Crime and Punishment.
The smoke hung low in the boardroom, the lights dimmed as a middle aged man pressed the remote pad making the screen at the end of the room flicker in to life.
A strong deep voice filled the smoky room, “Gentlemen I took the liberty of installing the extra surveillance camera in the vault, I’m not going to apologise for the secretive way I did this, I take sole responsibility and as you are about to see, I think I was right as it has paid off.”
He continued, “We are here to resolve the loss of the Gilcrist family diamonds, 370,000 is a lot to claim from our insurers, but I don’t intend to do that, with-in the next ten minutes I will solve all our problems and give you an idea for a very enjoyable bonus, I ask you all to watch and then let me explain.”
The screen lit, the film showed the firms large vault suddenly flooded with light, they saw a small chubby figure enter, his long curly hair bounced on his shoulders, they knew who it was as they watched him slide along the wall and tamper with a box, it left no doubt in any ones mind, it was him, it was obvious he would have to have known the code to do this.
They watched as he checked his watch before moving to the security boxes, he went to one and opened it, pocketed the contents and retrieved his footsteps, leaving the room how he had found it.
The screen went blank, the lights returned to the boardroom, the man at the end of the table rose and lit another cigar.
“Well gentlemen, you have just witnessed my son trying to ruin this firm.”
He took a long draw from the cigar, “He is now in Amsterdam selling the diamonds to some-one who will pay him and ask no questions, fortunately that some-one is my old friend Eidur Gudjohnsen and he will return them to us.”
There was an audible sigh of relief around the room, “I take it gentlemen you feel a little better now, that is part one of our problem removed,” there was a polite round of applause.
“Thank you, part two is to return the money to Eidur, this will come from the sale of my son’s house to me, I all-ready own the deeds and the trust fund left to him from my father will be transferred to us, but that will take time, It is my duty to cover everything from our accountants until we have straighten things out.”
They looked at him, “Gentlemen you look quizzical could it be the enjoyable bonus I spoke of. You all know my son Desmond, I propose to keep him with us, we will show him the video and he will do what ever we say or we will inform the police, to make sure we have total control over him he will of course sign certain documents.”
The men in front of him looked at each other, “Gentlemen, please I haven’t finished. You have all been to marketing and know the management, my daughter-in-law Toni?” there was a lot of coughing and shuffling, “Yes, yes she gets me like that, she is everything a man could want, maybe a little down to earth and homely but far to desirable for a stupid thieving ass-hole like Desmond, but just think of this, if she was instigated in the robbery she too could be totally under our control, and I have an idea how that can be arranged.”
As he put the cigar out he looked at the 8 men, “Desmond will be back on Sunday, and George, my driver, will pick him up and bring him to us at about 6 in the evening, if I get it right she will already by ours.”
There were loud murmurings from the room, “I take it you like the idea, so I will expect you all at my country house on Saturday, Gerald you will need to bring some clothes for 3 days and trust me when I say your gay days may be in for a lift, same goes for you Charles but you will have to wait, the rest of you just pray I get it right.”
Her Entrapment.
“Hello Toni, it’s Randolph,” Toni took the call from her father-in-law; he was asking her over to the country house, he was holding a small evening party.
The board and their wives would be there and he was very incessant she should be there, he thought it was time she met the higher members of the company on a more personal bases.
There would be swimming, cocktails, an unusual lavish high tea and something special after, he made it sound so nice, no point in sitting at home alone when there was a party, yes she agreed she would be there.
Her Jaguar 4.2 sports pulled in to the driveway and parked by the conservatory, she walked past the row of high-class cars already parked there.
Toni rang the bell and George answered, told her the men where in the study while he went to fetch her overnight bag.
Randolph met her half way down the hall, after the greeting he told her to go to her usual room and change for swimming, the ladies were already down at the pool.
Toni tied back her long auburn hair while she waited for her bag to arrive, then quickly changed, she looked at herself in the mirror, she was concerned she didn’t show too much as she did have large breast’s compared to her trim waist and hips, yes that will be alright, the cups may have been full but they covered everything.
She made her way down the hall and through to the corridor that led to the pool, there was silence, she pushed open the door, the pool was disserted, had she got it wrong? She retraced her steps and went to the study; perhaps they had rejoined the men.
Trying to hide the fact that she was only in her swimsuit she put her head round the study door, she asked where the ladies were as they weren’t at the pool. “Come in Toni and take that seat,” Randolph pointed at the large leather chair that had been placed in the middle of the room; it faced the large screen on the wall.
Toni was a little embarrassed in her swim-suit as the nine men were all dressed but she did as she was told and sat, Randolph lent back on the desk, “Toni, I take it Desmond has told you of the Gilcrest affair,” Toni looked at him and nodded before a quite, “Yes.”
