Tuk Kae - In Search of Looted Gold: Tuk Kae Series, #2

By Elliott Trevor

In this second Tuk Kae novel the feisty Thai heroine accompanies her friend Helen Childs on a search for Japanese looted gold from the second world war. Rumours of huge hoards of gold left by the retreating Imperial Army have circulated for years but no real evidence of hidden treasure has ever been found. Then an old Mon man from the border province of Kanchanaburi appears at Helen's office with an intriguing story and some persuasive gold artefacts.

Helen sets out to investigate the old man's story and asks Tuk Kae to accompany her. At first, they have little to go on and then a map is discovered but its secrets cannot be read as it appears to be written in a strange code. A chance encounter provides the key and Tuk Kae, Helen and her team close in on the location where they hope to find the treasure.

 

Along the way they encounter some suspicious Japanese who are also treasure hunting but by chance they discover that this small Thai lady with the lizard tattoo might be worth more than any hidden gold.

 

Not for the first time Tuk Kae is hunted by the Yakuza who are determined to secure Katakiuchi (Blood Revenge) and secure the treasure as a bonus.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Elliott Trevor
• Release date: Jul 30, 2020
• ISBN: 9781393225447

Book preview

CHAPTER 1

Three years had passed since Jarintip Mookjai, known to everyone as Tuk Kae had completed the transition from a simple young lady living in Chumphon, Thailand to a sophisticated, ambitious and successful entrepreneur, social activist and accomplished Bushido exponent. Tuk Kae’s relationship with her childhood sweetheart Somchai Rattanakosin, whose nickname was Poo remained loving but her devoted commitment to honouring the memory of Mr Sato her mentor, and an unwavering support for the local farmers, made many demands on her time. Similarly, Poo, now a Police Inspector was determined to carve a successful career for himself, partly to offset the staggering achievements of his loved one and partly because he felt morally obliged to act as the breadwinner in the relationship even if in practice he could never match the growing wealth from both the legacy of Sato’s gift and the runaway success of the dried fruit and coffee Cooperatives. The pressure under which they both lived meant they would remain friends and occasional lovers but for the time being pursue separate priorities.

When Tuk Kae lived in Chumphon Poo visited and stayed with her as often as their schedules allowed but she was in demand both in Bangkok and London where her role as a Trustee of The Kazumi, Sato, Tuk Kae Trust required regular visits.

Helen Childs had grown to be her best friend, possibly because Tuk Kae’s wealth would always create some barriers between her and her Chumphon friends who lived a more modest life style. After three years of regular one-to-one training with Tuk Kae as her instructor, Helen had become a proficient exponent of Kyokushin Karate and in return she helped widen her Thai friend’s interest in the arts and Bangkok life amongst the better off members of society. Tuk Kae had purchased two apartments in the same block as Helen’s Bangkok home and used one as her base when in the capital and the other as a source of rental income to support the Chumphon Cooperatives.

This scruffy daughter of rural rubber growers had come far but perhaps the achievement she treasured the most was the blossoming of her once beleaguered brother, Ton, from struggling rubber farmer to Cooperative Manager with a new confidence and newfound communications talents based on his total honesty and commitment to the organisation.

Helen had not only, renewed her contract with the antiquities experts Susan Boyd Evans Associates but was now also, a partner and in return, widened her activities to cover the burgeoning Vietnamese and Cambodian markets. This meant an increase in her travelling and for Tuk Kae who accompanied her on many trips visiting both Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Hoi Ann in Vietnam. In both countries, she had represented the Trust and contacted charities and orphanages who might qualify for funding.

Life was good. With Helen’s help, Tuk Kae received instruction in basic company accounting and how to understand the financial reports she received each month from the Kazumi, Sato, Tuk Kae Trust which was steadily moving towards an annual income of over $1 Billion dollars. The Trust had begun funding its scholarship programme for gifted students from poor backgrounds and was helping support and establish orphanages across the world. Tuk Kae’s income from the Trust was approaching the $1 Million per year mark, a staggering figure for a poor girl from Chumphon.

She applied a newfound business savvy to the dried fruit and coffee growing Cooperatives she had created to ensure they were financially sound and ultimately self-supporting. Trusted professional managers were appointed to support the mainly amateur and inexperienced team recruited, like her brother, from Cooperative members. These appointees still answered to the Cooperative’s management board but also reported to her direct to ensure that no money was going astray through corruption, nepotism and the channelling of contracts to cronies and relatives. This was a little different from the normal Thai business model and had caused resentment and complaint in the early stages but because any concerns were reported to Tuk Kae she successfully explained why things were done differently and how this ultimately meant everyone shared in the dividends.

She established and controlled an independent finance arm assisted by two directly employed financiers. This provided loans from the rental income of her second apartment plus the dividend from the Trust which was mainly used for capital expenditure within the Cooperative and to provide support for new farmers whilst they planted fruit and coffee and waited for it to be productive.

The model was now growing to encompass other regions of Thailand and attracting considerable interest from regional and central Government.

As a result, Tuk Kae was in great demand and the one downside of this public exposure was the limitations it put on spending time with Poo. They were still very much in love and the separation caused by both their successful careers weighed heavy on their relationship, but they were young and if they did not settle down and start a family of their own, there were plenty of orphans that needed love and support.

