Consequences of Finding Daniel Morgan

J Robinson Peter

Description

"Bit dangerous wandering away in here. You've seen what these creatures can do if they put their mind to it."International Wildlife Expert, Phillip Royle, is recalled to Florida mid-flight to help find his missing former federal enforcement colleague, Daniel Morgan, soon finding Dan's messy remains in a tiger pen. But what the hell was Dan doing there? With many unanswered questions, Royle finds himself paired with Charlie Lacey, and together they become embroiled in a captivating enquiry leading to California, Mexico and then outback Australia, in an investigation involving smuggled parrots and drugs.But for all his specialist knowledge, Royle knows that no one is ever above suspicion, even people close to him, plus things are invariably more complicated then they seem...

Sujets

• Australia
• California

Informations

• Publié par: Troubador Publishing Ltd
• Date de parution: 14 novembre 2019
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781838597696
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 4 Mo

Extrait

Copyright © 2019 Peter J Robinson

The moral right of the author has been asserted.


Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of research or private study, or criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, this publication may only be reproduced, stored or transmitted, in any form or by any means, with the prior permission in writing of the publishers, or in the case of reprographic reproduction in accordance with the terms of licences issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency. Enquiries concerning reproduction outside those terms should be sent to the publishers.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.


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For Susan
Contents
Introduction
One
Two
Three
Four
Five
Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten
Eleven
Twelve
Thirteen
Fourteen
Fifteen
Sixteen
Seventeen
Eighteen
Nineteen
Twenty
Introduction
Like Phil Royle in the following pages, I too had a work colleague killed by a tiger, though, unlike Daniel Morgan, Dave was birdwatching in India. Nevertheless, Royle and Charlie Lacey, together with Daniel Morgan, Doug Whitland and all others featured in the following pages, are entirely figments of my imagination; no individual living or dead influenced the creation of my characters. Similarly, all commercial organisations and government departments are fictitious, though I admit to drawing substantially upon my sixteen years’ experience heading up the Criminal Investigations Section of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
I set out writing a story around a single individual, professionally involved in combating international wildlife crime. What emerged, however, was something at least as much to do with human relationships, with all the complexities they involve. Certainly, few working partnerships could be more difficult, or more volatile, than that involving Royle and his unexpected, and initially unwelcome, partner Charlie Lacey.
It may also be noted that events portrayed in my story have no fixed position in time (though Royle’s use of satellite tracking technology suggests the story is recent). In no small part this is because the main storyline, wildlife smuggling, is itself timeless; the problem has been around since before any of us were born and seems likely to continue long after we are gone. However, whilst we will be replaced by even more humans, numerous birds and other animals that we and our families currently know and enjoy will not survive to anywhere near the end of the 21st century. Most authorities now rate the international illegal wildlife trade as second only to the drugs trade in global importance.
Scarily, the African elephant currently occurs in thirty-seven African states, yet the forecast for its total wild-extinction is set at around the year 2050, primarily due to the continued (mainly Asian) demand for ivory. Similarly, the Asian tiger population declined from 40,000 to 2,000 animals in just one hundred years, in no small part due to the oriental medicine trade, though the tiger’s occasional addiction to eating local people does little for its image! Of more relevance to the following story, however, is the fact that around one-third of the world’s 390 parrot species are officially classified as threatened with extinction.
Part of what follows occurs in Mexico and Australia. In the first of these countries, recent figures suggest that 80,000 parrots are annually trapped, as part of this illegal trade in the world’s wildlife, from amongst that country’s twenty-two species, six of which are officially endangered. And whilst everyone knows where Australia is, comparatively few of us have been there, though all who have will have been surprised to find fifty-plus parrot species living throughout one of the most beautiful and still least populated countries on Earth – one species of which is already extinct.
