The Platinum Pirate -‘The Island Connection #8’

Joseph Adebayo is looking for investment money for The Foundation when he is savagely beaten by his fellow diners. The incident sees DI Sarah Flemons and DC Penny Chakyar investigating at The Foundation where a previous mystery is solved but a new mystery comes to light. Meanwhile, Al Callow leads a group of people who steal £15 million of platinum. But all is not as it seems, and Al’s wife, Paula, has other ideas. The owner of the platinum wants his precious metal back and hires The Vicar to get the information he needs. However, he misjudges events and finds that his platinum has taken on a strange new shape. Meanwhile, Craig, a hard-drinking, hard-hitting Australian tries to steal the platinum but Al is wise to him as Craig soon discovers. And while everybody is chasing their tails, Al and his new love, Carla, are having a ball.

THE PLATINUM PIRATE

After a few moments, two cars approached. Al recognised the lead car as Tyler’s flashy Jag. The angle of the sun and the tinted windows turned the men inside into dark shapes. It was impossible to see if anybody was in the back: there could easily be another guy or two back there. Both cars turned onto the cobbled surface of the breakwater and drew to a halt a few metres from him. Tyler and a heavy-built man with a shaved head and a tattoo curling behind his right ear and rolling down his neck stepped from the first car. Mr Tattoo stood with legs apart then shuffled forwards like a boxer preparing to spa. The rear doors opened and two more heavyweights emerged.

Stan Clague and Al’s wife, Paula, stepped out of the smaller car behind. Nicholas Tyler approached Al.

“Well now, Mr Callow, what do we make of this then?”

“Make of what, Tyler?”

“What do we make of the fact that you are outnumbered?”

“Numbers count for nothing, Tyler. Agility, strength, speed: they all count for something though. And what are Marty Feldman and my ex-wife doing here? They have nothing more to do with this.”

Paula said, “I needed to come to some agreement with you, Al, but you’ve cut me off completely—”

“Well what the hell do you expect, you stupid bitch. You were double-dealing me. I have copies of all the emails between you, Tyler and Clarence the Cross-Eyed Lion here. So I simply planned and executed a double-cross of my own. Now, let me try again. What the hell are you doing here?”

Paula looked down at the ground. “I came to try and talk you into giving Mr Tyler his platinum back. He’ll pay you according to the original deal, and there’ll be no ill feelings.”

“You’re bloody joking aren’t you? You wasted your time coming here to say that?”

“I also came to apologise for Bruce.”

“What? What’s with Bruce?”

“He’s dead,” Tyler said. “Which is how we knew that you’d be here now, waiting for your fellow criminals.”

“Yeah, well I didn’t want anything like that to happen,” Paula said.

Al shook his head. “You played with the big boys, Paula, and you got your fingers burned. Tough shit. Anything else you want to say to me?”

“There is nothing I can say that you will want to hear, so I think it’s best if I don’t say anything,” she sighed.

“How convenient,” Al snorted. “I’d hate to make you feel uncomfortable in any way for being a double-crossing bitch.”

Nicholas Tyler addressed himself to Stan Clague. “Get her out of the way, Stan. I only let her come because I thought it might convince Callow to change his mind.”

“That plan’s not working too well then, is it?” Al said, as Stan and Paula reversed their car along the breakwater. “So you’ve killed Bruce and now you plan to kill me too, eh?”

“Certainly not,” Tyler said. “You wouldn’t be standing there brazen and bold if you didn’t have information about me somewhere – to be found only in the event of your untimely death of course.”

Al nodded and smiled.

“So I’m here simply to take back what belongs to me. My three associates are here to ensure that you don’t stop me from boarding your boat.”

“Go ahead,” Al said. “Knock yourself out.”

Nicholas Tyler nodded to the three heavyweights. “Keep an eye on Mr Callow for me. If he tries to follow me, please use force to detain him.”