The Collectors Book Five (The Collectors Series 5) (13 page)

              The
Gradisca
showed as having sailed one evening from Thessalonica bound for Crete. Why would she sail for an island where the war was over? It didn’t add up.

              Petros flipped back to the other page, which mentioned
Gradisca
. It didn’t make sense. The
Gradisca
sailed from Thessalonica at the beginning of October 1944 and sailed again later in the month. He took a deep breath, and grasped the thought.

              From his jacket pocket, he removed his mobile, while checking the prohibited sign. In several languages notices stated the use of mobile phones was forbidden. He pressed the call button for assistance and in a few seconds a bright-eyed girl sauntered into the room, cancelled his call and wandered across.

              “Can I help?”

              Petros whispered. “Where can I use my phone?”

              “Come with me.” They walked in silence to the other end of the room where several booths with the sign of a telephone stood. “Sound proof,” she said. “Your notes will be safe until you return.”

              “Thank you.” Petros entered the circular booth and closed the door, cancelling any external noise. He punched in the number for the Imperial War Museum, London, and waited.

              “Good morning. How can I help?”

              “Is it possible to speak to Mrs Susan Masters?” asked Petros.

              “Who shall I say is calling?”

              “Tell her Petros Kyriades.”

              “One moment, sir.”

              “Susan Masters. Are you still writing your book, Mr Kyriades?”

              He chuckled. “I finished volume one a year ago. I’m in Greece undertaking research into the hospital ship
Gradisca.
She appears to have been in two places at the same time. As I know you have access to multiple archives, could you have a check on her movements during October 1944?”

              “It’ll cost you dinner for four at the Covent Garden Kitchen.”

              “Bribery and corruption will get you everywhere. It’s a done deal. If you don’t mind, who are you taking?”

              “You, your wife and my husband.”

              “Look forward to it. I’ll ring you when I get home and you can make the arrangements.”

              “I’ll start my search and give you a bell.”

              “Can you text me. They don’t allow mobiles in this library.”

              “Will do. Ring off and let me do some checking. Bye.” The line went dead.

              Petros continued his research but found nothing referring to the trains. The
Gradisca
, worn out, ended the war laid up in Venice, decommissioned, and transferred to the shipping company Lloyd Trestino, after which it went aground then scrapped in 1950.

              His mobile vibrated. A text from Susan.
Interesting that the Royal Navy sunk a vessel named Gradisca in October 1944. Ring me on my direct line.
She gave the number.

              He rang her and she answered. “Petros, thanks for calling back. Two ships in the Med with the same name just don’t happen. I checked with the Royal Navy archives and came across the incident where another vessel disguised as a hospital ship and named
Gradisca
opened fire on
HMS Cavalier
and
Cassandra
resulting in damage to
Cassandra
.

              “
HMS Cavalier
recovered the crew from a lifeboat. There’s a detailed report on the questioning of the crew but tells us nothing except the ship was a wreck and ready for the scrap-yard. If a cargo existed, it went to the bottom when the captain blew holes in the hull.

              “The other
Gradisca
was a hospital ship and at the time was on its way from Alexandria in Egypt to Algiers, an almost identical course one day or so behind. In Egypt a British control commission searched the entire ship, checked the medical staff and removed one thousand prisoners for internment in a POW camp.”

              “They say the truth is stranger than fiction and here we have it,” remarked Petros. “Verifiable facts, where two and two don’t make four. The ship, which sank, do we have a position?”

              “I’ll check.... Here it is, 15.10 East and 34.50 North.”

              Petros took a deep breath. “You don’t happen to know the depth of water?”

              She laughed. “Not a chance but I can find out. Why, are you into deep sea diving these days?”

              “No way. I owe you, Susan, and more than a meal. I’ll let you know how this works out.”

              “What are you searching for?”

              “To be honest it could be something valuable or absolutely nothing. The question is, the Germans used three trains as decoys and one rogue ship, why? What were they trying to hide? Thanks, Susan. I’ll be in touch.”

              He shuffled his notes together, folded, shoved them into his pocket and shut down the computer.

              At the exit desk, the young assistant said in a formal manner, “Twelve Euros.”

              Petros paid and strolled out into the afternoon sun, sat on a concrete bollard and waited for a text from Bear.

              The text came,
El-Greco. Room 324.

              Petros flagged a taxi and in less than five minutes strolled into reception. “Room 324 please. My friend booked the room.”

              The middle-aged man gave Petros’ passport a fleeting look as he handed over the key. “Breakfast six until ten in the main dining room.” He raised his hand and pointed. “The lift is over there unless you wish to use the stairs.”

              In the comfortable room, Petros found Bear stretched out on one of the beds asleep, snoring. He sat on the edge of the other bed and began to read his notes. No trains, two ships with the same name and Germany’s last chance to strip Greece of its valuables.

              The other bed creaked as Bear rolled over. “Find anything interesting?”

              “Yes and no. No mention of the trains but two ships with an identical name. One departed the same day as the trains”

              “Simple,” said Bear, “The Germans shipped the gold out but it’s now at the bottom of the sea.”

