The Lottery Ticket

by

Michael D Goodman

The Lottery Ticket

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2012 Michael D Goodman

This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Contents

Chapter 1 The Holiday begins

Chapter 2 The break-ins

Chapter 3 A Change of Plan

Chapter 4 The Fence

Chapter 5 Returning Home

Chapter 6 The Missing Lottery Tickets

Chapter 7 The Warehouse Job

Chapter 8 The Arrest

Chapter 9 A New Beginning

Chapter 10 The plan moves on

Chapter 11 Finding new evidence

Chapter 12 The Net Tightens

Chapter 13 A Tested Friendship

Chapter 14 The Arrest

Chapter 1

The Holiday begins

The Campbell family had planned their holiday with meticulous precision. Nothing had been overlooked. The hotel they were to stay at in the Algarve had been confirmed. Their bookings and their flight tickets had been received from the travel agents. The hotel near to the airport was reserved for their overnight stay. The car would be looked after by the hotel during their two week stay in Portugal.

All that remained was for the family to pack their bags for the holiday and the overnight bags they would need for the nights stay in the hotel. They had only one more week to wait before their long awaited dream holiday.

Up until now the Campbell’s could only afford to holiday in England. This change in fortune was due to a small win of a couple of thousand pounds on the lottery by marking off five drawn numbers. Because of this win they decided to expand their horizons and venture abroad.

The family was made up of Mr David Campbell, his wife Jennifer and their two children, Mandy who was the oldest at twelve years of age, but liked to think she was already a teenager and Christopher who had just turned nine and spent most of his time playing with James, the boy from across the road or on his ‘Play Station’ which he was given by his parents for his birthday.

David worked as a health and safety manager for The Royal Mail and worked at the Pederston Mail Centre. It was his job to make sure that all aspects of the work place were safe for all who worked there.

Months before their departure and soon after the cash from their winnings was deposited into their bank account, they had visited the travel agents to find out about some of the special offers they were advertising. Once they had decided on the Hotel Fiora and chose to go all inclusive it was just a matter of paying the deposit and later, when the time came to pay the outstanding amount.

A month before they were due to leave they paid for the holiday in full. Just one thing remained to be done. Max, the pet Labrador needed to be kennelled. Although Jennifer’s parent volunteered to look after the dog it was considered that this would be too much to ask, as they were getting on in years and as a young dog he would need the kind of exercise they would find hard to give.

The kennels that Max was to stay at were only a mile from the Campbell’s home. They had been there before and were impressed by the cleanliness of the accommodation offered to all intakes. All the necessary injections had been given by their vet, to the satisfaction of the kennel’s owners.

Although they still had a week to get everything packed they were keen to start laying some of the clothes out that would be needed. Swim suits, shorts, tee-shirts and the like were scattered about each of the bedrooms. There seemed no order to the packing at this stage but Jennifer was the organiser in the home and she would have this chaos sorted out before the day of departure.

Jennifer not only had a list of things to take but also a list of things that needed to be taken care of before they left. This followed the pattern she needed in her job as a personal assistant to a senior partner of a solicitors office.

First on the list of jobs to be done was the cancelling of the daily papers.

“David, will you cancel the papers when you go to the newsagents to buy the lottery tickets”, she asked. “Oh, and while you’re there just remind Mrs Parker that Mandy will not be available to deliver the papers for the two weeks we are away will you”, she added as she scanned her ‘to do list’.

“Sure, said David. And while I’m in town I’ll call in at the sorting office and ask them to hold our mail until we come back”, he retorted.

The errands done and the lottery tickets bought David returned home. He put the tickets in date order on the coffee table in the lounge, with to-night’s ticket on the top, ready for the draw this evening. The tickets he had bought for the weeks they were to be away he would check on his return. Because of their recent win they bought the lottery tickets with renewed interest.

On Jennifer’s list of things to pack and things to do was the purchase of items from the chemists such as sun tan lotion, after sun and toiletries. A trip was needed to the shoe shop to get beach shoes for them all. This meant that an outing to town by all of them would be needed.

James hated going to town for anything. Even at his young age he disliked shoe shops the most. The waiting while your number was called was so annoying. To this Jennifer had to agree. As for Mandy she could spend all day looking and trying on shoes.

When the time came to go in to town on the Saturday before they were due to go on holiday James decided to make himself scarce. He hid at the blind side of his bed in the hope that he wouldn’t be discovered by either of the grownups.

“James, come down here at once”, his mother called.

James didn’t answer in the hope that she might think he was outside already. The call came again. This time it was louder and sounded much more impatient.

“James, I won’t tell you again, come down here this minute”, came the demand from his mother.

Now he knew that the game was up and that if she shouted up to him again it would mean a penalty would have to be paid, such as the loss of pocket money or the confiscation of his toys for a period of time. Slowly he clambered down the dog leg stairs with its open banister.

“I hate shopping” he sulkily retorted on reaching the hall.

“Don’t make this any more difficult than it has to be”, admonished his father.

“The sooner we go, the sooner we can get back”, he continued.

James couldn’t work this out.

“Surely whatever time we go it will take the same amount of time, won’t it”? , he thought logically to himself.

Mandy was already sitting in the car excitedly counting the money she had in her purse as the others climbed in.  She was looking forward to the prospect of shopping in town. She had counted her money twice while she waited. With £22 she could replenish her make up bag. Mandy couldn’t wait to get to town unlike James. They were going to visit at least two of her favourite shops. She would take her time in the chemists looking at all the make up counters and trying on some of the products that they had on offer.

Jennifer pre-empted Mandy’s thoughts. She, herself, would not be in the chemists long as she knew from her list what she was going for.

“Mandy, we will go to the shoe shop first and then to the chemists so that James doesn’t get too bored”, Jennifer decided.

“But mum, I need lot of things from the chemist”, whined Mandy with attitude.

“Yes, we know and you can spend as much time as you like there, then come and meet us at Ronald’s tea shop when you have finished” commanded David.

Once they arrived in town it was straight to the shoe shop. Jennifer in her usual organised way had inquired by phone the day before to make sure the shop had a stock of the beach shoes she was looking for. Fortunately for James the shop wasn’t too busy. Soon the shoes were chosen and the next stop was to the chemists.

All the toiletries were purchased and while they were there they bought the extra films they would need for the camera. Mandy by this time was still trying on different perfumes at the counters of the different manufacturers stands.

By now she had bumped into one of her school friends who had no intention of buying anything. She had come just to get a free sample of the perfumes.

Mandy excitedly told her friend of the forthcoming holiday. Unfortunately her friend was going nowhere during the holiday as her family weren’t that well off. Julie, for that was Mandy’s friends name, had a father who was out of work and spent most of his time out with his mates in the evening and would come home sometimes long after she had gone to bed. Her mother did her best to make ends meet with the ‘home help’ job she had.

“Don’t take too long in here”, Mandy’s mum called over to her. “We want to go home soon to do the packing”, she continued.

“OK mum, I’ll come over to the tea shop soon” was Mandy’s reply.

With eye shadow, lipstick, a bottle of cheap perfume and one or two other things Mandy finished her shopping.

“I have to go Julie, mum and dad will be waiting” she said hurriedly.

“Have a nice holiday Mandy, I’ll see you when you get back” replied Julie.

After spoiling themselves on a light lunch at Ronald’s and having done all the last minute shopping they drove home to start the packing. David climbed into the loft to bring down the cases. Some of them had gathered dust in the time they had been up there. This was going to be the longest they had been away and so more cases would be needed than they had used on previous holidays.

David took his instructions on what to pack from Jennifer as he had on all their previous trips. Before each case was packed the items were placed on the beds in each of the three bedrooms upstairs. It just remained for him to pack the cases and to leave them open for any last minute items.

The Campbell’s lived on the main road leading into the small town approximately five miles from the city where they both worked. The house was a three bed semi-detached of the pre-war variety and was pebble dashed at the front and painted white with the front door set in a recess to the left of a large bay window. The upstairs had a large window above the bay and a smaller frosted window above the door which was the natural light to the bathroom.

The layout inside was a large lounge to the front and a dining room with patio doors to the rear. The kitchen door faced the front door down the hallway and the kitchen was of a galley type with work tops to both sides. The back door was to the left side of the kitchen with a window next to it and another window at the end.

Mandy as the first-born had always had the double bedroom to the back of the house and the small bedroom which had been the study until James was born was now his bedroom. To accommodate the office equipment the space under the stairs was adapted as a small and cramped study.

In the lounge was the cabinet filled with ornaments that Jennifer had collected over the years and some she had inherited from her Grandmother. She liked nice things and would only allow her treasured and expensive items a space in this cabinet. The other items dotted about the room such as those on the mantel piece and the windowsill, were some of the gifts she had been given by her children and some were her birthday and Christmas presents. In this room stood the large three piece suite that was bought for a wedding present by Jennifer’s parents thirteen years before and was still as good as new.

The television was David’s pride and joy. It was state of the art and he had not long had Sky added to the repertoire of channels he was able to watch. The fire place was original and had remained an open grate. During the winter it was cosy just to sit in front of the open fire even though they had had central heating put in some years previous.

The dining room also had a fire place but this was seldom used and would have a fire screen in front of it decorated with a hunting scene surrounded by a wooden frame. Jennifer found this in an antique shop on a visit to Oxford. The downstairs had the same colour of pastel green carpet throughout with the exception of the kitchen that David had tiled himself. This betrayed the ordered lives of its occupants. The dining room suite was of oak and oval in design. No expense had been spared in this room either. This was another wedding gift, this time given by David’s now deceased parents. The side board was of the same wood but a different design. Inside was the best crockery and cutlery only used on special occasions.

The kitchen was the hub of the house. Most of the time the family sat at the table that was placed under the window at the back of the kitchen. Not only was James’s homework done on it but it would be used for painting which was one of Mandy’s hobbies. All meals except the special ones would be eaten on this table. Because the house was west facing the sun would shine through the window above the table and you could see the neatly kept garden.

From the patio there was a step down to the immaculate lawn bordered by flower beds. Behind the lawn was the vegetable garden which the whole family had input. The wire fence at the bottom of the garden separated their property from the field locally known as ‘The Rec’.

The master bedroom was furnished in pine. In the room was a set of drawers and a wardrobe with a pine headboard and a full length stand alone dress mirror. The dressing table was also pine with a walnut chair. In the small drawers above the base either side of the mirror was where Jennifer kept her jewellery. David kept his treasured possessions in his matching bedside cabinet also made of pine.

One of the main reasons for the family not having expensive holidays was their endeavour to make their home as comfortable as possible. This meant that the money spent on new things would be to purchase the best they could afford. Both David and Jennifer believed that you only get what you pay for.

With this philosophy they waited to buy the best. The children had the same quality of furniture in their bedrooms. Mandy had one more item in her bedroom than James, which was a computer desk with a top of the range computer sitting on it. James had been promised a computer for his tenth birthday.

The family were due to fly out from Gatwick Airport at 7.30am on the Thursday morning which meant travelling down to the hotel on the Wednesday. They intended to take a leisurely trip and stop several times on the way as James was not the best of travellers.

With every thing now packed with the exception of toiletries which they intended to pack on the morning of departure the cases were carried down stairs. For the next couple of days they would have to squeeze passed the cases as they sat in the hall.

Not only were the children finding it hard to sleep through the next two nights because of their excitement, so were David and Jennifer. To all of them this was the holiday of a lifetime and the first time they had ever flown.

Along with the excitement Jennifer felt her concern for James and how he would manage the three hour flight. On any long journeys they had taken before they had always given him travel sickness tablets which did the trick.

David was kept awake making sure in his mind that the house would be protected whilst they were away. He had asked the Simpson’s from next door to keep an eye on the place and to make sure that no one had left anything poking through the letterbox such as circulars or charity bags for old clothing.

Wednesday morning arrived and each of the family used the bathroom. Once each of them had finished they took their toilet bags down to pack them in the suit cases. As Jennifer and Mandy made breakfast for them all, David, with the help of James, loaded up the car.

With the breakfast pots washed up and put away they were ready to leave. David took his role at work very seriously and so too at home. So, a last minute check by David and James that all internal doors were closed in case of fire, all windows secured and that the back and front doors were locked they were finally ready to leave.

All that remained was for David to pop next door to his neighbours to let Mr Simpson, know they were leaving and when they would return. The Simpson’s had looked after the house whenever they had gone on holiday in the past and they felt confident that as before they would return to a safe house.

“John, I meant to ask if you wouldn’t mind just watering the garden while we are away if we get a dry spell”, David asked.

“Sure I will” John assured him, “I’ll do it with the hose from over the fence, now you go and enjoy yourselves”, he commanded.

John and his wife stood waving at the front door as the Campbell’s car pulled out of the drive. They had begun their  holiday of a lifetime.

Chapter 2

The break-ins

With wire cutters the thieves cut through the wire fence at the back of the property which divided the houses from ‘The Rec’.  Three of them squeezed through and into the garden whilst the fourth that had cut the wire stayed on watch. Following the line of the bushes that edged the garden the thieves made there way to the back of the house. All was dark inside. They had been watching the houses on this street before and knew who was away and who wasn’t. They also knew which ones had alarms fitted.

On reaching the back door the first of the three men kept a lookout whilst the second cut out the glass panel of the back door with expert precision, making sure the sucker was firmly pressed on to the glass so as not to break it and thus not make a noise.  As quick as a flash they squeezed through the open panel. They were all in the house. Each of them had a bag to fill with their booty.

Systematically they went from room to room, first downstairs and then upstairs. Once they had finished it was back to the fence to where a forth accomplice was still waiting. All that remained was for them to edge around the field to where they had left and the getaway van which was hidden from view of the road by the sports pavilion.

The gang leader would never allow the booty to be stored at his home and so it fell to the single one of the group to store it in a garage he rented from the council in a block of ten which he could overlook from his flat.

From here they would deliver the haul to, their ‘Fence’ and split the takings. All of them had served time in prison for various petty crimes and this is where they had hatched out their plan.

Over the past two years there had been an increase in burglaries throughout the city and the towns and villages in the area. Many of these had been in the little towns, villages and hamlets around the city. The police had a theory that it was the same gang but as yet they had little to go on in their efforts to catch the culprits.

This night the theft had taken place just down the road from the Campbell’s property which made John Simpson and his wife very nervous. The police had called to ask if they had seen or heard anything. All they could tell the police was that they hadn’t, but that they were looking after the house next door as they were away and that they would appreciate it if the police would patrol the area from time to time.

The constable told them that he would pass their request on to his superiors when he returned to the station.

“I had better check the house as far as I can”, John suggested to his wife.

“Yes I think you should John, the problem is, because the gate is locked, you won’t be able to check the back”, she reminded him.

“I’ll get the step ladders and have a look over the fence”, he called as he made his way to the front of the Campbell’s house.

Looking at the house from the front he could see no sign of a break-in. Opening his garage door he collected his step ladders which he used when trimming his hedges and fixed them as close as he could to the fence. He climbed up and peered over next doors back way. Looking at the door he could see no forced entry and all the windows were secured.

Satisfying himself that nothing was amiss at the Campbell’s home he put the steps back into the garage and went back inside his house.

“I wish they had fitted an alarm system before they went, it would make it a lot easier”, John commented to his wife.

“Yes it would, his wife replied, when I spoke to Jennifer before they went away she told me David was planning to have one fitted soon after they returned from their holiday. She said he had ordered it some time ago but the chap who was going to fit it was going on holiday just before they were and that he would fit it when they came home”.

“I feel uneasy about all these break-ins that have happened lately and the fact that the police seem unable to catch the offenders, makes me feel even more worried, John commented. Still they say lightening doesn’t strike in the same place twice”, he said trying to reassure his wife and himself.

The break-in down the road had all the hallmarks of the same gang that had burgled other properties in the town and elsewhere. The family had lost most of their small valuable possessions, jewellery, trinkets and ornaments. Some of the items stolen were small pocket size electrical items, these included children’s games and the like.

John couldn’t help thinking how the family would feel on their return from their holiday in a few days time. They had not been contacted as far as he knew from talking to other neighbours. This would be one hell of a shock for them.

The neighbourhood watch had been assured that patrols by the police would be stepped up some time ago but this had not deterred the burglars from their aim.

-------- XXX --------

“These items are not too valuable”, observed the ‘Fence’ as he checked over the selection of stolen goods that lay in front of him.

“Some of them have hallmarks on them”, pointed out the gang leader whose job it was to bring the takings to the ‘Fence’.

“Just because its silver doesn’t mean I can sell it quickly or at high prices, I need to shift this stuff as sharply as I can, if it isn’t it could be traced back to me and then we will all be in the dock” he reminded his collaborator.

“Ok, just give me what you think there’re worth”, the gang leader retorted hastily, for he wanted to get home to bed as his night had been a long one and he still had to make arrangements with the rest of the gang for the next hoist.

When he finally reached home his wife was ready to leave for work.

“Where have you been all night”, she inquired of him.

“If you want to know I’ve been playing cards with some mates, he lied.

The children were putting on their clothes ready to be dropped off at their Nan’s. She would have them during the holidays as no one could predict what their father would be up to if they were left at home. It seemed that a phone call would send him off with no word as to where he was going or when he would return.

His relationship with his two daughters was virtually non existent. The only occasions he would spend time with them was if a childminder couldn’t be found, which would be mostly other members of the family.

His family consisted of his hard working wife Sandra who worked for social services as a home help, his two daughters, Julie the eldest and Rachel who was a year younger than Julie, who was twelve.

Sandra had by now given up on trying to make their marriage work since he went into prison. His mother and father had disowned him and wanted nothing to do with him as he had bought shame on the family name. They did continue to help Sandra and would help her whenever they could. This sometimes meant having the girls if their other Nan couldn’t. If Rodger, Sandra’s husband had to pick them up he would have to wait outside. Never again would he be allowed to cross their threshold they had told him because his stint in prison had given the family a bad name in the neighbourhood.

