The Red Rabbit Inquiry Agency - Book One

Introduction Thirty six year old MacDonald Smith and his wife Deborah, who was a year his junior, emigrated from England to New Zealand in August 1950, just four months after their wedding in Spain. Deborah had spent six months in Auckland soon after leaving school and had such happy memories of her time there, that she had persuaded Mac (as he was known to his friends), that New Zealand was the place for them to start their married life together. Whilst Deborah had been able to simply change jobs, with the big London Insurance Company she had worked for, Mac, who had been a draughtsman in England, had to start all over again, searching for a job which he considered to be appropriate, for his age and experience. During one of the periods that Mac was un-employed, he had undertaken an investigation for his cousin Arnold, who worked for a bank in Australia. During this investigation, he had met a twenty five year old young lady named Carice van Offstrop, who was also now in the throes of moving to Auckland and looking for a new job. Chapter 1 - What's in a Name? "Are you deaf or something Mac, for goodness sake turn the wireless off and answer the telephone," Deborah shouted through the sitting room door at her husband, who was happily reading the sports page of the local Auckland newspaper. "Sorry Debs, thought you were getting it, as virtually all the telephone calls are for you anyway," he replied, putting the paper down and walking into the hall, where the telephone was located on a small table just inside the front door. "The Smith household, MacDonald Smith speaking, who is it please?" "Hello Mac, it's me, Carice van Offstrop, you said to give you a call when I arrived in Auckland, remember?" "I most certainly do Carice, what can I do for you this sunny Friday evening?” "I was wondering how the job hunting was going and if you could give me the addresses of any agencies that I might try, as I have had no luck whatsoever so far and am feeling pretty fed up about it?" "I know exactly how you feel Carice, three days from Christmas and I am not feeling at all merry. I really thought that nineteen fifty would be a great year for me, but although it started with a bang, it seems to be ending with a bit of a whimper I'm afraid.” "Perhaps we could meet up some time and discuss our disappointments over a drink somewhere," Carice suggested. "Actually Carice, I did mention to my wife that you might be telephoning me sometime soon and she said to invite you round for dinner when you did and there is no time like the present, so what are you doing tonight? You and I can go over the agency information I have looked out for you, but I should warn you that Deborah and I do have a business proposition we want to discuss with you." "A business proposition eh, that sounds intriguing, what time shall I arrive?" After dinner Carice asked Mac what this business proposition was all about. "Well to be honest, it is really Deborah's idea, so I will let her explain it to you," said Mac. "It might be helpful if I give you the background of how we two first met," said Deborah. "It was in Spain during the Second World War, when we were both working for the British Secret Service. Mac working behind the lines in France with the Resistance and me assisting my father in gathering intelligence about enemy naval movements in and around the Mediterranean Sea. We were both young and wild and the danger and excitement were intoxicating, but we lost touch with each other when Mac was picked up by the German's and was presumed to have been killed during an Allied bombing raid on the Gestapo Headquarters, where he was being held. We met up again in August of last year in a most amazing encounter and got married last April in Spain, after which we decided to emigrate to New Zealand and arrived here a few months ago.” Mac continued with the story, "As you already know Carice, I was a draughtsman in England, but I was looking forward to doing something different with my life when I came out here, so when Arnold, my cousin, asked me to do a bit of detective work for the bank he worked for, I jumped at the chance and really enjoyed myself, working with him on the investigation he was involved with." "All right Mac, I will continue," said Deborah, "I noticed that Mac was his old self again while working for the bank, the Mac I had fallen in love with during the War and suggested to him that maybe he should give up being a draughtsman and start being a private investigator. Mac's immediate response to my suggestion, was that in any sort of an investigation there can be danger and that you should never work on your own in that sort of situation, you should have a partner to watch your back. When he told me that you were also looking for work in Auckland and he had already mentioned how well you had played your role in protecting your parents' interests, I suggested that the two of you should team up and form your own firm of Private Investigators; so tell me, what do you think of the idea?" "Hey, what a wonderful idea Deborah, have you thought of any names yet, for our new enterprise?" asked Carice. "I rather like Smith and Offstrop Investigations Limited," said Mac. "Oh no!" said Carice, "How about Offstrop and Smith Detective Agency," she suggested. "I do not think we should use our own names," said Deborah, "my suggestion is The Red Rabbit Inquiry Agency; now that is a name people will remember."