Fishy Business is the eighth short story in the sixth anthology of Biggles Air Police short stories entitled Biggles Presses On. The anthology was first published in January, 1958. Prior to this, the story was published in I-Spy Annual, Volume 2, 1956 published by News Chronicle. In the anthology, this story is preceded by The Case of the Fatal Ruby and followed by Biggles Lays a Ghost.
Synopsis[]
A Polish fur merchant makes a complaint about valuable stolen furs being smuggled into Britain. Biggles' investigation turns up a rather innovative approach to getting things past customs.
Plot[]
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Gaskin refers a Polish fur trader named Lutenski to Biggles. Lutenski had been recently cheated. A parcel of furs he had bought in Leningrad had arrived but the valuable mink furs it was supposed to contain had been swopped with cheap inferior ones. Some time later, Lutenski saw Lady Branding wearing a mink coat made with the cream coloured skins which he recognised as his. Lady Branding told him she had bought the coat from one Marius Kindus. Lutenski confronted Kindus who said he bought the skins from a private exhibition at a flat in Park Lane. Next, Lutenski asked H.M. Customs who had imported those furs but Customs said they had no record of such an import.
Biggles starts some enquiries. The Park Lane flat in question had been vacant for a year. None of the leading furriers had heard of such an exhibition. Gaskin meanwhile uncovers interesting background on Kindus. He was a Latvian and had a hobby of deep sea fishing. He kept a launch, the Scandik at Wivenhoe for the purpose and often spent his weekends at a countryhouse there or at sea.
Algy and Bertie take up an Auster to follow the Scandik on its next sortie. They spot the launch making a rendezvous with a Latvian drifter. When the Scandik puts in at Wivenhoe, Biggles and Ginger are waiting. Kindus is seen transfering a large tunny (which looks rather stale) to a truck. Biggles asks the local Customs officer, Mr Bright, to act as a witness and steps forward to examine the fish. Kindus, fearful of a scene, asks them to do it at his country house. There, the fish is sliced open to reveal several bundles of expensive furs.
Characters[]
The Special Air Police/Scotland Yard[]
- Biggles
- Algy Lacey
- Ginger Hebblethwaite
- Bertie Lissie
- Gaskin
Others[]
Aircraft[]
Ships[]
- Scandik
- Unnamed Latvian fishing boat, a drifter
Places[]
Visited[]
- Scotland Yard - Biggles' office. Gaskin buzzed him on the intercom.
- Wivenhoe, Essex
Mentioned[]
- Greenwood Mansions, Park Lane
Other points of interest[]
Cars[]
- Unspecified car which Biggles drove to Wivenhoe
- Kindus's motor truck
Newspapers/magazines/books[]
Firearms and other weapons[]
Brands/products[]
Food and Drinks[]
Organisations[]
- British Trade Mission to Russia
- HM Customs and Excise
- Tunny Fishers Club
Research Notes[]
- Raymond doesn't appear in this story.