Neither of the children had a loving relationship with their father. They had both tried but were invariably knocked back as he never knew how to show love. His term in prison had changed him. He was sent down for stealing copper piping from a builder’s yard. He was caught outside sitting in his van waiting for his mate to come and fix his puncture. Ironically it was due to a nail he had driven over on entering the premises.

Sandra would have left him a long time ago had she not had the children. Her mother had always said he was a bad’un. Even before he went into prison he was lazy and if he did do any work it was very part-time and he wouldn’t hand over his earnings to help Sandra keep the family.

“Why don’t you leave him”? Would be the pointed question her mother would constantly ask.

“Because he’s my husband”, she would reply. “I married him for better or worse”, she would quote without much belief.

“Yes, but when there is no ‘better’ what is the point of carrying on with nothing but the worse”, her mother remonstrated.

“I know what your saying, mum, but I have to carry on for the sake of the kids”, she would excuse as the tears would begin to flow freely.

Sandra was unhappy with her lot but her daughters kept her going. They would help her around the house which she always kept clean. If they thought she needed some quite time after one of the many rows they would go and visit their few friends.

Their home was a pre-war council house on an estate of identical houses. The garden was always in need of attention and this because Roger would do nothing to help keep it tidy. Sandra and the girls would do what they could so as not to cause the council to threaten eviction. If Roger was at home it would invariably mean that he was in bed sleeping or sitting in an armchair watching anything that was on television.

The house had three bedrooms. One was the master bedroom which was shared in shifts between Sandra at night and Roger throughout the day. The furniture was mostly purchased from charity shops or boot sales and was nearly as old as the house. The second bedroom was shared by the girls with bunk beds given by the Salvation Army whilst Roger was in jail. Apart from the rented television this was the most modern piece of furniture in the house.

The third and smallest bedroom had a sewing machine in it with an old kitchen style table. This was where Sandra would do the alterations on garments from other people. This helped to subsidise the wages from her main employment.

She managed to give the children a small amount of pocket money now and then but neither of the children asked or expected any. They knew how difficult it was for their mother to eek out an existence each week without her telling them.

The front room was like the rest of the house, sparsely furnished. The sofa was older than the armchair that was mostly occupied by Roger. Sandra had covered them both with throws she had made from old material that didn’t match but at least covered the cigarette burns that Roger had made when falling to sleep with a lighted cigarette in his hand.

The rest of the furniture in the room consisted of a glass top coffee table dating back to the sixties and of course the modern television which was rented. The dining room was furnished with an almost antique table that had seen better days and four chairs that were really kitchen chairs.

The kitchen had a number of units and plenty of worktop space. Unfortunately the units were sparingly filled as shopping was done on a need to do basis. Most of the time, the girls would sit in the kitchen on the two rickety stools to do their homework, whilst their mother would cook the meals. This gave them the opportunity to talk about their day.

“I forgot to mention I had seen my friend Mandy in town last Saturday Mum” Julie mentioned.

As if by magic Roger appeared in the kitchen to make himself a cup of tea. Although he had been in the front room since getting out of bed he had only made it that far and sat watching the cricket on the television since the early afternoon.

No one seemed to take much notice as he slouched around the kitchen with his pyjama bottoms on and a vest, looking for the things he would need to fulfil his need.

Julie continued her conversation with her mum. “She told me about her holiday to Portugal, she was dead excited. I’d love to be able to go somewhere like that she said dreamily, eyes transfixed on nothing in particular.

“So would I “, chirped in Rachel who was swatting over a puzzle she was doing in a girly magazine.

“And I would like to take you some where nice like that too if I could”, Sandra retorted sadly. “When are they going”, she asked as if it really mattered to her.

“She told me they were staying overnight in a hotel because they were flying out on the Thursday morning. They would be flying very early on that morning. I guess they must have been out there for just over a week by now”, she thought aloud.

“When are they due back”? Inquired Roger, pricking up his ears to this compelling information. This could be useful information to his mates he thought to himself.

Not realising that he had been listening to the conversation, Julie turned surprisingly to where he was propping up the worktop with his cup of tea in his hand and replied, “They were going for a fortnight so I guess they will be back on Thursday or Friday of this week”.

That was all the information he needed. As he returned to the front room he was thinking he would have to act quickly if his plan had any chance of working. Firstly he would need to find out where Julie’s friend lived. To ask Julie for any more information might cause her to be suspicious.

Suddenly it dawned on him where he could get that information without anyone being suspicious. While the females were gassing in the kitchen he would search out Julie’s diary. She was bound to have it in there somewhere.

He knew roughly where it would be and sure enough it lay in the top of the small side table drawer. Flicking through the pages like someone possessed he found the page that gave him the information he needed. 23, Sissons Road was all it had underneath the girl’s name, with her telephone number. He guessed that it could only be the road in this same town as he knew the area and had passed it many times and wasn’t this the same road the gang had hit a few nights earlier. Quickly he jotted it down on a piece of paper from his daughter’s exercise book.

He needed to get in touch with his mates as quickly as possible. He darted into the bathroom and washed and dressed. Almost running down the stairs he collected the van keys and shot out of the front door.

At the sound of this Sandra thought it was someone at the front door. She placed the iron on the board and opened the kitchen door to the hall. On opening the front door she could find no one at it. She noticed the van had gone from its usual parking space on the road. When she came back into the house she went into the front room to find it empty.

Going back down the hall and back in to the kitchen she was puzzled.

“That’s strange your dad has just gone out the front door”, she informed the girls.

“In all the time I’ve known your father he has seldom used the front door he usually uses the back door. Oh well never mind I expect he’s gone to meet his mates again”, she supposed rightly.

She carried on the ironing and continued the conversation she had been having with the girls. She had lost interest in where he went when he left the house all she cared was that her daughters were happy and she was pleased that although they came from a poor background they had made friends with other children who had no hang-ups about social classes.

She had met Julie’s friend’s mum at the school on the odd occasion and they seemed a very nice family. It was also obvious that Julie and Mandy where not only good friends but had over the years grown very close, even though their social classes was worlds apart. They would go into town just to window shop or to buy things they needed for school. Sometimes they would allow Rachel to tag along.

Mandy would invite Julie round to her house now and then to work on some projects for school or just to do girly stuff. Julie on the other hand was embarrassed to invite Mandy to hers as she didn’t want her to bump into her dad who would quite often walk around the house in his night attire which embarrassed her so much.

Because they lived not far from each other Julie would cycle round to Mandy’s. Mandy’s mum and dad always made her feel welcome and would invite her to stay and eat with them. In return Julie would help Mandy to do her homework for although they came from different backgrounds Julie seemed to be able to grasp most subjects much quicker than Mandy.

Because Julie had to make do with cheaper clothing to make up her uniform she was teased by some of the other girls in the school. Whenever this happened Mandy would always be there to stick up for Julie. Mandy could never stand bullies and would report any she knew of.

The time that Mandy had been on holiday seemed like an eternity to Julie and she couldn’t wait for her friend to return. They would have loads to talk about. Before Mandy went away both girls had decided to do a spot of detective work of their own in an effort to solve the increasing number of break-in’s that the police had failed to solve so far. Some of the preliminaries had been done, such as mapping the streets of the town and the villages close by that had been targets of the burglaries and the dates on when they had happened.

Julie was going to update the map when Mandy returned and to tell her of the robbery at the house just up the road from where she lived that had happened while she was away.

When they parted after their meeting in town just before Mandy was due to go on her holiday, they had made arrangements to meet up on the Saturday after she returned. This wouldn’t be long now as today was Tuesday.

“Mum is it OK for me to meet Julie on Saturday? She will be back off her holiday by then and I did say I would”, she asked.

“Of course you can”, replied her mother. She approved of Mandy as Julie’s friend unlike some of the other girls she sometimes hung around with.

Julie went upstairs to write the entry in her diary. “That’s funny” she thought to herself, “I’m sure I didn’t leave my diary open”. She noticed it was open at Mandy’s address. “Maybe it was Rachel that had looked in it”, she surmised. She was not going to make an issue of it just now but she would tackle her sister tonight after they were in bed.

Chapter 3

A Change of Plan

Roger drove to the block of flats where one of his mates lived. The news he was about to divulge would change the plans that had already been made for tonight. Taking the lift to the sixth floor he alighted and proceeded down the corridor.  This corridor had doors on the left and rows of windows on the right.

This was the only block of flats in the village and was council owned. Before he reached ‘113 The Towers’, he glanced out of the window which overlooked a row of garages. One of these he knew was rented to a Mick Russell, the man he was about to see. He knocked on the door and waited. The door opened slightly and the chain rattled as the man peered through the partly opened door.

“Are you expecting someone to burgle you”, inquired Roger jokingly as he smiled at the unshaven face that looked out at him.

“You can never be too careful these days, there’s some real crooks about you know”, he chuckled, as he took the chain off the catch.

He greeted Roger with a shake of the hand and a puzzled expression on his face.

“I thought we weren’t meeting until tonight”, he inquired as he walked in front of Roger down the hall into the living room.

The flat was strewn with dirty clothes and the coffee table top could hardly be seen for the number of empty beer cans on it. The parts of the table you could see were covered in cigarette burns where the butts had landed on the table instead of the ashtray which was even now overflowing.

The whole flat had a mixture of smells ranging from stale smoke, sweaty clothes and cooking fat that must have been off.

Mick, who was in his late forties but looked ten years older, had met Roger when they served time in the category B prison just outside a small town in the north of England called Nelson.

Mick had been caught trying to break into the back of a grocery store with the intent of stealing Fags and booze. He had jumped out of his car in such a rush that he had dropped his keys. In the dark he was unable to find them.

He was convinced that he would find them after he had broken in. As he tried to jemmy the steel door the alarm sounded inside. Minutes later he found himself staring at the security mans dog which was ready to pounce should his owner allow him freedom from his lead. Shortly after this the police arrived to take him away. By the time he had served his sentence of fifteen months his car was smashed and sitting on bricks exactly where he had left it.

Roger moved some clothes from one of the two armchairs that faced the wall mounted gas fire, while Mick turned off the television.

“Do you want a drink”, asked Mick as he pulled the ring on another John Smith’s Smooth beer can.

“No thanks, I want you to ring Bert and Pete and tell them to get over here fast”, said Roger with a sense of urgency.

Roger had always been the main man of the outfit. He was trusted by the rest of the gang and so when he asked for something to be done it was done. Mick made his way through the maze of disorder he called his lounge and picked up the phone that hung on the wall in the hall.

All that Roger could here was Mick mumbling indistinguishable words. That was enough for him, as this conveyed that Mick had managed to get in touch with either Bert or Pete, as they both lived together.

Mick returned to the ‘lounge’ to inform Roger that both would be over within the hour. Now Roger would have a drink. Mick passed him a whisky neat which he knew was Roger’s favourite tipple.

The clock on the makeshift mantelpiece ticked loudly as both men sat in silence waiting for the other members of the gang to arrive. The time was coming up to two o’clock.

35 minutes later there came a knock on the door. Thinking this was Bert and Pete he went to the door. Even though he was confident as to whom the caller would be, he still went through the ritual of putting the chain on the door before opening it.

Two men dressed in suits stood in front of him. This scared the living daylights out of him as the only people who visited him in suits were invariably the law or someone he owed money to.

“We would like to talk to you about the bible”, one of the men began as he started to open the book he had in his hand.

“I’m not interested so bugger off”, was the irritated response from Mick.

No sooner had he slammed the door on the two Jehovah’s Witnesses and returned to the living room than another knock came at the door. He was certain this would be Bert and Pete this time and answering the second knock he opened the door. This time his guess was correct. They both stepped in and followed him through to where Roger was now standing with his back to the fire waiting for them.

Bert was the first to speak. He was in his late forties; about five foot eight with a beer belly that his tee-shirt had little chance of covering. He had spent time in the same prison as Roger and Mick serving a sentence of five years for armed robbery of a sub-post office. This was his second period at ‘Her Majesties Pleasure’. The first was a stretch for tax evasion which cost him two years of freedom.

“What’s this all about” he inquired. “I thought we were meeting tonight as planned”, he continued puzzlingly.

Pete did not need to speak as his question had already been asked. To describe this man as handsome would be an injustice to Quasimodo. He had very little hair which he constantly swept back over the bald patch at the crown of his head. The teeth that he had left, which were few, had rarely seen a tooth brush since he had been booted out of Her Majesties armed forces after only serving two years of a nine year contract with the army.

The reason for his dismissal was for breaking the nose of an officer with the butt of his rifle whilst on an exercise. He served three months in a military prison before being dishonourably discharged.

He met the other motley bunch when he was given eighteen months for causing an affray outside a nightclub and for carrying a dangerous weapon, namely a six inch bladed flick knife.

Pete was the youngest member of the group at twenty eight and was mainly used as lookout while the others were looting the inside of the chosen premises. The oldest member of the gang was Roger at fifty two.

Tonight the gang had planned to break into a new field of robbery to what they had been accustomed to. House burglaries were their usual occupation. Now they were going to try their hand at knocking off a warehouse on an industrial estate in the city. Roger’s ‘fence’ had told him that the warehouse would be home to boxes of wines and spirits that were waiting distribution. As he was told they would be there for a couple of weeks he felt this job could wait. The job he had in mind needed to be done sooner rather than later.

“Now we’re all here I want to put a proposition to you all”. I know of a house where the occupants are on holiday abroad, but only until Thursday or Friday. It is close to a house we have done more recently” and if I’m not mistaken will bring better rewards than the last one we did”, Roger suggested, knowing that if it was what he wanted they would agree.

“What about the warehouse we had planned for tonight”? Bert inquired.

“We can still carry out the warehouse job on Sunday night, but the owners of this house could possibly be back as early as Thursday”, replied Roger.

“Isn’t it a bit risky to go back to the same area so soon”, Pete put in.

“You know the saying, ‘Lightning doesn’t strike in the same place twice’, no one will be expecting it, so there’s less risk of us being caught”, said Roger reassuringly.

So they huddled around the spread out map and drew up their plan of action. They knew the layout of the house as it was of a similar design as the house they had broken into on that road a few days before.

The intention was to cut through the wire again and enter from the back. Pete would take on the role of watchman as before. This job would have to be done much quicker than the other house in this street, so only small items were to be selected.

To make a quick get away Roger nominated Bert and Mick to search upstairs whilst he would sweep through the downstairs. If the back door was of the same design as the other house they would cut through the double glazing If not they would jemmy it. This would keep the noise down to a minimum.

With all the detail completed they arranged to meet at 10pm. This would allow for final checks on the equipment. Roger held great store in having everything just so, which included timing and the tools for the job. He was convinced that this was partly the reason for them not being caught.

------ x ------

The clock on Mick’s mantelpiece showed 9.45pm. It had been dark now for about an hour. He would make his way down stairs to the garage where he would pick up the glass cutter and the two suction pads he would need to remove the back door glass so as not to shatter it.

He was hoping that the door would have a top and bottom panel and that this meant he need only cut the bottom part which would allow them to crawl through.

To make detection more difficult, they would meet in different parts of the village with each job they did. On this occasion they had arranged to meet in the car park of the Royal Oak.

Bert and Pete arrived in their old beat up Ford Escort while Roger bought his van. For Mick it would be easier to walk as he only lived around the corner from the Pub.

Mick made his way to Roger’s van. The first thing they would do was to drive around the area of the house making sure that nothing could cause them any concern. They would then park up down the narrow lane that led to the ‘Rec’. Bert pulled out of the pub car park first while Roger and Mick waited the customary five minutes before taking the same route as Bert.

Both drivers would assess the scene and on meeting up they would report any problems and abort the task if need be. In this instance they found nothing to concern them and so the job was on.

In the back of the van lay the Hessian sacks that would be used to bag the booty. Along side these were the cutting gear. On their arrival in the lane they sat for a few minutes to see if any courting couples were still on the field. It wouldn’t be the first time they had disturbed the nuptials of a couple as they skirted open fields to get to their quarry.

The coast was clear. At this stage only Pete had got out of Bert’s car and went to the boot, the rest of them stayed put.  From the boot he took out his heavy duty wire cutters and made his way over to the other side of the field. Keeping to the hedge row he made it to the wire fence. He knew from his knowledge of passed exploits on this field which house they were targeting.

The rest of the crew sat looking at their watches. Pete was given a five minute start to cut the wire fence before the others made their way to where he was. Because they had carried out many of these nightly raids not a word was spoken. Each knew the role they had. The job was done like a military manoeuvre.

Squeezing through the fence with the exception of Pete, who would lie in wait, they made their way to the back of the house. This could sometimes be the most difficult part of the operation as most gardens had little cover should neighbours decide to look out of their windows. Fortunately for the gang this garden offered cover in the form of several fruit trees.

Quickly and quietly they made it to the back door. Mick’s wishes were granted as he looked at the back door. It had an upper and lower glass panel. As they had seen no alarm box at the front of the house and there was no sign of security alarms or cameras at the rear they were confident that cutting of the glass would cause no problem to their entry.

Carefully, as if he had been a glazier all his adult life, Mick cut through, first the outer glass and with the aid of the suction pads he placed it against the wall followed by the inner pane. Once this operation had been completed one by one they crawled through the aperture. Because of his size it took Bert a bit longer to ease himself through.

Mick and Bert made their way out of the kitchen through the hall and up the stairs. Because of the street lighting they didn’t need a torch to search the front bedroom which Bert was to rifle through.

Mick took the other two rooms and to help him find his way in the dark he had invested in a new windup type torch that needed no batteries. Both of them knew what they were looking for and were filling their sacks as if they were Santa Claus in rewind.

