Games Lovers Play (23 page)

‘Yes, sir, six years next February.'

‘Have you ever been in trouble with the law before?'

‘No, sir, never!'

‘Would I be right in saying you are or were a trusted member of staff, who ran his department to the satisfaction of your employers during this time?'

‘That I did, sir.'

‘Then can you please explain why you suddenly changed from being a law-abiding member of society to one who stole from your employers?'

‘Well, sir, it's like this. I started gambling and I got into debt. I was having a drink with Gerry Cooper one night, telling him I was in a load of trouble, and he suggested a way out, one which would allow me to pay me debts.'

‘So it was Mr Cooper's suggestion?'

‘Yes, sir. Nothing like that had ever entered my head before.'

‘And what was your reply?'

‘At first I refused, I was too scared, but I went gambling again and lost more money, so in the end I agreed. He said we'd never be found out.'

‘Tell the jury how your scheme worked.'

Bates went into detail and explained how the two of them worked together exchanging inferior materials, yet still charging for the original items on the invoice and pocketing the surplus money.

‘So the money was paid to you?'

‘Yes, I was in charge of my department from beginning to end. Otherwise it wouldn't have worked.'

‘What part did Jake Barton play in this?'

‘He went round the sites with Mr Harrington so he was able to tell if his boss noticed anything wrong whilst walking round the site. If he did, he was to give us the nod.'

‘Thank you, Mr Bates. No further questions.'

Bates's solicitor could do little after such damning evidence so he didn't ask any questions, apart from emphasizing Bates's statment that had it not been for Copper's suggestion he would never have been involved.

Then Gerry Cooper was called to the stand.

The prosecutor stepped forward. ‘Mr Cooper, unlike Mr Bates, you have been in trouble with the law, have you not?'

‘Yes, sir, I have.' He stood listening whilst his past demeanours were read out. There were several cases of burglary, one of assault and another of being drunk and disorderly.

‘And now you are being accused of fraud. What have you to say for yourself?'

‘I was just trying to help out a friend, sir.'

There was laughter in the court.

With a wry smile the man in front of him said, ‘Of course you were, and lining your own pockets at the same time. You didn't give a thought to how dangerous this was. You didn't for one moment think that you might have caused a dreadful tragedy when eventually the unsafe building would collapse, maybe injuring someone – or even worse?'

‘No, sir, I did not! Had I known that I would never have even considered such a thing!'

‘What
did
you think, may I ask?'

Cooper shrugged. ‘I thought it was all right and the building was just being made much cheaper, that's all.'

‘And you were convinced you'd be able to get away with it too.'

‘I couldn't see no harm in it. It was just a way to make a bit of money on the side. Everybody has some sort of fiddle on the go. I bet you tell a few porkies when you do your tax returns.'

The judge banged his gavel to try and stop the noise of the laughter in the court.

‘Order! Order!'

Trying to hide a smile the prosecutor said, ‘No, I don't, Mr Cooper, that would be illegal! Tell me, how did Jake Barton become involved in your little scheme?'

‘We was playing darts, and Jake was saying things were quiet, and I suggested a way he could make a bit of money on the side. Harrington needed a driver and that fitted into our plans.'

‘And he was agreeable?'

‘Absolutely! He never hesitated, and it was good for us to have a man on the inside, so to speak.'

‘I have no more questions, your honour,' the prosecutor said, and he sat down.

Cooper's solicitor tried in vain to lighten the case against his client, stating his ignorance of the consequences of his actions, but it was hardly convincing.

Then Jake Barton was called to the witness stand. He took the oath and stood staring defiantly at the prosecutor, who rose to question him.

‘So, Mr Jake Barton. You are a man not afraid to take a risk, as we know from the history of your car racing. Indeed, you have been warned about your dangerous driving several times, and recently you were banned from racing for six months, isn't that right?'

‘You know it is; it isn't a secret!'

