(aka Bike) Part 1846 by Angharad Copyright © 2012 Angharad
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It was nearly bedtime when Sammi called me to go to her room, she and Julie had been looking through Marple’s files and had found that he liked a particular sort of pornography.
“I’m not sure I want to see this,” I protested, albeit half-heartedly.
“Wow,” said Julie staring at a computer screen.
“Okay, is someone going to tell me what all this is about?” I took one look at the screen and backed away. “Ugh, I’ve read about these sorts of things,” I didn’t want to see any more of the pictures.”
“Looks like he enjoys people weeing on each other,” said Julie.
“They call it golden showers,” I said standing well away from the computer.
“So he’s going to enjoy meeting your barrister again, then?”
“I doubt it.”
“Yes he will,” Julie insisted.
“How come?”
“’Cos Kit will piss all over him.”
I tried to keep a straight face but it was difficult. Sammi roared with laughter. “Quiet, Danny’s asleep next door,” I hissed at them.
“No I’m not,” he called back.
“Well you should be,” I hissed at him. That set the girls off again and I had to hush them once more.
“What d’you want to do with this?”
“Nothing, it’s disgusting.”
“I could transfer some of it to his bosses computer, if you want?”
“No, just get rid of it.”
“What about this bit?” Sammi asked.
“It’s not more disgusting pictures is it?” I asked ready to turn away.
“Yeah this one’s got a horse in it, you ever seen the size of a horse’s donger?” Julie said laughing.
“I’m well aware of the anatomy of horses.”
“She’s pulling your leg, Mummy, it’s some correspondence between Marple and Cortez.”
“What sort of correspondence?”
“Marple is complaining he can’t pay and asking for more time.” Sammi said, “Here, I’ve printed them off for you,” she handed me several sheets of paper with emails on them.
I read them and it appears that our inspector lives beyond his means, so why isn’t he borrowing from a bank? I asked Sammi to get Simon. He was up with us very quickly. “Sammi said something about that dickhead Marple.”
“Yes, darling, he’s in hock to Cortez.”
“You’re joking? He’s got to be on at least thirty grand as an inspector, he lives with his mother–so where’s it going? And why isn’t he borrowing from a bank?”
I showed him the emails. “What’s this last one? ‘Services rendered in lieu of a monthly repayment–he’ll write off half the loan if Marple could deal with the snotty bitch who injured his enforcers.’ This is serious stuff, babes.”
“Can we do a credit check on him?” I asked Simon and was the reason I asked him come.
“Yeah, give me a tick.” He turned and ran down the stairs and ten minutes later he appeared with a sheaf of papers. “No wonder he’s borrowing money from Cortez, he’s in serious shite.”
“Explain, please?” I asked him.
“He was turned down by three banks to increase his overdraft. It looks like they won’t loan him money because he’s got no collateral–it also looks like he’s sold his mother’s house without her knowing and that could be foreclosed any time.”
“What’s he spent it on?” I tried to look at the papers he had in his hand.
“It looks like he’s either a gambler or he’s being blackmailed.”
“He’s into kinky sex.”
“Could be that then, but there’s a regular payment to a bookie’s of five hundred a month.”
“Bloody hell, that’s more than Daddy spends on the lottery,” I gasped.
“What? He does a lucky dip on Saturdays–silly cow.” Simon sneered as he corrected me–I was joking, oh well.
“What do we do next?” I asked him.
“You’re in luck–guess who’s about to repossess his house?” Simon’s face lit up.
“Not Cortez?”
“No, it is not Cortez–he wouldn’t repossess it, he’d just start cutting his fingers off.”
“Well who then?” I asked loudly and got hushed.
“You’ll wake Danny,” accused Simon.
“No you won’t,” Danny called back, “Can I see the dirty pictures?”
“No,” Simon and I shouted back, “Go to sleep,” I added.
“So who is going to call in his mortgage?” I asked.
“We are,” beamed Simon, “I’ll teach him to falsely arrest my wife.”
“What about his mother?”
“I’ll get them to drop her gently on the pavement.”
“Si, this isn’t funny, if she’s elderly she could die from a shock like this.”
“Yeah–it happens.”
“You can’t.”
“Just watch me.”
“Please, please don’t.”
“Cathy, he tried to mess up your life and ours with it. He’s a total shite and he’s got it coming.”
“But his mother hasn’t.”
“So, there’s always collateral damage–if he had any regard for her, he wouldn’t be in this position would he?”
“I don’t care what he feels about her, I don’t want to pick on her. Are we entitled to have this information?”
“Yes–well I am.”
“But I’m not?”
“It’s easily available if you know where to look; James could have got it for you.”
“I think it’s time to have a word with the chief inspector. Does it show he’s paying Cortez anything?”
“About seven hundred a month to JCHoldings.”
“Who’s that?”
“Cortez.”
