The Inspector Walter Darriteau Murder Mysteries - Books 1-4 by David Carter (best finance books of all time .txt) 📕

numbers,’ and that was how it turned out. Walter and Karen quickly ran through the past year’s bank statements. There wasn’t a single plus balance figure throughout the whole year. The smallholding business running from Remembrance was running on empty. It was in a critical condition, and things were going to get considerably worse now that Donald’s paycheque and the £350 monthly contribution was about to stop coming in.

‘Is the house mortgaged?’ asked Karen.

Chrissie and Colin shared a solemn look.

‘Up to the hilt,’ muttered Colin.

‘We’re just about finished here,’ said Walter. ‘For now. If you hear anything...’

Colin interrupted. ‘Yes, I know... if he gets in touch...’

‘It’s important you tell us,’ said Karen. ‘For your sake as well as his.’

‘We’ll be in touch,’ said Walter.

‘Thank you, Inspector,’ said Chrissie, standing in the hallway. ‘Please find him, I know you will think that all mothers say this, but he really isn’t a bad boy.’

‘He’s just made a silly mistake, if indeed it was him at all,’ said Colin.

They all nodded at one another and promised to keep in touch, and a minute later Karen was driving Walter back toward the city.

Walter said, ‘Get an order to check all their post, just in case any nice packets, any big brown envelopes roll up.’

‘Sure, Guv.’

‘And we will need to monitor the parents’ bank accounts – see if any juicy deposits come in out of the blue, and we’ll need to run a check to see if they have any bank accounts we are unaware of. And, sad though it may seem, we’d better keep an eye on the mortgages. We don’t want to see them suddenly paid off either.’

‘Sure, Guv,’ she said, driving a little too quickly.

‘Slow down a bit! Did you make a note of their bank account numbers when we were looking at the statements.’

‘Oh yes.’

‘Well done.’

‘Could the parents be in on this?’ asked Karen.

‘Could be, but I don’t think so. Do you?’

‘No, don’t think so either; tell you the truth I feel sorry for them, especially Chrissie. They are going to find it hard.’

‘They are. I wouldn’t be surprised to see them in the bankruptcy courts before long,’ said Walter.

‘I thought that too.’

Forty-Two

Back at the station, they finished a few final things and wound down for the day. Karen walked away from the desks and pulled out her mobile and rang Greg.

‘Hi you?’

‘Ah, there you are.’

‘Sorry, I’ve been a bit delayed, pressure of work and all that.’

‘I know the feeling.’

‘Are you still coming for dinner?’

‘Am I still invited?’

‘Sure.’

‘I’ll be there for 8.30.’

‘Great!’

Karen rang off, offered Walter a lift home which he declined, saying he was going for a pint in one of the local half-timbered hostelries, so she rushed home to get herself and the dinner ready. Nothing too demanding, spagbol, using lean turkey mince, she had her slim figure to think of, and Greg’s heart.

Greg arrived just after 8.30 and produced a good bottle of Aussie white. She had a similar one preparing in the fridge and it wasn’t long before that had almost vanished.

She made a decent spagbol, he thought, though the turkey mince was pretty vile.

‘So,’ she said, mopping up the last of the tomato sauce with a knob of French bread. ‘I want to talk about Kit Napoleon.’

‘Be my guest.’

‘Have you fixed up the conference thing?’

‘I have. Kit says he’s really looking forward to seeing you.’

Kit, is it, she thought and had he really said that, about looking forward to seeing her? He was an old charmer, that’s what he was, and it was undeniable, he was a fascinating character.

‘Just so long as I can get the time off.’

‘I’m hopeful,’ said Greg. ‘I have a good feeling about this.’

‘Well, the thing is,’ she said, ‘I think I am doing pretty well at this game, and I really think I should now be on level two.’

‘Maybe,’ Greg said, emptying the last of the wine into her glass.

‘So how does that work?’ and she went to the fridge and brought out the second bottle.

‘I think you have done pretty well too, you’ve already recovered your initial investment, isn’t that right?’

‘I have, you know I have, and a bit more.’

‘But are you ready to invest more cash in the business?’

‘You mean, another payment would be required?’

‘Course! You get nothing for nothing, K, you know how it is. But what you would get is access to more and better products, which in turn will earn you more money, plus, you’d get to know more company secrets and intelligence. Trust me, you’ll be impressed.’

‘Like what?’

Greg grinned. ‘Ah, now there I am not at liberty to say, not until you commit to taking the next step.’

For a moment she looked disappointed. She had thought the initial investment had been a bit steep as it was, and the idea of making another payment was not one to be taken lightly.

‘Will you guarantee me like you did last time?’

‘Course.’

‘How much is it?’

‘It will be worth it.’

‘How much am I looking at?’

‘It may seem a lot at first.’

‘How much, Greg!’

‘Eight and a half.’

‘What! Thousand?’

Greg nodded.

‘You must be joking!’

‘Nope, but it will be worth it, I guarantee it, you’ll see.’

‘How do you work that out?’

‘Look! Look at it this way. You thought the initial three grand was a big payment...’

‘Yes, I did! And it was.’

‘But you soon recovered that, didn’t you? and more besides. You’ll do exactly the same on level two. You’ll be surprised, and the great thing is, you will also be recovering a third of that amount with every new recruit. That’s nearly three grand every time you introduce someone. You’ll be there before you know it.’

‘But eight and a half grand? Geez! Where am I going to find eight and a half grand?’

Greg didn’t comment, opened the new bottle and poured the drinks and said, ‘I am sure that if you really wanted to, you could lay your hands on eight grand. You’d find a way. Think of it as an investment, you’ll get your cash back, and loads more besides.