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Authors: Manel Loureiro
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story.
“Essentially, yes.” Collins took out the topmost file from the folder and handed it to Kate. Its brilliant white contrasted starkly with the yellowed pages contained within the rest of the folder. Apparently, it had not been there too long. “A public statement announcing the auction was released six months ago. It ran in print ads and on the ministry’s website. Not to mention the other usual media. I think it even appeared in your newspaper.”
“I see from this that there were three bidders.” Kate’s eyes fell on one of the names. “Garrison and Son s . . . ”
“That’s a scrapping firm that has over thirty years’ experience,” explained Collins. “Normally, they’re the only ones who bid when one of these old ships comes up for auction. They’re close by, which makes transport cheaper for them. But in this case, they didn’t win. The other two bidders made exorbitant offers for the Valkyrie .”
“I see.” Kate scanned the other two names. “Feldman Inc. is obviously Isaac Feldman’s company, but who is this other one? Who is Wolf und Klee?”
“I believe that would be a German company, and it would appear they had been determined to make off with the Valkyrie at all costs. Before the auction they sent a group of technicians to inspect the ship and take tons of photos. They were all German and all quite keen on the Valkyrie .”
“It’s true,” added Lambert. “They ran around her like headless chickens. They acted like it was some marvel instead of a cursed heap of junk from the thirties.”
“But in the end Feldman won,” countered Kate. “How did he pull it off?”
“He had the highest bid.” Collins’s eyes sparkled playfully. “He must have wanted that old ship more than anything because he paid dearly for it. He only managed to make the Germans acquiesce once he entered a bid of one hundred and fifty million pounds.”
Kate’s eyes grew big. “That’s an incredible sum for a broken-down ship.”
“It’s an incredible sum even for a new ship,” remarked Collins. “Yet our pal Feldman paid the tab without a peep. His pockets must run deep.”
“I can see that.” No wonder Feldman is bankrupt if this is how he spends his money, she thought.
“They came to inspect the ship five months ago.” Collins closed the file and pushed away his empty coffee cup. “Feldman arrived in person along with a group of around fifty employees and a few extremely expensive Dutch floating cranes. I’d risk my neck to wager that all of them were either ex-military or naval experts. They looked like hardened and resourceful men.”
“They managed to remove the Valkyrie from dry dock in only thirty-six hours,” added Lambert. “Considering the ship hadn’t budged for seventy years, I think that’s quite a feat.”
“Do you know where they took it?” asked Kate, hopeful.
“I haven’t the foggiest idea,” answered Collins. “It stopped being my problem the moment it left the dock. Believe me, I have no desire to see that ship ever again.”
“Nor do I,” agreed Lambert. “I must say, Feldman’s men were quite gruff. They were in such a hurry to remove that ship they practically kicked out me and my boys. And on our own base.”
“Why do you think they were in such a hurry?”
“They looked nervous, like they were scared someone might wrench the ship from their grasp at any moment, which is odd.” Lambert brushed an imaginary speck from the lapel of his uniform. “Who would want to quarrel over an old ship with a bad reputation?”
“Perhaps the runners-up?” Kate suggested. “The people from Wolf und Klee?”
“Could be. But it doesn’t matter anymore. No one here is going to miss the Valkyrie .”
“Except old man Carroll,” said Lambert thoughtfully.
“He’s a raving old lunatic who used to sneak on base all the time,” said Collins, exchanging a reproachful look with the sergeant major. “He’s been the biggest security threat in the
“Essentially, yes.” Collins took out the topmost file from the folder and handed it to Kate. Its brilliant white contrasted starkly with the yellowed pages contained within the rest of the folder. Apparently, it had not been there too long. “A public statement announcing the auction was released six months ago. It ran in print ads and on the ministry’s website. Not to mention the other usual media. I think it even appeared in your newspaper.”
“I see from this that there were three bidders.” Kate’s eyes fell on one of the names. “Garrison and Son s . . . ”
“That’s a scrapping firm that has over thirty years’ experience,” explained Collins. “Normally, they’re the only ones who bid when one of these old ships comes up for auction. They’re close by, which makes transport cheaper for them. But in this case, they didn’t win. The other two bidders made exorbitant offers for the Valkyrie .”
“I see.” Kate scanned the other two names. “Feldman Inc. is obviously Isaac Feldman’s company, but who is this other one? Who is Wolf und Klee?”
“I believe that would be a German company, and it would appear they had been determined to make off with the Valkyrie at all costs. Before the auction they sent a group of technicians to inspect the ship and take tons of photos. They were all German and all quite keen on the Valkyrie .”
“It’s true,” added Lambert. “They ran around her like headless chickens. They acted like it was some marvel instead of a cursed heap of junk from the thirties.”
“But in the end Feldman won,” countered Kate. “How did he pull it off?”
“He had the highest bid.” Collins’s eyes sparkled playfully. “He must have wanted that old ship more than anything because he paid dearly for it. He only managed to make the Germans acquiesce once he entered a bid of one hundred and fifty million pounds.”
Kate’s eyes grew big. “That’s an incredible sum for a broken-down ship.”
“It’s an incredible sum even for a new ship,” remarked Collins. “Yet our pal Feldman paid the tab without a peep. His pockets must run deep.”
“I can see that.” No wonder Feldman is bankrupt if this is how he spends his money, she thought.
“They came to inspect the ship five months ago.” Collins closed the file and pushed away his empty coffee cup. “Feldman arrived in person along with a group of around fifty employees and a few extremely expensive Dutch floating cranes. I’d risk my neck to wager that all of them were either ex-military or naval experts. They looked like hardened and resourceful men.”
“They managed to remove the Valkyrie from dry dock in only thirty-six hours,” added Lambert. “Considering the ship hadn’t budged for seventy years, I think that’s quite a feat.”
“Do you know where they took it?” asked Kate, hopeful.
“I haven’t the foggiest idea,” answered Collins. “It stopped being my problem the moment it left the dock. Believe me, I have no desire to see that ship ever again.”
“Nor do I,” agreed Lambert. “I must say, Feldman’s men were quite gruff. They were in such a hurry to remove that ship they practically kicked out me and my boys. And on our own base.”
“Why do you think they were in such a hurry?”
“They looked nervous, like they were scared someone might wrench the ship from their grasp at any moment, which is odd.” Lambert brushed an imaginary speck from the lapel of his uniform. “Who would want to quarrel over an old ship with a bad reputation?”
“Perhaps the runners-up?” Kate suggested. “The people from Wolf und Klee?”
“Could be. But it doesn’t matter anymore. No one here is going to miss the Valkyrie .”
“Except old man Carroll,” said Lambert thoughtfully.
“He’s a raving old lunatic who used to sneak on base all the time,” said Collins, exchanging a reproachful look with the sergeant major. “He’s been the biggest security threat in the
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