When Mike walked up the road to the bar, he wondered what mood Pat would be in. He feared the worst until he heard music blaring through the open sliding doors. Customers spill in through the same doors. All were struggling to get served, and Pat shouted to the delivery man for another beer box. Pat was coping well and enjoying every minute of her work.

  Mike quickly placed behind the bar and helped by cracking open bottles. Pat was in her element. When eventually they closed at 2 am, she slapped a huge wad of notes in front of Mike. If the amount of money astonished him. Her statement flabbergasted him, 'It has been like that every day since you left.'

  Pat returned the pile of Baht notes, saying, 'The money stays with me. You can have whatever remains until we have restocked the bar and paid the electric, water, and other debts. Where have you been?'

  'So, they didn’t give you my message?'

  Chapter 24 JUNGLE AGAIN

  'MIKE, HOW MANY FOR the jungle?'

  'There will be about twelve people if they all turn up.'

  He was being unnecessarily pessimistic.

  'All from Germany are all staying here at the Dusit.'

  'Wow, that’s great. Are they all in the same group? I mean, did they all travel here together, or is it people who don’t know each other?' asked Kev.

  'Iʼm not sure. Their German agent came in and booked it, and she is quite a looker too!'

  'Find out their ages, old, young, children, and any disabilities. Look at me; I’m telling you your job, sorry,' said Kev.

  'Pat has already gone to the hotel, and she will get all the details. We must arrange transport from there and make sure there will be enough room on the boats. Hold on, here she is.'

  Pat looked like a real business lady: a Navy blue suit, black leather shoes, and a black shoulder bag stuffed with papers.

  'Nothing is written in the papers if that’s what you are looking at. But it looks more official,' Pat gave a little laugh. Then, carried on. 'It’s a mixed group, and I mean men and women. They all belong to a club, something to do with the history of the Second World War, would you believe? So they are all around 60 years old, all fit, or at least no wheelchairs.'

  'Pat, you can tell Pi Meow what you need and find out if he can help with minibuses, etc.'

  Off she searched for the older man at his house by the beach. Pat had never been to Pi Meow’s house. She approached the door, about to knock, when the door opened. The look on Pi Meow’s face disconcerted her. She felt she was grown up and could handle any over-excited man. But she did not like the stare he was giving her. His eyes were all over her like a dog viewing meat in a butcher’s shop.

  On returning to the bar, Pat said, 'Mike, I donʼt like that man. I had to be nice because we need him, but next time you come with me, okay?' Pat said, 'We should take Kev, Nick, or both on the trip. We'll need some help.'

  Mike’s tour hits a problem.

  'Nightmare! That pretty German girl with the tour group has caught some horrible fever. She canʼt be the translator for us, and she can’t even get out of bed. What are we going to do?'

  'Leave it to me, Mike, and I may have just the man.'

  Off went Kev in search of Charlie.

  'Hello Charlie, the house looks good.'

  'Hi Kev, yes we are thrilled with the place, thanks for finding it for us. What can I do for you? Do you want me to sing somewhere? I’ll do it for no charge?'

  'Sorry, singing is not on the job description. How do you fancy an all-expenses-paid trip to Kaeng Krachan? We have a German group going on the excursion, but they don’t speak English. All you have to do is help explain a few sentences here and there.'

  'Count me in. I’ve never been to the dam.'

  Kev plodded happily to the bar. 'Right, Mike, Pat, you owe me a beer. I have found you a German translator with perfect English. The ideal man for the job, heʼll even sing for them.'

  'Great! Can he sing?'

  'No idea, but he tells me he’s the best.'

  Another of Pi Meow’s fan club, Skylab, was worried about having to be with him again. But the last thing she wanted was for Kev to have trouble with his gang. She was determined to go, whatever.

  That aside, both Skylab and Kev were excited for Mike and Pat. Today was the first real tour of their new business.

