CHAPTER ELEVEN - A Very Big Spanner in the Works
After dropping Algy off two streets from his hotel Biggles drove on to the Castle des Flores. Ginger and Bertie got out. To their surprise Biggles remained in the driver's seat. "You two go and get some sleep. I've something to do. Bertie, use my bed. I'll kip in Algy 's room when I return."
Before either Ginger or Bertie could speak he drove off, leaving them with nothing more to do than creep back into the hotel. They discussed briefly Biggles' sudden latest action but as neither of them knew what he was up to they gave up.
"Quite frankly, I'm too tired to care just now." Ginger remarked, yawning widely. I'm going to get some kip." And suiting the action to the words, he settled down and went to sleep.
They were both awoken only a few hours later by Biggles banging on their door. "On your feet," he said briskly. "There's work to be done. Pack your gear, we're checking out."
"I jolly well hope we've got time for some grub, old boy," Bertie said plaintively. "I've had nothing to eat since yesterday afternoon."
"Sorry Bertie, but you'll have to eat on the hoof. I want you and Ginger to watch Algy's back. If it looks like he's in trouble yank him out. He should be at his hotel just now but he'll be returning to the warehouse shortly and that's when the fireworks start. "
When they were in the car driving towards Algy's hotel Ginger turned to Biggles. "Just what have you been up to?" he asked suspiciously.
Biggles lips twitched. "I've put a very big spanner in von Stahlein's works," he answered. "After I dropped you off I returned to the warehouse and had a good look in those crates. It's Nazi loot all right. And stuck to the inside of one of the lids was an envelope. Von Stahlein must have missed it, otherwise he would never have left it there. But with typical German efficiency it contained a list of who donated what to the cause of the Fourth Reich, complete with full details, lots of nice names and addresses. And it also contained a list of those artefacts destined to be passed on in the form of bribes to local officials. Big bribes for big officials to look the other way." He let out a big grin. "They won't be getting those bribes now."
""But how?" Ginger asked."You haven't moved it, have you?"
Biggles shot him a withering look. "Talk sense. Of course I haven't. I merely took the list to a certain gentleman of the Jewish persuasion and gave him the location of the warehouse. He assured me he knew people who would be only too glad to relocate those crates. By now, they, or more precisely, the contents will have disappeared."
Ginger and Bertie looked flummoxed. Biggles laughed. "Neat, isn't it? In addition to returning the treasure to it's rightful owners, we deprive von Stahlein of the means to pay off the local bigwigs. They're going to be none too pleased at that and life will be rather more difficult for some time. And, " He added with a flourish, "the men whose names were on that list, in Buenos Aires anyway, will all have had...er notification that their comfortable lives are now at an end."
"But who-" Ginger was still determined to get to the bottom of things.
" If you must know," Biggles said, exasperation creeping into his voice, "it's the owner of a restaurant Algy took me to last night. I can't think of anything more guaranteed to upset von Stahlein's plans. I couldn't have done it through official channels and who better to do it than the very people who have the biggest axe to grind? I was assured it would be done swiftly. They don't waste time asking questions and that suited me."
Bertie who had so far remained silent, now spoke."So what do you think will be dear Erich's next step, old boy?"
"I'm not sure," Biggles answered carefully. "If I'm any judge of human nature, certain individuals will want to remove themselves from the vicinity for the foreseeable future and quickly too. The Chief of Police was in line for a very nice back hander. Now that's not forthcoming he's not going to play ball. That will definitely have a bearing on von Stahlein's next move. "
Coming up to Algy's hotel Biggles drove past and parked further down the street. "Right," he said tersley. "I know Algy's still in there because the same guy who was watching the hotel last night is still there. I'll leave you the car. When Algy and Kauffman leave follow at a distance. When Kauffman discovers what has happened anything could happen but stick with Algy. I'm going to get a message to Raymond to stand by and then I'll go to the airport. If you have to pull Algy out go there and we'll decide then what to do next. Either way, though, one of you report back to me about 5 pm tonight. Clear?"
They both nodded. Biggles climbed out of the car and then stuck his head back in. "There's a cafe just across the road. I suggest one of you nips over and brings back some grub. You might not get another chance to eat. " And with that he strolled away, lighting a cigarette as he did so.
Bertie and Ginger, taking Biggles' advice grabbed something to eat and concentrated on keeping an eye on the hotel. But, after an hour, when no one had put in an appearance Bertie fidgeted in his seat. "You know, old boy, this is getting rather tiresome. Do you think old Algy's alright? Perhaps we should-" he was silenced by a nudge in the ribs from Ginger, who indicated with his head the arrival of Algy on the terrace.
They watched as Algy came out onto the street, looked up and down, looked at his watch, and after a final look around again, returned to the hotel terrace where he took a seat at a small table and beckoned to a waiter.