Tuk Kae was in Bangkok for her monthly visit. This time combining a Trust meeting with Bojitsu instruction for Helen. After a busy day, they met around 5 pm and were enjoying a drink outside a coffee shop in the Silom district of Bangkok. The area was very busy with both business people and shoppers carrying a mixture of laptop cases and store bags. As they talked and drank coffee, a street seller approached pushing a cart laden with many brushes. He paused at their table and asked Tuk Kae if she would buy a brush. Before she could answer a scream erupted from a little way down the road, followed by the revving of a motorbike and more shouting. As they looked up, they saw two young men on a motorbike and a smartly dressed Thai lady struggling to hold onto her shoulder bag as the pillion rider attempted to drag it from her grip. The lady did not give up easily and the driver of the bike could not move away for risk of his partner being dragged from the bike. Then as if in slow motion the guy trying to wrest the bag from its owner produced a knife and cut though the strap. He turned to his accomplice and indicated they should make their escape. The motorbike did a fast 180-degree slide to head away from the victim and the gathering crowd. This brought it past where the girls were sitting and in a blur of movement they each plucked a long-handled brush from the cart and Tuk Kae drove the handle into the passenger carrying the bag sending him backwards onto the road. Simultaneously Helen thrust her brush handle into the front wheel of the motorbike sending the driver in a long arc over the handlebars and into the road.

Before Tuk Kae’s target completed his second bounce off the road, she was alongside him stamping on the hand holding the knife, making him release his grip. With his head protected in a crash helmet Tuk Kae chose his right knee and delivered a powerful downward kick that caused the guy to scream in agony and curl up in a ball.

Helen’s guy was also sporting a helmet which both protected his head and his identity, so she went straight for his groin and drove the heel of her flat business shoe into the soft parts of his manhood with a predictable outcome. As she turned to look for Tuk Kae, she saw her friend returning the bag to the lady amidst cheers and whistles from the impressed crowd. Her gaze then fell on the poor street seller who had seen two of his best brushes destroyed in seconds. She walked over to the man who was at least a foot shorter than her and smiled her warmest smile and reach into her bag retrieving a 1000 Baht note and in perfect Thai apologised for borrowing his merchandise and offering the money as compensation. The seller’s face lit up with surprise and he reached for change, but Helen told him to keep the note and thanked him for being on hand to provide the means to stop the thieves, adding his brushes were surely of high quality to have stopped the thieves so effectively.

Seeing Helen talking to the brush salesman the smart lady walked over with Tuk Kae and told the street seller she owned two hotels and handed him her business card. She asked if he would deliver all the brushes to the two locations and she would ensure they were all purchased. She then turned to her two rescuers and thanked them inviting them to enjoy dinner on her at either hotel.

The police arrived a minute later to collect the two thieves who were being jostled and slapped by the crowd. They learnt what had occurred and walked over to the ladies who were again seated at their table enjoying fresh coffee served by a waiter.

After providing addresses, the police took the two men into custody and things returned to the normal bustle of a Bangkok evening with people heading home from work. Helen sat with a huge grin on her faced and when Tuk Kae asked why she replied, Oh life is never dull when you are around. A few years ago, I would have sat here and watched the robbery take place and done nothing. Now, with what you taught me and with you at my side we whipped their arses and restored peace and harmony to this part of Bangkok.

Tuk Kae smiled and after a brief pause for reflection said, You are right Helen, we have both come far, but I have come further. I must not forget from where I came and the immense good luck I had in meeting Mr Sato. My only regret is my path is taking me in a different direction to Poo and I miss him so much.

Helen stretched out a hand to take her friend’s and consoled her by saying, There is still plenty of time. You are both young and ambitious. I firmly believe a time will come when you are together forever. Be patient, follow your path and complete your commitment to Mr Sato’s vision. In time, the Cooperatives will be truly self-sufficient and your brother Ton or another will step forward to take on the responsibility for their operation. The Trust is already moving forward at an amazing rate and the philanthropic projects will be in full swing helping other Tuk Kae’s and young scientist achieve their dreams. I am so proud to be part of the process and so glad we became such good friends. You are the sister I never had, a soul mate that grounds me. My life is privileged and my job, although interesting, involves supplying rich people with beautiful antiques. You have given me a new perspective, new interest and a new zest for life. And if you don’t hang onto that hunky Chumphon policeman I might go after him myself.

They both laughed and as they stood to leave Tuk Kae hugged her friend and whispered, Thank you sis. I can always rely on you to put me straight when I lose my way.

CHAPTER 2

Back in Chumphon Tuk Kae visited her brother, Ton, and his family to get first-hand feedback on both the dried fruit and coffee Cooperatives which were expanding rapidly signing up farmers from adjacent areas. She received monthly production and sales figures from both organisations which showed the marketing campaign was proving a success and the ability to combine distribution of both product ranges ensured low overheads. A large warehouse, purchased close to the AH2 – the main road artery running south from Bangkok provided extra capacity for future growth. Tuk Kae’s role included leading negotiations with two supermarket chains offering access to countrywide stores and she planned to visit London soon to meet with a wholesaler who promised business with upmarket outlets like Harrods and volume users including healthy food chains and the big four supermarkets. Tuk Kae hoped to stay a few weeks and meet with Rupert Scott and visit the tourist sites she didn’t see last time.

What little spare time she had was spent searching for new ideas to support the farmers. An obvious area to