Ginger In Australia
Chapter 8
Disturbing News
When Biggles eventually arrived at Yowah, having left the Halifax at Eulo and made similar arrangements for transport into town as Ginger, he booked into the Commercial Hotel and expected to see his protégé.
"Ginger's here," he told the others. "I saw his signature in the book when I signed in myself. There's no mistaking that scrawl."
"Well, he's not here now, old boy," observed Bertie. "How about tearing a steak or two? All this waffling round the atmosphere is making me hungry. My stomach is still on English time."
Biggles looked at his watch. "Yes, I suppose we could have something, if the restaurant is open." He looked pensive. "I suppose Ginger will turn up when it's time for supper. He likes his food."
They all went into the dining room where a satisfying meal was arranged for them. Biggles asked the waitress if she had seen a young, red-haired man in the hotel. Her answer concerned him. Ginger had been there but had gone out the previous morning and had not come back the night before. The proprietor was wondering whether to tell the police, but he had left everything in his room and had paid in advance. He just had not told anyone he was intending to be away. Biggles thanked her and turned serious eyes on his companions as she went back to the kitchen.
"I don't like the sound of that," he averred. "I'm sure if Ginger had been able to get back, he would have. I wonder where he went."
"He'd need some transport," declared Algy. "The Auster is still on the airstrip, so he didn't take that."
"I don't suppose he will be riding a horse," remarked Bertie facetiously, "even though he's been pretty keen ever since Cub showed him how."
Biggles frowned. "It's more likely he will have tried to hire a car," he reasoned. "Algy, after dinner, make some enquiries as to who hires vehicles and see if you can find out if Ginger rented one. If he did, see if he gave any indication of where he intended going. We could do with some surface transport as well," he added. "I don't like the thought of having to walk everywhere or being stuck without a car."
Algy acquiesced and as soon as he had drunk his coffee made for the exit. He had barely reached the street when he abruptly turned round and came back to his astonished companions.
"Hold onto your hat," he told Biggles tersely. "Von Stalhein is walking down the main street and coming this way. I don't think he saw me," he added. "I nipped back into the hotel pretty sharpish."
"At least Ginger was right in his information," observed Biggles. "I wonder if Erich has had anything to do with his disappearance," he speculated.
"You'll soon be able to find out," Algy told him. "He's coming into the hotel."
The surprise on the German's face when his eyes fell on the three airmen, quickly masked as it was, told Biggles all he needed to know. Whatever had befallen Ginger, von Stalhein knew nothing about it. If he had seen Ginger, Biggles reasoned, the German would know the rest of them were not far behind.
Von Stalhein's next words confirmed his suspicion. "Bigglesworth, Lacey and Lord Lissie," he greeted them. "This is an unexpected pleasure." He looked round, "and where is your young friend, … Hebblethwaite?" he enquired. "No party is complete without him."
"I rather thought you might be able to tell us," remarked Biggles softly, lighting a cigarette and blowing the smoke ceilingward.
Von Stalhein looked at him curiously. "Dear me," he commented sarcastically, "that is very remiss of you to let him go wondering about on his own and get lost. Anything might have happened to him. Australia has seven of the world's ten most venomous snakes, you know," he added with malicious amusement.
"Not all the snakes are in the outback," remarked Biggles pointedly looking von Stalhein in the eye.
The German's lips compressed. "What are you doing here?" he asked icily. "Why are you following me?"
"I don't expect you to believe this," returned Biggles wearily, "but until you walked through that door I didn't actually know you were here. I hardly think that qualifies as 'following you'," he murmured caustically, having no intention of letting von Stalhein see all the cards in his hand.
The German paused as if unsure whether to believe him and continued, "then why are you here?"
"If you must know," replied Biggles, "I'm looking for young Hebblethwaite. He left me a message saying he was coming here and he would be at the hotel. When I got here, he'd been and gone. I was just considering what I was going to do about finding him when you walked in. What are you doing here?" he wanted to know. "This is not your usual stamping ground."
"I am here in a private capacity. I have come to look at certain business interests with a view to making a major investment," lied von Stalhein fluently.
"And were they satisfactory?" enquired Biggles.
"Perfectly," answered the German. "The prospects are outstanding and the return will be excellent."
"I'm pleased to hear it," murmured Biggles. "Don't let me detain you. I'm sure you have pressing business to attend to, just as I have."
Von Stalhein nodded curtly and left them to enter the dining room. When he had gone, Algy let out a sigh of relief. "I don't know what it is about him," he commented colloquially, "but I get a nasty taste in my mouth every time I'm anywhere near him. It's a pity he wasn't plugged at El Asile."
"Absolutely, old boy," agreed Bertie. "The man's an absolute rotter."
"Never mind that now," Biggles told them. "Von Stalhein can wait. It's Ginger I'm concerned about. Wherever can he have got to?"