Mary Dear - Redux Page 7

  Edward set off to visit Thomas Cook, a travel agent near Marble Arch. It was one of those rare cold, crisp, sunny mornings that he loved so much. He walked to Queensway, past Whiteleys with its windows displaying the latest fashions, noted that short dresses were back and smiled. He continued heading towards Bayswater Road, passing large gaping holes where buildings had once stood, grim reminders of the London Blitz. There was a newspaper stand in the corner by the entrance to the underground with the latest news on the General Election that was due to take place the following month. The Conservative party were tipped to return to power and, if they did, seventy-seven year old Winston Churchill would again be the new prime minister; Edward liked Winnie and would be glad of it. He bought a copy of the Daily Sketch, caught a number 88, made his way to the upper deck of the bus and sat at the front. From his vantage point he saw Hyde Park full of people. There were men walking their dogs, some women pushed prams while lovers, out for a stroll, walked holding hands enjoying the fresh morning air. He felt good and full of optimism. He got off in Oxford Street and went in search of the agency in Edgware Road. When he got there he entered the shop and was greeted by a pretty young blonde seated at a desk nearest the door.

  ‘Good morning sir, how can I help you?’ She said smiling brightly.

  ‘Yes, I telephoned last week and spoke to Mrs Soames, you wouldn’t be...?’ He started to say.

  ‘No, I’m not,’ she said smiling, ‘she’s our manager; I’ll just get her for you... Mr...?’

  ‘Hannah. Edward Hannah.’

  Mrs Soames turned out to be a charming; forty something, smartly dressed lady. She greeted Edward and asked him into her office. He followed her to the back of the shop, went into her office and sat down in front of her desk. The walls of her office were decorated with colourful picture posters of New York, Paris and Rome as well as framed black and white photographs of pilots and pretty air stewardesses pictured against the backdrop of the airlines’ latest aeroplanes. A lead-cast model of a Stratocruiser on a pedestal stood by the telephone on her desk.

  ‘You’ll be pleased to hear that I’ve managed to find you a ticket to New York on BOAC’s Monarch morning service on December 9th,’ she said, ‘it’s a very long flight you know, eleven and a half hours to New York’s La Guardia, gets in at 5.30pm local time, I have the itinerary here somewhere,’ she said, ‘it’s their newest Boeing 377 Stratocruiser with sleeping accommodation so you will be well rested on arrival.’ Mrs Soames pointed to the model of the plane and continued to search amongst a pile of papers on her desk until she found the itinerary.

  ‘Yes here we are now, let me see...I’ve spoken to Pan Am,’ she said reading from her notes, ‘and they have you booked on a connecting flight to Mexico City where you will stay overnight. The following day you’ll leave Mexico with Taca on one of their DC3’s. I’m afraid they stop at every city from Guatemala to Costa Rica but that’s all there is. You’ll arrive there at 6.30pm and leave three days later as you requested. The airport in Costa Rica is La Savana, right in the heart of San Jose, which is most convenient for hotels and shops. From San Jose you’re booked on a LAV flight to Lima and from there on LANSA to Ecuador.’

  Liz Soames sat back, pleased with herself. It was not every day that a gentleman walked into her shop and favoured her with such a complicated set of arrangements and she thought she’d done rather well. Edward thanked her and she promised to call him when she had the entire travel schedule confirmed, and the prices for the complete trip so that he could come in again to collect his travel documents and make the payment.

  Mrs Soames gave Edward her card and he thanked her for all her hard work. He left the shop and decided to return to his flat on foot. It was a lovely day and a walk through Hyde Park would do him the power of good.

  The day of his departure finally arrived and Edwina accompanied him to the airport in a taxi. When they got there he got a porter to help with the luggage and went off in search of the BOAC desk, which they found on the ground floor.

  This was Edward’s first flight out of London Airport and he was very excited by the prospect of a transatlantic trip, though he’d read somewhere that over 700,000 passengers had travelled from London Airport last year and flying was now almost commonplace.