“We’ve got him then.” I’d won this stage but it felt Pyrrhic. Was he involved with the fire at Edith Howse’s place?”
“I suggest you get the chief inspector to come and see you and have Kit with you, you obviously can’t show him the emails but if he’s got any gumption he’ll be looking for connections. I would say that Inspector Marple’s career is over–the pension gobbler strikes again.”
What Simon suggested made sense. Marple was going down whatever else happened, he’d be imprisoned for his cooperation with a money lender, and that he could be charged with false arrest and perhaps be implicated in the death of Mrs Howse, meant he was in serious trouble. To be fair, once the police begin to investigate themselves, it gets rather bloody.
“Have we got anything on Cortez yet?” I asked Sammi whose fingers were dancing over the keyboard.
“No, nothing illegal–I reckon he’s got another computer, according to this he only earns twenty K a year.”
“Oh well, if we can find it, we’ll be able to pass it on to the Inland Revenue.”
“Now a tip-off to them, or Customs and excise about VAT non payment and they’ll be all over him like a rash.” Simon was smirking.
“Couldn’t happen to a nicer fellow,” I said. “Perhaps if Marple squeals loud enough, he’ll implicate Cortez in the fire and the police would have a chance to go through his office. Then they could call in the revenue and customs.”
“I’m sure they will if Kit steers them that way, but we have to get Marple to tell about his link with Cortez apart from owing him a lot of money. I’ll call him tomorrow, if he comes round first thing you can brief him and don’t mention the hacking, just the financial statement.”
“Why not?” I asked bemused by his instruction.
“Because it’s illegal, and as an officer of the bar he’d be obliged to declare it.”
“Okay–just this then,” I said taking the papers from Simon’s hand. I suspected I wouldn’t sleep very well that night.
Comments
Why am I not surprised?
Its starting to look like the cops should just disband Internal Affairs and subcontract the work to Cathy... What a nasty little toad.
Not so ....
Not so sure I like hearing about "collateral damage" from Simon... *sighs* But, he's spot on about avoiding admitting to the hacking.
Look forward to hearing (okay, seeing via pixels on the screen in the form of letters and words, better?) about how this all goes down.
Loved Danny piping up from the next room. LOL I'm not asleep... Guess they're lucky sound doesn't travel to where the younger girls sleep.
Thank you!
Annette
Easy As Falling Off A Bike pt 1846
Does Marple's Mum have any sort of income? If not, or if not enough to pay for her bills, food and mortgage, I can see Cathy helping her out. And if she is Tom's age, he might start dating.
May Your Light Forever Shine
Sure, cathy and company become matchmakers as well as
crime fighters....
But you often inherit attitudes from parents so wouldn't be surprised if Marple's mother is as bigoted as he is.
Oh what a web we weave ...
when first we conjour to decieve; and rob and steal then try to mend the damage that can have no end.
Yep, the idiot has truly f----d up his life and his pension. Good riddance, I say.
Still lovin' it Ang.
XX
Bev.
Ho hum...
So Marple and Cortez were connected, unsurprisingly. With the aid of Si's credit check (corroborated by the emails which of course can't be used as evidence), I think Marple's very quickly going to find himself on the other side of the law. Given what he got up to, perhaps Cathy could mention his mother when talking to Kit and/or the Chief Inspector - the local authority would have a statutory duty to rehome her, but normally she'd come way down the priorities list (for fairly obvious reasons, families tend to be at the top of the housing queue and singletons at the bottom) - so maybe with a little leaning suitable accommodation can be found for her (especially if it turns out she's fully mobile and has retained all her faculties, so wouldn't be well suited to a residential care home). It's very unlikely she has any savings, as given Marple defrauded her out of her house, he's probably drained her bank account(s) as well.
Meanwhile, out of curiosity's sake it would interesting to know more about this £500pcm regular payment to a bookmakers... some very expensive regular bets or something else going on?
As the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, then only left-handers are in their right mind!
WHEW!!!
And the thot plickens........wtg Bonzi and Izzy!
There are more scritches and scratches and tummy rubs for you two if you keep up the good work!!
Don't let someone else talk you out of your dreams. How can we have dreams come true, if we have no dreams?
Katrina Gayle "Stormy" Storm
I guess we all
know that Cathy will not see Marples mother thrown out onto the street as Simon seems to want .... Not that i think Simon will actually do the deed, You cannot be married to Cathy and not have some of her compassion rub off onto you, So i suspect if or should we say when Marple is arrested something will happen that Simon will be unaware of that will allow the mother to stay in her home .... At least he will say he is not aware of it but we would all know differently .... Wouldn't we.
Of course i could be totally wrong and the mother could be the compulsive gambler with the son trying to pay her debts.... But then that is the beauty of BIKE you never know what might happen next, Long may you continue to baffle and entertain us with the twists and turns of the Camerons life Angharad, Its never less than a joy to read.... Thank you.
Kirri