by Stan Mason
‘Hm!’ he muttered allowing his eyes to scan the text and signatures. ‘On the face of it, it’s all in order. Naturally, we will have to check with the American bank before proceeding.’
‘Of course,’ she echoed. ‘I fully expect you to do so.
Charles was about to put the document to one side when he heard Jennifer’s voice speaking to him in his middle ear. ‘She’s a fake!’ came the message. ‘And so is the Certificate of Deposit. There’s a man in the North Continental America Bank in New York who’s in on the act. It’s a complete deception. His name’s Bill Johnson. When you ring to confirm its authenticity, the operator will put you through to him. He’ll confirm that everything’s in order, but it’s not.’ Jennifer’s voice faded away and Charles looked at the woman in a different light. ‘Tell me,’ he continued unemotionally. ‘What did you do before you started up in business?’
She placed her hands on her briefcase and uttered a small sigh. ‘It was a bone of contention between my mother and myself,’ she told him. ‘She wanted me to follow in her footsteps but I had ideas of my own. You see, she’s a highly-reputable medium in Cyprus. Renowned worldwide for helping the police to solve crimes.’
‘Really?’ responded the banker with surprise. ‘And you have the gift too, I presume.’
‘I try not to get involved but it doesn’t always work. The gift, as you say, has been in my family for generations.’
‘Has it really!’ He was beginning to think that Providence had brought her into his office. ‘Very well. Try me now!’
‘What?’
‘Act as a medium for me. Tell me my fortune... or fate... or whatever you do!’
She stared at him bleakly. ‘I’m in the jewellery business, Mr. Roach. I’m not a medium nor do I pretend to be one. In any case, it can’t be turned on an off like a tap.’
‘Come on, Miss Paphos!’ he urged, careless that he was causing her embarrassment. ‘You can do better than that!’
She paused for a moment and then conceded. ‘All right, if it’s the catalyst that will grant me the loan I’ll try but I can’t promise any results. It isn’t easy.’ She reached out for his hands, closed her eyes and sat up perfectly straight, opening and closing her mouth as she took in gulps of air spasmodically. After three minutes had elapsed, he was about to give up when she started to speak in a low tone. ‘Oh... this is a time for great sadness,’ she related, her body trembling slightly. ‘Great, great sadness! I see a woman. I see yellow. There’s a large vehicle... a truck! Oh God! She’s hit! She’s hit! No pain... nothing!’ There was a long pause and then she opened her eyes. ‘It was your wife, wasn’t it? I’m sorry. I felt sadness the moment I came into this room. It’s very strong.’ She released his hands and sat back in the chair dolefully.
Charles poured out a glass of water and handed it to her. ‘Here,’ he told her, ‘drink this!’ she took the glass with shaking hands and sipped the liquid slowly. ‘So you really are a medium in your own right.’
‘What concerns me,’ she riposted sharply, ‘is that you’re not the least surprised about it. I feel thee something you’re not telling me. What is it?’
‘Perhaps we can discuss it at another time,’ he retorted, unwilling to continue the conversation. Once I contact Bill Johnson in New York, to confirm the validity of the Certificate of Deposit, I’ll write a report to my General Manger, Mr. Fulton. I understand you know him well.’
She stared at him in amazement. ‘How do you know I was going to ask you to contact Bill Johnson? I never mentioned his name!’ There was a long pause and then she drew back in her chair. ‘She’s talking to you, isn’t she? Your wife passed away only a short while ago and her spirit’s talking to you. You know it all!’
‘There’s no need to panic,’ he told her, not wishing her pleasant face contort into something less beautiful. ‘I know your application’s a fraud and that Bill Johnson’s in it with you. Oh he’ll confirm the authenticity of this document. I’m certain of that. We lend you the money. You pay off Johnson who resigns for his bank and Scintillant is heard of no more. At the end of the day, we lose half a million pounds, hundreds of workers become unemployed and you live in the lap of luxury for the rest of your life. Am I right?’