‘This no doubt will have affected your income. After all, you earn the majority of your living this way.'

‘I also have a garage and repair cars, which is my main living!' Jake retorted.

‘Yet you gave that up to become Edward Harrington's driver, didn't you?'

‘I did.'

‘Now, Mr Barton, I suggest to you this was because, after being banned from the racetrack, business was slack.'

‘Yeah, it dropped off a bit.'

‘We've already heard from Gerry Cooper that you agreed to be the lookout for him and his accomplice. What do you have to say to that?'

‘I don't know what he's talking about. It's the first I've heard of it. I went for the job when I saw it advertised in the paper. All what he said is rubbish!'

There was a buzz of conversation at this.

‘So you deny having anything to do with this hare-brained scheme?'

‘First I knew was when I read about it in the paper.'

‘Then can you explain to me why both these men have named you as an accomplice?'

‘No, I can't. I used to play darts with Gerry Cooper but I've never met the man standing with him.' He pointed to the men in the dock.

The judge looked at his watch. ‘I think, gentleman, we'll leave things here for today and meet again tomorrow at ten o'clock.'

The following morning, the court room was full of spectators. Sam, his two men and Connie took their places and waited. The jury filed in and took their seats in readiness.

‘All stand!' the clerk of the court demanded as the judge made his entrance.

Jake Barton was called back to the stand.

The prosecutor rose to his feet. ‘Remember, Mr Barton, you're still under oath. Do you still deny that you had knowledge of the scheme that Mr Cooper and Mr Bates were involved with?'

‘I do.'

‘Tell the court again how you came to be employed as Mr Harrington's driver.'

‘Business was slack, and I was looking at the situations vacant in the
Southern Evening Echo
. I saw an advert for a chauffeur and I applied.'

‘In the situations vacant, you say?'

‘Yes, sir.'

‘What did you do then?'

‘I wrote off a letter applying for the job.'

‘Now, Mr Barton, I find that very strange, because the post was never advertised in any paper.'

Jake was taken aback by this, but he tried to bluff it out. ‘Then you're mistaken, sir.'

‘No, Mr Barton, I am not. Mr Harrington told me yesterday that this was so. I made my enquiries, and it seems that Mr Cooper knew of the vacancy and put in a word for you, then set up an interview which you attended. That's how you were employed as Mr Harrington's driver. You have been lying, Mr Barton. I suggest your whole story is a pack of lies, that indeed you
were
the inside man, and that you
did
receive twenty per cent of the money, as the others stated, for your part in this illegal scheme!'

Jake Barton paled. He had been found out and now knew he was in trouble.

The prosecutor carried on. ‘I would suggest that it would be wiser to stop trying to fool the court and tell the truth.'

‘All right! But I didn't know what the other two planned. All I knew was that I had to tell them if Mr Harrington started asking questions about the building materials. I didn't know why because I never asked.'

‘Maybe so, but that makes you an accessory to the crime.'

Barton didn't reply.

‘I have no further questions, your honour.'

Barton's defence lawyer tried to reiterate the fact that Barton was unaware of what was going on, but he couldn't deny the fact that his client was involved.

Sam turned to the others and whispered, ‘They've got him!'

The two lawyers made their closing speeches, and the judge advised the jury before they left the courtroom to consider their verdict.

Sam and the others went outside to have a smoke whilst they waited.

Tom drew deeply on his cigarette. ‘Will he go down, do you think?'

They were all wondering the same thing. Sam was the first to answer. ‘I don't see how he can get away with it. After all, he aided and abetted them, that fact can't be denied. He probably won't get such a long sentence as the others, but he
has
to serve time, surely?'

The jury didn't take long to come to a decision and returned to the court room two hours later. They found both Gerry Cooper and Stan Bates guilty as charged and Jake Barton guilty of aiding and abetting.

The three men stood as the judge gave his sentence.