Roger spent very little time in the kitchen as it was unlikely to yield much reward. The next room to be searched was the dining room. As he was making his way to this room he was stopped in his tracks by a rattling of the front door. Quickly he looked at his watch to check the time. It was just gone eleven.

The other side of the door was the distorted silhouette of what looked like a man. Seconds later the figure disappeared. Once in the dining room he cleared the sideboard drawers of the silver plated cutlery and the ornaments scattered about the room. As soon as he was satisfied that he had bagged the most valuable items he moved back to the hall.

By now the other two had finished their search of the upstairs and were coming down. Without a word spoken Roger pointed to the front room. They knew that their job in the house was completed and that he would soon follow them out after he had searched the front room.

As he entered this last room to be searched Roger’s eyes swept around the room. He spotted the cabinet with the figurines and the ornaments and instantly knew he had hit the jackpot. With expert ease he prised open the cabinet and with the greatest of care he placed them in his sack. The less valuable ornaments were collected and placed with the rest.

It was now time to leave. As he walked passed the coffee table he noticed two lottery tickets sticking out from under the table lamp.

“I might as well take them”, he thought to himself as he slipped them into his back pocket. Maybe this family had a lucky streak. After all, he knew from his daughter that the family had paid for their holiday from the winnings from the lottery.

He closed the door on the lounge and as he made his way down the hall he was stopped in his tracks again. This time it was the sound of a police siren getting louder and louder.

His heart was thumping like an ironsmith’s bellows under his shirt as he waited for the siren to fade. “I’m getting too old for this game”, he decided to himself. Once back in the kitchen he bent down to squeeze himself and the bag of treasures carefully through the open panel of the back door. Once out he made his way back down the garden to the fence.

Bert and Mick had by now crossed the field and were waiting in their respective vehicles. Pete was waiting at the fence ready to take the bag of goodies from Roger. The whole operation had taken them less than twenty minutes. Even by their standards this was very quick. They did however leave behind objects that they would normally have taken.

Once back at the lane the last sack was loaded into the van and they made their way to the lockup. Job done they all made their way up to Mick’s flat.

With drinks being passed round the discussion was centred on what each had managed to bag and the speed in which they had achieved their goal.

Bert was excited by the amount of jewellery that he had found in the dressing table of the master bedroom. Mick on the other hand was quite disappointed with his cache as it was obvious that the rooms he searched were children’s bedrooms. He did however find a small amount of jewellery as well as a couple of watches. Mostly though it was electronic games he had bagged.

“Did you hear the rattle on the door”, Roger asked the others.

“Yea, we did”, replied Bert. “I thought they were coming in. I was convinced we’d been rumbled”, he continued.

“That didn’t scare me as much as when the siren sounded outside after you two had left. I was convinced it was coming to get me”, remarked Roger.

“It’s not fair, you lot have all the excitement while I feel like a statue wondering if anybody can see me as I stand guard”, piped up Pete.

“You shouldn’t think like that, you are a vital part of the setup. Without you the jobs would be much trickier”, remarked Roger in an encouraging way.

By now the time was nearing one in the morning. All except Mick were ready to leave. The time and place for the meeting on Sunday had been arranged and so had the alibi they would need if the police came round. They were playing cards until the early hours at Mick’s should they be quizzed.

Early on Thursday morning Roger would arrive at the lockup and load the catch from Tuesday nights haul and take it to his ‘fence’.

Chapter 4

The Fence

When Roger returned home in the early hours of Wednesday morning he knew that the rest of the family would be in bed. Not wanting to wake up Sandra for no other reason than he did not want to answer the inevitable question as to his whereabouts.

He decided he would be much happier watching TV until he fell to sleep in the armchair. With nothing planned for the rest of the day he would catch up on his sleep whilst the rest of the family were out.

Sandra, meanwhile lay awake after hearing Roger come home. She was pleased to hear the front room door open and close, for this told her he had chosen the armchair instead of bed. This was becoming a familiar pattern in their marriage. They had not made love since just after Rachel had been born, that was even on the rare occasions they shared the bed.

Although Sandra was on the wrong side of forty five she did ache for adult love. She had been in situations where her sexual needs could be met but backed off as she remembered her vows. She was bought up to value commitment. Her only wish was to go back to the days before Roger had been sent to prison. These were the best times. It seemed that prison had destroyed the man she had married.

As she lay awake reliving those times the tears began to seep from her eyes. She knew that nothing she could do now would repair the damage done to their marriage. If it wasn’t for the girls and the lifelong commitment she had made in front of the priest she would have left Roger by now.

The sleep pattern for the remainder of the night was to drift off for a while only to wake to more of the same memories. She glanced at the clock on the bedside cabinet which told her it was ten passed five. She would soon have to get up for work and take the children to her mums before hand.

The work Sandra did was hard and sometimes unthankful but she enjoyed most of it. Her clients were on the whole pretty reasonable. She would call daily on five elderly people, three women and two men. The men were always kind and looked forward to her coming. The women on the other hand were more critical. She thought this might be as a result of not being able to do the things they used to for themselves.

Eventually the alarm shook her out of her thoughts. The clock she knew would tell her it was six thirty. Once up she made the bed even though she knew it would soon be filled again. Roger would come up as soon a she went to the bathroom. Once she had washed she would call the girls.

Julie never wanted to get out of bed in the mornings especially as this was holiday time. She could sleep for England her mother would tease.

As for Rachel she was much better at getting up, partly because she liked to get in the bathroom before Julie, as she knew only too well her sister would take ages. Another reason was because she hated cold toast which was the most regular thing for breakfast.

Sandra looked forward to the girls coming down as they would both plant a kiss on her cheek as they said good morning to her. This helped to wipe out all the negative things she had lay awake thinking about. It also reminded her that no matter what the future held two good things had come out of her union with Roger.

“Mum, can I come and help you today, we never have much time together”, asked Julie.

“You know I would love to say yes Julie, but the service won’t allow it” replied Sandra.  “I promise we will do something on Sunday, perhaps a picnic if the weather holds”, she suggested.

“Will dad be coming with us”, was an optimistic response from Rachel.

“I don’t want to get your hopes up Rachel, but you know your dad likes to play bowls on Sundays. We could ask Nan if you like”? She proposed.

“If we do go mum can I ask Mandy, she will be back from her holiday by then and I will be seeing her on Saturday”? Julie pleaded.

“I don’t see why not”, replied Sandra.

With the breakfast pots cleared away they finished getting ready to leave. As Sandra’s mum lived in a bungalow not far from them she walked the girls round whilst wheeling her bike. This was her only form of transport as she rarely had the use of the van. Once a week she would use it to get the groceries from the supermarket but even then it was hit and miss as to whether Roger would be using it.

As she left the children at Nan’s and biked to her first client she thought some more about the picnic idea. They could take it to the ‘Rec’ and perhaps play ball or something. Not having the money to take the girls further a field the least she could do was to make a day of it away from the house and it would be nice for Julie to invite her friend.

“Yes, we will go on a picnic outing”, she said to herself as she set about her work.

------ x ------

Thursday morning at 8 o’clock Roger busied himself getting himself ready to meet his ‘fence’. He had no doubt that what he had to offer was worth more than the stuff he had handed over last time.

He drove over to the lockup and met Mick there with the keys. With little said between then they filled the van with the contents of the sacks from the Tuesday nights haul and Roger made his way to the meeting point for the swap.

The time Roger spent in prison had completely washed away any feelings towards another living soul. Even his family, try as they might, could not release any kind of emotion from him. The fact that he had robbed one of his daughter’s friends meant nothing to him.

The factory unit Roger drove up to was a drive in one. The blue Audi A6 stood to the side of the unit with the driver sitting inside. When he saw the van heading for the unit he recognised its driver and began to open the door. He had to be careful not to be seen with a known ex-con.

He opened the shutter doors and beckoned the van in to the open space.

In one corner of the unit was a small office by the side of this was a wide table. At the back of the unit were a number of wooden crates. Roger had been here before many times and he didn’t need to guess what these contained, for this was some of his handy work.

Roger also knew that he was not the only one that the ‘fence’ dealt with and that he drove a hard bargain with them all.

As he emptied the van of his spoils he laid them on the table. He stood back as the other man inspected the items one by one.

“This is your best haul so far”, commented the ‘fence’.

“I thought you might be pleased”, replied Roger as he eyed the jewellery for the first time.

“Come into the office Roger and we’ll settle up”, said the ‘fence’ as he walked across the floor towards the office with Roger close on his heels.

The office as he called it consisted of a small table with a chair either side. It was obvious which chair Roger would be sitting in, it was the hard plastic one you often have to sit on in the doctor’s waiting room. The ‘fence’ slumped into the heavily padded chair that you would expect Lord Sugar to sit on in his boardroom.

This was not the environment for small talk or chit-chat. This was where the deals were struck and the goods changed hands for cash. These two men had one purpose in mind, to do the necessary negotiations and quickly leave.

The opening gambit from the fence’ was for £500 for the lot. This was more than the gang had ever been offered before even with larger items.

“You and I know that that lot out there is worth much more than that Keith”, Roger said, replying to the initial offer.

This was the first time the ‘fence’ had been named and he was not best pleased.

“I warn you, don’t call me by name ever again”, the ‘fence’ reprimanded Roger.

His concern was that no one would overhear his name mentioned even though they were out of earshot of anyone else. He was a great believer in the saying that ‘walls have ears’.

Getting back to the negotiations he offered Roger a further £250. Although Roger was tempted he held out for more.

“That stuff has got to be worth at least £1500”, he suggested.

“Look, you know I could shop you anytime for what you do and who would they believe, me a detective sergeant or you an ex-con and besides there are two other reasons why you should accept my offer. Firstly this unit is not in my name, it’s in yours and secondly I have to find buyers for these things as you are well aware”, Keith retorted.

Roger had to weigh up the possibility of whether Keith was bluffing or not when he said the unit was in his name. For several seconds the room fell silent. Roger threw caution to the wind and demanded an offer of no less than £1200.

Keith admired Roger’s spunk and eventually they settled for £1000 with the commitment that Keith would give Roger a good deal on the wines and spirits if he pulled it off. The lead for the warehouse job was a tip off from none other than the ‘fence’.

The deal took no more than thirty minutes and once the money was passed over Roger got into his van and made the journey to Mick’s flat.

As he took the smelly lift up to the flat he felt pleased with his negotiating skills even though he was bargaining with one hand tied behind his back so to speak. He also knew that Keith would get at least three times the amount he had paid him.

He knocked on Mick’s door and was soon let inside. Yet again the place looked like a pig sty but he didn’t care as long as he didn’t have to live in it.

“Get hold of the boys will you”, He asked Mick.

With this command Mick went to the phone and rung Bert and Pete.

“They won’t be long”, He informed. “How did you get on with the fence”?

Roger told Mick to wait and he would tell them all what had happened at the meet. Mick guessed by the smile on Roger’s face that he had done well. It was just a matter of how well?

Now, although only Roger knew who the ‘fence’ was none of the others did. Keith on the other hand knew the whole gang as he was the officer who gave evidence that put them all away. It was another reason why they had managed to avoid being caught so far. Although they were small time crooks Keith was happy with the arrangement as he was supplementing his salary from the force. It was also giving his forthcoming pension a necessary boost.

After all he was fifty five now and would be unlikely to get promotion before he retired at sixty. He had been a detective sergeant for the past fourteen years and had been leap-frogged by younger officers over those years. He resented the nepotism that was rife in the local force but was wise enough not to show it.

He was always in control of his different criminal gangs and he looked after the ones who caused him no bother. This was the case with Roger’s gang and the reason he had tipped them off about the warehouse job. Alternatively, those that did not tow the line would be soundly put in their place and if they continued to make trouble they would find themselves back in front of the magistrates. All the gangs were ex-prisoners and none of them knew any of the other gangs that Keith had dealings with. He insisted that only the gang leaders would know him and only they would bring the merchandise to him.

The meeting between him and Roger had not gone as he would have liked. He was not in the habit of negotiating with the gang leaders. Whatever he offered he expected them to accept. Unbeknown to Roger the gang was on a warning and this meant only one thing in Keith’s eyes. Something would have to be done to bring them back in line.

Whilst waiting for Bert and Pete, Roger downed a couple of glasses of whisky. The knock on the door came as he handed the empty glass to Mick for a refill. Roger was so pleased with himself that he felt like celebrating. Once he had let the others in Mick obliged Roger by refilling his glass. He thrust a can into the hands of Bert and Pete as they removed dirty clothes from the chairs around the table. Not knowing quite what to do with them they looked at each other and decided to drop them on the floor.

“I think you will be pleased with the outcome of my meeting with the ‘fence’ this morning” Roger bragged as he smiled at each of them. “Even though I say so myself I negotiated our best deal ever”, He continued.

He went on to tell them how he had stuck to his guns and managed to squeeze more out of the Fence than was first offered. He elaborated his story to make himself look big in the eyes of the others. He felt the need to do this because of the threat posed by Bert to take over the leadership role, if or when the opportunity presented itself. He knew of Bert’s ambition to lead but he was also aware that this would not happen whilst the others were satisfied with his leadership.

“I finally managed to get £1000 out of him”, he finally announced.

The gasps that came from Pete and Mick were an indication of his success. The expression on Bert’s face was of disappointment as he knew the trinkets he had bagged were worth a lot more than the amount Roger had managed to get. Although he was unhappy with the outcome of the nights work he did not challenge Roger’s honesty in regard to the payout.

“Here is your share Mick”, said Roger as he handed him ten £20 notes.

He guessed this would be mainly spent on restocking the drinks cupboard. He turned to Bert and handed him £450. “Take this for you and Pete”, he said.

The reason for the extra amount was due to Bert using his car on the jobs and him and Pete having to drive over to Mick’s most of the time. The remaining £350 was his. Everyone agreed when they first began to work together that as leader and with the role his van played in the business he should have the lion share of the takings. It was also agreed on the basis that he would deal solely with the ‘Fence’

Whatever Bert thought of the deal struck by Roger he was certain that if he said it was a grand then he knew it would have been that amount.

After a couple more drinks the gang split up. They had all been briefed on the forthcoming job at the warehouse and to maximise the quantity of boxes they would be able to take Roger had asked Bert to hire a ‘Luton’ type van. Before leaving the flat Bert assured them that the van would be available.

“Will you need the lockup on Sunday”? Mick asked.

“Not this time Mick, Bert and I will take the loot straight to the other place”, Roger replied.

This meant the factory unit that Roger had met Keith that morning. On the odd occasion that they had large items Roger would contact Keith and inform him of the need to go to the unit. On these occasions Bert had been with Roger to help him unload.

With a nod of the head as he reached the door Roger left the flat a couple of minutes after Bert and Pete. The next meeting would be in the car park of the ‘Angel’, a pub they had sometimes used in the city to plan a job.

Right now there were a couple of calls Roger wanted to make. First he would go to the bookies and put some of his takings on a horse that was fancied to do well by Claire Balding as she announced the runners and riders of the race card for the Thursday meeting. He still had time to place his bet as the horse was running in the 3.30 race that afternoon.

His second port of call would be to the off-licence to stock up with some beer and a bottle of his favourite whisky. He intended to watch the race on the box when he returned home.

Chapter 5

Returning Home

The Campbell’s had landed in the early hours of Friday morning and thought it best to make their way home as soon as they had gathered their luggage and passed through customs. They were all exhausted due to the long wait at the airport in Portugal, the flight home and the interminable wait for the cases to appear on the carousel in the baggage area.

They would have a stop on the way home to have breakfast and to give James a rest as they knew the journey home would be a long one.

The concerns of both David and Jennifer about James’s ability not to be ill on the aeroplane were allayed. He showed no signs either on the way out or on the way home, in fact he was totally enthralled with the whole experience. It appeared that his travel sickness was only noticeable when riding in the car.

After an hour or so of travelling they pulled into a service station and David ordered a cooked breakfast for them all. They sat and ate and continued the conversation they had been having in the car about the holiday. Each one had something they remembered most. For Jennifer it was the wildlife park they had visited in the second week.

David was taken by the sea life park and the snorkelling that he had done. As for Mandy she wished she could stay there forever. She had met a group of girls and took part in most of the entertainment on offer. James also like snorkelling with his dad and the hotel had a kid’s club which he liked. He joined in all the activities and won a tee-shirt in the art competition on the first week.

Back on the road it wasn’t long before both of the children were asleep. Jennifer was still wondering what souvenir they should give to the Simpson’s on their return.

David was thinking out loud about the house and if everything was alright.

He was contemplating how he would tackle the inevitable work he would need to do in the garden as well as cleaning the car before he went back to work on Monday. He also needed to collect the mail held back at the sorting office as soon as the car was unloaded.

After a further two hours driving they were close to home. Jennifer turned in her seat and gently woke the children.

“Come on you two, it won’t be long now before we’re home”, she informed them.

“As soon as we get home I want you both to help your mum to get the jobs done while I go to the office and pick up the mail”, directed David.

They pulled into the drive and began to unload the cases. As David lifted them out Jennifer unlocked the front door. Even though they had arranged for the mail to be held back there was still circulars on the mat and a note from the security firm which just said they would be coming to fit the alarms on Monday. The children wheeled the cases into the hall. It was all going like a military operation.

“Will you have a cup of tea before you go to the office”? Jennifer called over to David as he closed the boot of the car.

“Yes I think I will”, David replied.

The children had taken their holdalls up stairs to unload their souvenirs and the gifts they had bought back for their friends. The shouts from the kitchen and the landing were almost in unison as David walked into the hall.

“Whatever’s the matter”, David inquired not knowing which way to go first.

“We’ve been burgled”, shouted Jennifer as she opened the kitchen door to the hall. “Look they have cut the bottom panel to the back door”, she pointed.

