The Con

by L M Bee

  “Have you rung your hot date about the party yet?” teased Sophia.

  Mary shuddered. “Ugh, the thought of having to see him again makes me want to throw up. I left him a message, and he’s texted back to say he’s keeping Saturday night free. I fibbed, told him I’m staying in bed today because of mild food poisoning.”

  “Fair enough, the gloves are off. You’ve got to say whatever you need to now to get the victory. We’re all working towards a common goal. Bernard’s asked me to meet him shortly, wants to educate me on becoming a credible con artist!”

  Mary laughed. “You, the straightest person I know, turning into a con artist!”

  “Just for the night, I’ll have you know,” warned Sophia.

  “You might get a taste for it!” teased Mary, creasing up.

  “Highly unlikely, and before you’re too rude to me, remember I’m only doing this for you.” She raised two fingers in jest at her friend.

  “I know, don’t know how to thank you. I’ve been such a fool, falling in love with a fictitious character. Paid a high price already, emotional and sexual violation, makes me sick just thinking about it. He would have totally destroyed me if he’d had his way, financially and psychologically, no doubt culminating in the loss of my identity too – basically the end of me. I can’t thank you enough for what you’re doing, not only for me but for my children too. You’re saving them from having to witness me being slowly destroyed by that utter scumbag. Sophia, you’re a good person and a loyal friend. You’re giving me a second chance at my life, which would otherwise be smashed to smithereens. You’re very brave to be doing this for me, for all of us, and I admire your courage taking on the key role, scamming back the money that he scammed from me, so the police can catch him in the act and arrest him. By doing this, you’re making it possible for me to carry on with my life as I know it, as my children know it. I thank you from the bottom of my heart, my friend, and I’ll always be grateful to you for this.”

  “Stop! You’re embarrassing me,” blushed Sophia, not used to so many compliments. “Listen, I must go for my lesson in becoming a con artist now or I’ll be in trouble with Bernard, see you later.”

  “Where’s your notebook?” demanded Bernard.

  Sophia looked contrite. “Sorry, didn’t bring one.”

  “Here, have this.” He handed her a little turquoise notebook with silver letters on the front, Hôtel d’Eau Bleue.

  “Thank you,” said Sophia sheepishly, sneaking a pen from his desk when he wasn’t looking.

  Bernard was in a very serious mood again this morning, authoritative and to the point, cracking on with the business in hand.

  “Right,” he said, “take as many notes as you need to. By imparting this knowledge to you, hopefully it’ll enable you to have the greatest effect on your mark. Okay, let’s make a start, here’s what you need to know.”

  Sophia sat poised with her pen, ready to take notes as he spoke.

  “The put-up is like mind-reading. Drawing out personal information dispassionately. Convincing your mark to open up, without him realising he’s doing it. After thorough research, if you read someone correctly you’ll understand their deepest desires, hopes, fears and dreams. Then, you can make them believe almost anything. As they say, ‘You need to be a master of the cold read to reel in a big fish’.”

  “How do you know all this?” interrupted Sophia, looking up at Bernard with amazement.

  “Let’s just say a life well-lived! Don’t forget, years ago my business was nightclubs. Working in clubs you need to be able to read people, a vital skill to survive. Also, I must say, I’ve learnt a lot over the years through my friendship with Jake Mann. He did me an enormous favour many years ago, I owe him. It would be wrong to go into detail, but suffice to say my clubs were under siege from a ruthlessly violent foreign mob, intent on destroying my business in order to take it over. Jake Mann literally saved my life; this is my chance to return the favour. He has many friends and acquaintances, who like himself have invested a lot of money in businesses and properties in this area. Fraudsters have been affecting those investments, weakening the value. Jake Mann, together with a staggering number of his contacts who shall remain nameless, are keen to give their full support to the sting and put their weight behind it. Obviously I can’t go into detail, but believe me when I say, their tentacles of influence reach far and wide. I have to say Jake's support has been invaluable, a driving force behind this operation, intent on incarcerating the con artists and restoring the damage they’ve done to the reputation of the area. Now, can we continue with your lesson?” He leaned back in his chair to survey her with an amused smirk, as if validating his own opinion, satisfied with the conclusion and nudging his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose to continue the tuition.