‘No, Mr. Roach, you’re not!’ she replied adamantly. You’re absolutely wrong! My business means everything to me. It’s my life! That’s why I’m so anxious to get it moving ahead. Bill Johnson won’t resign from his bank and I won’t move the money out of my bank account immediately But I don’t suppose you believe me. I had to do it this way because there’s no alternative. Who’s going to lend me money without collateral? We’re a fast-growing business with enormous potential but it means we have to spend more on marketing and stock to keep up the momentum. Everything’s looking good for the future but we need to intrude into international markets. The loan and the interest would be repaid form the additional profits. There’s nothing dishonest in our intentions.’
‘That’s as may be,’ he returned icily. ‘But what if your business collapsed or went out of control? How would you be able to repay the loan?’ He stared at here beauty with sadness in his eyes. ‘You realise I can’t go along with this fraud.’
‘It isn’t a fraud!’ she insisted. ‘We shall pay the money back! I thought we’d cracked it with our contact in this bank.’
‘You’re talking about Mr. Fulton, I presume. You can be frank with me.’
‘You really don’t know what one has to do to get on in business, do you, Mr. Roach?’ she countered. ‘I’m not talking about small business but one on a large scale. We were poor in Paphos... very poor. I wasn’t going to live in a slum for the rest of my life being married to some peasant and cooking stew every night for dinner. I subjected myself to people who had money. I’m not ashamed of it. It made me feel cheap but at least I did it for a reason. Then I came into contact with David Fulton and he said he would welcome an application for a loan. I see now that he passed the buck to you. What are you going to do?’
‘I ought to call the police and have you arrested or simply send you back to Paphos. But then I’m not being honest with you either. I want you to do me a favour which I may, or may not, call upon some future date.’
The smile had long disappeared from her lovely face but she held her composure well. ‘What’s that?’ she asked unhappily, expecting him to seek his reward in her arms... in her bed.
‘I want the option to visit your mother so that she can apply her skills as a medium if I feel I need her services. It could be very important to me.’
Her eyes lit up at his request. ‘Is that all you want from me?’ she asked in surprise. ‘Then you can take it from me that your wish is granted. How much time do I have before you call the police?’
He burst into laughter at the question. ‘Rhona... you’re free to go whenever you like... after you’ve given me your mother’s address in Cyprus. I’ll merely cast doubt on the collateral for security in my report to Mr. Fulton and the matter will die a death. Am I right in saying that you won’t be seeing him again.’
‘You can bet your life on it!’ she fired back swiftly. ‘Let me say that although the Certificate of Deposit isn’t genuine, we intended to repay the loan over a period of time. Only we had nothing to offer the bank as collateral. I wasn’t going to run off with the money. Are you going to keep that document?’
He gave her a searching glance. ‘No doubt you’ll try your luck with some other bank in the meantime.’ He passed the document back to her as though it was a piece of dirty linen. ‘Take it and be gone!’
She replaced the brochure and the Certificate of Deposit in her briefcase before getting to her feet. ‘Mr. Roach,’ she declared finally. ‘It’s very rare that I meet a true gentleman... and you are some man! I’m a very discriminating woman but I’ll tell you this. I like you and I hope one day we’ll meet again.’
‘In different circumstances of course.’
She moved around the desk and kissed him on the cheek before stepping neatly out of the office in her high-heeled stiletto shoes. Charles felt his cheek with his fingertips at the spot where her lips had touched him and he stared after her thoughtfully. She was a beautiful woman but her sense of morality was warped by ambition. If Jennifer hadn’t told him that a fraud was taking place, he would never have known. From the point of view of Rhona Paphos, it was the only way to make it in big-time business... borrowing money by deception to get there. She found from experience that the only way to achieve her aim was to cut corners. Charles was sufficiently influenced by her beauty to give her the benefit of the doubt when she claimed that she was willing to repay the loan over a period of time. However he couldn’t risk his job by approving the loan. He was greatly interested in the knowledge that she and her mother both had the power to be mediums and he reckoned that it was a coincidence that she should come into contact with him at this sad point in his life. If he ever needed to contact Jennifer in the future, he now knew someone who could offer him personal assistance... a link with the spirit world!