  He was wearing a Panama hat that suited his face rather well, and had bought an elegant lightweight suit and some shirts in Austin Reed, anything else he would buy in Costa Rica as they were bound to be better value and would be more suitable for the temperature in the tropics.

  The concourse was full of smartly dressed men and women in suits and hats. There was an air of exhilaration about the airport; air travel was so very new with its promise of a brighter future, bringing far off places closer to home. Edward was torn between the excitement at the prospect of his long voyage and the feeling that he was leaving his dear sister alone so soon after she had got him back from the war. He promised he would write and Edwina did her best not to cry but of course, when Edward’s flight was called, she broke down.

  ‘Well this is it I guess...Oh dear, dear now don’t you cry. You know how I hate to see you crying.’

  ‘I know but I can’t help it. You’re going off and I’m left here on my own.’

  ‘It’s not for ever you know, I promise I’ll write and, as soon as I can, I’ll place a trunk call and we’ll talk. When I’m settled you can come and visit for as long as you like. It’ll be all right you’ll see.’ But he could tell she wasn’t convinced. All Edwina could think of was her Edward going through the door marked Passengers Only and her never seeing him again. She knew it was silly but she just couldn’t help it and again she felt the sting of tears welling in her eyes and a horrible feeling of anguish in the pit of her stomach like what she’d felt when Edward went off to war.

  ‘You better go now you don’t want to miss your flight now do you?’ She said trying hard to stop herself crying. They hugged and held each other for a long time and finally he gave her a kiss on her cheek wet with tears.

  ‘Edwina, go to the observation deck, you can wave goodbye from there.’

  He hated to let his sister go and followed her with his eyes for a moment, then turned away and made his way through to the departures lounge. Twenty minutes later his flight was ready for boarding. He joined the other passengers for the short walk along the tarmac to the huge double-decker aircraft. The airplane ladder bearing the BOAC logo was propped up to the entrance door and a slim stewardess, in the Corporation’s smart navy uniform, greeted the passengers before they climbed the stairs and entered the plane. When he got to the door at the top of the ladder Edward waved to Edwina who waved frantically back. Reluctantly he turned away and entered the plane.

  The Monarch flight between London Airport and La Guardia in New York was a luxury service for the eighty-one passengers on board. On entering Edward was struck by its sheer size. Spacious seats either side of a six foot wide centre aisle and an eight foot ceiling height, meant that even six footers like him would be very comfortable during the long journey. He passed a circular staircase going down to the bar and made a mental note to go for a drink when it got dark. He found his place, sat down and looked through the large oblong window. He could still see his sister though she could not see him. He felt guilty living her behind but this was a chance of a lifetime. If he made his fortune she would not need to worry about money for the rest of her life, or him for that matter.

  It was a beautiful bright, cloudless day as if to prove that England was not always engulfed in fog and rain. The cabin steward closed the door and the ground crew took the stairs away from the aircraft. All the passengers settled into their seats. A little later the calm voice of the captain came over the aircraft’s sound system introducing himself, his crew and the flight attendants. He announced the departure of the aircraft and left the passengers in the capable hands of the cabin crew.

  Edward was sitting by the wing looking through the window at his sister who appeared rather sad standing alo
ne waiting for his plane to depart; again, he felt a guilty pang at leaving her behind. He was brought out of his daydream by a shrill metallic cough, and saw a puff of white smoke coming from the engine cowling as the Stratocruiser’s captain started the initial warm up of the four Pratt & Whitney Wasp Majors. The propeller blades on the port and starboard-side engines turned hesitantly at first but soon settled down to a steady purr that transmitted a gentle vibration to the cabin. Edward’s thoughts turned to the last time he’d been on a plane, he had been on a Lancaster bomber accompanying his friend’s coffin on the journey home. How different this was; maybe it was finally time to put the past behind.

  The Captain and his crew finished all the checks. They taxied to the runway, the flight engineer set the cowl flaps, and the co-pilot depressed the flaps for take-off. The Captain applied power gradually and the giant aircraft sped down the runway, andleft the ground climbing fast, leaving London behind bathed in glorious sunshine.

