The Lottery Ticket (13 page)

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.