By now the children had rushed down the stairs to declare their findings and to see the burglar’s entry for themselves.

“Go and check upstairs David”, ordered Jennifer. “I’ll check down here”, she shouted after him as he raced up the stairs.

Jennifer dashed into the dining room and quickly realised that things were missing. As she spun round to make her way into the hall she bumped into Mandy, who by now was beginning to cry. She put an arm around her and tried to console her, all the time feeling like her world had been violated and doing her best to hold back her own tears.

“Who could have done this horrible thing mum”, cried Mandy as they both made their way into the front room.

David had no good news to tell Jennifer as he joined them in the lounge.

“They’ve taken all your jewellery from the dressing table”, he told her. “It seems they have taken things from the children’s rooms as well”, he informed her.

“You had better get on to the police”, Jennifer urged him. “I don’t believe this is happening, they’ve taken all my figurines and ornaments from this room as well”, she snapped.

David was talking to someone on the phone as a knock came on the open door. James by now had been sitting on the bottom step with tears rolling down his suntanned face. It was John Simpson from next door who had come to welcome them home.

“What’s the matter James”, he inquired disconcertedly.

“We’ve had a burglary and they’ve stolen my ‘Game Boy’ from my bedroom”, he sobbed jerkily.

John had mixed feelings as he peered into the front room and saw both Jennifer and Mandy hugging each other on the settee as they did there best to check their emotions.

“Jenny I’m so sorry, I checked every day as you asked I promise you. I heard, nor saw anyone about here”, he confirmed. “How did they get in”, he asked puzzled.

In between the gasps Jennifer informed him that they had cut the glass in the back door and managed to get in that way. By this time David had finished on the phone and came into the lounge. James stood close to him as he repeated the conversation he had just had with the police.

“They said not to touch anything until they get here and to start to make a list of the missing items. They would send a detective out to see us within the hour”, He related.

“Dave, like I already said to Jenny, I’m so sorry. I did keep an eye on the back as I watered the garden but with the bushes between us I couldn’t see much of the side of the house. I made sure every day that nothing was poking out of the letter box. When I saw a white van outside yours I challenged the man who was at the door. He showed me a note he was going to put in the door. He said you would know who he was. He confirmed he worked for a security firm. I was suspicious and so I rang the number on his van and they confirmed his story. In fact they praised me and said it was a pity other neighbours weren’t as diligent”, John assured them both.

“You mustn’t blame yourself John, it’s not your fault and I thank you for what you’ve done. I blame myself for not getting the alarms fitted before we left”, David retorted.

“I’ll just nip home and get Sylvia to make a pot of tea, I’m sure you could all use one”, John announced as he backed out of the hall and pulled the front door to.

David sat in the armchair wondering what he could do but not feeling like doing anything. The whole family sat and gazed into nothingness. Eventually Jennifer got up from the settee and searched in the study for pen and paper to begin the task of itemising the losses.

“I know this is no consolation at the moment but whoever it was who did this were very selective”, suggested David. “Look around at what hasn’t been taken. “None of the electrical items have been taken, the television, the sky box, the computer down here or the one in Mandy’s bedroom and other things in the kitchen”, he observed.

Just as he said this he noticed the lottery tickets were not where he had left them under the lamp on the coffee table.

Just to make sure he asked Jennifer. “Did I leave the lottery tickets in the usual place before we went”?

“Yes, why”, answered Jennifer as she started on the list.

“Well they’re not there now”, David replied, as he lifted the lamp up to see if they had wedged under it somehow. They had gone.

As they began to come to terms with the thought that someone had violated their space and had deprived them of their treasured possessions another knock came at the door.

“Here James, come and help me with these”, shouted Sylvia as she pushed open the door with the tray filled with cups and saucers. “I’ll just nip back for the tea”.

On her return she put the tea and a plate of biscuits on the coffee table and pointed to Jennifer and the others to sit and take the tea. You could see that she too was upset by what had happened and she confirmed the account that John had given.

She took her leave of them and told them not to worry about the pots she would pop back later for them.

As she left she saw a car pull up outside. Two suited men got out and were making their way to number 23. She did not stop but made a mental note of the car number plate just in case.

The door bell sounded and David answered it. The two men standing at the door identified themselves as police officers. The first one flashed his ID badge as confirmation of their introduction.

“I’m Detective Constable Ifor Williams”, the first officer informed. “And my colleague is Detective Sergeant Keith Davis”, he continued.

David invited them in to the lounge, where they sat on the settee side by side.

The constable had out his note pad and had already started to make notes.

The sergeant began by asking whether they had been on holiday or were about to go as he had noticed the cases standing in the hall. David told them that they had only been back a couple of hours and that it wasn’t until his wife had gone into the kitchen and seen the panel out of the back door that they realised they had been broken into.

“Can I see the door Mr Campbell” asked the sergeant as he rose from the settee?

David took him to the kitchen and showed him the door.

“Would you mind if I looked down the garden sir”, Sergeant Davis asked.

“By all means sergeant, I haven’t even been out there myself yet so if you don’t mind I would like to follow you if I may”, David inquired.

As they both made their way down the path it was obvious to Davis what he would find. As he neared the fence he could see the gaping hole in it where the thieves had cut their way in. Foot prints were visible under a couple of trees.

As if he didn’t know it, the signs were all there that this was the work of Roger’s gang. He knew the way these gangs worked and he had been in the force long enough to identify the tell tale signs that were left at the scene. He did not give David any clues as to who it might be.

Back at the house the other detective was taking statements from the rest of the family. He took the list of items that Jennifer had written down and suggested that she contact her insurance company as soon as possible.

“You will need to quote this crime number to them” the constable informed her.

As David led the sergeant back into the house he offered them a drink which they both accepted. As they sat at the kitchen table the constable remarked that this was one of a number of burglaries in this area over the past few months. After the officers had finished their drinks they got up to leave.

It was Sergeant Davis who spoke next. “We will send out the forensic people to see if there are any finger prints anywhere but I wouldn’t put much store in them finding any. These thieves are good at what they do. However we may get a clue from the footprints in the garden”, he suggested.

“We will catch them you know”, Davis assured them as he and Williams left the doorstep. As if for emphasis he repeated his assurance, “We will catch them, mark my words”.

Chapter 6

The Missing Lottery Tickets

It was Saturday morning. Julie made herself ready for her meeting with Mandy. She was looking forward to seeing her again and to hearing all about her holiday. She asked her mum if there was anything she could get for her while she was in town, to which came the reply that she would go up later herself.

She walked up to the bus stop and waited for the number 16 bus that would take her into town. Her mum had given her some pocket money so that she could buy herself something and if she wanted she could go with Mandy to the coffee shop. The bus journey from her town to the city took about twenty five minutes.

The arrangements she had made with Mandy was that they would meet at the bus station at ten o’clock. She had not spoken to Mandy since her family had arrived back from their holiday and so she considered their plans had not changed.

She stepped off the bus and found a bench and sat and waited. While she waited she pulled out her diary to double check that 11o’clock was the time they had arranged. Clearly written in her handwriting was the time on this Saturday. When the clock in the bus station had pointed to ten past eleven she began to wonder where Mandy had got to. It was most unusual for her friend to be late and her bus had already parked up in the station. The next bus would arrive at 11.30, so she sat and waited for this one to arrive.

When Mandy did not get off this bus she began to wonder what may have happened.

This was most strange, she thought to herself. “I‘m sure she hadn’t phoned me”, she thought to herself. She decided that as she hadn’t turned up, that she would catch the outgoing bus and call round to her house to see if anything was wrong.

She boarded the next bus out to Mandy’s side of town. The bus route was much longer going to the side of town that Mandy lived in than it took for Julie to bike as it had several stops before it reached the nearest stop to Mandy’s house. Julie walked the short distance to the house to see a double glazing van and a security alarm van parked outside the house.

She knocked on the partly opened door and waited. Mr Campbell answered her knock and invited her in. He showed her to the kitchen where Mandy was sitting with her eyes all puffed up and her face red, holding a handkerchief to her nose.

Julie could tell her friend was upset. She thought it might be because the holiday was over.

“Whatever’s the matter”, she asked as she went to put a consoling arm around her friend.

In broken gasps Mandy began to explain what had happened while they were away.

“They took my jewellery, my best watch and loads of mum and dad’s things. They even took James’s Gameboy. How mean is that”? Mandy told her in broken sentences.

Julie wasn’t sure whether she should mention her wait in the bus station. As it turned out she didn’t have to. Mandy apologised for not being there as arranged and also for not ringing her. Mrs Campbell had entered the kitchen to make a brew for the workmen.

“Why don’t you two go up to Mandy’s room, I’ll bring you a drink up shortly”, she suggested.

They both nodded at the idea and made their way upstairs. They both sat on the bed while Mandy filled Julie in on what they had come home to. Julie then told her friend about the break-in at the house just up the road. As they both mulled over the similarities between the two robberies it was plain that whoever they were they were becoming more active. The burglary at the Campbell’s was the fifth in the area over the past month, the month before there were three break-ins.

Mandy began to feel more like herself as her friend had come to see her. She felt that as she had let her friend down the least she could do was to go with her to town. After having their drinks Mandy went to the bathroom to freshen up. After telling her mother where they were going and getting approval from her they made their way back to the bus stop.

On the journey Julie explained that it was her intention to invite Mandy to their picnic. To this Mandy replied that she would love to come as she was now feeling much better and she needed to get away from the house and the feelings she had of the break-in if that were possible.

“Are all your family going”, asked Mandy.

“Everyone except my dad, he never comes on family outings. He will probably sit in front of the television and watch the stupid cricket or go over to his pals. He seems to prefer their company to ours”, replied Julie.

Knowing this was the case, did not make Julie feel any better. She saw how a real family could be when she observed the relationships Mandy’s family had with one another. Her, her mother and sister were very close but her father seemed to move further away from the family unit.

Her thoughts were interrupted by their arrival in the city. They decided to go to one or two shops then call in at the coffee shop before going their separate ways. They would meet again tomorrow for the picnic.

------ x ------

Sandra had cleaned through the house with the help of Rachel. Before she went to town she would finish the ironing. Rachel had decided she would go with her mum and help her carry the shopping she would need for the following days picnic.

Once the house was empty Roger climbed out of bed and sauntered into the bathroom. He shaved and bathed himself taking his time. He knew he would not be disturbed for some time. As soon as he had dressed he went down to the kitchen and made himself a plate of food and a drink. Leaving the pots on the draining board he left by the back door.

He was going to the bookies to place his bets for the afternoon races. No one in the family knew he had money and no one asked. He contributed nothing to the household budget but still he helped himself to whatever he wanted. The money he gained from Tuesday’s job would not last him long. He would soon be back in pocket after the warehouse job, he thought to himself.

The first one to arrive home was Julie. She went upstairs to log the latest burglary, on the map. She was baffled by what she saw. Up until now there seemed to be a pattern emerging of the break-ins, not only were they becoming more frequent but they seemed to be occurring one in a village then two in the town.

What was strange about her friend’s robbery was that it followed another break-in further down the same road. This had never happened before. It seemed from the stickers on the map that the two robberies in the town would be at each end. They had never been together as the two latest ones. These findings she would discuss with Mandy tomorrow.

The next to arrive home was Sandra and Rachel with the goodies for the picnic. Julie couldn’t wait to tell her mum what had happened to Mandy’s home. As they sat in the kitchen talking about what had happened, the back door opened. In came Roger from his outing to the bookies. He made himself a mug of tea as Julie carried on explaining what the Campbell’s had come home to.

Roger knew that if Detective Sergeant Davis was on the case he wouldn’t need to worry about being suspected. He made his drink and went into the front room to watch the races on TV. It was likely that this is where he would stay for the rest of the afternoon and evening whilst the others busied themselves getting most of the things they would need for the picnic the next day.

One thing that was still on Julie’s mind was the open diary she had found on her bedside table. She was sure it was put there by Rachel and she needed to remind her that she was out of order going in her drawers and taking things that didn’t belong to her.

“I did not go in your drawers”, Rachel adamantly denied.

She looked at both her sister and her mother in such a way as to convince them she was telling the truth. Her mother knew her well enough to know she was telling the truth.

“Maybe you took it out yourself and forgot to put it back”, suggested Sandra.

“It is possible I suppose, but you know I always put my things away when I’ve finished with them mum”, reminded Julie.

“Well it wasn’t me”, blurted Rachel.

“Lets stop this arguing now, no harm has come of it so let’s not hear any more about it”, demanded Sandra.

They continued to prepare for the picnic. When this was completed they decided that as it was a nice evening they would all go into the garden and tidy it. The lawns, back and front needed cutting and while Sandra did this the girls could don the garden gloves and pull up some weeds.

They all knew it would be pointless going into the front room while dad was in there because he would be watching the sports or anything else that took his fancy. This meant that they would not be able to watch their favourite TV programs. As darkness began to fall they returned to the kitchen and prepared to play card games.

Meanwhile in the lounge the slumped figure of a disappointed gambler was tearing up the betting slips he had exchanged for his ill gotten money earlier that day. In all the years he had gambled he had never won much, but his dreamy desire to hit the jackpot made him continue to back the donkey rather than the horse.

The Lottery Draw was the next program on the television which reminded him of the tickets he had picked up in the last break-in. He pulled them out of his pocket and waited for the balls to pop up out of the machine. The first ticket was of no use as this was the previous weeks draw. This he tossed into the fire grate and looked at the second ticket which had this Saturday’s date on it.

As the numbers came out one by one he began to mark them off. He had three in a row as the third ball appeared on the screen. Convinced that with his luck he had only won ‘a tenner’, he waited for the next ball to pop out of the machine. This number was also on the ticket. Now he began to get excited. He realised that with four numbers he would get a bigger payout. He sat upright in his armchair now as the fifth ball rolled down the shoot. This too was on the ticket he was staring at. Now all he needed was one more and he would hit the jackpot. The bonus ball was his chance of being a millionaire. Out came the ball as the commentator called the number thirteen. As he quoted the saying ‘unlucky for some’, Roger looked down at the ticket to reaffirm what he had been waiting for.

He now waited what seemed like hours, but in reality was only seconds, to see the balls put up on the screen in numerical order. Yes he had all six numbers needed to win the Jackpot. The announcer had already estimated the top prize as being 4.2 million pounds.

How do you react when you realise you have gone from being a hard up bugler to a multi-millionaire in just a few minutes. Roger realised that this is exactly what had happened to him. As the presenter had just announced that there was only one winning ticket. He felt like screaming and shouting at the top of his voice he wanted to tell someone. His reasoning took over from his initial shock. “If I shout out, the others will come running in to see what the matter was and I will have to tell them, better I keep it quiet for the time being”, he thought.

This was indeed his lucky day after all. He had no thoughts for the people he had stolen the tickets from only for the things he could buy with the kind of money he was about to receive. He did not want the rest of the family to overhear his conversation with the lottery organisers so he took the phone up to his bedroom and spoke quietly into the receiver.

To receive the money he would be picked up and taken to a hotel and there he would receive the cheque. There would be a champagne reception with the media present. This was not what he wanted. He would be happy just to make his own way to the venue and with no fuss and no publicity. He explained this to the person on the other end of the line to their disappointment. He would have his wish honoured he was assured. After getting the details of the hotel he hung up. Even after speaking to the person on the phone he still couldn’t quite believe his good fortune. He returned to the front room and bought up the teletext page that would hopefully confirm again that he was indeed a millionaire. Sure enough it confirmed his new status.

With his mind still in some turmoil he began to think of the things he would do with his new found wealth. Sitting in the chair constantly checking and double checking the ticket and the numbers which remained on the television screen he began to formulate in his clearing mind his plan of action for his future.

The first thing that he would do in the morning was to ring Bert and tell him he wasn’t feeling well and that he would have to lead the gang on the warehouse job. He was clear that he no longer needed to carry on his night work. He was also sure he would no longer need his so called friends.

He heard the girls going up to bed and knew that shortly Sandra would follow them. What was he going to do about them he started to think? He felt nothing for any of them and if he was not there they would not miss him he felt sure.

He was to go to the hotel to collect his cheque on Tuesday. Ironic, he thought, that he obtained the tickets on a Tuesday and that he would be paid for them on a Tuesday. He began to think of what he would do with the cheque once he had it in his hands. He would choose a bank that he knew was not used by any of the family.

As he sat mulling over the steps he needed to take to keep this win to himself he heard Sandra mount the stairs. He would stay down stairs tonight. This was not unusual and it would raise no suspicion from the other members of the household. He knew of the arrangement for the picnic and so he could wait until they had gone before leaving the front room.

The girls rose early on Sunday morning as the excitement grew for the outing they were going on. Sandra had only to cook breakfast and finish the packing and they would be on their way. Before they left Sandra realised that if they wanted to carry everything they would need transport. As the ‘Rec’ was close by the girls could take their bikes, but to pick up Nan and take her and the food and games, she would need to borrow the van.

Sandra hated to ask Roger for anything as it made her feel she was in his debt. She swallowed her pride and walked into the front room to ask her favour. Slouched in the armchair was the still body of her husband. In the few seconds she observed him she couldn’t help thinking what she saw in him that made her want to marry him all those years ago.

She noticed the television was still on and showing the teletext page with the lottery numbers displayed. “Why was he watching this for”? She pondered. As far as she knew he never bought lottery tickets. She shook the sleeping heap. Slowly he stretched and opened his eyes to see his wife standing in front of him.

“What do you want”? He asked as he pulled himself up in the chair.

“Could I use the van today, as I can’t manage everything for the picnic and pick up mum? She pleaded.

“I don’t see why not”, he replied. “You will need some petrol though”, he informed her.

This was his way of getting the van filled up without dipping into his own pocket.