  Looking out of his window at the clear blue sky Edward felt a jumble of emotions, happy and sad, exhilarated and apprehensive. Was he doing the right thing? He had a treasure map, two in fact. So many people had died searching for Thompson’s treasure but still, there’s no such thing as curses, is there? And what of Dieter’s book? Had it not cost him his life and maybe Joseph’s too? Could it be, he wondered, that inadvertently he’d gotten hold of a poisoned chalice?

  Edward had been anticipating his arrival at Guayaquil with a mixture of excitement and trepidation. He felt terrible about letting Peregrine down after he had placed his trust in him and offered him a chance of a new life. As he descended the steps from the plane and walked towards the terminal building he played the scene he’d rehearsed in his head but, whichever way he said it, he knew it would sound bad. He came through customs after about half an hour and found Peregrine waiting for him on the other side. He looked the picture of health, even better than when he’d last seen him in Boodles. He was smiling broadly and waving his Panama hat to attract his attention.

  ‘Hello old man,’ he said by way of a greeting and Edward felt a strange sensation that he identified as embarrassment. That was it, he was embarrassed and that was not a feeling he was used to.

  ‘Hello Peregrine it’s great to see you.’

  The arrivals area was crowded and very hot; not a good place for a reunion. Peregrine had come with two men from the shipyard to help with Edward’s luggage and was giving instructions in Spanish and taking control of the situation. When he was satisfied with the arrangements he turned to Edward:

  ‘Sorry Teddy but it’s best to get out of here as soon as possible. My men will take your luggage to your accommodation and you and I can go back in my car and at a more leisurely pace, you must be very tired.’

  ‘That’s very kind. I should be tired but, somehow, I’m not; must be adrenaline and the sight of you and the new surroundings,’ he said looking around at the cars parked outside the airport and all the strange faces so different to the ones he’d seen in Heathrow.

  ‘Yes, I know what you mean. It was just like that for me when I first arrived but I had my lovely Leonor to look forward to of course, still, we may yet find you a pretty señorita,’ he said with a mischievous look in his eyes.

  ‘Quite the matchmaker you’ve turned out to be,’ Edward laughed, ‘I can see I’m going to have to be on my guard.’

  ‘You make it sound like purgatory Teddy, don’t let Leonor hear you say that, she’s the matchmaker not me.’

  ‘Very well, I’ll be on my best behaviour, I promise. Where are you taking me?’

  They stopped next to a cream and grey Oldsmobile.

  ‘Your chariot awaits.’

  ‘Is this yours?’ The American car was new and very modern compared to the cars back home.

  ‘Yes Teddy, and soon I will have to fix you up with transport of your own. I hope you won’t mind driving in a country where there are no rules; it’s everyman for himself but you’ll soon get the hang of it, don’t you worry.’

  It felt funny getting in on the wrong side of the car, just one more thing to get used to, he thought as Peregrine put the big automatic into drive and shot out of the airport area at an alarming speed.

  Edward was wondering when would be the best time to broach the subject he needed to discuss with Peregrine, coming to the conclusion that the sooner the better; he wasn’t sure he could play dumb for much longer.

  ‘Fancy a nice cold drink after your long journey?’

  ‘I’m always ready for a drink,’ he said ‘I suppose you have a place in mind because, I’m afraid, I won’t be much help to you there.’

  Edward was thinking that breaking it to his friend over a drink might be the easiest way.

  ‘Don’t you worry Teddy, I know my way around here pretty well, we’ll go the Country Club, it’s very nice and civilized, you’ll like it there.’

  They arrived at the entrance to the large Country Club and were met by a valet who took the car keys and went off to park the car while Edward and Peregrine made their way inside.

  ‘Buenos dias señor Peregrine,’ the young receptionist greeted him.

  ‘Buenos dias Margarita, vamos a tomarnos un traguito.’

  ‘Muy bien, que disfruten.’

  ‘What was all that about?’

  ‘I just told her we’re going to have a drink and she very kindly said she hoped we enjoyed it.’

