Rock Bottom (Second Chances Book 2)

by Jason Ayres

  It worked – he really had been that stupid. All she had to do now was type in the new code which had flashed up on the device.

  It was as simple as that and now she was sitting there in front of her husband’s illicit account, looking at over €300,000, which by her calculations must amount to at least a quarter of a million pounds. And this was ten months ago. How much more had he added since?

  What should she do now? She could steal the money. Why not? She was in Universe 2.0. What was the worst that could happen? It would be worth doing it, just to see if she could get away with it without any consequences. If all went smoothly, she could do it all again once she got back into the real world. Yes, this was a good idea. She would have a consequence-free dress rehearsal.

  She clicked on the button marked “Make a payment” and then filled in the section marked “Create a payee”. She put in her own name and current account details. Then she entered the entire balance as the amount.

  Just before she hit send, an amusing thought occurred to her. While she was here, she may as well have a little fun and make the Alan of this universe squirm. She would derive a lot of satisfaction out of that.

  She reduced the amount in the transfer box by eight euros, which would leave that as the remaining balance on the account. She chuckled as she did so, looking forward to telling him exactly why she had left him with that exact amount. Then she hit send, wondering if such a huge transaction would go through undetected.

  It went through without a hitch and a confirmation appeared on the screen. Kay was amazed. Were amounts that large not questioned when they were moved around? She was sure they would be in England. Perhaps that was not the case with Swiss bank accounts. There were all sorts of rich, not to mention corrupt, people using them to move around millions. Her six-figure sum probably wasn’t enough to even bat an electronic eyelid.

  The next thing to check was whether or not it had reached her account safely. Logging onto her own online banking through her mobile phone, she was delighted to see the full amount sitting in her current account. Mission accomplished!

  Relaxing for a moment, she felt a rumble in her stomach as her brain informed her she was hungry. Checking her watch, she discovered it was already past lunchtime. She had been at this for over three hours and she needed to eat. But before that she needed to memorise as much as possible of what she had seen if she was going to be able to use this information again in the future.

  She began with the Swiss bank account. It had a five-digit sort code and a twelve-digit account number. Over and over she spoke them out loud, as well as writing them down twenty times on a piece of paper. She remembered being told at school that this helped permanently etch a number into one’s brain.

  Next she memorised the dates of the transactions from the wine company into the account. She would need this information for what she had in mind. It was essential if Alan was to believe she knew everything when she came to confront him over it.

  Satisfied she had done all she could, she left his office, not bothering to cover her tracks behind her. There was no need. She headed downstairs, made herself a quick sandwich, then pulled on her coat and headed into town.

  She stopped at the cashpoint, drew out as much cash as she could and then, on a whim, made for the taxi rank. When she asked the taxi driver to take her to London, he couldn’t believe his luck. Such fares didn’t come up too often, she imagined.

  The taxi cost her £150 and he insisted on payment in advance, but she wasn’t bothered about the cost. She had achieved what she had come here to do today, and didn’t intend hanging around the house watching Bridget Jones’s Diary like she had first time round on Valentine’s Day. She was going to live the life of Riley instead.

  While she was in the taxi, she took great pleasure in texting Alan:

  You might want to check the balance of your secret account. Don’t worry, it hasn’t all gone. There’s enough left for you to get yourself an omelette next time you’re in Marbella.

  A few minutes later, her phone rang and his name flashed off. She could have answered, but found it more satisfying to simply press reject instead. Shortly after that she got a notification that had received a voicemail. She ignored that as well. Then the texts started coming, first anger, then pleading and bargaining. At this point she switched her phone off. Let him sweat.

  In London she headed straight for Oxford Street where she blew several hundred on a complete outfit for the evening. Then she headed for a swanky hotel in Mayfair. Paying for their best room upfront and leaving her credit card at reception, she pretty much had carte blanche to spend what she liked.

  She took full advantage of the hotel’s spa and beauty facilities. She had a massage from a very fit, young man, then a full makeover and a hairdo. By the evening, when she was ready to go out, she looked amazing, as she admired herself in the full-length red dress she had bought earlier. It also helped that, at this time, she still had all her own teeth.

