AND A BLOODY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL.
By Bob French
Robert
Henderson clenched his fists in anger as Geoffry Smitherton, the CEO of
Hamilton and Buckfast, the firm where he had worked for the past 9 years,
cleared his throat.
“You
leave me no choice
Robert knew it was a stitch-up. Jess, an
old navy friend who worked in the security business had tipped him off that
some one was going to steal the year’s gold deposits. He also knew
that, according to Heidi, his girlfriend, and the assistant accountant of the
firm, that when she checked the findings of the November audit, the books
didn’t balance and there was a deficit of several million
pounds. He had to say something, but he knew that if he did,
innocent people would lose their jobs, so he stood there and took it.
“Please report to the head porter, who will accompany
you to your office where you will clear out your desk and hand over any
security access cards you have. I want you out of this building by
mid-day, now get out of my sight!” As he made his way out of
the building, he thought it strange that if they were sure he was responsible
for the crime, why weren’t the police being involved?
It was two weeks later that he had a call from Jenny,
a close friend to say that Heidi had been involved in a hit and run and was in
hospital. He was beside her bed within the hour, and as he held her
hand, he whispered that he loved her and that she must get better so they could
get married. He felt her hand gently squeeze his as she whispered
something that brought tears to his eyes. As he clung onto her hand, he could feel
her slowly slipping away. When the monitor stopped recording her heart beat, he
looked up at the nurse and questioned her with his eyes. The nurse slowly shook
her head, then quietly left the room to seek assistance. Robert gently kissed
her and spoke quietly that he would avenge her death.
Robert retired to his cottage where he found solace in
the silence of the snow-covered countryside. Each day he
would slowly trudge through the winter landscape as snow fell softly around
him, blanketing the world in a muted hush. Each step crunched beneath his
boots, a sound that felt alien in the vast silence around him. He
used to love walks like these with Heidi, her laughter dancing on the crisp
air, her breath visible in frosty puffs. Now, each footfall felt like a
reminder of her absence and it tore at the muscles of his heart.
It had been eight months since the day everything
changed. When the future he expected with his Heidi had flickered and then
dimmed. He recalled the way Heidi held his hand in those last dying
minutes of her life, her fingers entwined with his, whispering that she would
always be with him,
“Just look for me in the small things,” she had said,
her voice barely above a whisper. And yet he found himself lost in a
world that felt impossibly large without her.
The trees loomed tall and bare, their branches heavy
with snow, creating a fragile canopy above him. He paused for a
moment, allowing the chilly air to fill his lungs, letting it clear the fog in
his mind. He remembered how they used to walk this very path, hand
in hand, sharing dreams and secrets beneath the shelter of the pines.
Robert shook his head, trying to dispel the sorrow
that clung to him like the falling snow. He continued, his breath coming in
steady puffs as he moved deeper into the woods. The world was a
tapestry of white and gray, and he felt as if he were wandering through a
dream, disconnected from reality.
As he rounded a bend, he spotted the small clearing
where sunlight used to break-through the clouds of falling snow, illuminating a
lone bench dusted with snow. It had been their favorite spot – a place to
pause, to breathe, and to watch the world go by. He approached the
bench, his heart heavy with memories, as he sat down, allowing the cold to seep
through his coat, feeling the weight of solitude settle in beside him.
A gust of wind stirred the snowflakes, swirling them
like tiny dancers in the air. In that moment, he thought he heard
her voice, soft and melodic, beckoning him to remember the beauty around him.
“Look for me in the small things,” it
echoed. He closed his eyes, letting the memory wash over him; a gentle
warmth seeping through his body. Robert sat silently for a while, then opened
his eyes at the sight of a small bird flitting from branch to branch, its
vibrant plumage standing out against the winter backdrop. He smiled
as the little bird seem to look at him before vanishing into the depth of the
forest. May be Heidi was right. In the stillness of the
snow-clad forest, in the life that persisted, even in the cold, she was
there-embedded in the beauty of the moment.
With a deep breath, Robert stood up, brushed the snow
from his coat, and took one last look around the clearing, a quiet farewell
mingling with the gentle falling of snow. As he walked back along
the path, he felt a little lighter, as if the memories, though bittersweet,
could also be a balm. The snow continued to fall, but now, it felt
like a blanket of hope, wrapping around him, inviting him to carry on.
After a week of
contemplation, he called Jenny and asked if she would meet him for coffee, but
not in town. She agreed, understanding his reluctance to be seen
together particularly as the theft of the gold was still fresh in some people’s
minds. Robert played rugby for Brightlingsea and often used The Queen’s Head
pub, secluded on the outskirts of Tolleshunt
D'arcy, where he used to entertain Heidi.
He
also invited Jess and as they sat down with a drink, Robert spoke.
“Listen I know the
robbery was a stitch-up, but what was the scam and who was involved?”
Jess
spoke first. “I’ve been doing a little bit of digging in prep for this meeting
and I can tell you that the mob who did the job came from Nottingham ;
four of them.”
Jenny
quickly looked over her shoulder, checking that no one was listening, then
spoke in a hushed voice. “Heidi told me that she worked it out, which is why
they killed her, I think. The gold, which was insured, would be stolen and the
firm would receive a huge payout, which would cover the loss and sort out the
debt.”
“What debt?
“Heidi had
discovered that Smitherton had racked up a huge gambling debt in two of the big
casinos in London
and each month he discreetly filtering off thousands to keep one step ahead of
the mobs. Then he personally authorised the investment for a project
in South Africa
which went sour. He was well in over his head.”
Robert whistled to
himself. “And no one spotted it?”
Jenny leant
forward. “Yes, old man Hamilton picked it up during the autumn audit and spoke
to Smitherton. According to Nancy ,
his PA, he was given six months to sort it all out or he would report the
matter to the police.”
“Who else knew
about this?”
“Pritty well all
the executive team, including that slimy git Frampton the Accountant and before
you ask, he was the one who suggested the way to recoup the loss to the board.”
They all sat there
in silence for a while, then Jess spoke. “I can take care of the four from Nottingham , but what have you in mind for the rest?”
Jenny said. “If we
are now thinking of revenge and that you want to take down the whole Board of
Directors, including Frampton and his hangers on, then I suggest you do it on
the 23rd of December.”
“What’s the
significance of the 23rd?”
“It’s the
afternoon Hamilton and Buckfast hold their directors Christmas
Party. They normally hold it around 4:30 on the fourth floor. It's
invitation only.”
Jess put down his
pint. “We don’t want to take out those who are innocent, not before Christmas.”
“Good
point. I can get hold of the invite list and discretely warn off
those not involved in the scam.”
“Thank you
Jenny. Now the question is how do we do it?”
Jess grinned.
“Just so happens I still have some contacts with my old mates in the bomb disposal
team, but I would need to recce the room first.”
Robert
sat by the burning fireplace drinking a nice 25-year-old whiskey when he heard
on the six o’clock news that there had been an explosion at the firm of
Hamilton and Buckfast. According to the Fire Chief at the scene,
there were no survivors.
He
grinned, raised his glass and toasted them, and a bloody merry Christmas
to you all.”
Copyright Bob French Nov24