  ‘Spanish. I guess I’m going to have to learn it and soon.’

  ‘Don’t you worry Teddy; we’ll have you talking like a native before you know it.’

  They were seated outside in the shaded veranda looking over the gardens and the swimming pool when a waiter arrived.

  ‘What’s your poison?’ Peregrine said.

  ‘Gin and tonic if that’s possible, thank you.’

  ‘Un gin tonic para el señor y un whisky para mi Javier por favor.’

  The waiter left and Peregrine noticed that Edward looked distracted.

  ‘I’m a brute, I should have taken you straight back—you must be shattered.’

  ‘Not at all, it...it’s not that I...well I’ve got something to tell you and don’t quite know how to get it off my chest.’

  ‘Just say it straight out Teddy, that’s what I always think. Don’t worry I won’t bite.’

  Just then the drinks arrived and Edward was glad of the opportunity to get what he wanted to say straight in his head, the last thing he wanted to do was to hurt Peregrine’s feelings.

  ‘Well it’s like this,’ he began.

  Edward told Peregrine the whole story and when he finished there was an awkward silence.

  ‘I’m really so sorry Peregrine after all you’ve done for me.’

  ‘Buried treasure, and Nazi gold’ Peregrine was saying to himself, ‘well who would believe it...most extraordinary.’

  ‘You’re not angry?’

  ‘Why ever would you think that? Envious is more like it, you’re off on an amazing adventure I only wish I could go with you.’

  ‘But the post...I mean I don’t want to leave you in the lurch.’

  ‘And you won’t Teddy, don’t worry, I’ve had a local chap after the job for ages but I really would have much preferred you. No don’t you worry just promise me one thing.’

  ‘Anything Peregrine, just name it.’

  ‘That you won’t forget me when you’re rich.’

  ‘Fat chance of that Peregrine, I’ll be back here before you can say...well whatever it is that doesn’t take too long to say it and besides, you promised me a beautiful señorita, or have you forgotten?’

  ‘I’m a man of my word, you bring the treasure and I’ll bring your señorita,’ he said and they both laughed. Edward felt a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders and he thanked Peregrine for his kindness and understanding. Now he truly could make plans and he could not wait to get going.

  Chapter Five

  London, 2007

  Elliott fumbled around blindly until he locat
ed and silenced the alarm clock, knocking it off the bedside table, sending it crashing noisily to the floor. His head hurt every time he moved it and his eyes were stuck shut. He rubbed them and attempted opening one; a painful experience. Some light started to filter in and he tried again. Better this time, but how he wished his head would stop swimming. As the fog slowly lifted and his head began to clear he started to take account of where he was.

  It was his usual room in The Sloane Club in Lower Sloane Street. Everything was as it should be: no surprises there. He’d always liked the homey atmosphere of The Sloane, its well-stocked bar and the attentive, friendly service; but the previous night was still a bit of a mystery to him. He tried again and willed himself to think. He remembered setting off for a night out with his friends for a curry at Chutney Mary on the New Kings Road. He could still taste the chicken Madras he’d ordered.

  It was all coming back now, like some god-awful nightmare he could not run away from. They’d ended up at a favourite haunt of Elliott’s, a casino in Dean Street just off Soho Square called The Royal owned by Johnny Briggs, an east end hoodlum turned businessman. Unfortunately Elliott had followed the Cobras with whisky chasers and by then he’d lost his inhibitions; he’d kept on gambling when he should have stopped and had fallen into a losing streak. All he needed was one more roll of the dice that’s all, just one more roll and he’d be back on top; so he asked for credit. He couldn’t remember his friends trying to stop him. The dealer got the nod from a pit boss to accept Elliott’s marker and he went on to add to his not inconsiderable debt and left the casino completely plastered an hour later, helped by his friends who put him in a cab and gave the driver Elliott’s address as The Sloane Club.

  He was a regular who always paid his debts so when he left without settling his account no one tried to stop him figuring he’d be there the following day as usual to sort things out.