  Kay knew that finding a restaurant to eat at on Valentine’s Day would be difficult, so she had an early dinner at the hotel and then headed out to Covent Garden. It was a place she had loved going to with friends in her youth, but had not had the chance to visit since getting married.

  It was just as vibrant and exciting as she remembered, and she was free to enjoy it as she pleased. It was quite mild for a February evening, and she did not feel in the slightest bit cold, even with only the light jacket she was wearing over her dress.

  She was surrounded by people enjoying themselves as she walked through the streets, revelling in the atmosphere. Finding a lively bar, she ordered herself a White Russian and sat down at the bar, feeling confident and happy. It was amazing what difference a change of scene and a little pampering could do. She was unrecognisable from the bedraggled hag who would be frequenting The Red Lion just a few months later.

  All evening, men came over to chat her up. They were not sad desperadoes like those she had taken home to her flat for joyless sex these past months, but well-groomed, intelligent, professional men.

  This all showed that she still had it. The attention was a massive ego booster for Kay. It had been one thing revelling in the joy of two days back in her teenage body, but here she was, in her forties, and she could still be a hot prospect if she put her mind to it. All she had to do in the future was look after herself properly and she could have a new lease of life. A new set of teeth would also come in handy. With the money that would hopefully be coming her way, that would be her first priority.

  Late in the evening, she met a man she felt a real affinity with. He was around her age and when they got chatting, she discovered he was local to where she lived. His name was Robert and he worked as a designer for a Grand Prix team based not far from Oxford. He was down in London for the official launch of his team’s new car for the forthcoming season.

  Kay was a lifelong fan of Formula One, so they had plenty to talk about. She was able to make very encouraging noises about his team’s prospects for the year ahead, knowing already that they were going to win both the driver’s and constructor’s championships.

  She enjoyed his company more than she had any man’s for a long time, with the possible exception of Kent. She knew that it could go no further, at least in this universe, but that didn’t rule out the possibility of seeing him again when she made it back to her own.

  Having made a solid investment in her financial future today, maybe here was a chance to make an investment of a personal nature. She needed to find out as much as she could about him, so she could look him up again in the future. He wouldn’t remember this meeting, but she was sure she could engineer another encounter.

  By the end of the evening she knew where he worked, where he lived, and where he liked to spend his free time. There was a slight element of stalking behaviour about what she was doing, but it could be forgiven under the circumstances.

  As far as tonight went, she had an ideal opportunity to take him for a test-dr
ive. Turning the conversation to personal matters, she made sure she asked him enough questions to ensure that he wasn’t married. She wasn’t making that mistake again. But when she asked him if he would like to come back to her hotel, she was in for a surprise.

  He politely declined the offer. That hadn’t been something she had been expecting. He explained he would prefer to get to know her better first and asked if they could meet up for a dinner date once they were back in Oxford.

  He wasn’t just brushing her off; she could see how keen he was to see her again. Perhaps for once, she had found herself a decent man. It made a refreshing change, as there didn’t seem to be many like him around these days.

  Being a gentleman, he escorted her back to her hotel and kissed her goodnight at the door, with a promise that they would see each other again soon. For this Robert, sadly, it would never happen. From Kay’s perspective, all she had to hope now was that the version of him in her own universe would still be available ten months later. He was a pretty decent catch and it would be no surprise if he got snapped up in the interim.

  Content with her day’s work, she drifted off to sleep in the luxurious surroundings of her penthouse suite, looking forward to the next day. If all went as planned, it was going to be a day to savour.

  Chapter Fifteen

  December 2018

  It was Christmas Eve, and Kay was back in front of the mirror, discussing her latest trip with the angel.

  “I’m impressed,” said the angel. “You’ve made excellent use of your time there in a way very few people doing this ever have. If I were a teacher I’d be giving you an A+. Now I’m looking forward to seeing how you use the knowledge you’ve gained.”

  “Well, keep watching,” replied Kay. “But haven’t you already delved into my thoughts to see what’s on the cards?”

  “I don’t read every thought,” replied the angel. “If I did that, it would be like watching a football match when I already knew the result. I could just as easily nip into the future to see what you do next, but haven’t done that either. I find this all a lot more entertaining if I avoid spoilers.”