  “Knowing your victim is the con man’s bread and butter. We know Harrison’s weakness – money. Money, money, money. You’re going to exploit that, and turn the tables on him, for Mary's monetary benefit and his incarceration. Remember, you’re playing the part of a con artist, leading a confidence scheme. Success is achieved by skilful manipulation of visceral factors. Deep inward feelings, rather than intellect. A con artist that can perfect the art of emotional manipulation can achieve almost anything. Important to remember the following quote at all times: Feeling it in your heart is more powerful than knowing it in your mind!

  “A good story is the quickest way to affect someone’s emotions, and make them feel it in their heart. And a favourite grifter’s technique is divulging a secret. You’ll notice this is incorporated in the script. Your aim will be to draw him closer by confiding in him about your secret, thus priming him for the play. Make him believe you think he’s an outstanding human being, someone you greatly admire and want to join forces with. The more convincing your story, the more he’ll believe it’s true and therefore the more likely that he’ll want to invest with you. Combine that with the chance of a lifetime investment opportunity, that’s only available to him right now, and he won’t be able to resist. If you play your part well, he should offer you half a million quid without you even having to ask for it.” He paused to sip from the glass of water on his desk.

  “Jake Mann’s getting a short public relations film made about your charity. When Harrison sees it, it’ll be another way of increasing his trust in you. Scientifically certain images make our brains release a hormone called oxytocin, otherwise known as the ‘love drug’ because it’s released when people snuggle up. It makes us feel good, promoting feelings of well-being. Bonding with an oligarch’s wife is likely to have the same effect on him, the feel good factor, making him want to get even closer to you. Financially involved most likely, thus linking himself to you to experience more of that feeling. You’re offering him the chance to step up into the elite league, an irresistible temptation to him. At the same time he’ll also experience wishful identification, in other words, invest with me and you too can be part of this and more. He’ll believe that joining your social circle will give him access to the super wealthy. From his viewpoint, a fresh supply of potential marks with unlimited riches. Remember he’s governed by avarice. He’ll see it as a useful means to an end, far less hard work to defraud a few rich people for vast amounts than pulling lots of smaller scams. He’ll be eyeing the big bucks, ruled by greed, and that’ll be his downfall.” He peered over his specs to check. “Keeping up, my dear?”

  “Yup,” nodded Sophia, taking it all in.

  “Now, let’s discuss setting the con in motion. The timing of this will be completely in your hands.” Bernard paused and peered over his glasses again to underline the point. “You will be entirely responsible for choosing the moment of kick off, using an age-old grifter’s technique, the dropped article of clothing. Exactly as it says on the tin, drop something for Harrison to pick up. The reason being, after he’s picked it up and thereby done you a favour, it’s likely he’ll want to do more for you. Human nature. The dropped article of clothing will als
o be your signal to the surveillance team that you’re starting the con. Plus it will also be your tactic for opening the initial conversation with him, which should ultimately lead to him giving you the same amount of money that he scammed off Mary. As I said before, the first move is the only part of the plan where you won’t be able to follow the script, you’ll have to decide for yourself how and when to wing it. Improvise, make it up as you go along. You decide what to drop, when and where. Remember these three things. It needs to be a clear signal to the team. It’s vital that he’s close enough to pick it up. And last but not least, your sole aim is to get the best possible result out of him; play him like a fiddle, my dear. Do you think you can do that?”

  Sophia’s brain felt like it was going to explode with information, but she was still rigidly determined to give it her best shot. “Yes. Absolutely. Leave it to me,” she replied confidently.

