SEVEN - THE PLAN
A couple of pizzas were ordered. Matt had brought some beers, Shelly nipped out to the ‘offy for a bottle of white.
“Right, this is how we see it. Like we said, we spend a few random days calling into the office to tell them we are stuck in traffic, running late. We think that the later in the day we leave it, the more believable it is. And that we are going to go to the next call before coming back into depot.”
“Right, yeah, makes sense.”
“Then, sometime during the Christmas week, we step up the ante, and call in and tell them we are doing a couple of pick ups – let’s say that it’s down to traffic, some issue with parking near the shops. Then the following day, we do the same – it will be Thursday, we reckon, that will be the best day.”
“Why?”
“Well, we have a couple of banks, three supermarkets and a jewellers, and anyone else they decide to give us. Out of all the days, this is the busiest, moneywise, for us.”
“Hey, Terry, just had an idea – Jim, how do you feel about calling in sick on that day? We will get the radio call asking for vans to cover your pickups, we can respond.”
“Do you know, that could work. Jim, how do you feel about that – but take it a step further … “
“I could still call off at the pick-ups. My shops won’t have any idea. They are used to me collecting from them … “
“I was just about to ask that. How do you feel about that?”
“Jim, they will know your face though, you will be directly implicated.”
“Oh, yeah, sorry, didn’t think about that.”
“No problem Jim. But you could still call in sick – you can still come out and help us load up the bags and not come out at your shops. What do you think?”
“Yes, sounds good. I’ll do that. If I leave it until late that day, 3-Way won’t get time to bring anyone else in.”
“Yes. That sounds good. Good plan.”
“So, any questions? Any thoughts on how we build it up?”
“No, it sounds ok.”
Shelly cleared her throat. As the men went off to the fridge to get more beers and work out finer details, she turned to Deirdre.
“Deirdre, how do you feel about all this?”
“Well, like I said to Jim the other night, we’re damned if we do, and damned if we don’t. We didn’t pay the mortgage last month, and the building society told us the last time we got into arrears, that if we did it again, they would start repo proceedings. So, we have lost the house.”
Deirdre soulfully looked around their 14 x 10 lounge. Just bricks and mortar and a bit of wallpaper she was trying to tell herself. No matter what, this house no longer was their own.
“Deirdre, look, we’re in the same boat. Our case is being heard in the new year. We stopped paying our mortgage during the summer, and right now, they’re welcome to it, it’s leaking every time it rains, and the new neighbours are some council estate’s problem cast offs. They have ASBO’s and have breached them loads of times. Had enough, we really have.”
“I didn’t realise.”
“Let me show you something Deirdre,” Shelly opened her fake crocodile leather bag knowing that one day, it wouldn’t be fake. “Here, you see this? This is a plot overlooking the Atlantic. See how blue that sea is? Look at it. That is just under an acre of land. Guess how much?”
“Where is it, it is stunning. I love those orchids.”
“Bahamas.”
“You’re kidding!”
“No, we got it for a song. Been in touch with the company selling it, put a £500 deposit on it. It’s ours.”
“How much is it? Must be at least £500k.”
“We have got it for twenty thousand.”
“You’re having me on.”
“Nope – did a bit of searching on the internet, did a bit of negotiating, and that is our retirement. Terry has already spotted a plot with good trees on it, he wants to build canoes.”
“Wow. Do they have any more at that price?”
“Yep – right next door, and they are always asking if we know anyone who wants to buy it. Actually, there are half a dozen plots. We’re already looking to put our names down for another. Grow our own fruit!”
“Shelly, this is fabulous. Oh my, how lovely. How soon can you build on it?”
“Now. Materials are pricey though, but a bit at a time, eh?”
“Well yes, oh Shelly, it is gorgeous. With Jim’s cough, it will be a thing of the past. And the heat will be great for my rheumatics.”
“That’s why we’re looking at it – health reasons. Want to be somewhere idyllic, warm and sunny. They sometimes get the hurricanes, but we can easily learn how to take care of ourselves.”
“Wow.”
“But Deirdre, this is where I want to talk to you about what we can do to help the lads.”
“How?”
“Are you ready to help them?”
“Yes. If it helps us get something like this, yes.”
“Well, I’m back to Mrs Warburton.”
“Oh right?”
“Yes, remember Deirdre, this is a once in a lifetime. Remember what she has done to my brother and to all those who she scammed out of good money for their jewellery. Keep those thoughts in mind.”
“And bringing down my hours.”
Deirdre got a sense of where the conversation was going.
“Well, on the morning when the lads are pulling their stunt, how would it be if we go along and clean Mrs W’s home, clean it out. You could tell her that your back is playing up and you could do with some help with the vacuuming, and then you ask to bring me. She’ll be getting ready for her Christmas dinner party that she always throws, so having the house in sparkling condition is what she’ll want. I wouldn’t be too surprised if she doesn’t ask you to do a few more hours that week, polish the silver from the cupboard, wash the crystal and what have you. She won’t want it being done in the dishwasher, no, she’ll want it all hand-washing.”
“How do you know all this?”
