neutral face as she followed the man to the police car parked outside and it took her back into town and to the island’s only police station.
She was ushered into an office and behind a desk sat a handsome man in a neat white shirt which had a lot of pips at the shoulders. He rose to greet her but his smile was a quick one and he was straight down to business as she took her seat and tugged down the short denim skirt she had practically thrown on at some point in the day. The man’s eyes followed her hands as they pulled the hem a paltry few inches down the long, tanned thighs.
“I’m Chief Inspector Frazer,” he told her. “I’m afraid that a local trader has reported that you owe him a substantial amount of money and he was concerned that you might attempt to leave the island before the matter was settled. With good cause as it turned out.”
“Look, Inspector,” Anna began, trying to smile at him and bat her eye lashes. She sat back and crossed her legs, allowing the skirt to ride up again – and then some more. She despised having to resort to such tactics but she was becoming seriously alarmed. “I’m Anna Chatham...”
“I know who you are, Miss,” the inspector interrupted her.”But let me tell you this. We on the island tolerate you and people like you coming here and buying all the best property and lording it about over us – just so long as you pay us. We aren’t all just about sun and fun.”
He stopped talking and cocked his head to one side as the flimsy wall of the office was rattled by something heavy hitting it. Anna heard what sounded like a man grunting in pain and then there was a series of fleshy thuds.
“We have a lot of drug trafficking going on, you know,” the chief inspector told her. “I think that’s one of the smugglers who will be helping us with our enquiries....quite soon I think.” He sat back. “Now what are we going to do with you Miss Chatham?” There was another thump and grunt from the next door office.
Anna sat up and tugged the skirt back down. Suddenly the flirtatious approach didn’t seem like a good idea.
“Look, I’ve got other cards. I’m sure I can sort something out. I was only going home to do it from there, I was going to wire money back. Honestly!”
“Good, I’ll have your laptop brought in and we’ll both see what we can sort out.”
Two hours later, Anna knew she was in deep trouble. Something catastrophic had occurred. No one would talk to her at her bank. None of her cards would work, she couldn’t get through to anyone at the card issuers. The only account that might be safe was the one she kept her godfather’s allowance in but that account didn’t have a card, deliberately so. It was strictly for rainy days. But now she was on the other side of the world and it was pouring down and she couldn’t access it, because it seemed as though some word had gone out that she was not to be talked to. She was just left hanging on until the line finally went dead.
They had locked her in a cell when she had finally admitted defeat and left her alone until later in the evening. She had ample time to recall her father’s advice about never playing silly buggers with the taxman and her mother’s about being frugal. For the first time since they had both died, she missed them. They had never been a close knit family and there had always been the mysterious godfather who had given her an allowance for years until she was coining it as a model and whose money she had kept locked away and now couldn’t reach. She had always wanted to meet him but the slightest mention of him had always seemed to enrage her father and upset her mother. It had been a good, solid upbringing though. Her father had always been well off, although in later years looking back, Anna could never quite see how he had lived as well as he did on what couldn’t have been a huge salary. However, she had grown up tall and beautiful – and wayward. At nineteen she had left
She was ushered into an office and behind a desk sat a handsome man in a neat white shirt which had a lot of pips at the shoulders. He rose to greet her but his smile was a quick one and he was straight down to business as she took her seat and tugged down the short denim skirt she had practically thrown on at some point in the day. The man’s eyes followed her hands as they pulled the hem a paltry few inches down the long, tanned thighs.
“I’m Chief Inspector Frazer,” he told her. “I’m afraid that a local trader has reported that you owe him a substantial amount of money and he was concerned that you might attempt to leave the island before the matter was settled. With good cause as it turned out.”
“Look, Inspector,” Anna began, trying to smile at him and bat her eye lashes. She sat back and crossed her legs, allowing the skirt to ride up again – and then some more. She despised having to resort to such tactics but she was becoming seriously alarmed. “I’m Anna Chatham...”
“I know who you are, Miss,” the inspector interrupted her.”But let me tell you this. We on the island tolerate you and people like you coming here and buying all the best property and lording it about over us – just so long as you pay us. We aren’t all just about sun and fun.”
He stopped talking and cocked his head to one side as the flimsy wall of the office was rattled by something heavy hitting it. Anna heard what sounded like a man grunting in pain and then there was a series of fleshy thuds.
“We have a lot of drug trafficking going on, you know,” the chief inspector told her. “I think that’s one of the smugglers who will be helping us with our enquiries....quite soon I think.” He sat back. “Now what are we going to do with you Miss Chatham?” There was another thump and grunt from the next door office.
Anna sat up and tugged the skirt back down. Suddenly the flirtatious approach didn’t seem like a good idea.
“Look, I’ve got other cards. I’m sure I can sort something out. I was only going home to do it from there, I was going to wire money back. Honestly!”
“Good, I’ll have your laptop brought in and we’ll both see what we can sort out.”
Two hours later, Anna knew she was in deep trouble. Something catastrophic had occurred. No one would talk to her at her bank. None of her cards would work, she couldn’t get through to anyone at the card issuers. The only account that might be safe was the one she kept her godfather’s allowance in but that account didn’t have a card, deliberately so. It was strictly for rainy days. But now she was on the other side of the world and it was pouring down and she couldn’t access it, because it seemed as though some word had gone out that she was not to be talked to. She was just left hanging on until the line finally went dead.
They had locked her in a cell when she had finally admitted defeat and left her alone until later in the evening. She had ample time to recall her father’s advice about never playing silly buggers with the taxman and her mother’s about being frugal. For the first time since they had both died, she missed them. They had never been a close knit family and there had always been the mysterious godfather who had given her an allowance for years until she was coining it as a model and whose money she had kept locked away and now couldn’t reach. She had always wanted to meet him but the slightest mention of him had always seemed to enrage her father and upset her mother. It had been a good, solid upbringing though. Her father had always been well off, although in later years looking back, Anna could never quite see how he had lived as well as he did on what couldn’t have been a huge salary. However, she had grown up tall and beautiful – and wayward. At nineteen she had left
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