  Charlie was the first to arrive at the clock tower meeting point. The clock tower was on the main road, outside the big temple. It was a good place to meet as it was within walking distance for everybody. Also, there was plenty of parking space nearby. Next, a minibus arrived.

  Pat and a clean-shaven Mike were next to appear. Skylab and Kev followed them—a good start. Everybody was present and only a few minutes late. The driver had to refill the screen washer bottle, which delayed them a few more minutes. He said there could be a lot of dust on the road in the park.

  The minibus pulled to the elegant hotel and parked beside its sister bus. Mike and Charlie went into reception to greet their group.

  In front of the reception desk was a group of very agitated “falangs”. All pointing and gesticulating to the clock. The receptionist was in tears; it was her first week at the Hua Hin Dusit. Not that anyone with experience could have handled these guests any better.

  Charlie’s wig almost lifted and floated away as if it was looking for an escape route through a tunnel that wasn’t there.

  'Whatever is the matter?' asked Mike.

  'Ten minutes,' said Charlie, shaking his head. 'Not only that, they are from the East. Ostpommersch, the language is Pommerellisch, more Polish than German. Mein Gott, can I go home?'

  'Ten minutes?'

  'Yes, ten minutes is what all this fuss is about. They are a very punctual set of customers. We will have problems today for sure. I can only understand bits of their dialect, and I suspect they can barely understand me. I'm from Munchen, so not only is the language different, but our politics are also very different.'

  The receptionist had fled in tears to be replaced by a straight-talking Australian. He slammed an open palm on the counter. The noise it made brought silence and immediate attention.

  'Right, you lot, anybody upsets my staff like that, we will throw you out of this hotel, clear?'

  It was far from clear, but the point was made.

  They rarely saw large, powerful motorbikes in Hua Hin. Big bikes were not made in Thailand. Any choppers or road racing machines, which were always of an old design, were imported. Often in bits to be assembled here. So when an attractive new bike roared up the hotel’s drive, it caught people’s attention. So did the rider.

  'What is she doing here,' wondered Kev.

  As the bike roared past, Charlie and Mike got the group into the minibuses. Before they left the hotel parking area, Charlie tried his best to explain today’s trip to the occupants of each bus. The group was a very upright, grey-haired, fit-looking bunch of elderly men and women. Charlie looked far from fit. Also, there were no creases along the legs in his shorts! Add the obvious wig. This was not how Germans, east or west, should look.

  Kev and the Thai girls did not understand a word from the seats behind them. Charlie had the misfortune of understanding enough of the complaints.

  'Late, dirty, bus unfit for people like us, not a civilised country,' blah blah, it carried on. This was before they reached the end of the hotel’s long driveway.

  The group cheered upon arrival at the water’s edge. This time Pi Meow had arranged a boat large enough to seat everybody. In an orderly fashion, they boarded without a whimper.

  They produced a pair of binoculars from somebody’s bag and passed them to a senior man. He was studying the horizon, but what for?

  With enough power, the boat hit the landing spot to force the bow upwards and forward. It enabled each passenger to dismount without getting wet. They were led up to the wooden building, where they all sat and waited to be handed a bottle of water. Charlie then talked in German about how and why the King had built the dam. No one was listening to him. Was it because of his accent? They all appeared more interested in the gentleman who had taken the leadership position. And the man beside him looked out over the water through the binoculars.

  Charlie, undaunted, carried on explaining about the area’s wildlife. When the tour party arose, pushed past the speaker and marched. Yes, marched to the boat, they all jumped in, and a sprightly lady turned the engine key and went off. They did not need to speed away, as nobody could swim fast enough to catch the boat.

  'Have they stolen the boat?'

  'What just happened?'

  'Are we stuck here?'

  Cries rang out as the boat disappeared behind one of the many islands.

  Something had puzzled Kev was how does the turtle curry man get there? Later he would find out.

