to continue to keep watch on the Mackay’s until we get back to him.”
“Okay.” Once outside, Shark led Sally over to where he’d parked the van. The hotel’s security officer was sniffing around it, taking down its registration number. He looked up disapprovingly when Shark came over.
“This space is reserved for deliveries only,” he said officiously.
“I was makin’ a delivery,” replied Shark, unfazed. “See.” He pointed to the baby.
The man’s mouth dropped open.
Sally gave him a smile as she passed.
Shark opened the passenger door for her and helped her in. He ignored the man and started the engine and pulled out, giving Neptune a wave as he passed.
“Hey, how come you drive this skuzzy old heap while your partner drives a Jaguar?”
Shark grinned. “Actually this is Neptune’s van as well. I ride a Harley.”
She gave a whistle. “Now that’s more like it.”
Meantime, Bruce was admiring Neptune’s car. “This is a beauty. Guess being a P.I pays well over here.”
“Actually this was a wedding present from Shark,” replied Neptune. “But yes, business is fairly brisk.” He detoured on the trip back to the office to stop off long enough to have a word with Redfern, who was happy to stay where he was until told otherwise.
Ψ Ψ Ψ
Rachel was chatting to Becky at the office when Shark arrived. She had dropped by to see if Rachel wanted to join her for lunch and go furniture shopping.
“Uh oh,” said Shark as soon as he saw her. “I’ve been sprung.”
Rachel smiled, wondering what he meant. “What are you talking about, Shark?”
“Becky’s caught me with mi new girlfriend. Yuh better run for it, Sally.”
Becky glared at him for a moment, before fastening her gaze onto the attractive woman with him. She took in the other’s long hair and legs that went for miles and felt a sudden pang of anxiety. She knew how much Shark liked long hair. Not all that long ago, she would have assumed the worst. Now, however, she forced herself to wait for an explanation before going off the deep end.
“Yes, she had better run,” agreed Becky. “As far from you as possible if she values her sanity.”
Shark grinned. He liked teasing Becky only she wasn’t as gullible as she used to be.
“Is that Jessica?” asked Rachel eyeing the baby hopefully.
“Sure is. Do you wanna give Mrs McPherson a ring?”
Rachel nodded.
“Aren’t you going to introduce us?” asked Becky, still curious as to whom this woman was.
“Hi, I’m Sally Hart. You must be Rebecca Evans, Shark’s fiancée?”
“Yes.” Becky looked her over again wondering how she knew that. “Have you known Shark long?”
Sally glanced at the wall clock. “About an hour.”
“Oh!” That really surprised her. “Then how on earth do you know about me?”
“That’s all he could talk about on the drive over here. You and his new house he’s moving into next week.”
Becky smiled and looked across at Shark noting that his cheeks were a little pinker than usual, embarrassed at being caught out. She really didn’t have to worry about Shark chasing after this woman, not if he spent the whole time of their acquaintance talking about her.
“Neptune should be here soon,” said Shark, trying to change the subject.
“Will you be in town for long?” asked Becky, not so easily diverted.
“Not sure. We’re working a case.”
“Sally and her husband are private investigators,” explained Shark. “They’re workin’ the same case we are, so we’re gunna work together.”
“Oh. Well you could do worse. Shark and Neptune are the best in England,” said Becky proudly.
“Uh huh, well Bruce and I are the best in New York.”
Rachel hung up the phone and said, “Mrs McPherson is on her way over. Becky, I’ll have to come furniture shopping with you some other time.”
