The Daily Dormouse. (aka Bike, est. 2007) Part 2563 by Angharad Copyright© 2015 Angharad

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This is a work of fiction any mention of real people, places or institutions is purely coincidental and does not imply that they are as suggested in the story.
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I doffed my shoes for a time and Stella massaged my feet still clad in tights. It was bliss and enabled me to eventually replace my feet in my shoes and walk in moderate comfort. Anyone who says high heels are comfortable is either lying or deluded, but they did make my legs look good in the Versace suit.

Clutching my copy of the council rules and constitution I drove back to the university where I met up with Daddy and eventually Professor Wilkins. He was early and between the three of us we briefly discussed a council of war.

His recollection of the earlier meeting had been to establish the cuts across the board to meet the budget requirements. There had also been a feeling throughout that Biological Sciences were getting to big for their boots and that their professor, viz moi, seemed intent on taking over the council.

He blushed when he realised who I was and admitted the idea was ludicrous. I asked if it was as I seemed to be making a play to control the council. He said that in the circumstances someone with integrity needed to take control because it seemed to be heading for some sharp rocks.

I liked his metaphor and I decided I would take control and steer this ship into deeper and calmer waters before I handed over to someone else. While imagining myself captain of this troubled vessel I asked him if anything else had happened at the meeting that wasn’t minuted.

“We have some land which is a brown field site and so polluted, it isn’t worth much. So we agreed to sell it for a hundred thousand pounds.”

“Where is this site?”

“Somewhere near Cosham I think. We all signed a release for Dr Long to sell the land.”

“For a hundred thousand?”

“Yes, seems like we got a good sum for it.”

I called Steve Campbell and told him of the land deal. He promised to get straight on it. I also told him that the only land up that way that I could recall was an old bakery and distribution centre and that site had to be five or ten acres. As the area around it was being used for housing, that land could be worth millions. Had we found our prime cause?

It still seemed too easy. Dr Long was a clever chap, a psychologist I believed, so he’d be unlikely to be involved in anything that would be traceable to him. Until now I’d considered him to be a reasonable academic who as far as I knew was as honest as anyone else. However, unless I’m mistaken, I appear to have got things wrong.

We walked down the corridor and across the square to the administration block and library, where the boardroom was. The other members were arriving as we did. Delia came rushing in and sat down ready to take notes for minutes to be made.

I informed them that the council meeting of the night before had been inquorate and that according to my calculations we had seventeen members present, if we elected a secretary and chair, we’d be quorate and thus legal. As I’d been the driving force for the meeting, I was elected chair for the meeting and Delia was elected a temporary member and co-opted as secretary. I was quite happy with the arrangement and it appeared so was Delia.

I explained that we had a very simple agenda, to nullify anything and everything the earlier meeting had passed and to prevent any decisions about budgets until the audit was finished. That was passed unanimously.

The second was to discuss the possible sale of land belonging to the university, and which might have been sold for a song rather than its true value. If this had happened it became a criminal matter and the police would become involved. They all agreed that if this was the case they would support the idea of prosecution of all concerned.

Geoff Musgrove from IT called up some high resolution maps on his laptop and found the piece of land involved. I was easily seven acres and could be sold off as building plots once planning was granted and easily make five or ten million before a house was built.

We then discussed what it was all about. It seemed ludicrous that seemingly clever people had dug a pit for themselves without realising it. To me it seemed too easy and the others understood what I meant but they assumed the scent of easy money had blinded them to the dangers.

We issued a condemnation and a withdrawal from the sale if at all possible until it had all been assessed and valued properly. Steve had agreed to find the purchaser and to try and nullify any sale. He told me to expect a legal battle if the sale had gone through. I offered my full support.

Daddy and I returned home exhausted but pleased we’d managed to restore a degree of order. I still wasn’t sure what the other group had been about, to start with a hundred thousand isn’t that much money, so why risk a prison sentence for it? Something was niggling at me but I couldn’t quite work out what it was.

Simon stayed in town overnight which was just as well because I went out like a light once my head touched the pillow. I had one or two uncomfortable dreams which I couldn’t remember but I woke the next morning missing my man and feeling I had loads to do, including probably talking with the police. After showering, I dressed in another expensive suit, this one a Chanel number but before Lagerfeld took over. As it was cold I wore some black knee boots with a three inch heel. At least I could walk reasonably comfortably in them not knowing how much I would have to do today.

I dropped the girls off and once in my office I met with Steve Campbell who told me he had informed the police but was still awaiting the land registry to give him the names of the purchaser of the land. The police were coming to speak with us about ten. I thanked him and actually did some work for my department when at ten, on the dot, Steve returned with a couple of detectives, a DCI and a DS. Delia provided us with coffee and we settled down for the meeting.

I showed him the minutes of the meeting we’d held to the police and they asked to keep a copy, which I agreed. I then asked if they’d found out who was buying the land.

“Yes, we have,” replied the DCI, “They paid one hundred thousand and have a buyer prepared to pay over two million for it.”

“Wow, that’s quite a profit, pity the university wasn’t the recipient.”

“Are you certain about that?” asked the senior plod.

“Of course, is there any way we can nullify the sale?”

“Why?” asked the copper, Steve was staying strangely silent.

“Because it’s immoral if not illegal.”

“What if it’s legal?” challenged the copper.

“We should try and get them to change their minds,” I suggested.

“How would you do that?” asked the DCI.

“I’ll go and see them and explain what happened.”

“Going to talk to yourself are you?” asked the policeman.

“What d’you mean?”

“The purchaser was Dormouse Developments.”

“Never heard of them.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, why?”

“You’re named as a managing director, and you sold on the land to your husband’s bank for a large profit. Lady Cameron, I’m arresting you on suspicion of fraud, you don’t have to say anything...”