A short while after the interview had ended, Erica Wild entered the room. ‘And how did beauty get on with the beast?’ she enquired tongue in cheek. ‘She looks like a film star, doesn’t she? I’m sure I saw her in Gone With The Wind or some film like that. No, I tell a lie. That was made over seventy years ago. ‘She walked across the room with a degree of affectation, making a poor show of mocking the visitor in her absence.
‘The difference between you,’ commented her superior cruelly, ‘is that al her parts seemed to move like clockwork.’
His assistant halted in her tracks feeling more annoyed than the expression which showed on her face. ‘Thank you!’ she riposted curtly. ‘Thank you very much! Did anyone tell you how you inspire confidence? Because if so, they were very much amiss!’ She referred to the note-pad in her hand and looked up at him. ‘You do realise you’re almost late for a meeting in the Conference Room. It’s the monthly meeting. And, having said that, I’ve booked an appointment for you tomorrow morning with your doctor. Nine o’clock. I’ll write you a note so that you don’t forget. I know your type. You’ll do anything to get your assistant to make you a cup of coffee in the morning!’
’Erica!’’ he cautioned gently.
’What is it?’
’Do shut up for two minutes and give it a rest!’
Charles left the office and went to the Conference Room. It was a team meeting that took place on the first Friday of each month. Most of the others were already seated and they welcomed him solemnly as he entered the room. He took his place at a highly-polished round table and the Chairman proceeded to open the meeting. However Charles seemed unable to expunge Rhona Paphos from his mind. He knew that he was in mourning for Jennifer but the visitor had shaken him out of his misery. He would probably never meet her again. It was best that he didn’t. The way she operated and the strict methods employed by the bank were deeply in conflict. But he still couldn’t get her out of his mind. Eventually, the Chairman changed the tone of his voice which brought the banker’s attention back to the agenda. He realised suddenly that he hadn’t been listening at all.
’The question of determining profits by divisions of the bank has raised its ugly head again,’ continued the Chairman. ’This is a matter we must discuss at length today as its effect on our division in particular could be catastrophic.’
’Why are you thinking about that woman?’ Jennifer’s voice penetrated his middle ear without warning.
‘I’m not thinking about her,’ he muttered to himself as though she would hear him. ‘She isn’t in my mind at all.’
The Chairman stopped in the middle of his flow and stared at him. ‘Did you say something, Charles?’ he asked with the edge of irritation in his voice.
‘No... no!’ replied the banker. ‘Please carry on!’
‘Liar!’ accused Jennifer jealously. ‘You’re bewitched by her! You can’t fool me!’
‘No I’m not!,’ he returned more loudly. ‘That’s arrant nonsense!’
This time everyone in the room turned to look at him. The Chairman seemed exceedingly frustrated, eyeing the banker sternly before continuing his delivery, halting occasionally to glare at him to prevent further disruption.
‘Sorry, Charlie,’ apologised Jennifer. ‘I’m ruining your meeting. Anyway, a person who’s crossed the bridge hasn’t the right to tell her husband not to admire other women. I really ought to encourage you to find someone else. You can’t dote on my memory for the rest of your life.’
‘I appreciate that, darling,’ he intruded into the meeting which drew blank looks from all those who heard the comment.
‘Come home and let me talk to you in private, sweetheart, while I still have the chance,’ she went on in his middle ear. ‘There’s a lot more I want to say to you. A lot more. Just thell the Chairman that you’re not well. He’ll understand. I think he’ll be quite relieved to be shot of you. And so will the others.’
Charles rose to his feet quickly. ‘I’m sorry,’ he apologised. ‘I’ve got to go.’
‘Go?’ echoed the Chairman in amazement. ‘Go where?’
‘Home! I’ve got to meet my wife there. She won’t talk to me here any more.’
‘But your wife’s...’ the Chairman tailed off without wishing to finish his sentence.
‘Yes... home,’ repeated Roach, moving towards the door. ‘Put me down in the minutes as ‘Apologies for absence!’’
After he had left the room, the members attending paused for a few moments reflected the attitude of their colleague.