After she closed the door he realised he had left the television on all night and wondered whether she had noticed the subject on it. If she had noticed it, had she wondered why he had been watching the lottery page?

His concern was soon forgotten as he heard the back door close and he was alone once more. He wasn’t in any hurry to ring Bert as he knew he would not be up until at least mid-day. He went into the kitchen and made his breakfast. Sitting at the end of the table in the dining room looking out in to the garden he began to visualise the kind of place he would buy once he had his winnings.

He was planning his own getaway from this place and all who belonged in it. When he made his break he was going to go alone.  He would go somewhere where he could not be found by Sandra or the girls. This was only a part of his newly formulating plans.

He finished his meal but made no effort to clear the pots from the table or go back into the kitchen to wash the pans up he had left on the cooker. After he had been upstairs to carry out his ablutions he returned to the front room to ring Bert. As he waited for Bert to pick up the phone he was looking at the ticket that meant his life was about to change.

“Hello Bert, I just thought I’d better ring you to let you know I’m not too well. Could you look after the job tonight”? He lied.

“What’s the matter with you Roger”? Bert inquired.

“I was changing a tyre on the van yesterday and I’ve wrenched my back. I am lying on the couch right now”, he continued the lie.

“I suppose I’ll have to then, I have the van and I can pick up Mick. What shall I do with the loot?

“The plan is to take it straight to the unit and off load it there. I was to meet the ‘fence’ on Tuesday but I have to go to the hospital that day so can you meet him at the unit”? He lied again.

“Yes, I guess he knows the deal. I will ring you on Tuesday evening after it is all done”, informed Bert.

This was the opportunity for Bert to prove himself and take over the reins from Roger. He knew this was a chance for him to become the leader of the gang and make the changes he had always wanted to make. Little did Bert know that Roger wasn’t in the least bit concerned about his ambition. He was done with the gang.

Chapter 7

The Warehouse Job

Sunday’s picnic was a success marred only by some disturbing news revealed by Mandy. It would seem that whoever broke into their house last week and took the lottery tickets had won the jackpot. Because Mandy’s dad used the same combination of numbers every week he knew that his ticket was the winning one for this Saturday.

Because they did not have the ticket he could not claim the prize. Someone out there was in possession of their ticket to a fortune. Mandy told Julie that her mum and dad were devastated by the knowledge and wished they had never checked the numbers.

Mandy was a little more philosophical about the situation as she pointed out that, what you haven’t had you never miss. She was more interested in the picnic outing with her friend and the information she was going to here from Julie about their investigation.

Julie had bought with her the map of the local break-ins and updated Mandy on the latest ones including hers. What Julie pointed out to Mandy was that until the break-in at her house the pattern that seemed to be immerging was that the burglaries were split into three areas. Firstly the hits would be in the west of the town followed by robberies in a nearby village and thirdly that the east of the town would be the target.

This was all making for the pattern to be of planned break-ins. What changed the pattern was the burglary at Mandy’s house. This was totally opposite to the theory Julie had identified from the map.

“Do you think the perpetrators were aware that we would be away”? Mandy asked.

“It’s a possibility. Who knew you would be on holiday”? Julie inquired.

“Loads of people knew we were going on holiday, replied Mandy.

“It won’t help if we eliminate those we know couldn’t have done it, will it”, surmised Julie.

“I doubt if we will ever find the culprits”, said Mandy as her eyes began to glisten as if ready to cry.

Julie decided that nothing would be achieved by continuing with this discussion and so she folded the map and returned it to her handbag. They and Rachel went off to play ball, leaving Sandra and her mum alone.

“I’m surprised Roger let you have the van for the day, I thought he would need it to go round to his mates”, Said Sandra’s mum in a sardonic way.

“I too was surprised; he doesn’t normally let me use it. Usually he needs it for something or other but he said he wasn’t going out today so I could have it if I put the petrol in it”, Sandra replied.

“I can’t believe the cheek of the man, to make you pay for the petrol he never helps with the household bills and yet he expects you to provide for his every need”, her mum answered disbelievingly.

“Well mum what can I do? I’ve tried to help him find work. When I have he only sticks it for a day or so, if that. I think his time in prison was the change in him. He’s never been the same since he was sent down. Each time I visited him he became more bitter and vowed he would get even with the law. I tried to make him see it was his fault he was in there, but he wouldn’t have it. He always maintained he was stitched up”, Sandra replied.

“He’s never been any good to you or the children and I have watched you work yourself to a standstill for that lazy beggar. All he has ever done is ‘take, take, take’. When are you going to come to your senses and leave him”?

“You know I can’t, for the sake of the kids I can’t”.

“When are you going to learn that even the children don’t get on with him? He never does anything for them, or with them. As far as they are concerned he might as well be a lodger and that’s how I see it and that’s what they tell me. He spends more time with his mates than he does with his family. Now tell me that isn’t true”.

Sandra was now feeling browbeaten by her mother. She had to agree with all that her mother had said. Today was meant to be a day away from stress she thought.

“Let’s not talk about it now mum, let’s just enjoy the day out with the children”, Sandra pleaded.

They sat on the blanket and watched the children enjoying themselves.

“Did you know Julie’s friend Mandy’s house was the latest to be burgled in the town? It happened while they were on holiday. They came back on Friday to find the back door had had the glass panel removed and that’s how they got in.”? Sandra informed her mum.

“There seems no stopping them. The police don’t seem to be able to catch them do they”? Commented Sandra’s mum.

“For this to happen so many times in such a small area it has to be someone local don’t you think”? Sandra suggested.

“Julie said the policeman that came to their house was determined to catch the thieves and she also said he sounded confident that he would”, claimed Sandra.

“Let’s hope your right”, replied Sandra’s mum.

They decided too much serious talking had taken place and it was time to join in with the girls as they played catch with the Frisbee.

------ x ------

Roger sat at home watching the television most of the afternoon. His only break was to make himself a drink or to pour himself another whisky. As he sat watching the film he began to think about the warehouse job and whether he had done the right thing in not going. He could imagine his three mates getting ready for their nights work. He was beginning to get bored just sitting in front of the television. In his mind was the thought of having to wait until Tuesday to begin his big spending spree.

He was also planning his break with the family and had no intentions of leaving a trace that would lead them or anyone else to his whereabouts. He was seriously thinking of going somewhere abroad where he would not be pestered by the law. His only problem was the lack of a passport. This he would put right on Monday.

Because he would have to stay in the country until his passport was ready he would rent somewhere far away from the town. He realised there was nothing he couldn’t do with the kind of money he was about to receive.

Ironically when he returned to the front room to continue to watch the television it was beginning a film about a prison breakout. As he sat watching the film it reminded him of his stint in prison and how he had to survive the constant fighting and the power struggles that caused them. He was determined this was not going to happen to him again. He could live a life of luxury and not have to worry about the next payout from his nights of work.

He began to think about the family outing. Not for any other reason than because it was getting close to teatime and apart from the occasional nibbles he had had very little to eat. If they didn’t come home soon he would have to get his own. This was against his principals. He had a chauvinistic idea that if you had married it was the wife’s job to fulfil your needs. His ideals did not seem to stretch to him being the provider.

Just as he was having these thoughts and as if he had ordered it, the family returned from their outing. He could hear laughter coming from the street as he heard the van doors being opened. This told him that his needs would soon be met. His only hope was that the dragon he called his mother-in-law wouldn’t be with them.

As the females filed in with the remainder of their picnic and the toys they had taken he could not here the voice that he hated so much. His luck was in. He would not have to listen to the tirade of insults that were often aimed at him from the interfering old battle axe that was his Mother-in-Law.

He heard the girls making their way up the stairs and surmised they had been sent up to freshen up before tea. Soon his tray was bought in to him by his dutiful wife. He felt that this was her role in life and never thought to thank her. The rest of the family ate in the kitchen.

He was happy in the knowledge that when he had the lottery money safely in his grasp he would pay other people to do his bidding. He was intent on being a man of leisure for the rest of his life. Some of the ideas he had in his mind to do were becoming firmed up plans of action.

Although he was going to be absent from the hit tonight it was a hard job to clear it from his mind. He had planned the break-in to the smallest detail as he had done so many times before. Even though this was something the gang had never tackled before he was confident that if the detail was right it would be no different to entering an empty house.

These thoughts were still going through his mind as he heard the last of the family tread the stairs to bed. He would stay up tonight for two reasons. Firstly he wanted to be informed as to how things went at the warehouse and secondly because of the anticipated rendezvous at the hotel on Tuesday. He sat in his chair and watched the programs on the telly as they marched on through the night.

He watched the clock as the hours ticked by. He was aware that the hit would begin at eleven thirty and that the whole heist would be finished by one in the morning. When he watched the small hand reach two o’clock he began to wonder what could have happened. Bert should have rung him by this time and the hand over to the ‘fence’ should have been completed.

Now Roger began to worry. What if they had been caught? Because he had handed over the job to Bert, had he been usurped as leader and left out of the loop? His concern now was if they had been caught would they shop him and if so would he be picked up by the police before he had recieved his winning cheque in less than two days time?

He was on edge now, not knowing if a knock on the door was imminent. He had kept his night time activities from the rest of the family all these years. If the law came for him it would be out in the open and his plans would not be realised. This must not happen, if they come for him he would have to do a runner and lay low for a day or two he thought to himself.

If it was as a result of a power struggle between him and Bert he would have nothing to worry about. As far as he cared Bert could lead the gang into eternity. He had much grander plans to occupy his mind.

As the clock continued to turn and the hours passed by he assumed the latter of the two questions was the most likely. He began to relax a little and nodded off for a while. When he awoke daylight was peeking through the sides of the curtain.

Activities were taking place around the rest of the house. Sandra was hurrying the girls up as this was the start of the new term at school. She would see them off and then pop to her mums before starting work.

Roger had nothing planned for the day other than to get his unexpected winnings from the bookies and get himself rigged up with some smart clothes. Once the house was empty he would make his way into town and with his winnings and the remainder of his payout for the ‘Tuesday job’ he would buy himself a suit, a shirt and a tie. His thoughts as he prepared himself for town were of the last time he had worn this sort of clothing. It was for his wedding day and he had not had the inclination to wear a suit and tie since.

Once in town he visited the tailors and purchased all the things he would need to put on a good show on Tuesday. He was about to return to the car park when he spotted a flat for rent in the city. It looked half decent, he thought and so he went in to the agents and checked the rental terms. It would need a down payment of one month at £400 and nothing more. It was furnished to a reasonable standard.

Roger wondered if he should rent the flat now or wait until he had the money from the lottery in his hands first. He had enough from his horse racing win even after paying for his clothes. It took only a few minutes for him to decide. Handing over the money he was asked if he would like to view the flat before he moved in.

In his haste to complete the deal he declined the viewing.

“I’m sure it will be just fine”, he assured the agent as he signed his name, Peter Antalis.

He had spotted the name on the box of copying paper on the desk next to the printing machine. He would use this name for the time being in case he was being looked for by either the family or the police. Once he had the money he would move further away and resume his real identity.

Once he had returned home he packed an overnight bag of essentials and took it down stairs and placed it in the van ready for the following day. He would need very little as he would buy new as soon as he had the money placed in his newly opened bank account.

He left the new outfit in the van and was preparing to leave before the rest of the family rose the following morning. He would book into a hotel close to the hotel that the presentation was to take place. He would stay overnight and then move into the flat on Wednesday morning. With everything made ready he retired to his favoured room.

He had still not heard nor seen anything of any of the gang members or had a visit from the police. This was the only thing that was bugging him. Just as these thoughts were milling about in his head there came a knock on the door. He went to the window and moved the curtain just a fraction to see who was standing at the door.

The man who was now banging on the door again was not going to go away without seeing someone. Roger was beginning to get nervous. He went into the hall and gingerly opened the door. The man was not familiar to Roger. He asked who Roger was and when the reply came back as to who was asking the man produced a wallet that was all too familiar to Roger. The card inside the wallet told Roger this was a detective constable from the local police.

“Can you tell me what you were doing last evening”? The detective asked in a formal way.

“Why are you asking”? The reply came from Roger.

“I ask the questions”, the detective announced sternly. “But as you ask, an attempted break-in at a warehouse in the city took place late on Sunday night and you were singled out as a possible suspect”, he went on.

“Let me put your mind at rest officer, I was at home all night and if you call back later when my wife returns she will vouch for me. I did not leave the house from Saturday afternoon to this morning”, Roger replied and for once he was telling the truth.

“I will be back later to confirm this”, the detective assured Roger.

Roger was convinced that the officer believed him and knew that a return visit would not happen. What did concern him was the possibility that this warehouse could be the one that the gang had done and if so this meant that either they were foiled in the attempt or that they had got caught in the act.

If it was the former he would have heard from one of the gang, at least he would have expected Mick to let him know. As for Pete, he would suspect his loyalty was to Bert as they lived together so he was not surprised that he hadn’t heard from that quarter.

His suspicion was that they had been caught in the attempt and arrested. If this was so, he would have to be very careful not to draw attention to himself for at least the remainder of today. He could not be sure that the other members of the gang would squeal on him if the other robberies were revealed. These speculations were doing nothing to calm his nerves. He picked out the lottery ticket from his wallet and this made him feel better. His thoughts turned to tomorrow. This would be the start of a new life.

Chapter 8

The Arrest

At precisely 11 o’clock on Sunday night Mick was picked up by Bert and Pete. Bert explained the new arrangement to the plan. Mick was a little concerned as he hated changes. He was convinced that it bought only bad luck. Like the others he was in need of a cash boost to restore his drinks cabinet. Drink was his only real friend as it never let him down like some of his other acquaintances.

Bert explained that the job would be done in the same way as was previously planned with one difference. With only three in the gang the split would be that much greater.

Bert explained all this to Mick as they drove to the warehouse. The prospect of getting a bigger share was enough to put Mick’s fears to the back of his mind.

The fact that they had one of the gang missing meant that the look-out job would have to be scrapped. To fill the van with as much as they could they would need all hands to the loading.

They reached the industrial estate where the warehouse was situated and drove around to make sure the coast was clear. Once satisfied that all was quite they drew up to the doors. Pete was quick to get out of the van and even quicker to jemmy open the big up and over door. Bert backed the van in and Pete lowered the door to the ground to make it look like it was closed.

Mick shone his torch around the warehouse and sure enough the cases lined the walls.

Without taking too much notice of whether the boxes were spirits or wine they formed a chain to load the van. Within twenty minutes they had loaded half of the van.

“This is easier than house break-ins”, Mick called to Bert as he passed another box over.

“And to think the payout will be all ours, no four way split”, Bert replied.

“It won’t be if we get caught, now get a move on” Pete cautioned.

Just as Pete had finished his sentence the door flew open and in charged half a dozen coppers dressed up as if they were about to break up a demonstration.

“Stay where you are and get down on the floor”, shouted the man in plain clothes.

Laying face down on the concrete floor Bert could not believe that they had been caught. This surely had to be a set up, He thought to himself.

As the handcuffs were placed on the wrist of each of the gang the plain clothed policeman came a little closer to the group.

Bert was the only one who recognised the man. He had met him on the odd occasion that he had accompanied Roger to the lock-up where the goods were exchanged for cash. He did not know however that this man was a police officer.

Detective Sergeant Davis stood all three against the van and read them their rights.

“You have been arrested on a charge of theft. You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you fail to mention when questioned, something which you later rely on in a court of law. Take them away constable”, Davis commanded.

As the three of them sat in the van that was taking them to the station they remained tight lipped. Having been on the wrong side of the law before, they knew the procedure. They would each be charged with being in possession of stolen goods and would be grilled as to who knew what about the hoist.

What was bothering Sergeant Davis was where the forth member of the gang was. He had to find out. It was his intention to put him away for having the nerve to think he could get away with putting pressure on him to pay out more than he wanted for the last job. “No one crossed the ‘fence’, least of all a bunch of amateurs like this lot”. Thought Davis

When they arrived at the station the duty Sergeant booked them in and handed each of them over to a constable to escort them to separate cells. When Detective Sergeant Davis arrived at the station the desk Sergeant asked if he would interview them. He looked at the station clock which showed it was now Monday morning.

Because he felt nothing but contempt for this bunch of no hopers he decided it was time to go home. He would interview them all later he decided. His plan was to let them stew for the rest of the night in the hope that they would incriminate the forth member of the gang.

Mick lay on the flat wooden bed pondering what might happen to him. He was convinced that having a record already he was facing another spell in the slammer. Another thought was going through his mind too. The warehouse was not alarmed when they broke in. This did not add up. With all the booze held in that warehouse you would expect the owners to have some sort of security.

This was beginning to look like a set up. This was the thought on the mind of the other two also. What was bothering Bert was the appearance of the person he had previously met as the ‘fence’? How could he be involved in the raid when he was going to be the one receiving the goods when the job was done?

Bert had heard of bent coppers before whilst he was in prison. This copper was different. He had allowed them free reign all this time and yet he had set them up on a job he had recommended they take on, even though he knew their forte was house break-ins and this was a new venture for them?

Something didn’t add up. Why would this bent copper ‘cut off his nose to spite his face’ as the saying goes? Had Roger let him down somewhere along the line? Was Roger in on the setup? Bert knew he would have the rest of the night to think these things over. Davis would be in no hurry to interview them. He had all the evidence he needed. All he needed now was a confession from each of them.

Off the record, Davis wanted to find out why Roger was not on the shout as he had expected? Once the tapped interviews were over he would find out. His intention was to find enough evidence to arrest Roger for the break-in at 23, Sisson Road. All he needed was a lead in by one of the gang. This was not going to be easy but he was determined that this gang were to be a lesson to the other gangs not to cross him.

At 8.30 Monday morning Detective Sergeant Keith Davis walked into the station. He spoke to the desk Sergeant and asked for an interview room.