  Pi Meow did not seem unduly worried, and he must know something. The girls, Kev, Mike, and Charlie, were anxious. They were discussing their situation when Pi Meow said,

  'My friend is on his way. I think you have seen him before. He is due to meet briefly with me in about an hour. So no need to worry about getting home. If the worst happens and the German group sinks, he can arrange for us all to get back.' He laughed. 'My big concern is that if there is any damage to the boat, that will cost me a fortune.'

  'What about our guests? What if they drown?'

  'Not my problem,' said Pi Meow.

  Chapter 25 TURTLE CURRY MAN ARRIVES

  PI MEOW HAD LEFT the rest of the group. No one noticed.

  The Pomeranian group jumped out of their craft. They spread out on the steep water’s edge; it was not luck they arrived at low tide; they timed it. Hence being so worried about being late. They weren’t to know, but it made little difference. As they made their way up the hill, the man with the binoculars was busy checking that the island was unoccupied. Seeing no one, he changed his viewfinder to the top of the hill.

  They found a pile of stones. As their Hong Kong contact had told them, they would. The shape of the letter “H” was pictured in rocks. On one side and eight paces to the right was another “H”, HH, Heil Hitler. Dead centre of the two letters “Hs”, they started digging. It didn’t take long before the Germans were sweating, but they refused to show tiredness. Eventually, nearly two feet underground, they uncovered what they were searching for—a battered tin box about the size of a carton of Black Magic chocolates.

  Pi Meow returned with the turtle curry man. Both men were laughing. When the turtle curry man spotted Mike, he stopped laughing and ducked out of sight before Mike noticed him.

  The turtle curry man had a small but fast craft moored on the opposite side of the island to them.

  'You are probably interested to know your tour group will be back - with the boat - not long to wait, so donʼt worry. All is okay.'

  Pi Meow looked very pleased with himself.

  Skylab could not help herself by asking, 'Pi, excuse me, but what is going on?'

  'Let’s just say I was very well paid for my part in this mystery. My friend here,' he said, pointing to the fast-disappearing turtle curry man. 'I'm also delighted with today's outcome. Now please, no more questions.'

  In the distance, they could see the boat on its return voyage. On arrival at the landing spot. The German passengers remained in their seats. Stoic and quiet, but all with the faintest smile. The rest of the group boarded. They had no smiles. It would be pointless to ask what the aged group were doing. Nobody tried. It was a silent ride back to the mini-buses. And quietly back to the hotel.

  Back at the Dusit, the German group lined up in a military formation as they almost marched to their rooms.

  The tour leaders boarded the bus and looked at each other. They were trying their best not to laugh. Skylab sniggered, followed by Charlie, and then they were all laughing, relieving the tension. Kev was stony-faced. He asked the driver to stop at the first phone box he saw.

  'Mr Black, I need to see you urgently.'

  'What is it, Kevin? Tell me on the phone if it’s that important.'

  'You had better find out when twelve East German nationals are checking out of the Dusit. They have the information you will be keen to share. I do not understand what it could be, but something interesting.'

  'You are the man on the spot. You can find out when they plan on leaving. Say someone left something on the bus, and you must return it. Then get back to me, A.S.A.P.'

  Kev's change was running out.

  'Hello. You saw my colleagues earlier at the hotel’s reception. I was with the group that took the East Germans on a tour. Are they staying long? Only one lady left her bag on our bus. I’d like to return it.'

  'Sorry, Sir, they all checked out.'

  'Do you know where they are going?'

  'No, it was strange. I booked them until next weekend. Maybe my boss upset them?'

  'Please, can I talk to him?'

  'Yes, Sir, I'll put you through to his office.'

  'John Gale, how can I help you?'

  'Mr Gale, sorry to trouble you, but it’s about the East German group. I think you probably remember them. Do you know where they are going? Only one lady left her bag on our bus, and I’d like to return it.'

  'Silly cow! They left for Bangkok, but I donʼt know where they are staying. I didn’t ask. Glad to be rid of them. Wait a minute. The coach company will tell you where the driver is taking them.'

  'Great! Thank you, Mr Gale.'

