Where Memories Are Made (40 page)

Michael's eyes darkened and he jumped off the desk to stand menacingly before her. ‘No, but it should have been. My father had no right to leave everything to his bastard son and nothing to his legitimate one.' He smacked one fist forcefully into the palm of the other. ‘Well, Father and you might have made sure I haven't received a penny from Jolly's, but you couldn't stop me using the place to make up for what I should have had from it.' He thrust his hand into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a folded piece of paper. ‘A banker's draft for a million pounds. Payable to the bearer.'

Michael took a glance at the clock on the wall opposite. ‘Oh, how time flies when you're enjoying yourself. I'd best get on with this as I have a plane to catch. I'm off to sunny climes where I'm going to live the rest of my life in luxury under a fictitious name. Don't bother looking for me because I don't plan to be found. It wouldn't be fair of me, though, to leave you all in suspense as to how I did it.'

He took a deep breath and proudly reared back his head. ‘It was very simple really. When you know the right people, obtaining forged documents good enough to fool solicitors and accountants is easy, for the right price. I certainly met the right people when I was serving time at Her Majesty's pleasure just for trying to make enough money to live after you,
Mother
, saw me on the streets without a bean to my name.

‘Actually some of the credit for the plan really belongs to two old timers I overheard bragging to each other about past jobs one day, but I prefer to think that as I honed the finer points of it then I've a right to claim most of it. All I had to do was find the money to pay for the documents I needed and two men to play the part of the tax inspectors, then play solicitor and accountant. I also needed some new clothes and decent transport as I couldn't very well present myself as the son of the owner of a lucrative business looking like the tramp I was when I got out of prison.' He issued a small laugh. ‘I got that through donations from a few very nice old ladies, I'm sure you get my drift?

‘Finding a sucker to fool into thinking he was buying this place took a bit of ingenuity, but a carefully worded advert in
Dalton's Weekly
about a holiday camp for sale brought Mr Hewitt to me. He'd been after a camp here for a while but hadn't found the right place to buy until I offered him Jolly's at a very tempting price. He fell hook, line and sinker for the story I spun him. After the death of your dear husband, and coming so soon after the tragic death of your eldest son … well, he didn't need to know that Dan was not your son but my father's bastard … my mother had lost heart and gone off to live abroad in a place that held no painful memories, passing Power of Attorney over to me so that I could handle the sale on her behalf.

‘Of course, he wanted to have a tour around the place before he went any further so he came up and I personally showed him, his accountant and solicitor around, right under your very noses a couple of months ago. I wasn't afraid of anyone recognising me because I'd lost so much weight during my time inside, and a beard and glasses did the rest. Of course, Mr Hewitt was very understanding about why it had to be a secret visit. We didn't want the staff to get wind that the camp was being sold in case they started to fear for their jobs and left to take up others, leaving Jolly's in the lurch. He himself didn't want it getting out that he was interested in case someone else should come along and outbid him. His people thought the price very reasonable after seeing the set of fictitious books and Fiscal Reports I gave them.

‘With Hewitt now champing at the bit to seal the deal, which of course he expected to be done here in Jolly's offices, all that remained for me to do was get them cleared of staff temporarily so that my so-called solicitor and Mr Hewitt's could complete the transaction and he could hand me my money. Of course, the fact I kept stalling him while I awaited your return made him even more eager. I think my way of clearing the office was a stroke of pure genius, don't you? Hewitt did turn green around the gills when I insisted payment be made by banker's draft, but appreciated the reason for that when I explained that we planned to bank it abroad to avoid paying British tax on it, hence the knockdown price he was getting. Oh, in case you're wondering, while you were all being herded out through reception, I made my way in via the fire escape around the back and was sitting behind the desk, ready and waiting to welcome in Mr Hewitt when he arrived in his chauffeur-driven Rolls. So I might not have fleeced the money out of you directly,
Mother
, but I've left you with one hell of a mess to clear up, and the newspapers are going to have a field day with this. It's not going to do Jolly's reputation any good, is it?'

He paused for a moment before adding, ‘I don't think I've left anything out so now I'll be off to begin my new life.' He blew a kiss to Drina. ‘We won't be seeing each other again but I doubt you'll lose any sleep over that as you made it clear long ago how you felt about me. I certainly won't care because why would I want to see anyone I hate as much as you? Oh, and you won't be able to telephone the police from up here as I've pulled out the telephone wires, and I shall be barricading the fire-escape door too, so by the time you are in a position to call them I shall be long gone.'

Michael's parting gesture was to wave the banker's draft at them once again before he made to depart via the fire escape.

Drina was staring frozen-faced at her son, still having terrible difficulty taking in the fact that she had given birth to such a wicked, callous man.

Harold was feeling hopelessly inadequate for not yet having come up with a plan to overcome Michael and stop him from escaping with his ill-gotten gains. Now it seemed it was too late.

Throughout Michael's bragging, Jackie too was desperately trying to fathom a way she could put a stop to his despicable plan, but she was standing directly in his eyeline so she'd no chance of that. But just as she thought there was nothing she could do but watch Michael Jolly walk away scot-free, she saw an opportunity to thwart his departure. After he'd blatantly waved the bank draft at them and made to turn and walk away, Jackie made a lunge for it, snatched it out of his hand and had leaped over to the locked door leading to the stairs before Michael even realised what had happened.

By the time he did, she was holding the banker's draft in such a way as to warn him that should he make another step towards her she would rip it up.

The roar of anger he issued was deafening. The shock of hearing it woke the sleeping baby in his mother's arms and he broke into terrified screams.