“You can have room 12, but before you do, can you tell me who you want in the room with you for the interviews”? The duty Sergeant asked.

“Constable Williams is free if he’ll do”, the Sergeant informed.

“Yes that will be fine”, replied Davis.

He was more than pleased with this choice of partner as he had worked with him for some time and knew his weakness for a smoke. He would allow him to leave the room and this would allow him to switch off the tape while he asked the questions he needed answered.

“Which one do you want first”? The Sergeant asked.

Davis thought very hard before asking for Mick to be bought in. Of the three of them he would bet that Mick would buckle easiest.

“Send in Harper”, he instructed.

“By the way, the inspector sends his congratulations on an excellent nights work. I must say Keith you surprised us all with this arrest”, The Desk Sergeant informed him.

Constable Williams had been called on the tannoy as he was just re-entering the building after a smoke break. He was informed that he was needed in room 12. He sat next to Davis and waited for the interviewee to be bought in.

Mick looked much the same as he always did with the exception of more stubble around the face. He had made up his mind that he did not want a solicitor as he was going to hold his hands up to the charge.

The interview began with the confirmation of Mick’s name, date of birth and his present address. The questions were asked by Sergeant Davis as Williams took notes. As Mick had already made up his mind to bare all with regard to this crime he would go no further in implicating his involvement in the burglaries.

“How many of you were involved in the warehouse break-in, either directly or indirectly”? Davis asked Mick with the knowledge that Roger was the organisation within the gang.

A question for a question was Mick’s tactic.

“How many people did you arrest at the warehouse”? Mick replied cheekily.

“Don’t get clever with me, none of you could have organised this activity without a planner”, came the angry retort from Davis.

After about half an hour it was clear that while the tape was running Davis was not going to get any valuable information from this interview.

Williams was by now in need of another nicotine fix and so the interview was suspended. Davis and Williams left the room with Davis telling his interview partner that he would get the coffees for them and the prisoner. He was aware that a cigarette would take at least ten minutes and after getting the coffees he would still be back in the interview room before Williams returned. This would give him valuable time to try the softly, softly approach with Harper.

Placing the coffee in front of the dishevelled and tired prisoner Davis began to pace the room.

“Do you know of a man called Roger White”, Davis asked.

“Roger who”? Harper replied, knowing that Davis was hoping to get a confession from him so as to implicate Roger. He did not know why this question was asked. He could only assume that somehow this officer had some knowledge of the gang. This puzzled him as they had never been apprehended whilst carrying out the many burglaries.

The frustration was written all over the face of Davis. He tried one more question before his partner returned.

“Did you have anything to do with the break-in at 23 Sissons Road which I believe to have the hallmark of White on it?

This question was a surprise to Mick and although he denied any knowledge of the accusation, he had showed in his facial expression his surprise.

Seeing this Davis suggested that if he owned up to the Sissons Road job he would see to it that he would mentioned this cooperation to the powers that be.

Mick was not taken in by the tactic Davis was using. He might not be that intelligent, but he did know from his previous prison stay that if someone was being nice to you, you could be certain it was going to cost you in some way or another. He need not reply to the question as Williams had arrived back in the room much to the annoyance of Davis.

They continued the interview for a short time but it was evident that Davis had lost interest in the interviewee. He was certain that if this nut did not crack it was unlikely that the other two would. He saw these three members of the gang as cannon fodder and realised that the organiser of the gang would go Scot free if they didn’t ‘grass’ on their leader.

He was puzzled as to why White had not taken part in the job and knew that he was the only one he had told of the contents of the warehouse. No matter how much he wanted White’s scalp, he could do nothing to arrest him without some evidence that he was involved.

He and Williams interviewed both Bert and Pete with little more than a confession of guilt. They too would have no truck with shopping Roger. What bothered Bert was why he had turned them in when he could have made a tidy profit from the proceeds of the stolen goods from the warehouse. Unfortunately he did not get an answer to his unasked question. What he did know was that from now on Roger would have to watch his back.

Sergeant Davis was showing signs of impatience and frustration at not being able to punish Roger for undermining his authority. He did not want word to spread to his other clients that he was softening in his old age. By allowing this one gang member to escape his wrath he would be opening the floodgates to the other gang leaders.

After the interviews he sent Constable Williams round to Roger White’s house for two very important reasons. The first was to ask the question of his whereabouts on Sunday night, for which he knew an alibi would be given. Secondly it was to make sure he was still living at the same address. If this was so, he intended to give him a visit that would cause him a great deal of concern. For the sake of his reputation as the ‘fence’ not to be messed with, he would get his man by fair means or foul even if it didn’t happen while he still served in the force.

Chapter 9

A New Beginning

Tuesday morning was the start of a new life for Roger. He rose early and decided that to make a reasonable impression when arriving at the hotel he would be staying at he would put on his best clothes from the wardrobe and keep the new suit and accessories in the van ready to change into for the presentation.

Dawn had just broken and he was determined to leave before the rest of the family were up and about. He crept into the bedroom and gathered the clothes he needed without disturbing Sandra. He considered the risk of waking her up was quite small as she was a very heavy sleeper. Once he had what he needed he tiptoed across the landing to the bathroom and washed and shaved.

Dressed and ready to leave he crept down the stairs avoiding the creaking steps. He did a quick check to make sure he had the winning ticket still tucked safely into a compartment of his wallet. As he took a final sweeping look at his surroundings he picked up the van keys from where Sandra had left them and exited the house quietly by the back door.

He drove along the A14 to the hotel on the outskirts of Birmingham. The journey was uneventful which pleased him as his experience of this road during the rush hour was one of stop, start, stop, start. It was often littered with parts of smashed up vehicles from the frequent accidents that occurred.

Arriving at the hotel he parked the van in one of the spaces left in the car park. Taking the new outfit from the van he walked into the hotel foyer. As it was still early in the morning the night porter was sitting at the desk.

Roger walked up to the desk and announced who he was and that he had booked a room. The porter, who was dressed in full uniform with the hotel crest on his tunic, looked in the opened book on the desk and saw the name of White written against room 13. He informed Roger that he was booked in for Tuesday and that meant that he could not enter the room before 2pm. The only way he could have the room was if he paid for Monday as well.

This was not a good start to his day. He could not wait until 2pm to get into the room. The presentation at the nearby hotel was to take place at 1 o’clock. Although he wasn’t happy about the situation he considered it a small price to pay when he considered he would soon be holding a cheque for millions.

Not to lose out he asked if he paid for the two days would he be entitled to this morning’s breakfast. The porter assured him that this was quite in order. He passed the fob to Roger and gave him a leaflet that informed of the dining room opening times then asked if he had a bag. Roger replied that what he had was with him. The porter came around the desk and beckoned Roger to follow him.

Once he had tipped the porter and closed the door behind him he scanned the room. It was not a four star hotel but it was fit for purpose, he thought. First he hung up his new suit and shirt and from his holdall he took a toilet bag and opened the adjoining door to the bathroom. He freshened up and emptied the other items from the bag onto the shelf above the sink. He would have breakfast first and then return to his room to take a leisurely shower and get dressed.

In the dining room he sat at a table for two and ate heartily into a full English breakfast. As he ate he looked at some of the other people who were already eating. Half way through his meal he was approached by a suited man.

“Would you mind if I joined you”? The stranger asked as he bent over Roger.

“If you wish”, Roger replied nervously. He was never comfortable around dressed up people. They always reminded him of ‘The Bill’.

The man spoke with a Geordie accent. The conversation was patchy and in the main was centred around what each of them did for a living. Roger told the man he worked as door to door agent for a cleaning product company and was in the area for a presentation for the best salesman of the year awards.

The suited man had revealed that he was working with the Birmingham police force on an ongoing investigation into a drugs ring. He was with the metropolitan police. As soon as Roger heard the word police he became even more nervous and so quickly finished his meal. In the conversation it was revealed that the policeman had stayed over the weekend and would be here for some time. Roger decided that to avoid this man he would have to ask for room service for the remainder of his stay.

Excusing himself to the man he made his way back to his room. He lay on the bed and wondered what else would ruin his day. He was in room number thirteen and he had had breakfast with a copper. This did not bode well for this afternoon, he thought.

Eventually he dropped off to sleep. When he awoke he looked at the clock radio which told him it was eleven thirty. He would need to get a shift on if he was to get to the other hotel by one o’clock.

He shaved again and showered. Splashing some aftershave on his face he looked in the mirror and combed his thinning hair. Returning to the other room he pulled off the price labels of the clothes and began to dress. The job completed he inspected himself in the full length mirror attached to the wardrobe door. He was as pleased with his appearance now as he was when he tried them on in the shop.

He decided that sitting in the van in his new getup would not be a great idea as the van was never kept particularly clean and he did want to look his best for the presentation. Also on his mind was the impression the van would make at the other venue. He stood at the counter waiting for the receptionist to finish her phone call with the intention of ordering a taxi.

As he stood there the policeman came to hand in his key. Roger began to ask the girl to order him a taxi. After making a call to a local firm she announced that there would be one for him in about fifteen minutes. Having told her where he was going and looking anxiously at his watch he began to wonder if he would make it on time. It was not in Roger’s nature to be late for anything. This is what made his break-in’s so successful, he had convinced himself.

Suddenly the police officer butted into Roger’s thoughts.

“If the hotel is only just down the road maybe I could offer you a lift”? He suggested.

It took a few seconds for Roger to think about the offer and with another glance at his watch he nervously accepted the offer. The last time he had been given a lift by a policeman was on the journey to court before being sent down.

Thank goodness this would be a short trip, Roger thought as he sat in the passenger seat. On reaching the hotel it was obvious that something was happening. The staff seemed to be rushing in and out of the main door with allsorts of things and taking them to a large marquee on the side lawn. This helped to confirm the lie Roger had told the copper.

“Thanks for the lift”, Roger said as he was about to close the car door.

“That’s OK; perhaps we could get together for a drink tonight”, suggested the policeman.

With that threat ringing in his ears Roger finished closing the door and watched as the car turned out of the hotel drive and disappeared. He walked up the steps to the desk and explained his reason for being there.

The man on reception called a lady over who was standing around hugging a clip board and watching the endless stream of waiters and waitresses ‘toing and froing’ through the lobby. She darted through a gap in the procession and made her way to the desk.

“This is Mr White. You asked to be informed of his arrival”, the man informed her.

“Oh, yes, thank you Simon”, she replied as she looked Roger up and down.

She held out her hand and Roger responded to her outstretched hand with a shake.

“My name is Elizabeth, but you can call me Lizzy”, she informed him.

Roger looked her up and down as she flitted around watching everything that was going on around her. His initial reaction was that she should be called Tizzy. As she skipped from one leg to the other he was certain she had pins in the high heels she was wearing or that they were pinching her feet.

“I’m Roger”, he managed to say as she slipped her harm through his and whisked him out of the front door to the marquee.

Inside the tent were two long tables on either side. These were being set for what appeared to Roger to be a banquet. At the other end of the marquee a group of smartly dressed people, stood deep in conversation. This was where Lizzy was almost dragging Roger to.

On reaching the group and with Lizzy explaining who Roger was a man stepped forward to greet him. He introduced himself as a representative from the Lottery and then one by one introduced the rest of the group.

“Can I get you a drink or something”? The lottery man asked Roger as he walked him to a table of drinks.

A neat whisky was passed to Roger as the small talk went backward and forward between them on their return to the group. The manager, who was one of the group, apologised for the delay in proceedings and explained that they were waiting for the celebrity to arrive who would present the cheque.

Roger was beginning to feel a little out of his depth and for him the conversation within the group was becoming irritating. All he could think was, “let’s get on with it and let me out of here”.

As these thoughts ran through Roger’s mind Lizzy came back with a man he vaguely recognised as a sports presenter on television. So this was the celebrity everyone had been waiting for. As he made his way to the others his entourage followed behind. With the, by now, customary hand shake everyone was introduced to him.

All were informed by Lizzy, the chief organizer, that photo’s would be taken at the front of the hotel as this was considered the perfect backdrop. Although Roger was a reluctant participant in the publicity he knew that he could not escape it as the ticket showed no tick in the non-publicity box on the ticket. The cheque he was to receive for 4.2 million pounds was half in his grasp as he held one end of it whilst the celebrity held the other.

After the pictures had been taken, Roger slipped the cheque into his wallet. The group then moved back into the marquee. With a few more drinks and a lot more small talk they all sat at the tables to eat. Never before had Roger seen or tasted food like it. The portions were small and the taste took some getting used to.

Inevitably the question arose as to what he intended to do with the money. He gave the kind of answers that he expected they wanted to hear. Soon after the meal had finished the party began to break up. One by one they emptied the tent. Roger now felt it would be alright for him to leave.

He walked back into the hotel to order a taxi. Elizabeth was leaning against the desk talking to the man behind it. Her part in the proceedings was now over. The rest of the clearing up was down to someone else.

Roger asked for a cab to his hotel and was again told it would be there in about twenty minutes. Elizabeth on hearing this offered to buy Roger a drink while he waited. With little money in his pocket and a great big fat cheque he couldn’t spend he accepted her generosity and they walked into the bar.

There was something about this woman that he liked. Perhaps it was the way she made him feel relaxed or her ability to make him feel important, he wasn’t sure. As they exchanged conversation he asked if he could stay in touch with her. She was more than happy to correspond with him. She gave her mobile number to him and expected his in return. Roger could not give his for the simple reason he hadn’t felt the need to have one. He explained this to Lizzy and told her he would give it to her the first time he would ring her.

Twenty minutes later he was sitting in a taxi on the way back to his hotel. He could not at the moment afford to sit at the bar so he went up to his room and sat on the bed watching TV. By nine o’clock he was ready for bed. He showered, and then returned to the bed and pulled back the covers while still watching the box on the wall.

The local news after the ‘News at Ten’ caught his attention as an item came on regarding the arrest of three men for a break-in at a warehouse in Pederston. Roger sat upright on the bed as the reporter interviewed the arresting officer.

“What can you tell us about the attempted robbery”? The reporter asked.

The camera spun to the policeman. It was none other than Detective Sergeant Keith Davis.

“We had a tip-off that a hit was going to be made on this warehouse and that it contained a quantity of wines and spirits”, Davis replied.

“Has this robbery anything to do with the number of house break-ins over the past couple of years”? The reporter asked, as if he had thought up the question himself.  Of cause he had been primed by Davis to include these incidents as a way of letting Roger know if he was watching that he was after him.

“There may be a link but at this stage we are keeping an open mind”, replied the officer.

Initially the item bothered Roger as he now knew that Davis was on his case. What Davis wasn’t aware of was the lottery win and what that was about to do for Roger.

From tomorrow onward until he left the country he would be someone else. With this in mind he turned off the television and slept soundly.

Before he left the hotel he gave Lizzy a ring to tell her he would be in touch soon.

He packed his overnight bag and went down for breakfast. On entering the dining room he spotted the policeman sitting with a woman who looked as if she was bored out of her mind. This pleased him as he sat at the same table as the day before and would not be troubled by the enemy this morning.

He settled the bill and put his suit and holdall in the van and made his way back to the A14. As he made his way back to Pederston he relived his big day. Although the highlight of his day was getting the cheque, he couldn’t help thinking about his liaison with Lizzy. Although his marriage was over with Sandra he had never strayed or had the inclination to until now.

As he travelled along the road he could see the countdown signs for Pederston. First twenty miles, then ten and finally just before he left the duel carriageway the sign told him he had a couple of miles before he would be home. Home now was his newly acquired flat in the city.

His first task on reaching the new flat would be to go and open an account with a high street bank.

He took the lift up to his flat and dumped his meagre possessions on the sofa. He felt for his wallet and assured it was in his back pocket, made his way down to the street below. He walked into the hub of the city conscious that he could be spotted by not only visitors from his old town but also by the police.

To make things easy for himself he entered the first bank he came to. At the counter he handed the cashier the cheque and announced that he would like to open an account. The surprise on the cashiers face said it all. Never in her years in the bank had she seen that amount of money let alone on one individual piece of paper.

She took some details from Roger who gave his real name and his new address. She was a little concerned as to the validity of the cheque and so asked Roger to wait. She went into the back room and through to where the manager sat at his desk in his office. Her nervousness was soon quelled when the manager rang the lottery HQ who had made out the cheque to confirm that it was genuine. He told her to complete the opening of the account and let him know when that was done.

As new customers signed up with the bank it was seldom necessary for them to be introduced to the manager. However it was not every day that the amount of 4.2million was deposited in his branch. This deserved his undivided attention and he wanted to meet the fortunate holder.

Once the account had been finally opened the manager spoke through the glass partition and invited Roger to his office. Even though Roger wanted little fuss made, he did want some thing from the account before the cheque would clear. To this end it was in his interest to go along to the manager’s office.

Once seated opposite the manager he began to ask if it was possible to have a loan until the clearance had come through. The manager assured him there would be no problem and asked how much Roger required. Roger had in mind to ditch the van and buy himself a decent car. He wanted a new wardrobe and a definite must was a mobile phone. He had never had one and had no idea of their cost but he knew he needed one if he was to keep in touch with Lizzy.

The manager gave him a blank cheque book and assured him that whatever he wanted to spend it would be taken care of. As Roger was almost skint he wondered if he could have a cash withdrawal. Without further ado the manager took him to the same cashier and sorted out his needs. With everything done and a shake of the managers hand Roger walked out of the bank and back to the flat.

His next move was to travel out of town to a garage, not only to buy himself a middle of the range car that would not draw attention to him, but would enable him to get rid of the van that could possibly be recognised back in the city and thus lead unwanted visitors to his door.

The garage owner was pleased to offer Roger the car of his choice and because it was far enough away from home he was happy to write the cheque in his own name there and then. Unfortunately the garage owner could offer nothing for the van as it was worth nothing but scrap value. He did offer a tank of petrol as an inducement which Roger accepted.

