Mike Dixon

amounts being destroyed. Even today there are people
looking for secret caches in tunnels which the Americans are
believed to have dug into hillsides that are now part of sub-
urban Townsville.‟
„What sort of equipment?‟ Janet asked.
„Trucks, jeeps, furniture, beds, bedding, canned food,
liquor, prefabricated buildings,‟ Humphrey threw out his
arms expressively. „All the things needed to run an army.‟
„And you think they ended up in Rosie‟s hands?‟
„I‟m sure they did.‟
Humphrey added another line to the diagram.
„Bill has traced over fifty missing trucks to Baker Enterprises
through transport department records. You can bet
your life they were only part of what went astray and you
can be equally sure Rosie used blackmail to acquire them.
Just think of the hold she had on some people. She had explicit
photos of them in bed with two prostitutes – one of
whom was underage.‟
He picked up a crayon and began to write.
„Item six. Baker Enterprises was sold off in 1961 with the
exception of one sole property. The sale raised about $50
million at present-day prices.
„Item seven. The property which was not sold was the
Island View Hotel. Its title was transferred to a Hong Kong
based trust together with a considerable sum of money.‟
„Tom Lee mentioned such a trust,‟ Kirstin said. „He set it
up for his grandchildren.‟
„Item eight. From 1956 the Island View ceased to be a
brothel and traded as a normal hotel. Then, in about 1970,
it changed its character again, becoming a retirement home
for elderly prostitutes.‟
„You‟re joking!‟
194