  “Excellent. The surveillance team will be monitoring footage from cameras discreetly hidden throughout the hotel and gardens, trained on you and Harrison throughout the entire event. Everything you say and do will be recorded. If at any point you feel in danger, or don’t want to proceed, make a clear distress signal to one of the cameras and the operation will be instantly aborted. Rent-a-crowd will be infiltrated by undercover officers, you’ll be protected and safe at all times. I think that’s about it. Bruno de Berger’s planning to hold a team briefing, time to be advised. You and Mary, and the children, will be required to attend. Does Mary have any objection to the family pool house being used as the incident room? Personally I agree with Bruno, not a bad idea for her children to follow the course of events on the television monitors, safely tucked away in a room full of police.”

  “No objection whatsoever. She agrees, the more they understand the better.”

  “Great. The pool house it is then. Bruno’s men will set up their equipment and monitor the operation from there, with the children looking over their shoulders. Oh, and one more thing, Jake Mann’s arranged for the massive superyacht moored in the bay to be at your disposal.”

  “A vital prop, I suppose?”

  “Absolutely, adds gravitas, my dear! You’ll arrive at your party in true oligarch style, by speedboat from your superyacht! The glam squad from London will board earlier, ready and waiting to transform you into Anna Lovushka. You’ll arrive onboard discreetly as Sophia, and leave as Anna. By bizarre coincidence the boat actually belongs to a real Russian oligarch, a business acquaintance of Jake’s, who’s holidaying here in the South of France with his family this month. Apparently loves the Côte d’Azur, sick of hearing stories about Harrison’s victims, and didn’t need much persuasion to support the sting. He’s a man of great power and influence, we’re very lucky to have his support – staggering how many people have been willing to add their weight behind the scenes. He and his family have very kindly agreed to step off for the night, and we’ve arranged alternative accommodation for them elsewhere in gratitude for their invaluable cooperation. This also means that the boat will be perfectly 'accessorised' to look like yours, plenty of Russian personal belongings everywhere, wardrobes full of oligarch-style clothing and so on. All adds to the authenticity. And it should help you to feel the part, get in the zone, before you make your grand entrance.”

  “Am I expected to speak Russian?” panicked Sophia.

  “No, definitely not, not even a hint of an accent. Exactly as you are, 100% British born and bred. The team have created backdated social media pages, Instagram and Wikipedia for Anna and Vladimir Lovushka, up and running already. If Harrison sneaks a look at you online, there’ll be plenty of material to back up your story. Also Harrison can’t speak a word of Russian and everyone else at the party is employed to be on your side anyway. As the owner of the hotel hosting the event, I’ll be your chaperone for the evening and close by at all times. I’ll be discreetly wired up, in constant communication with Bruno and your personal security guards. There’ll also be a continuous flow of professionals posted around you, disguised as party guests, to help out if required. If at any point Harrison says or does anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, they’ll immediately spark a distraction and take the focus away from you with their polished performance. So, my dear, there’s absolutely nothing for you to worry about, everything will be taken care of.”

  Sophia looked worried sick, her hands visibly shaking. Bernard took off his reading glasses, slowly folded them, and placed them on the desk in front of him. He could see that this might be a good moment to boost her confidence, and bolster her normally positive attitude, so he leant forward and looked her straight in the eyes with a big friendly smile.

  “Imagine you’re a Hollywood movie star, performing an Oscar-winning role.”

  Sophia appreciated the gesture, before being struck by a sudden thought. “Can I memorise my script in advance?” she gulped.

  “Yes, of course, here’s your copy,” he said, handing it to her. “Familiarise yourself with every detail, and don’t hesitate to ask if there’s anything you don’t understand. On the night, if you suddenly get a mental blank, there’ll be a list of bullet points on Anna’s phone to jog your memory. Also the two security guards permanently by your side will be acting as your understudies; should you need help, their job is to predict it before you’ve even thought about it. A crack team of professionals around you, every one handpicked and ready to support you in every way that they can.