He did not want to drive the van back to the city whilst waiting for the transfer of cash to the garage and so he asked the manager to take him home in his new car so as to test it. The only other thing he needed was for the car to be delivered to his address as soon as the moneys had been paid. To this the manager agreed.

After the completion of the car task Rogers mind was on the next priority on his list. He made his way back to town and called in the phone shop. In total confusion at the selection on offer he came out with a suitable machine that would serve his purpose. He would ring Lizzy as soon as it was fully charged.

He was satisfied with his afternoons work and was beginning to feel peckish. He had as yet had no food or drinks at home so he decided he would eat out this evening and do the other tasks on his list another time.

He walked into a dimly lit Indian restaurant and decided he would order a curry. The waiter showed him to a corner table and left him to read the menu. Once he had grown accustomed to the lighting he browsed through the menu and ordered. He sat with his back to the wall looking at the door he had entered. As he was finishing what he considered to be the best meal he had had for a long time he noticed a couple walk in. Nothing strange about that he thought until he saw the man escorting a woman to a table.

The face was familiar to Roger and so was the name. It was none other than Keith Davis and he guessed the woman to be his wife. This was not what he wanted right now. If he was recognised he would be pulled in for questioning at the very least. This would put a spanner in his plans. Thankfully the dimness was to be his saving grace. Before the couple could acclimatize themselves to the lighting he had paid the bill and slipped out unnoticed.

He stopped off at the off-licence and picked up a pack of beers and made his way back to the flat. He would remain there until morning and revisit his plans for the forthcoming day. He opened the box containing the phone and plugged the charger in, tomorrow he would ring Lizzy.

His main concern now was to move from this area as soon as possible. He was beginning to go off the idea of moving abroad. He felt certain that this country could hide him once he had totally dumped his old identity, for White is a popular name all over the country, he thought. His day complete, he went to bed. He was quite please with his day with the exception of the restaurant encounter, but other than that he was well satisfied.

Chapter 10

The plan moves on

Wednesday morning found Roger in buoyant mood. His plans seemed to be moving on smoothly. Today he would shop for clothes and accessories and take the train to Birmingham to look for properties in that area. Once he had found a place that fitted in with his new lifestyle he would taxi over to the hotel that Lizzy worked at.

The shopping took up most of the morning and while he was in town he would buy his rail ticket. Arriving back at the flat he dumped his purchases and walked to the station. He reached Birmingham by mid afternoon and took a taxi to the centre. He peered into several estate agent windows until he found the one that had the kind of houses he was looking for.

The six bedroom mansion advertised in the estate agents window was just what he was looking for and he took an instant liking to it. The house was situated between Birmingham and Coventry. When he inquired of the girl sitting at the first desk whether the property was still on the market the owner of the agency immediately took over the inquiry. He was not going to lose this kind of commission due to any shortcomings of the junior staff. The agent would take him to look at the property and bring him back after the viewing. When asked for details of himself he gave them his proper details, as he was growing in confidence that he was not going to get found out.

On arrival at the property the estate agent had to type in the entry code before the ornate gates swung open of their own accord. This certainly impressed Roger who had not even attempted to enter a place as grand as this even when house breaking. His other thought was that with his new found wealth the police would not even think of looking for him in a place as palatial as this.

They drove down a winding gravel drive, through lawns big enough to put football pitches on either side. These were dotted with trees and bushes of every kind. At the house the drive looped back on itself with a fountain in the middle made of what looked like marble. It had a swan with wings fully spread on top of a globe with the water cascading down from beneath the bird’s feet.

The steps ran up to the front door which had stain glass panels to the upper half. As Roger walked in behind the assistant a gasp caught at his throat. He was becoming overwhelmed by what he saw as the tour progressed. Each room had features that most people could only dream of, himself included.

As he walked around his thoughts turned to Lizzy. He began to wonder if she would like to live in a place like this. He would have no qualms about inviting her to come and live with him. His only concern was what she would make of him having taken on a new identity. He would have to think carefully what he would tell her and already he had some idea of the reasons he might give.

As the tour came to a close he knew this was the place for him. He would go back to the agents and put in a firm offer as long as it was taken off the market that day.

As the tour continued through each room the agent continually asked him how he liked the property. Roger replied by saying that the property was very nice. He was not going to give his enthusiastic reaction at this point and needed to clear up some question he had thought of on his tour. He would like Lizzy to see it before committing himself to buying the property. He also needed to know if she would be willing to share in his good fortune. He would meet her in the evening to discuss these things over dinner.

The manager of the hotel informed Roger that Elizabeth did not work at the hotel as he had assumed but was with the agency that was bought in to organise the function put on by the Lottery people. He did however have a second motive for ringing the hotel and that was to reserve a table for two for the evening.

Close by the estate agents office was a small tea shop. He popped in for a bite to eat and the opportunity to ring Lizzy. When she answered he could here a great deal of background noise. He guessed she must be at another function. His invite was taken up enthusiastically. He would meet her at the hotel at seven that evening and would put his proposal to her as well as tell her about the house.

He spent the rest of his time looking around the shops in the city centre. At around six o’clock he hailed a taxi to take him to the hotel. He would have a drink before Lizzy arrived to give him some Dutch courage.

He remembered that the new car was being delivered the following afternoon and that he needed to be back at the flat to receive it. Even so he planned to stay at the hotel overnight and maybe Lizzy would be willing to stay the night too. Whatever she decided he would show her the house the next morning. He could show her an appetiser by showing her the glossy brochure that the agency had given him.

At the hotel reception he made his overnight reservation and inquired as to a possible second room. He did not want his new found relationship with Lizzy to be soured because of a misunderstanding. The girl behind the desk assured him that a room would be available should he need it. He thanked the receptionist and made his way to the bar. A couple of large whiskies would calm his nerves.

Elizabeth was directed to the bar by the porter and spotted Roger at a corner table. A peck on the cheek by Roger was the greeting which was reciprocated by Lizzy. This seemed cordial and gave Roger hope that thing might move forward between them.

The waiter was called and drinks were ordered. It was announced that dinner was ready and so they made their way across the lobby to the dining room.

Each told the other of the events that had taken place since they had met at the presentation. When Roger mentioned that he had assumed she worked at the hotel and that he had rang there first she seemed a little nervous. Her explanation was taken by Roger as her embarrassment at what she did for a living. He reassured her that it mattered not one jot what she did for a living. He explained that what he did didn’t mount to a lot but that now he did not need to worry about status now or ever again.

He had told Lizzy that he had a surprise for her after dinner and took the opportunity to ask if she would stay overnight so that he could elaborate on his forthcoming surprise. She hesitated for a second or two before answering in the affirmative. Roger, not wanting to put her off or offend her told her he had provisionally booked a room for her. This seemed to put the relationship back on track.

They returned to the bar after dinner and Roger reordered drinks. Once they were settled in the easy chairs of the lounge bar he pulled out the brochure of the house. As he described the missing detail to Lizzy she seemed memorized by what she saw.

“Would you come with me in the morning to second view it”? Roger asked, almost pleading.

“I’d love to see it, if this is a nibble of the whole thing”, answered Lizzy with the excitement of a young child about to visit the local sweet shop.

“I have another proposition to put to you which is of a more intimate nature”, Roger continued nervously. “I would like us to live together in this house if you say you like it as much as I do. Although I am separated from my wife I am still married and so I can’t offer you a permanent arrangement at present.  I will quite understand if you turn me down”, He told her earnestly.

“I appreciate your honesty and I can say that I have very few hang-ups and living with you for the future is not one of them. I would see it as a pleasure”, Lizzy replied, as she stretched out her hand to meet his across the table.

They decided on one more drink before going to bed. Roger rose to go to the desk and order Lizzy a room.

“Is your room a double”? Lizzy asked, pulling him back to the table.

Not wanting her to think he had planned for them to sleep together he hesitated. “I think so”, he replied.

“Don’t bother with the other room”, she suggested with a wink. “However there is one thing I must do before we go up. I will have to ring work and tell them about tomorrow and get my makeup bag from the car”, she added.

“I’ll go up, its room 118”, he informed her.

She went out to the car and made her phone call. The man on the other end was pleased for her as she told of the forward plans. He wanted to make sure though that she would return to work sometime in the near future. He also warned her of the dangers of relationships with unknown people. She assured her boss that all would be well.

The night passed without embarrassment and the following morning they had breakfast before leaving in Lizzy’s car to the estate agents. The manager was quietly pleased to see Roger again and volunteered to take them on the second tour of the house.

The impression that Roger had on the first visit was surmounted by his second and as he and Lizzy went from room to room he could feel she was equally impressed. The agent returned to the car knowing that he could do no more to influence their decision.

Roger and Lizzy stood in the hall and admired the alabaster ceiling decorations when Roger posed the Question.

“Will you do me the honour of living with me here”?

Her answer was an emphatic, “yes”.

The conversation on the return trip to the agents was about price and surveys and all the necessary details that go with buying a property. All of this was new to Roger but he wasn’t going to let on. With all the paperwork done and the house now in Roger’s name they left the agency. Lizzy ran Roger to the railway station. He assured her he would be back within the next few days after winding things up at home.

Roger gave Lizzy permission to buy whatever she wanted for the house and that if she wanted she could hire a design agency to guide her. He would pick up the tab for any expenses. Because he had paid for the house outright the agency would have the building surveyed before the end of the next day. How money talks thought Roger.

They kissed and said their goodbyes on the platform with the arrangement that Roger would return as soon as all loose ends were tied up at Pederston.

Chapter 11

Finding new evidence

A couple of days after the arrest of three of the gang members for the warehouse break-in Sergeant Davis sent his side kick Constable Williams to White’s house to interview Roger on his whereabouts on the Sunday evening. Part of the constable’s two part remit was to interview White and if possible to look over the house for anything that might incriminate him in the break-in or any other criminal activities.

Before leaving the station Sergeant Davis took Williams to one side in the car park and asked him to obtain a couple of items of clothing if able, such as a jacket maybe or if not perhaps a smaller object like a button. Williams knew Davis well enough not to question his strange request.

On arriving at White’s house Williams sat for some time in the car and observed the activities going on in the neighbourhood. It was the time of day when the school children were beginning to leave their homes. One thing Williams did not want to do was to interview White in a house full of people.

A few minutes passed and from the house came the two girls on their way to school. Standing at the front door stood Sandra White in her overall as if ready to set off for work. This would be the time to make his move he thought.

Before Sandra had shut the door Williams walked down the short path to the still open door.

“Is your husband in Mrs White”, the constable inquired?

“Why are you asking and who are you”?

“I am detective constable Williams of Pederston Police”, came the reply.

“If he is he will likely be in the front room I expect”, came the reply from Sandra.

“May I Come in”? Asked Williams.

Sandra knew it would be pointless say no.

As she had not seen him since leaving the house on Monday morning, she had no idea whether he was in or not. She did not have time to go searching for him first thing in the mornings. Her main concern was to see the girls were fed and watered before leaving for school and to get herself ready for work.

It had not dawned on her that the van wasn’t out the front and so told the officer to go in. She could not wait any longer otherwise she would be late for one of her house calls. As Williams walked in she pulled the door closed.

Williams glanced behind him as the door slammed shut and found himself in the hallway. He chose the door to his right assuming this was the front room in which he was expecting to find White.

As he scanned the room it was obvious it was empty, so closing that door he began to search through each of the other rooms on the ground floor. When he realised that White was not downstairs he systematically inspected the rooms upstairs. No sign of the infamous Roger White in this house, he concluded.

Strange as it might have seemed Mrs White must have thought Roger was at home as she left Williams in the house as she when to work. Not the action of a person trying to avoid the police, thought Williams.

This made the second part of William’s task much easier. He would look for an item of White’s clothing and take it back to Sergeant Davis. In the front bedroom he found a jacket hanging in the wardrobe and decided that this would do. Even though the request seemed strange to him he knew better than to question the reason for the order given by his superior.

On leaving Whites house he slammed the front door and checked it had locked. The thought that both Davis and White’s wife had expected him to be at home Williams began to wonder where he might be. As he drove back to the station he was trying to remember if White’s van had been parked outside his house. He was pretty certain it was not.

Reporting back to Sergeant Davis what had happened on his visit and handing over the coat, he was even more mystified by the reaction of Davis. It seemed that he no longer had the sense of urgency to catch the illusive Roger White. He was however pleased with the jacket and asked if Mrs White might discover it missing. Williams pointed out that the Whites did not share wardrobes and that in the messy state of Mr White’s wardrobe it was unlikely that even he would not be sure it was missing.

“Good work, Ifor”, Davis complimented. “While I finish off some paperwork pop down and get a car. I want to pay the Campbell’s a visit”.

Williams knew the break-in at the Campbell’s was still in progress and that Sergeant Davis had not handed over the file as an unsolved crime.

Once Williams had left the office Davis snatched at one of the buttons of Whites jacket and in so doing ripped an L shape around the now missing bottom button. Perfect, he told himself as he pocketed the button. He did not discard the jacket but carefully hid it behind the filing cabinet behind his desk. He was certain it would not be found even by the cleaners as he was sure they never cleaned properly.

He slid into the awaiting car and just smiled to himself. Vengeance will soon be mine he thought to himself. Before leaving the office he had given the Campbell’s a ring to tell them of his surprise visit. They assured him that they would be at home when he called.

Some few minutes later the unmarked police car parked outside the Campbell’s house. Davis did not want Williams to know what he was about to get up to and so instructed him to wait in the car. The less Williams knew the better, thought Davis.

After a few seconds his knock on the door was answered by Jennifer Campbell. She invited Keith into the front room and offered tea. While the tea was being made David came in from the back garden. Both men shook hands and sat opposite each other.

David started the conversation by asking what was being done about their winning lottery ticket as they knew from the numbers they always picked that they had had the winning ticket.

“I would like to say we have found the thieves who took your goods, but as you know the investigation is still ongoing and so there are some things I can tell you and some pieces of evidence that need more work on”, Davis informed the reticent David.

Jennifer returned with a tray of teas and placed them on the table pointing to the one for Davis. She sat next to David waiting for the revelation of the Sergeant’s visit. Their fidgeting was made all the more agitated by Davis’s slow tasting of the drink.

He went on to tell them of the arrest of the three gang members, Mick Harper, Pete and Bert as they broke into a warehouse and that they were almost certain that these had taken part in the numerous break-ins in the area. He went on to inform them that no items had yet been recovered and that all three deny any involvement in the break-ins.

He could not tell them where the winning ticket had gone but that this was an investigation that was ongoing and thus he could only inform them that they were pretty certain a forth member of the gang was still at large. He did give them some hope that it would not be long before this person would be caught.

A little bit of small talk continued around the need for tighter security and the steps the Campbell’s had taken to avoid being victims again.

“Just before I go I wonder if I might have another look in your garden once more. Would you mind”? Davis Asked.

“Help yourself, but I doubt you will find anything now, I’ve virtually dug up most of it”, replied David.

That was all the encouragement Davis needed. He rose from the chair and followed the Campbell’s to the back door.

“Here, use my wellies”, David said pointing to the three quarter length boots standing to attention by the back door.

Davis slipped them on and made his way to the bottom of the garden close to the now repaired fence. He spent some time just sweeping the area with his eyes and then bent down with his back half turned to the watching eyes from the kitchen window.

This is going to be so easy, he thought to himself. He took the jacket button with some of the material still attached out of his pocket and rubbed it in the newly dug soil. He then slipped it in the plastic sleeve that he had bought for the purpose and began a slow walk back to the house, making sure he kept his eyes down as if still looking for something.

He slipped off the boots and stepped inside the back door.

“Did you find anything”? came the broken duet from the Campbell’s.

Sergeant Davis decided to play along with the farce for a bit.

“I found this button close to where you had been digging, but I guess it probably belongs to you”, he suggested.

He held up the plastic bag with the offending object. He expected and received the answer he was looking for. They had no clothing that matched the button and so Davis took them through the forensic examination it would be subjected to. If it is from one of the buglers it would be a step closer to their capture he encouraged.

On this somewhat instigated positive note Davis took his leave of the Campbell’s with a promise that whatever it takes he will continue to pursue the perpetrators of this crime and keep updating them from time to time.

Back in the car Williams had fallen asleep. He guessed he must have been out for the best part of a couple of hours when the door slammed shut and made him bolt upright banging his head on the roof. He couldn’t help noticing how pleased Sergeant Davis seemed.

“You look like the cat that got the cream”, he commented in between yawns.

“Maybe I have “, replied Davis without giving away any information. “When we get back to the office I want you to take this button to the lab and see what they come up with. Then I want you to go back to the White’s house and asked, no, demand all of the clothes that “Mr Smarty Pants White”, has left at home. I suspect that as his wife was not aware of his disappearance when you tackled her this morning, I dare bet you he’s done a bunk on her too”, he went on.

The properties of the other three gang members would be searched and clothes bought in to add authenticity to the reason behind White’s clothes  being tested and of cause the Jacket with the missing button.

Chapter 12

The Net Tightens

Sandra White was a little concerned as to why the police were taking such an interest in her husband. After all he had not been in trouble with the law since his spell in prison some five years before, or so she thought. Little things were however ticking over in her mind such as the late nights and the phone calls he made before leaving home suddenly.

She began to wonder where he had been for the past few days. Her thoughts began to question whether he had come home over the last couple of nights at all. As this question was mulling around in her head she thought back to this morning when she had let the policeman into the house on the assumption that Roger was there.

“What if he wasn’t”? She said out loud as she dusted the living room of the old ladies bungalow. She decided that before moving on to her next job she would go home and check that everything was alright and see if indeed Roger was home.