  Kev rifled through his pockets for his last coins, for the callbox. 'Mr Black, they are on the way to Bangkok. They are heading towards The Oriental Hotel. Where they are booked in for tonight only.'

  'Thanks, Kevin, oh and well done.'

  Praise was rare from Mr Black. Kev got back on the minibus, and at last, he could relax, at least for now.

  Black immediately got on to his contact at police headquarters. Captain Wattana of the Central Investigation Bureau. These two men had been friends since Black joined the Bangkok Cricket Club. Wattana, opening bat and captain at cricket, and a police captain. Hence the pet name Skip.

  'Look, Skip. I need these people taken in for questioning, which wonʼt be easy as no one speaks the same language! I need to be present when they are searched. They will have something in their possession of great interest to my government. Maybe yours too?'

  'We’ll catch them before they reach their hotel. Come to my office, and I'll put them in cells here. We can then see what they have of such interest. By the way, I need you to bowl this weekend. See you later.'

  The German group filed into the police station, and heads held high. They were all chanting something. God knows what. They searched each member of the group, and so far, each member of the group had a pocket full of rubies. Black joined Wattana as the last person in the queue was about to be searched.

  'I trust your government has more to do than worry about some stones?'

  'Sir, sir, what is this?' called a veteran officer.

  'Well, well, that is what Downing Street will be more interested in.'

  'What is it, Black?'

  'That, my friend, is the proof we have been looking for years. In front of us is an award issued by the Viet Cong. I can't read it but recognise the man in the picture. He worked for us in Hong Kong. He switched to the other side, and before doing so, he handed over countless secret documents! Since then, he has disappeared, but we have seen traces of his work.'

  'Explain, please. What is this all about?'

  'A young spy worked for us in the Far East during and after the Second World War. They based him in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, he was turned. Since before the end of the war, he has worked against the West every chance he got. But along the way, he became wealthy. He is still giving us the runaround, we want to catch this man, and by God, we will. He has been operating from Laos or Burma recently, we believe.'

  'What must I do with these East Germans?'

  'To be honest, I donʼt care up to you, as they say. What Thai law have they broken?'

  'We have laws covering National Treasures. We can list the rubies as National Treasury, and I'll have to get the lawyers on it. Or we can release them. A lot easier all around. You have what you need, and I can find a good home for the stones.'

  'Will I get to bat this weekend?'

  Chapter 26 PARTY FOR NICK AND MYRTLE

  'WE NEED A BREAK. How about a few days away?'

  Kev had mentioned his idea to Skylab, and she was all for it. They felt they could all enjoy a day or two away from the office. He wanted to recharge his batteries after the latest excitement at Kaeng Krachan. Dam wandered into the office and caught the end of their conversation.

  'Great idea. Where do you want to go?'

  A weary Skylab muttered, 'Dam, where should we go? Are you, Emma, and Gi coming?'

  'You need to talk to Nick before making any plans. Hold your horses until Nick and Myrtle come down.'

  'Talk of the Devil. Here comes the sleepy pair. We must tell you what happened to us yesterday,' said Kev.

  'Before you start on that, Myrtle and I want to tell you something.'

  She shoved Nick aside, 'Yes, Nick and I want to host an engagement party. We spoke to my parents while you were all away. My Dad made it awkward for poor old Nick, him not being a rugby fan. At least with Dad talking about rugby, there was no mention of a hurried marriage, if you know what I mean.'

  'We were just talking about two days away. It would be great to link your party and a little holiday!'

  'Sounds fantastic,' said Myrtle, 'come on, Dam, you must know all the cool places.'

  'Okay, leave it to me. I know a great place, perfect for what we need.'

  'Are your French girlfriends coming? They are very welcome.'

  'Thank you, I'll ask them, and I'm sure they would love to join us, as long as they can find someone to look after the dogs!'

  The French pair were lounging upstairs in their nightwear.

  'Gi, I'm sorry, but I have a big problem.'

  With those few words, she burst into tears.

 

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