‘Poor chap!’ ventured one executive. ‘He’s come back to work a little too early if you ask me. He should have taken a month off at least.’
‘Yes,’ submitted one of the women executives. The shock of losing his wife at such an early age is tragic. I don’t know how he can go home at night and sit there all alone. It would drive me mad!’
‘I hear that Tom Cushing stayed with him last night,’ related one of the senior managers, ‘Rumour has it that he took with him a set of ghost-hunting equipment.’
‘That’s one thing you get in the bank,’ declared the Chairman coldly. ‘Lots of rumours!’
‘He wanted to go home to meet his wife,’ commented the Secretary sadly. ‘She’s dead and buried! He must be going out of his mind!’
‘I understand he’s going to see his doctor tomorrow,’ revealed another woman. ‘Perhaps he’ll recommend a further period of leave before he returns to work.’
The Chairman puffed out his cheeks. ‘It’s hopeless trying to infuse reason into this meeting with all these interruptions. We have work to do. An important task ahead of us. We need to forget everything else. The bank has been here now for over a hundred years before Mr. Roach joined and it’ll be here a damned sight longer after he’s gone. It’s the bit in between we have to deal with now. So let’s move on, shall we?’
After the debacle in the Conference Room, Charles returned to his office, collected his briefcase, and went home. He sat in the lounge for a while hoping that Jennifer’s voice would return but nothing happened. He made an effort to key in to his middle ear but all his efforts failed. In due course, he opened his briefcase to discover that Erica Wild had inserted another folder. It was prefaced with a note that read: ‘If you think you can get away from my clutches and skive off from work, think again! Here’s another set of cases. And don’t forget your appointment with your doctor at nine o’clock in the morning!’ She was a real gem!
He went to bed early that night, anticipating that Jennifer would get in touch with him again. He had always been sceptical about religion, the soul, after-life and reincarnation. Now he hoped to receive information at first hand from his late wife who seemed eag
er to explain what was happening across the bridge. Despite his earlier misgivings, he was extremely keen to develop such knowledge, hoping to follow on from where Jennifer had ended the first part of her journey. He had no intention of divulging the information to anyone else, leaving himself open to be called a lunatic or eccentric or a crank. On this occasion he was to be disappointed. There was no voice, no information, no continuation of the story. When he awoke in the morning, he felt quite fresh, having enjoyed a sound sleep. He was deeply concerned that Jennifer’s etheric body had dissolved, in which case she would be with him no more. There was nothing he could do until she communicated with him again... if that was still possible. At least he was free of his persistent friend... Tome Cushing, with his ghost-hunting equipment! Charles smiled to himself at the ostensible pantomime of Cushing jumping out of his chair in a state of panic, clumsily charging into the cotton he had so carefully set out, and snapping his own photograph with the camera while the tape-recorder switched itself on to record. And while this was happening, every little noise blasted out in high volume in the man’s ear where he had fixed a high-powered hearing aid. He could see the whole thing taking place in his mind again. It was all too comical for words!
Chapter Six
The scene was an austere Court room, furnished in ancient style, with dark wainscoting walls and heavily varnished dark brown furniture. The room carried a stale odour which only just failed to offend the nostrils. The Judge, wearing a white wig and dressed in stately robes of splendorous design and colour, sat on a bench perched high up on a wooden dais. From his vantage point, he was able to survey the rows of benches beyond the bastions inhabited by the Court Recorder, the Defence lawyers and the Prosecution Counsel.
Jim Purdy found himself handcuffed in the dock with a policeman standing on each side of him. All around sat officious-looking people wearing black gowns and wigs, staring down at papers and files and discussing matters quietly amongst themselves. On one side, a short podium was evident on which twelve people sat acting as the jury. Opposite them, on a series of benches, sat another group of people who were to be called by one Counsel of another as witnesses. At the desk of the Court Recorder, a man was on his feet reading details from a sheet of paper in his hand but Purdy seemed not to hear him. The Judge stared at the accused man sternly as though intimating that he knew the driver was guilty even before the trial commenced, Eventually, the Court fell silent and everyone waited for the proceedings to commence in earnest.
