The Bank of Goodliness by David Luddington

Author:David Luddington [Luddington, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mirador Publishing
Published: 2019-11-28T22:00:00+00:00

~ * ~ * ~ * ~

The first meeting of the A Team took place in The Lonely Caterpillar. Jim had pushed a couple of tables together for us at the far end of the bar and had even provided a plate of sandwiches and crisps. Keeley had needed to bring John Griffin as apparently he’d given up driving as a protest against oil companies dodging their taxes.

I conducted the invitations and everybody smiled, nodded or grunted accordingly.

“Welcome to the inaugural meeting of the A Team,” I said. “Our mission, should you choose accept it, is to uncover some of the mischief Shadeys are up to and put an end to it.”

“That wasn’t the A Team,” said Sam. “That was Mission Impossible. With the phone box and the melting tape recorder. I don’t know why they didn’t just talk on the telephone anyway; I mean, it was right there with them. In the phone box. That’s what they’re for, talking on.”

I watched Sam for a moment to see if his little conversational detour had reached its end, then said, “Since I’ve been there, I’ve noticed several things which I don’t understand and I find it difficult to find anybody to help from within the bank. Nobody will explain anything, which makes me wonder just what they’re hiding.”

Micky tapped a mini-mint into his hand and popped it in his mouth. “I’ve been through those files you gave me last time.” He pulled a batch of blue folders from his briefcase and dumped them on the table. Something cold squeezed at my heart in a Pavlovian response at the sight of them.

“Sneaky buggers they are,” Micky continued. “In this one,” he pushed a folder centre table, “they are awarding themselves a salary increase based on any rise in share price. Up of course, but no converse clause for any drop.”

“That will be why Sir Devereux Kensington was so pleased with the increase in share price,” I said. “And my appointment did that.”

“Only partly, but that’s not all.” Micky picked up another one and held it up for all to see. “This one’s a doozy. In one proposal here they’re wanting to change the accounting period.”

“I remember that,” I said. “They told me it was just to bring it in line with other parts of the company.”

“That can be the case and would probably be normal, but in another proposal,” Micky picked up a different folder, “there’s a sale going through of a heap of repossessed houses they’ve been sitting on since the property crash and they obviously want the proceeds of that sale moving into the current accounting period so it will increase the performance related bonus they’ve just awarded themselves. My guess is that the sale will show as revenue rather than the sale of assets.”

“That’s some impressive work,” said John.

“Don’t you go giving ‘im no big ideas,” said Clive. “He’s got a computer programme what does all that for him.”

“I still have to scan all this lot in,” Micky complained.

“What do I do with them?” I pointed at the pile.

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