‘You, Gerald Cooper, through your greed for money, consorted with Stanley Bates to commit a fraud which put innocent lives at risk. In so doing you have also caused considerable cost to the council, who had to pull down the building in question. You are fortunate, gentlemen, not to be standing before me on a far more serious charge. Whilst you are in prison, perhaps you will spend some time realizing how serious this could have been. I sentence you each to five years penal servitude.'

The two men each let out a gasp of horror.

He then looked at Jake Barton. ‘As for you, Mr Barton, you lied on oath to try and save your neck, yet you are as guilty as the other two. I have taken into consideration that you may not have been aware of the details of their crime. Nevertheless, you aided and abetted them and for that you have to pay the price. You will serve two years in prison – and six months on top of that for lying on oath! Take them down.'

Sam was sitting close to the dock. As Jake was leaving he looked over towards Sam.

‘Who's the loser now, Barton?' Sam said quietly.

Jake stopped and swore at him, but was shoved towards the steps by a policeman.

Outside Sam said, ‘Come on, everyone, let's find a pub and celebrate!'

As they settled with their drinks, Sam remarked, ‘Barton will find it hard inside.'

‘How do you mean?' Tom asked.

‘He doesn't take kindly to authority, he's a belligerent bugger, and I can only think he'll find it impossible to knuckle down to prison life. Cooper's been there already so will settle, but Stan Bates will find it hard. To lose your freedom is never easy, I wouldn't think.'

‘They should have thought of that!' Connie retorted.

‘I felt sorry for Edward Harrington, the architect,' Sam continued. ‘I know if I built a new car and found out someone had messed with it, I'd be furious! After all, people might question my professionalism. But at least he's been exonerated.'

Connie remained silent. She'd liked the look of the architect as he gave his evidence and hoped that he and John Baker's ex-wife were now happy. The former Mrs Baker's new husband was so different from John. He looked more solid … more of a gentleman.

Harry looked thoughtful. ‘At least we're free of Jake Barton and his jealousy of you, Sam. When he gets out, his racing days are probably over.'

Sam gave a wry smile. ‘So are mine! Stupid idiot, had he kept his nose clean, he might have had the chance of winning more times on the track.'

Jake Barton had never felt less like a winner, as once he'd been admitted to the prison with the others he'd been made to strip, had been bodily searched and made to shower, before being handed his prison clothes and bedding. By the time he was led away to his cell, he was seething. One of the warders took hold of his arm firmly as they made to walk along the corridor.

Barton jerked his arm away. ‘I can manage without any help!'

The warder gave a look of disdain at his new prisoner. ‘That attitude will only get you into trouble, Barton. You'd best calm down and do your time quietly.'

‘Fuck off!' was the reply.

The warder unlocked the cell door and pushed him inside. ‘You'll learn,' he said as he closed the door and locked it behind him.

Jake looked around the small room with its single bed, wash stand, wooden chair and bucket. He threw the bedclothes on the bed, lit a cigarette and sat down.
Two and a half bloody years in this place, all because I needed to make some extra money … I'll never make it
, he thought.

During the following months, Sam's business flourished. Word soon spread of his exceptional ability, and he had so much work that he'd had to move to larger premises. Young Jimmy Murphy had now joined the team, to his great delight, and he'd become a considerable help.

Connie was enjoying her own success as head of her department, and as sales increased she was given a rise in salary. John Baker was still working as floor manager, but now they just had a working relationship without any animosity, mainly because John had met a young woman who stood no nonsense from him. His divorce had shaken him, and he missed family life more than he cared to admit. He lived for the times when Susan was allowed to stay with him. This was not without its downside as he had to listen to her talk about Edward Harrington with such affection that he found it hard to tolerate. But he had to admit his daughter was happy and was doing well at school. Every time she had to leave to go back to France, though, he found it hard to bear.

Eventually, out of loneliness, he proposed marriage to his girlfriend and she accepted. When she became pregnant he was delighted and silently vowed that this time he wouldn't make the same mistake and lose another child.