Hugh Hamilton
Thingo and thingo, otherwise known as Ben and Hugh, were once again enjoying a quiet nap in their office. Ben had his feet outstretched across the desk while Hugh was slumped over the couch grasping an empty Solo™. It was one of those empty Sundays where it seemed as if everyone was indoors and sleeping. The weather was strangely indifferent, neither hot nor cold and the sky was a particularly dull shade of grey. Ben stirred. His eyes slowly opened and shook his mind back to consciousness. He casually glanced at his watch. Two thirty. Another wasted day. They hadn't had a case or even a pseudo case since Marple Manor, five weeks ago, and worry was beginning to set in. But, inevitably, this will all change. In a few moments or so, there will be a knock at the door and in will come a client blabbering about some problem or other. There was a tense pause. The phone rang. Don't you just love twists? Wrong number. Nope, neither do I. Anyway, I've wasted enough time delaying the door knock, let me just think of suitable sentence. Ah, yes. Knock knock. Hugh awoke just in time to see Ben run down towards the door. He heard the click and the friendly chatter.
"Come in."
Hugh quickly found a more dignified position to be seen in and ditched the empty can.
"Hugh," Ben said, "this is Miss Waeford."
"Oh. Hello," said Hugh to the fetching lady standing next to Ben.
He threw a stick a few metres but ended the obscure joke there.
The lady smiled innocently at Hugh.
"Have a seat," offered Hugh.
Miss Waeford obediently sat.
Hugh and Ben showed her nervous smiles in anticipation.
"I have a blackmail problem," she finally said.
"As in you're a compulsive blackmailer?" Hugh joked.
"Ah ha." She raised her eyebrows. "Jokes aside, someone is blackmailing me."
"Why?" Ben asked.
"I'd rather not go into that."
"You pay the bills," said Ben.
"Do you know who is blackmailing you?" asked Hugh.
"Yes I do."
"Good," Hugh nodded.
"I'll give you all the details later. First I will explain what I actually want you to do."
"OK," said the famous pair.
"Basically, as I said, I am being blackmailed. What I want you to do is to dig up some dirt on my blackmailers, so as to effectively cancel out what they have on me."
"You want us to counter-blackmail them?" asked Ben.
"Essentially yes. I am not willing to meet their demands, so this is the only option as far as I'm concerned."
"Sounds good to me," said Hugh. "What's the pay?"
"One hundred dollars a day."
Hugh and Ben shrugged.
"Okay," they said.
"Now," began Hugh, "about those details."
"Well," said Miss Waeford, "the main blackmailer is called Trever Grace. He lives at 56 Fjorden avenue, just down the road. I have discovered that he is participating in illegal whaling near the Bermuda Islands, but have no hard evidence of this. I want you to get convincing evidence that he is involved in this operation. I managed to discover, by accident, that he is going on a cruise near the Caribbean and he intends to secretly jump ship and head off whaling. Whaling evidence will not be enough though. I will need you to get as much illegal activity as possible on him. He leaves in a week, so I want you to get as much dirt on him before he and you leave. And don't worry, I bought you the tickets. Here."
They took the tickets.
"Are you sure whaling is even illegal around there?" asked Hugh.
"Pretty sure," she replied.
Hugh shrugged.
"What on earth did you do?" he said.
"That you shall never know," she said. "I will make sure of that. I am, after all, the one with the wallet."
"Purse," corrected Ben.
"Goodbye gentlemen," said Miss Waeford and left.
"Fun," said Hugh.
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