Danny's interruption gave Michael an idea for a way to turn this situation to his own advantage. He made a lunge for the child, snatching Danny out of his unsuspecting mother's arms, then dashed for the other side of the room, stopping just before the door that led out into the corridor with the fire escape at the end of it. Michael was about to demand the return of the banker's draft in exchange for the safe return of the child when he realised he needed to show them he meant business. He must put the child in a life-threatening situation to achieve that. He ran for the door, yanked it open and disappeared through it.

Rhonnie started screaming in fear that her baby was being held captive by a man she knew to be single-minded when it came to getting his own evil way.

Jackie was horrified to realise her actions had landed the baby in such terrible danger and was momentarily rendered immobile, as were Drina and Harold.

Then it seemed to hit them all simultaneously that Michael would only return the baby safely in exchange for the banker's draft, and they dashed after him. Drina was first out and heading for the door to the fire escape which she found wide open, informing her that that was the path Michael had taken.

Reaching the fire escape, Drina stepped out on to the metal landing, the baby's screams from above immediately altering her to the fact that Michael had gone up instead of down. She automatically raised her gaze and saw him climbing on to the flat roof, the hysterical baby clamped firmly under one arm. She wasted no time in following him.

They all arrived on the flat roof one after the other and froze in terror at the sight of Michael over at the other side, standing an inch or so away from the edge, holding the baby upside down by one leg over the sheer drop. He was so desperate to get his hands back on the banker's draft that he was unaware that the screams of the baby had drawn a gathering crowd down below, all looking up and wondering what was making a baby cry like that.

Michael frenziedly bellowed, ‘I get the draft back in one piece or I drop this fucking kid!'

Jackie screamed back at him, ‘I'm bringing it right over.'

An ashen-faced Rhonnie had collapsed to her knees and was sobbing, ‘Please don't hurt my baby! Please, Michael, please, I beg you!'

Fearing Jackie would be putting herself in danger with what she was about to do, Drina grabbed her arm, snatching the draft from her hand and telling her, ‘I'll take it.'

Harold meanwhile had seen a way he could prevent Michael from profiting from his ill-gotten gains while at the same time retrieving the baby safely. He felt his plan was good enough to risk. The worst that could happen was that he failed to prevent Michael from getting his hands on the draft, but at least the baby would be safe and that was the most important thing.

To Drina's shock, he snatched the draft from out of her hand, telling her, ‘No, I'll take it.'

The three women's hearts were in their mouths as they watched Harold walk slowly over to Michael, holding the draft out for him to see. He stopped just short of the other man, holding the draft towards him, just out of reach. In a quiet, calm voice, Harold said, ‘Now please hand me the baby, Mr Jolly, and at the same time I will give you the draft.'

Michael's eyes were filled with amusement when he responded, ‘As if I need to warn you, you coward, that one false move and it'll be
you
who goes over the side along with the kid – but then, you haven't the balls to try anything, have you?' He swung the arm holding the baby in Harold's direction, bringing it to a halt just out of his reach. ‘Together on my three.' As he counted Harold momentarily shut his eyes and said a silent prayer for the success of his plan. He opened them just as Michael reached three. As Michael then swung the baby all the way over to him, Harold, as ordered, extended the draft towards Michael. The second the baby was within a hair's breadth of Harold's reach he made a sudden grab for the child, managing to get a tight grip on him, while Michael simultaneously made a grab for the draft. As Harold saw Michael reach for it he tossed the draft into the air, the wind caught it and began to blow it over the edge of the roof, just as Harold had hoped would happen.

With a look of utter shock on his face Michael made a desperate snatch for the piece of paper. The wind blew it further away from him, he lost his balance and toppled over the side. A moment later a sickening thud resounded as he reached the ground below.

I
t was just after four o'clock on the last day of the season. The few remaining campers had been waved off hours before and already the bars and shops had been cleared of their stock, given a thorough clean, shutters pulled down and doors locked for the next four months. Chalets had been checked for forgotten belongings, all bedding removed for washing, mattresses taken into storage. The camp was in the process of turning once more into a ghost town. All of the seasonal staff were in their chalets packing up their belongings ready to depart for home tomorrow. But all of them were excited at the thought of the fun that still lay ahead for them at the end-of-season party in the Paradise ballroom.

For Jackie, though, and a dozen or so other permanent staff, work did not stop. They all continued to beaver away to ensure the campers had a safe and well-kept camp to return to next year.

She was on her own in the general office as yesterday had been Olive's last day with Jolly's after landing herself a permanent job as a filing clerk at the local hospital. How long she would keep it remained to be seen. As yet the agency hadn't found a suitable candidate to replace her. Harold was in his office with the door closed as he assessed tenders from potential new suppliers for goods next year, checking whether they offered more value for money than the present suppliers did.

It wasn't like Jackie hadn't plenty to keep her occupied, but her mood was low and she didn't feel like working, so was sitting at her desk, head in her hands, staring into space. Like the rest of the staff, she should have been feeling very excited at the thought of the fun to come at the end-of-season party, but for two reasons she wasn't.

The first reason was that, having been under the mistaken belief she had suffered and dealt with enough personal trauma to last a lifetime, last night she had received yet another blow and in its way it was proving to be the most devastating yet. She was losing her best friend as Ginger was getting married. Three days ago, out of the blue, Paul had proposed and a madly in love Ginger had instantly squealed her acceptance.

The reason for the sudden proposal was that before he had met her and fallen head over heels in love, Paul had applied for a job with the force in Birmingham. He hadn't liked the idea of working for the bully of a man who was reported to be in line to take over kindly Inspector Clayburn's place on his retirement at the end of December. A few days ago Paul had received a letter telling him the job was his and the start date was in four weeks' time. He couldn't stand the thought of heading off for pastures new leaving Ginger behind, so she was going with him as his wife and they would be living in a police house. In the meantime she was going to be staying with his parents in their spare room while she and Paul made arrangements to be married in Skegness Register Office at the first available date.