“I cleaned for her a couple of years ago. She starts throwing Christmas dinners and parties about the middle of the month onwards, and didn’t pay any extra apart from normal rate.”
“Cow.”
“Anyway, what I was thinking, the morning of the day that the lads do their thing, we do our thing. Try and get that day.”
“Oh, it’s ok, I usually work on a Thursday.”
By now, Deirdre was becoming less resilient to the idea. Who was going to take care of her and Jim? The house was going, they were going to be homeless. They would end up with some council house or flat, probably amongst a load of neighbours that would be no good for them, and after all that they had done, after all the fight they had fought to keep their home, always doing the right thing and getting nowhere for it, getting no thanks or recognition, people pushing into her in the supermarkets without a thought, teenagers not giving up their seats on the bus who didn’t have half a dozen bags of shopping – what was it all for?
She continued with a thought, “What I’m thinking is the time of day though Shelly – might be better to leave it until the middle of the afternoon to go to work that day.”
“Liking it, liking it. Less time to come after you. Yes. Yes, good idea.”
“And Jim and I will just pack our bags the day before, we could book into a hotel for a while until we leave.”
“Well, the lads are planning the day after. We’re thinking of going to a cottage. We’ve booked it. It holds 6. Just lie really low for a couple of weeks. During that time, we’ll deposit the money, and we can also get anything from Mrs W in a strongbox.”
“Have you thought out where the cash is going?”
“Yes, oh here are the men … Matt, Deirdre was asking where the cash is going.”
“Well, like we have just been telling Jim here, we have managed to open a Swiss bank account, still don’t quite know how we managed it. But there you have it. We have been putting our savings into it, so they have got used to a few thousand here and there going in. We have also been over to one of their branches, and put some jewellery in their strongbox – it’s only cheap costume jewellery, but they’re not to know!”
“How do we get to it?”
“Right, what we have here is the bank book. You can see there is already ten and a half in it. So what we do, we keep out enough for our needs, and the rest gets put in. I’ve been telling them that we are selling our properties up over here, and so are a couple of friends. They asked me if we would like to use their services to bank the proceeds. I had to laugh when the clerk asked me that one. Proceeds! Ha ha, yes. Yes. Anyway, I told him that yes, we will be using their bank, and that most of the deposits would be cash. He was a little perplexed saying the best way to be paid would be transfer, but like I told him, the sales are purely cash. He got worried about us driving about with cash, but I told him that we would be fine.”
“So, it’s all happening. Jim, what do you think?”
“Deirdre?”
“Yes, yes. Do it.”
“We’re in. I’ll call in sick that day. And get sacked.”
“It will also give you an alibi, oddly enough!”
“Me and Shelly had an idea.” Shelly looked bemused.
“Oh?”
The plan that the ladies came up with seemed to add the cream to the pudding. All they had to do now, was to wait.
EIGHT - DUMMY RUN
“Hello Ms Smith.”
“Hello Deirdre. Did we have a good weekend?”
“Yes, yes, it was good. Ms Smith, my relatives have asked me to go and stay with them later this month.”
“Oh. Oh, that’ll be nice for you. When?”
“Well, not sure just yet. But, if push comes to shove, and I need to finish before Christmas, will you be ok for help?”
“Oh yes, my niece is just around the corner. They can come and do some work for me.”
Matt had already had a dummy run at ringing the office and letting them know that the roads were busy. And it seemed plausible.
10th December
2.45pm “Hi! Sandy? Yeah, tell Graham I am running late. I’m stuck here on Marlborough Road, there’s a road block. What? No, I can’t see what’s causing it. Yeah, I have SupaPrice on board, just going to the bank. Yeah, can you tell them I’m running late. What’s that? Collect PoundPlus. Yep, can do. I should be there about 5 though. Ok, will do.”
3.05pm Matt had got through the roadblock and was a quarter hour from the bank.
3.30pm Pick up at the bank. It took 20 minutes, damn paperwork.
4.30pm Nearing PoundPlus.
The dummy run had gone off without a problem.
Deirdre’s day had been just as productive. As she walked around Ms Warburton’s home, she walked with a piece of paper.
Gold candle sticks; gold inkwell with ornate embellishment; gold key chain; antique cutlery
In the bedroom, later that afternoon, gold chains, precious stones inlaid gold brooches, sapphire ring, sapphire and diamond rings.
It all went down on the slip of paper that she now put into her pocket.
“This is great Deirdre. When are you next back at Mrs W’s?”
“Next Tuesday Terry.”
“And then when?”
“I’m there every Tuesday and Thursday.”
“Ok. Right, listen everyone. The delay trips have run fine. Now, it’s the 17th next Thursday, so that’s when we do it. Ok?”
“I thought we were waiting until nearer Christmas.”
“Well, yeah, but the next time that Deirdre is at Mrs W’s will be 22nd.”
“What about doing it then?”
Following a little to-ing and fro-ing, the 22nd was decided as the date to carry out their plan. This would suit everyone, it gave an opportunity to have another dummy run, and it would leave it more nearer to the holidays. Roads, airports and trains would be busier.