all those years, and companies that would be
outside the normal British shipping fleets. The reason for this is the crewmen
you'll meet on the Rangoon could have sailed on ships belonging to any British
company. Their normal conversation would be about the companies you and they
have worked for and the ships sailed on. You could be asked some awkward questions
about who was captain, chief steward or any other prominent crew member;
inquiries that would be innocent enough, but you not knowing would lead to you
blowing your cover."
Vincent interjected. “If it
suits you, you can also use your new address to stay with myself and the
missus. We’d be only too delighted to have you."
"I would be delighted
to stay at your house. I just hope I won't be an inconvenience."
"We'll manage just fine;
you can arrive anytime this evening. Here’s the address," he said, handing
Henry a piece of paper.
"Now,” said Tom, “I'll
look after the passport and seaman's discharge book. I will need a photograph
of you when you were fifteen for the book. Do you think you can manage that?
"I'm sure I'll come up
with a suitable one. How about the one for the passport?"
"A current photo will do
for that, you could renew your passport at any time. That will remain in your
personal possession, it's only the seaman's discharge book you will have to
give to the ship's captain, so there should be no notice taken of your
passport."
James Eagleton gathered up
some papers, and turning to Henry he said. “Will you go see your friend Miss
Twist and ask if she has a list of ports of call for the Rangoon for the next
two months? We will have to decide where to make the shift and get you on
board, preferably a port with an international airport nearby. I think that
about covers the situation for the moment, unless anyone has anymore to
add."
They all shook their heads.
"Ok Henry, you visit
the shipping company offices and glean what you can from them. I'll be looking
forward to seeing you at home later this evening."
Meanwhile, at the shipping
company, Captain Leavy-Hobbs called Vera into his office and asked her to bring
him up to date with what had been happening with her dealing with Henry.
"Scotland Yard has
received reports back from some of the ports the Rangoon visited on her last
voyage. Five of which have reported that a young girl had been murdered while
the ship was in port. These crimes tie in with the murder of Henry's niece;
what you would call in police jargon, copycat murders."
Captain Leavy-Hobbs was
visibly shocked, his eyes portraying a sense of panic. "We will have to
break this disturbing news to our chairman. We have a board meeting tomorrow. I
will have to take Lord Percy aside and relay this serious development to
him."
“Would you like me to be
present with you when you do?”
“Maybe not Vera, you know
your relationship with him would only add to his undoubted concern. I know you
wouldn't wish this kind of trouble on anyone."
"Of course not, our past
is history and not to be resurrected," she lied.
If only he could comprehend,
she thought, how much I loathe Percy and his French whore of a wife. And now
she has bred him a vile murderer. But as my father often told me in times of
stress and trouble: the tide can only go out so far until it has to come in
again. Now my tide is coming in.
"Has this man Henry made
any time schedule for when he wants to join the Rangoon?"
"No; we have no fixed
date. I will have to give him a list of her ports of call as far as we know
them and he and his senior officers will decide where best to make the
shift."
"Did he say the master
of the Rangoon was not to be confided in about this secret investigation?"
"Yes; there is to be no
knowledge of this outside of you, me and Lord Percy. Henry has stressed that any
breach of this secrecy could jeopardize his life, and the person guilty of
betraying his presence on the ship would undoubtedly be charged under criminal
law."
"I will
outside the normal British shipping fleets. The reason for this is the crewmen
you'll meet on the Rangoon could have sailed on ships belonging to any British
company. Their normal conversation would be about the companies you and they
have worked for and the ships sailed on. You could be asked some awkward questions
about who was captain, chief steward or any other prominent crew member;
inquiries that would be innocent enough, but you not knowing would lead to you
blowing your cover."
Vincent interjected. “If it
suits you, you can also use your new address to stay with myself and the
missus. We’d be only too delighted to have you."
"I would be delighted
to stay at your house. I just hope I won't be an inconvenience."
"We'll manage just fine;
you can arrive anytime this evening. Here’s the address," he said, handing
Henry a piece of paper.
"Now,” said Tom, “I'll
look after the passport and seaman's discharge book. I will need a photograph
of you when you were fifteen for the book. Do you think you can manage that?
"I'm sure I'll come up
with a suitable one. How about the one for the passport?"
"A current photo will do
for that, you could renew your passport at any time. That will remain in your
personal possession, it's only the seaman's discharge book you will have to
give to the ship's captain, so there should be no notice taken of your
passport."
James Eagleton gathered up
some papers, and turning to Henry he said. “Will you go see your friend Miss
Twist and ask if she has a list of ports of call for the Rangoon for the next
two months? We will have to decide where to make the shift and get you on
board, preferably a port with an international airport nearby. I think that
about covers the situation for the moment, unless anyone has anymore to
add."
They all shook their heads.
"Ok Henry, you visit
the shipping company offices and glean what you can from them. I'll be looking
forward to seeing you at home later this evening."
Meanwhile, at the shipping
company, Captain Leavy-Hobbs called Vera into his office and asked her to bring
him up to date with what had been happening with her dealing with Henry.
"Scotland Yard has
received reports back from some of the ports the Rangoon visited on her last
voyage. Five of which have reported that a young girl had been murdered while
the ship was in port. These crimes tie in with the murder of Henry's niece;
what you would call in police jargon, copycat murders."
Captain Leavy-Hobbs was
visibly shocked, his eyes portraying a sense of panic. "We will have to
break this disturbing news to our chairman. We have a board meeting tomorrow. I
will have to take Lord Percy aside and relay this serious development to
him."
“Would you like me to be
present with you when you do?”
“Maybe not Vera, you know
your relationship with him would only add to his undoubted concern. I know you
wouldn't wish this kind of trouble on anyone."
"Of course not, our past
is history and not to be resurrected," she lied.
If only he could comprehend,
she thought, how much I loathe Percy and his French whore of a wife. And now
she has bred him a vile murderer. But as my father often told me in times of
stress and trouble: the tide can only go out so far until it has to come in
again. Now my tide is coming in.
"Has this man Henry made
any time schedule for when he wants to join the Rangoon?"
"No; we have no fixed
date. I will have to give him a list of her ports of call as far as we know
them and he and his senior officers will decide where best to make the
shift."
"Did he say the master
of the Rangoon was not to be confided in about this secret investigation?"
"Yes; there is to be no
knowledge of this outside of you, me and Lord Percy. Henry has stressed that any
breach of this secrecy could jeopardize his life, and the person guilty of
betraying his presence on the ship would undoubtedly be charged under criminal
law."
"I will
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