              “But why the trains?”

              “I sometimes think you have shit for brains. How you finished Sandhurst I’ll never know.”

              “I worked harder at school.”

              “The only thing you worked harder at was behind the bike shed. Anyway, the SS were into heavy diversionary tactics. The whole of Thessalonica knew about three trains being prepared. The different resistance groups for once cooperated to stop the trains and recover whatever. A ship sailed late into the night and no one gave it a second glance.”

              “The trouble with your fantasy is you might be right.”

              Bear rested his back against the padded headboard. “I have my moments but what’s next on the agenda?”

              “We return to Cyprus as planned.”

              “What no deep sea diving?”

              “It’s a little deeper than I want to go.”

              “How deep is deep?”

              “You’d need a manned submersible. But there are other factors to consider before we even go along that road.”

              Bear shifted his feet to the floor and stood. “We don’t do salvage. This is out of our league.”

              “I know and we require permission from the Greek government to investigate the wreck.”

              “Why,” said Bear. “Whatever it is, it’s been underwater for seventy years and they haven’t bothered their arses. As far as I’m concerned, it’s finders, keepers.”

              “I don’t think they know where the ship is.”

              “And you’re going to tell them?”

              “No choice. We could spend a fortune salvaging whatever might be there and they can take it and not give us a penny.”

              “That can’t be right.”

              “You’d better believe it. Do you remember the forty-three million in gold bars recovered from
HMS Edinburgh
? The then conservative government returned fifty-five percent of their value to the Soviet Union and forty-five percent to the salvage company and made them pay fifteen percent VAT on their share. Get this wrong and you’re out of pocket. What we need is a lawyer who understands the law of salvage.”

              “So the plan is?”

              “When we get back, find the best lawyer available.”

              Bear checked the time. “I’m off for a dump, shave, and shower. When you’re ready we find somewhere for dinner. I’m starving.”

              “As plans go, that’s the best today. What time’s our flight to Larnaca?”

              “Nine in the morning, it’s an early start. I’ve booked an alarm call for six, breakfast for six-thirty and a cab for seven-thirty.”

              Petros lay on the bed and closed his eyes. “I wonder if there’s any treasure?”

              “From past experience the more you think the more problems you create. At the moment I couldn’t give a toss,” said Bear as he closed the bathroom door.

Chapter Seven

Maria and Jocelyn arrived at Larnaca airport ten minutes after Petros’ and Bear’s flight from Thessalonica landed.

              “Back in less than a week,” said Maria.

              “Makes a change,” said Jocelyn. “Those two men seem to forget time when they’re together.”

              “At least they take care of each other. On their own, I hate to think. There they are.”

              The two women waited until clear of the crowd before hugging and kissing their men.

              Jocelyn checked Bear’s face and head. “Makes a change, no cuts or bruises.”

              In a line of four they strolled to the dark blue pick-up.

              “Did you find the train?” said Maria.

              “We did and plenty of skeletons,” said Petros.

              “Dare I ask what was on this train?”

              “Rocks, boxes filled with rocks. Hundreds of Greek resistance and German SS died for boxes filled with rocks,” said Bear.

              Jocelyn frowned. “Why did the SS guard rocks?”

              “It’s a long story and we’ll tell you when we arrive at Eleni’s.”

              Maria gave her husband a sidelong look. “You’re planning a collection.”

              Petros smiled. “For once I’m not sure. It depends on other people and if it’s worthwhile.”

              With Maria driving they soon arrived at Eleni’s.

              Alysa, on seeing her papa, jumped from Eleni’s lap and ran to him. He lifted her high in the air and held her close.

              “Where did you go?” asked Alysa.

              “Papa and Bear have to work.”

              “Why?”

              To earn money.”

              “Why?” 

              “Alysa will you stop saying why.”

              “Why?”

              “Because it drives your papa mad,” said Maria. “What were you doing with Eleni?”

              “Looking at pictures of you as a baby.”

              “How do you know they were of me?”

              “Because Eleni told me, silly.”

              “No flies on that one,” said Bear. He checked the time. “A cup of coffee and a few sandwiches might be good.”

              Eleni chuckled. “Bear, don’t ever change. You can make the coffee and the sandwiches are in the fridge.”

***

In the cool of the courtyard, Bear and Petros described their search.

              “And of course smarty pants here,” said Bear, “had to check a few facts that bothered his tiny mind. To be fair he might have discovered something. The Germans prior to leaving Greece robbed the country blind. We know Nazi Germany charged Greece an occupation tax. Whoever thought of using three trains as a diversion knew what they were doing. While everyone focused their attention in the wrong direction, the gold left in an aged tramp steamer disguised to appear as a hospital ship. The irony is this ship ran into the Royal Navy. But when discovered those in charge planned her sinking. Why this ship was forgotten might be due to an accumulation of events or those who knew died at the hands of a Greek firing squad. The actual truth we’ll never know. This ship is another overlooked seventy year old wreck on the sea bed with a cargo of gold.”