  “Nothing for you to worry about, should go like clockwork. And as I said, the only decision that rests entirely in your hands is the precise moment of kick-off, thereby flicking the switch to set the con in motion. A bit like dropping the chequered flag at a race track, a clear signal that the race is on!”

  “Actually, I’m beginning to feel quite excited now,” confided Sophia. “Must admit I wasn’t before, felt scared stiff, but now I understand the sting better and have a basic script to follow, I’m looking forward to giving it my best.”

  “Excellent,” smiled Bernard, thoroughly impressed by her attitude. “By the way, details about how to recoup Mary's money are in there too,” he said, gesturing at the document in her hand. “Oh and one more thing, very important, Bruno’s team have set up all the necessary bank accounts and email addresses you’ll need, and filled Anna’s phone with credible photographs and text messages.”

  He passed her a mobile, brandishing the screensaver image. “Even a photo of your hubby, Vladimir, copied from one on the boat. Plus the vitally important Sky News clip of the helicopter crashing moments before the fashion show.”

  Chapter 31

  Mary and Sophia had finished breakfast and were still sitting at the table chatting.

  “It’s chaos out there!” exclaimed Sophia, peering out of the window.

  “Have you seen all those trees that have been delivered round the back? Want some more coffee?” Mary asked, hovering the pot over Sophia’s cup.

  “Please. Bernard knows some phenomenally influential people, it’s like Chelsea Flower Shower being erected in twenty-four hours! Can’t believe he only asked me for my design suggestions yesterday, and today it’s like abracadabra! Magic being created right in front of our very eyes at a record-breaking speed – amazing!”

  “As you say, he obviously knows some very powerful people. I’ve never seen anything like it before in my life. The sheer size of the workforce too, it’s a sea of fluorescent yellow jackets out there – super impressive.”

  “I know, crazy! Have you seen the pool yet?” asked Sophia knowingly.

  “No, can’t see it from my balcony. Looking forward to my first day up and about, can’t wait to have a look around!”

  “Take things gently though, don’t overdo it.”

  “Nag, nag, nag!” joked Mary. “I’ll be fine.”

  “I’m serious. You need to be on top form tomorrow night, firing on all cylinders, and looking the belle of the ball. Has your outfit arrived yet?”

  “Yes, love it. Kitty was brilliant, knew ex
actly what to order. Bright red, down to the ground and figure-hugging in all the right places to make me look slimmer!”

  “Excellent. Can’t believe the amount of work that’s going into this. Apparently Jake Mann’s connections have added their weight behind the scenes too, everyone’s pulling out all the stops. You should see my outfit from the Russian couture designer. Long black silk crepe, very angular, reminds me of origami. Makes me look rather fierce, like Cruella De Vil’s sister!”

  “Will you have her black and white striped hair too?” teased Mary.

  “I’ve got to wear a wig, platinum blonde blunt bob, with false eyelashes and bold scarlet lips – you won’t recognise me!”

  “And what shoes?” asked Mary.

  “Monster heels! Mirrored silver platforms that make me about six inches taller. The glam squad have instructed me to leave the superyacht barefoot, carrying my shoes, and put them on when I’ve stepped onto the jetty.”

  “Ta-dah! Anna Lovushka arrives!”

  “And her little dog! Have I told you about the dog?”

  “No, hilarious! What's it like?”

  “A miniature teacup puppy, ball of pure white fluff called Fifi. So tiny she can sit on the palm of your hand, adorable little thing. It’s all part of my look apparently. I’ve been told to carry Fifi at all times, even when giving the speech about my charity, like a fashion accessory – she and I are joined at the hip!”

  “They’re really going to town with this, every detail considered and no expense spared.”

  “I know, it’s incredible, the heavyweight power of London! Jake Mann’s influential contacts with fingers in local pies, sick to death of fraudsters damaging the area’s reputation. They’re as keen as Bruno to get a successful result. Worth every penny as far as they’re concerned to rid the Riviera of these con artists once and for all – and make an example of them to others.”