Some countries perhaps claim to have no illegal wildlife-trade problem, but such a suggestion flies in the face of reality. Personally, I doubt there is a country anywhere that can justify such a statement. Added to which, we live in a rapidly changing world, where uncontrolled technological advancement assists us all, including those involved in criminal activities. Ranked highly amongst the latter are people seeking to exploit the world’s wildlife for their own personal gain, some of whom you are about to meet. And in true crime-thriller tradition, people get shot or otherwise die in unpleasant circumstances, plus you never really know who you can trust.
One
It did not take a bush-hardened big-game hunter to see that some large and seriously dangerous creature had killed and partially eaten whoever this was, lying there under the burning Florida sun. Royle could see how the animal had scraped grass and leaves over the gruesome remains, the scattered smaller messy bits suggesting foxes or vultures had also taken their share.
Clutching his rifle, he wiped his sweaty forehead with his free hand, taking a moment to consider their situation. Admittedly, there was little here he had not seen before, in one form or another, though his companion was clearly having trouble. Seeing her disappear behind a bush he moved across, finding her throwing up.
“Bit dangerous wandering away in here,” he suggested. “You’ve seen what these creatures can do if they put their minds to it.”
In truth, several things were rattling around inside his head right now, in addition to the obvious danger these animals posed. The two big questions, though, were the same ones destined to occupy both their minds over the coming weeks, in the process dragging the pair halfway around the world. What the hell reason could Dan have for being in a place like this? And perhaps more importantly, what was so secret about it that he had felt unable to tell anyone else in the Department?
Two
Most other passengers were already comfortably settled as Royle made his way along the aircraft, checking the seat numbers as he went. Experience had taught him to view this boarding part of any flight as a defining moment, like that point in a bullfight where the matador is about to deliver the fatal sword thrust, what Spaniards call la hora de la verdad : the moment of truth. You never knew who you were being forced to spend the next ten or so hours of your life sitting next to, and he had suffered some particularly memorable experiences. Like the Catholic nurse returning to an African war zone, who spent the whole eight-hour flight counting her beads and praying not so quietly to herself. Or the overweight Russian woman who spent the night from Singapore to London occupying her own seat plus half of his. True, there had been some equally pleasing encounters, but inevitably it was the bad ones that left a lasting impression.
Reaching his row, Royle saw he was about to be accompanied back across the Atlantic by a young man in a ‘Save-the-Forests’ tee-shirt. He nodded towards the window seat, at the same time squeezing his bag into the overhead locker. He’d had a hard day, so with more than a slight feeling of relief he buckled up, switched off his mobile and carried out a quick search for any overnight additions – blanket, pillow, whatever.
He also realised how tired he now was, having caught an early flight out of Veracruz, over on Mexico’s east coast, to meet up with a valued and long-time informant here in Mexico City. He had tried snatching some sleep whilst waiting to board this onward flight, but inevitably found his efforts frustrated by the roving mariachi bands. What was it about Mexican Sunday evenings that always made them take on such a festive atmosphere? Already he felt the aircraft lumbering its way across the tarmac, pausing only briefly before thundering down the runway and climbing steeply into the evening sky, turning slowly east in the direction of its Texas fuel stop. Surprisingly quickly the drinks trolley appeared and Royle opted for a cold beer, already wondering what problems awaited him back at his London desk. He had enjoyed the conference, but now it was a case of getting back to reality, though not before he had caught up with some sleep.

He awoke with a start, finding the tree-saver tugging his sleeve and pointing to the flight attendant, who leaned across and quietly explained there was a call for him up at the front of the aircraft.
What now ? he wondered, struggling to get his brain working. He followed the attendant along the aircraft, through business class to the forward galley where she indicated a phone on the wall.
Hesitantly he lifted the handset, anticipating the worst.
“How you doing, buddy?”
He recognised the gravel voice of Doug Whitland, Federal Wildlife’s Florida Head of Enforcement.
“I’m great, Doug, or I was until you woke me. Some kind of problem?”
Whitland sounded uncharacteristically stressed. “Damn right, young fella. We may have a situation here; your old partner Dan Morgan’s not reported in for days now.”
Royle waited as Whitland paused.
“I gather you’re on your way home to London via Amsterdam, with a fuel stop at Houston. Wh