As she peddled towards home she could not stop her mind thinking of the words her mother had said when she told her that she intended to marry Roger.

“You’ll regret it my girl, he’s a bad ‘un you know. He’ll bring you nothing but trouble you mark my words”.

When she first met Roger she was smitten by him. He was always surrounded by other boys and girls almost threw themselves at him. She also knew he had had several brushes with the law. None of this deterred her from becoming his regular girlfriend. Although he seldom worked he would always have money to take her to posh restaurants and to the pictures or the weekend dances.

After they were married things began to change and his friends became more important and he would neglect her at the expense of those friends. He began to forget meaningful dates, birthdays, anniversaries and the like. He did change for the better for a while at least after the girls were born but then slipped back to his usual ways.

The stint in prison was yet another turning point in their relationships demise. It was almost as if he blamed her even though she could do nothing to save him. She knew by then that nothing that she could do would repair the massive break in their marriage. For all intense and purpose it had become a marriage of convenience. She was sure it was at his convenience as she was constantly subbing him but never being paid back when she knew he was flush.

When she reached home she saw that the car the officer had arrived in earlier was parked out the front again. “Surely he hasn’t been talking to Roger all this time”? Normally if the police were speaking to him it would be at length at the station not in his home.

Williams saw her coming up the road and gave a massive sigh of relief as he had already been waiting some time and thought that he might have an even longer wait before someone returned. He stepped out of the car and made his way to the path.

“Have you only just finished talking to Roger, Constable”, she asked, putting her previous thoughts into words.

“He wasn’t in Mrs White and so after making sure the place was secure I left soon after you let me in”, he lied.

“Why are you back”? Sandra asked in panic at the thought that Roger had been up to his old tricks.

Little was she aware that Roger had never really stopped his old tricks.

“I have been sent to pick up some items of clothing of your husband’s Mrs White”, Williams informed her.

“What do you want with his clothes? She replied.

“We would like to eliminate your husband from our inquiries into a spate of robberies in the town. We have arrested three of his known associates and we need the clothes for forensics to look at. If you wish we can get a search warrant and do it officially. This way it saves time”, he continued

“You had better come in”, Sandra said as the thought of him getting into trouble again began to sink in along with the repercussions this would have on the girls, if indeed he had broken the law. Last time he went inside the children were much younger and the pressures weren’t so great but now they were older and their peers may not be quite so restrained.

At least Julie had her friend Mandy who would help her through the worst at school. She was more concerned for the well being of her youngest daughter and what she might have to face.

Deep in her thoughts she did not hear the question that Williams had asked.

“Sorry, what did you say”? She asked as she put the key in the door.

“I said, Can you tell me where your husband was on Saturday evening?

“Well as a matter of fact he was at home that night. I know for certain that he was, because I remember I wanted to watch a program on the telly but couldn’t because he was in the room watching his beloved football or something”, she replied with some relief, thinking perhaps her previous thoughts and concerns were ill founded this time.

“Wait there while I pop up stairs”, she ordered the constable. “Is it anything in particular that you want”? She asked.

“A couple of items will do, perhaps a coat and a pair of trousers will do, thank you”, Williams answered.

Sandra rummaged through the untidy wardrobe and found the items she needed. Williams was standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting. As she handed him the items he had one more question for her.

“Do you know where your husband might be right now”? Williams inquired.

“I haven’t a clue, he comes and goes as he pleases and has done so most of our married life”, Sandra replied with venom in her voice as she thought of the life he had reduced her to. “His van is not out front so I guess he must still be out, in fact I haven’t seen the van for several days, you don’t think something has happened to him, an accident or something maybe”?

Williams assured her that he would make inquiries when he returned to the station and let her know if anything came up. He went back to his vehicle and sat and watched as Sandra White cycled off to continue her work. He wondered to himself what makes women get involved with no-hopers like White.

Back at the office he dropped the items of clothing on Davis’s desk.

“Good work, Williams, did you have any problems getting them”?

“Considering the man she is married to she comes across as a really decent person and no, I didn’t have any problems. She said she had no idea where her husband was and would I check if he has maybe had an accident and is lying in some hospital somewhere, I said I would, is that ok Sarge”?

Davis was not intent on letting Williams in on what information he had at this moment but he was touched by his concern for Mrs White. He too felt she had been dealt a bad hand and that she deserved better. He deceived his colleague into believing he had already checked the hospitals and assured him that he was not registered in any close by.

“Go and get yourself a coffee and a bite to eat, you’ve earned it”, Davis told him.

His main reason for wanting him out of the office was to give him time to put the jacket he had stored in the bag with the other items ready for Williams to take down to the lab.

Everything was working to his master plan. He could not believe he would soon be getting his revenge on Mr ‘Clever Dick’ White for thinking he had got the better of him. He considered White as a small time crook who thought he was better than his station in life.

He sat in his chair with his feet outstretched and his hands on his head as he contemplated White’s arrest. The net was tightening, he thought as the smile on his face broadened.

Just then the phone on his desk jump into life. After listening for some time to the person on the other end of the line, he replied that the situation was coming to the crunch and could they possible stick it out for just a bit longer. Whoever it was he knew he had them on his side and that they would stay on the job as long as was necessary to see the job completed.

Chapter 13

A Tested Friendship

Mandy and her friend Julie met at school and in town to discuss the robbery with the purpose of trying to solve it. This was not very easy as they were short on clues. They had become aware that three men had been arrested and were considered to be members of the gang who were responsible for a number of break-ins in the town.

What Julie could not reveal to her friend Mandy was that she had over heard her father speaking to men with these names on the phone on numerous occasions. She tried to put the thought out of her mind that her father could possibly be involved in such a crime and especially as he knew that Mandy was her friend.

What was also going through her mind was that she might have been the one to give her dad the information about her friend’s holiday. Try as she might to convince herself that her father was not involved in the break-ins she continued to have doubts.

If it was proved that her dad had been involved with the gang responsible for the spate of robberies what would be the reaction of her friend to this revealing information. Surely that would be the end of their friendship. Her friend would never forgive her for being the one who gave away the vital information that rose to the opportunity of the robbery.

After one of their meetings Julie decided that she would not continue with the investigations and told Mandy that it was because they were not getting anywhere. She could not bring herself to tell her friend of her suspicions. All the information they had received came second hand from the visits by the police to Mandy’s parents. That is until Julie had been told by her mother that the police had been round and were looking for her father.

Julie had also told both of the girls that she believed that Roger had left her. Neither of the girls could believe he would do this and asked why their mother believed this to be so. She explained that their marriage had been a farce for some time and that their marriage was effectively over some time back. As he had been missing for some time now and the only clue that he ever lived with them was the wardrobe of scruffy clothes that remained. The van had gone and that was very unusual.

Even though Julie’s relationship with her father was very limited she at least had a father unlike some of the other kids at school. She had always felt sorry for them. All the information she was getting from different sources was beginning to make her more certain that her father was involved with the burglary gang.

This resulted in her nights of crying for many reasons. Her friendships at school would end, Mandy would never want anything to do with her and now she was in the same boat as those fatherless children she once felt sorry for.

She felt helpless to change the situation and could only find solace in the fact that she would still have her sister and her mother to lean on for support when the whole story broke.

The police had been to the house almost daily to see if Roger had returned with the assurance from Sandra that he had not been anywhere near and that the last time she had seen him was on the Saturday night as she had already told D.C. Williams.

She had assured them that if he did show his face, that he would be told that he was no longer welcome here. She too was beginning to believe that he was involved in some sort of crime and that if he was caught she would do nothing to help him. She owed him nothing and now she would give him nothing.

Sergeant Davis returned to the Campbell’s house to give them some startling news about the coat button he had supposedly found in their garden. He had proof that the forth person involved in the robbery was a Roger White and that it would not be long before he would be arrested.

What surprised them even more was the answer given to when their goods would be returned. Davis told them that at this point in time they had no information on the possible whereabouts of their goods. He was not about to reveal that they had been fenced by him and that there was no chance of them being returned.

When Mandy was told of the imminent arrest of a Mr Roger White for the break-in by her parents she was horrified. “Was this the same Roger White who was Julie’s dad”? She thought to herself.

What should she do? Her best friend’s dad had robbed them not only of their possessions but of the winning lottery ticket that would have made them a fortune and changed their lives forever. She would seek the advice of her mother before doing anything. This she always did when faced with difficult dilemma.

Jennifer, although very upset at the news that someone they knew of had broken into their home, was pointing out to Mandy that her friend could not be blamed for what had happened and that she was not her father’s keeper.

Mandy needed to talk to her friend and find out why she had not told her what she knew. Her mother suggested she might ask herself that question if she found herself in the same situation. In consideration of what her mother had said Mandy decided not to ring Julie but to wait until the next day and talk to her at school.

The air between them could be cut with a knife as Mandy and Julie met the following day. Julie knew from her friend’s demeanour that she was aware of the possible involvement of her father in the robbery of her best friend’s house. He had put their friendship in jeopardy.

Julie did not know what to expect when they met in the school playground. She needn’t have worried. Mandy threw her arms around Julie and they both broke into tears. The atmosphere was so intense that both girls were sobbing for each other.

Once composure was restored it fell to Mandy to update Julie on what the policeman had told them. Julie explained that although she suspected her dad it was not easy to come to terms with the knowledge and very difficult to explain what she had suspected to someone she had grown very close to

Mandy said that although she was angry with Julie’s dad she did not blame Julie and that there future friendship would not end. To this generous gesture Julie could only reply through tear filled eyes that she could not have a better friend than Mandy.

Chapter 14

The Arrest

Roger and Elizabeth had moved into the mansion and although Elizabeth seemed distant and preoccupied she tried to hide this from Roger. He thought that it might be the sudden change in lifestyle and that she would soon get used to living the high life.

His break from his past seemed to give him a new lease of life and he became interested in acting out the role of lord of the manor. Since the purchase of the house he had severed all ties with his passed and Sandra and the girls were becoming a distant memory. He felt no remorse at leaving his old life behind.

His family meant nothing to him and he cared little for the rest of his mates as they were facing what may turn out to be a lengthy jail sentence. He congratulated himself on the fact that he had got the better of Sergeant Davis and he knew this would anger him.

A number of months had now passed and he was beginning to become complacent about his past. He thought that as he had changed his identity to that of a man of wealth he would be safe and so started to mix with the local inhabitants of the near by village of Four Oaks.

In his attempt to play the part of the ‘Lord of the Manor’ he had decided that he would put on a lavish party and invite the villagers to the house for a cocktail party. This would test his new identity and he could show off his new acquisition to the locals.

As Elizabeth was still in contact with her previous employer Roger asked her if they would be prepared to look after all the arrangements.

“I will need to ask them, but I’m sure they would be happy to do it “, Elizabeth replied.

“No expense spared, I want this to be the party everyone will remember. I want a band and the best food and plenty of drinks” Roger ordered.

“I will get on to it right away”, assured Elizabeth.

Roger was pleased that at last he had found something that had bought Lizzy out of he seemingly preoccupied state. The thought that she would be seeing her friends again had given her a new lease of life. She showed signs of her old self he thought.

Elizabeth soon organised the arrangements and the date was set. Invitations were sent out and the response was excellent. Most of the replies were acceptances. Both Roger and Elizabeth were looking forward to the big day.

The caterers had put on the perfect spread. It was fit for a Queen, thought Roger and he complimented Elizabeth on her handling of every little detail.

The band was big enough to be called an orchestra. All were dressed in evening wear and looked brilliant sitting in front of the red velvet curtains that acted as a back drop.

The lounge had been turned into a ballroom for the event and the dinning room became the banqueting hall. Nothing had been overlooked. Even the detail of announcing the guests as they arrived had been taken care of.

All was set and all that was left to do was for Roger and Elizabeth to get themselves ready to meet the guests as they arrived. There would be nearly a hundred people in the house if they all turned up.

“You have done a marvellous job of organising this party Elizabeth; nothing has been left to chance. You have done me proud. I can’t thank you enough”, Roger praised.

“I can’t think of a better way of letting the locals see you as a generous person and I’m sure they will want to see this party right to the end”, replied Elizabeth.

Roger was a little surprised by this comment but his thoughts of grandeur soon overtook his doubts. This was going to be the highlight of the local calendar year and if this one turned out to be successful he might make it into an annual event.

Roger had bought Elizabeth a stunning dress for the occation and an evening suit for himself. Elizabeth looked stunning and Roger was breathless as he took in the beauty that stood before him. What he was finding difficult however was the uncomfortable feeling of the suit and the bow tie he was wearing. He had never worn anything as smart as this and he fidgeted for some time before feeling almost satisfied that he would pass off as the host.

In less than an hour all the guests had arrived and the band was playing background music as Roger and Elizabeth mingled with the guests.

No other lady in the room had come close to eclipsing the hostess and all admired her. She seemed at ease in their company and did her best to help Roger out of conversations that were proving to be difficult for him to cope with.

From time to time Elizabeth excused herself on the pretext that she needed to check on the backroom operations. On these occasions Roger would move around the guests more quickly. Soon it would be time to eat and he knew that once people began to eat the conversation would turn to food and this he could handle without much help from Elizabeth.

The superlatives that were being banded about in regard to the food only added to Rogers feeling of well being and the thought that this function was exceeding his wildest dreams. He began to wonder what life would have been like if he was still living with Sandra and the girls.

Elizabeth returned from one of her frequent trips to the kitchen and announced that the dance floor was open for dancing and that the band would take requests. She searched for Roger and informed him that as the host and hostess it was their duty to start the dancing with the first waltz.

This was not part of Roger’s plan. He hadn’t thought of this. His dancing skills were a shuffle with his wife or any other woman he might fancy a dance with on the floor of the workingmen’s club close to where he lived. Even so he could not shirk this part of his responsibility. Elizabeth assured him that she would lead him and that after a short time on the floor alone they would be joined by other couples and he could drift off the floor if he wanted.

This seemed to ease his concern and he led Elizabeth onto the floor to resounding applause. As they danced or shuffled around the floor Elizabeth announced to him that she had a surprise for him after the dancing had finished. Roger was not one for surprises and asked Elizabeth what it might be.

No way was Elizabeth about to reveal her surprise but she did give him a clue in that she told him it would change his life forever. Roger’s immediate thoughts turned to the possibility of an addition to the household. This really did excite him and as he looked into Elizabeth’s face he could only think that he would soon become a father again.

Roger was beginning to get impatient as the band played on and on dance after dance. He wanted the party to end now so that he and Elizabeth could celebrate this surprise together.

The time was coming up to midnight and as the dancing began to slow down Elizabeth took Roger’s hand and led him to the front of the band and took the microphone off the stand.

Elizabeth announced. “This has been a night to remember I’m sure you will all agree. I just have one more surprise to bestow on Roger before the night is complete. Before I announce the surprise I would like you all to form a circle which Roger and I will stand in”, Elizabeth announced.

As the guests shuffled into a large circle Roger wondered what this surprise could possibly be. The guests were equally puzzled at what the surprise might be. As they all stood in utter silence a member from the back of the band stood up and made his way to the microphone that Elizabeth had replaced on its stand.

Roger turned to see the man make his way to the front of the band and take a hold of the microphone. Roger immediately recognised the face and looked at Elizabeth as if his whole world had fallen apart.

The instruction from the microphone was aimed at the circle. Please join hands and secure the two people in the centre so they cannot be freed the man instructed. Convinced they were joining in some sort of party game they all joined hands and stood firm.

“I want you all to witness the arrest of Mr Roger White for the crime of breaking and entering the property of the 32 Sissons Road, Pederston and stealing items and the winning lottery ticket that has financed this lavish party and enabled Mr White to buy this property”, came the voice of Detective Sergeant Davis.

This was not the only surprise that spoilt White’s evening and it too was about to change his life forever.

“Read him his rights Detective Constable Jenkins”, Davis instructed Elizabeth. She had been on his case from the presentation and had been working under cover for Sergeant Davis all along. She it was who walked into the Indian restaurant with Davis all those months before. Because it was dark he did not recognise her and only saw D. S. Davis.

Out in the drive Roger felt betrayed by Elizabeth and felt sure that even after what had just happened in the house she still had feelings for him. This thought was soon shattered when Elizabeth told him what she really thought of him and how loathed she was that he could put his family through the embarrassment and degradation they had suffered and walk away from them and also to put the Campbell family through all the hurt they must have gone through was.

She went on to explain that all the time she was with him she could not even bare him to touch her. Her thoughts were only of the part she must play in putting him behind bars.

Roger still couldn’t get his head around what had just happened to him. He felt sure he had covered his tracks.  Then it dawned on him that he had confided in Elizabeth and that she must have relayed all that information to Sergeant Davis.

Before being placed in the back of the waiting police car he had to suffer the indignity of being told by Davis that he always got his man and that he would never be a true lottery winner.

The house was sold and all the contents and the proceeds were given to the Campbell family as their rightful lottery win. They decided that although they could not replace the sentimental items that were stolen they could go on holiday again and this time they decided to take Julie and her family with them. The difference this time would be the alarm system that David had installed.

Sergeant Davis decided that the cut back in the force was the ideal time to hang up his cuffs and enjoy his retirement. Would he ever give up being a fence? We will never know will we.

The End

Table of Contents

The Lottery Ticket

Copyright

Contents

Chapter 1

The Holiday begins

Chapter 2

The break-ins

Chapter 3

A Change of Plan

Chapter 4

The Fence

Chapter 5

Returning Home

Chapter 6

The Missing Lottery Tickets

Chapter 7

The Warehouse Job

Chapter 8

The Arrest

Chapter 9

A New Beginning

Chapter 10

The plan moves on

Chapter 11

Finding new evidence

Chapter 12

The Net Tightens

Chapter 13

A Tested Friendship

Chapter 14

The Arrest