It was obvious to both Bertie and Ginger that whoever Algy was waiting for, was late as Algy began to look at his watch more and more often. Just as he'd finished his coffee and stood up, a car pulled up to the kerb. One man got out of the car, but seeing Algy start to walk towards him, got in again. As soon as the door closed on Algy the car pulled away.
Bertie leaned forward. "That's Brunow," he observed idly. "Okay, laddie, let's go." Ginger guided the car out into the traffic and nothing more was said for a while. About twenty minutes later, Ginger spoke. "We're not going to the warehouse, at any rate. This appears to be a residential suburb." Bertie said nothing. The car drove on.
Ginger had to hold back now as the traffic lessened. He followed his quarry into a street lined with houses on his left and stopped suddenly. The car in front was drawn up outside a set of double wrought-iron gates on the opposite side of the road. Bertie and Ginger watched as first Brunow then Algy, followed by Kauffman, alighted from the car and walked through the double gates which were then closed behind them by their driver. Ginger stretched in his seat. "I'm not too happy about this place, Bertie. Who does it belong to? Why have they brought Algy here?"
"I suppose it could belong to any one of them, old bean." He thought for a second, whilst mechanically polishing his eyeglass with his handkerchief. "Maybe they've discovered the empty warehouse and because of Biggles' little stunt they all want out and quick. This would be a perfect place for a pow-wow. Anonymous."
"In that case," Ginger said slowly as an unwelcome thought occurred to him, "Who would be at that meeting?" His eyes met Bertie's. He did not need to elaborate. The look on Bertie's face told him. The one man in the whole of South America Algy should be avoiding could be in that house right now.
Algy was thinking along the same lines as Bertie and Ginger, but he didn't see what he could do about it.
He had been concerned, but not really alarmed, when Kauffman didn't pick him up on time. He was surprised when he saw Brunow was with him, but didn't think anything of it. The first indication he had had that all was not going to plan was when he looked out of the window and saw they were not going to the warehouse.
"This isn't the way to the warehouse," he remarked, as casually as he could. "Or the airport, for that matter."
"There's been a change of plan," Kauffman said brusquely, but offered no further explanation. That was the first inkling Algy had had that he was being regarded in a different light: not exactly hostile but not with the open friendliness Kauffman had treated him to before. There was a tense atmosphere in the car, as though breath was being held, waiting for something to happen.
When they arrived at their destination Algy stepped out of the car and stood on the pavement looking around the quiet residential street. For the most part, he could see nothing of the houses as high walls ran alongside the pavement, interspersed here and there with sets of double gates, similar to the ones beside which he now stood, with the occasional single tall gates presumably for pedestrian access.
Flowering climbing plants ran riot over several of the walls but while some other properties seemed to have a cheerful air, this one bore signs of neglect. The paint was peeling, bindweed mingled with the colourful purple of the bougainvillaea and the gates bore signs of rust.
As he went through the gates and down an overgrown path, the sense of unease he had felt earlier increased. On either side, bushes and trees seemed to bear down on him. A drain cover set into the path was broken and choked with weeds. He looked up at the house, it wasn't very big but at one time it must have been magnificent. Now the walls were cracked, the paintwork old, peeling and dirty. The windows had wrought iron grilles, once white but now covered with streaks of rust. The steps up which he was led were broken too, and as the garden had overgrown trees and shrubs, the sun did not penetrate, giving the whole place a heavy atmosphere.
""This is my house," Brunow said simply, evidently oblivious to it's decay. "There's someone who's been wishing to meet you for some time. We believe you might be able to shed some light on some unwelcome developments." Opening the front door, he ushered Algy in.
Algy looked around him. Like the outside, the interior of the house was dusty and neglected. Cobwebs festooned the ornate chandelier and at the bottom f the marble stairs a huge plant stood, dying, brown leaves covering the tiled floor at the base of its pot. As if seeing it for the first time, Brunow touched the leaves with the toe of his shoe. "I've been away, visiting. But it doesn't matter. I'm not going to be here much longer." He walked down the hall, Kauffman indicating from behind him that Algy should follow.
The unease Algy had felt increased and he glanced around now with a sense of purpose, noting possible exits. He thought he knew what had caused the change in attitude towards him. Bertie's escape had been discovered and as the only outsider he was naturally suspect. If that were all he wouldn't have been concerned, confident in his ability to bluff his way out. But Brunow's statement about someone wanting to meet him had a sinister ring to it. There was nothing he could do, however. He knew Kauffman at least was armed and any fracas would be heard by others in the house. He wouldn't get far and if he was wrong and von Stahlein was not in the house he would have a hard time explaining his actions.
Brunow opened a door at the end of the hall and went in. Algy followed. A swift look round the room confirmed Algy's worst fears. Sitting in a chair, a long cigarette holder held between his fingers was the very last person Algy wanted to see, Biggles' arch-enemy, Erich von Stahlein.