I’m
guarding this card like a bloody hawk! I can’t help it. I’m
expecting something to happen any minute, which is why I would feel
more comfortable, and certainly a whole lot safer, sitting in a
moving car than sitting up all night in a motel room waiting for
something to happen.”
“So why not go to the police, like I said?”
“Because I reckon there is more to this than meets the eye.
The British police must know who I am by now. They could easily
have passed my description to the police here, probably before we
had even left the ground in London. But you saw how we came through
Singapore and Auckland. They made an excuse to stop us, checked
that I had the card, and then let us carry on. Why? Because it
suits their purposes in order to catch the person who will try and
get the card from me.”
Katherine tried reasoning with her husband. “So what? We
forget about our plans to travel to the South Island so you can
play cops and robbers? David, how can you run? You don’t even know
what’s at the end of this street, let alone trying to evade … evade
…. Christ! You don’t even know who’s after you! We don’t know a
soul in this country but you’re acting as if any one of them could
walk up to you at any minute, punch your lights out and steal that
bloody card!”
“And if they do, then what? The police will have their man,
I’ll have a few bruises and it will all be over and done with. An
international smuggling operation will be smashed and the whole
thing will probably be hushed up.”
Katherine calmed down again. “How much money is on that card
right now?”
“Er, hang on, I’ll check.” He kept the print out when he had
withdrawn the $500 and fumbled in his pocket for the small scrap of
paper. He read the numbers individually, still uncertain how to say
such a large figure. Katherine, the maths teacher, waited until he
had finished.
“So we are talking about someone smuggling two hundred and
fifty million dollars into a country with a population of less than
four million. Why on earth would they do that? What would that buy,
apart from an awful lot of something?”
“It’s not just me. According to Burton, other people are
being targeted in the same way to bring money into the country on
stolen credit cards.” David had not stopped to consider there might
be a bigger picture. He remembered being told others were also
unwittingly transporting huge sums of money, but only into New
Zealand? He didn’t know. Now he wanted to. It was clear that
Katherine wanted to know too. David handed her the piece of paper
from the cash machine.
“See, I’m not making this up.” She wanted to see the card
again and stood for a moment, card in one hand, paper in the other,
turning the card over, inspecting it thoroughly. She looked up.
“And you say you found this in your wallet? You’re sure you didn’t
pick it up off the ground or someone offered it to you at the
airport?
“Everything I have told you has happened, I
swear to you. Look, the card has my name embossed on it.”
She handed him back the card and paper. “Here, keep these
safe, finish packing and let’s get out of here.” She moved urgently
round the room, remembering exactly where she had placed every item
before absently throwing them into the case.
“Are you Ok?’
“No. I’m bloody scared, David. I’ll finish this, you go and
get the car and I’ll meet you at reception.”
David picked up the bag he had tossed onto the bed. “I bought
a couple of mobile phones. I thought we should, we might, you know,
just in case we need to keep in touch.”
She looked up from the case. “Good idea. You never know, do
you? Give them to me. I’ll put them in my bag and sort them out
once we’re in the car.”
He ran down the stairs onto the street and back to the car
rental office, slowing to a stroll before entering, trying to look
calm, not too breathless, and not as if he knew she knew. His heart
sank as he walked in to
guarding this card like a bloody hawk! I can’t help it. I’m
expecting something to happen any minute, which is why I would feel
more comfortable, and certainly a whole lot safer, sitting in a
moving car than sitting up all night in a motel room waiting for
something to happen.”
“So why not go to the police, like I said?”
“Because I reckon there is more to this than meets the eye.
The British police must know who I am by now. They could easily
have passed my description to the police here, probably before we
had even left the ground in London. But you saw how we came through
Singapore and Auckland. They made an excuse to stop us, checked
that I had the card, and then let us carry on. Why? Because it
suits their purposes in order to catch the person who will try and
get the card from me.”
Katherine tried reasoning with her husband. “So what? We
forget about our plans to travel to the South Island so you can
play cops and robbers? David, how can you run? You don’t even know
what’s at the end of this street, let alone trying to evade … evade
…. Christ! You don’t even know who’s after you! We don’t know a
soul in this country but you’re acting as if any one of them could
walk up to you at any minute, punch your lights out and steal that
bloody card!”
“And if they do, then what? The police will have their man,
I’ll have a few bruises and it will all be over and done with. An
international smuggling operation will be smashed and the whole
thing will probably be hushed up.”
Katherine calmed down again. “How much money is on that card
right now?”
“Er, hang on, I’ll check.” He kept the print out when he had
withdrawn the $500 and fumbled in his pocket for the small scrap of
paper. He read the numbers individually, still uncertain how to say
such a large figure. Katherine, the maths teacher, waited until he
had finished.
“So we are talking about someone smuggling two hundred and
fifty million dollars into a country with a population of less than
four million. Why on earth would they do that? What would that buy,
apart from an awful lot of something?”
“It’s not just me. According to Burton, other people are
being targeted in the same way to bring money into the country on
stolen credit cards.” David had not stopped to consider there might
be a bigger picture. He remembered being told others were also
unwittingly transporting huge sums of money, but only into New
Zealand? He didn’t know. Now he wanted to. It was clear that
Katherine wanted to know too. David handed her the piece of paper
from the cash machine.
“See, I’m not making this up.” She wanted to see the card
again and stood for a moment, card in one hand, paper in the other,
turning the card over, inspecting it thoroughly. She looked up.
“And you say you found this in your wallet? You’re sure you didn’t
pick it up off the ground or someone offered it to you at the
airport?
“Everything I have told you has happened, I
swear to you. Look, the card has my name embossed on it.”
She handed him back the card and paper. “Here, keep these
safe, finish packing and let’s get out of here.” She moved urgently
round the room, remembering exactly where she had placed every item
before absently throwing them into the case.
“Are you Ok?’
“No. I’m bloody scared, David. I’ll finish this, you go and
get the car and I’ll meet you at reception.”
David picked up the bag he had tossed onto the bed. “I bought
a couple of mobile phones. I thought we should, we might, you know,
just in case we need to keep in touch.”
She looked up from the case. “Good idea. You never know, do
you? Give them to me. I’ll put them in my bag and sort them out
once we’re in the car.”
He ran down the stairs onto the street and back to the car
rental office, slowing to a stroll before entering, trying to look
calm, not too breathless, and not as if he knew she knew. His heart
sank as he walked in to
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