  “Good, well, all I can say is enjoy,” replied Kay. “I’ve got some big plans lined up for today. And now I must get on, but before you go, there is one thing I need to ask.”

  “Ask away,” replied her younger image.

  “If I’m not here tomorrow, can you come and find me? By that I mean not in this flat, but somewhere else. I will make sure I am somewhere where there is a mirror.”

  “That’s not a problem,” said the angel. “I will see you then.”

  Left alone, Kay considered her options. She was due in work at 9am but took an executive decision to give it a miss. This was a risk. If her plans did not come to fruition, she could find herself worse off than before. Failing to turn up at work on a busy Christmas Eve was highly likely to be a sackable offence.

  No matter, she would have to take the gamble. There was no way she was waiting another day, not with McVie threatening to cut her electricity off. She also needed to act while the information was as fresh as possible in her mind. It might be a good idea if she got as much of it down on paper now as she could, as even a few hours could make all the difference.

  She rummaged in her bag, looking for a pen and something to write on. Finding a pen wasn’t a problem, but she ended up having to tear open an empty cigarette packet so she could write on the inside.

  She prayed her memory wouldn’t let her down. Thankfully it seemed that the repetitive action of writing down the numbers twenty times had worked. She was reasonably confident she had got the account number, sort code, and the dates the money had been transferred correct. This would surely be enough. Anything else she could remember on top of that would be a bonus.

  She checked her phone next, ensuring she had the home number of Alan’s boss, Nigel. Kay and Alan had had dinner with him and his wife a few times, requiring Kay to speak with her a few times to make the arrangements. She might need that number later, as it formed part of the slightly altered plan she had formed the previous afternoon.

  While she had been enjoying her massage in the hotel, Kay had thought in great detail about how best to utilise the information she had found. Her initial plan had been to replicate what she had done before and just transfer the money out of his account and into hers. However, the more she thought about this, the more she realised it wasn’t a very realistic or sensible option.

  Firstly, she had to be in the house to do it, as she couldn’t access the account without the passcode key he kept in his desk. And she couldn’t get in the house easily due to the changed locks. Potentially she could break in, it was still her house after all, but even if she managed to do all that undetected, then there was another pitfall.

  The money had clearly been fraudulently obtained, so transferring it all into her account was a bad idea. If Alan’s crimes were later exposed, she would look just as guilty as him. The money would be confiscated at the very least and in a worst-case scenario she could end up in prison. There was no way she was risking doing time for his crimes. Clearly, she couldn’t touch a penny of his dirty money.

  Shelving that idea, she soon began to formulate an alternative plan. It was audacious, but her successes to date had left her brimful of confidence.

  With a clear battle plan in place, she got ready quickly and headed out. Before she did so, she took the time to phone work to tell them she wasn’t coming in, claiming she had the flu. She was pretty sure they didn’t believe her, but she had to go through the motions, just in case today didn’t work out.

  If all went well, it wouldn’t matter. She wouldn’t need the job any longer and she still had her pay for the current month to come. Most of her wages would have gone to McVie for the rent she already owed and next month’s, but she had no intention whatsoever of giving him a penny of it. She wouldn’t be living there any longer after today.

  She walked briskly in the frosty air, taking a detour to avoid the town centre. As an added precaution, she put her hood up. She didn’t want to be seen by anyone from work, as they would be bound to grass her up.

  It had been several months since she had last visited her marital home and when she arrived she was dismayed to see the state of the garden. Her well-kept front lawn was scruffy and unkempt. The borders were messy and full of weeds. It was obvious no one had bothered with it since Kay had left.

  There were two cars on the drive: Alan’s company Mercedes, which she recognised, and a red Toyota which she didn’t. Presumably that belonged to Lucy. That meant they were probably both in, which pleased Kay. She would get double the satisfaction from dropping her bombshell on both of them at the same time.

  She walked up the path to the front door and rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, Lucy answered with a thick, navy dressing gown wrapped around her, ginger curls cascading around her shoulders. She was taken aback to see Kay and momentarily lost for words.

  “Is Alan in, please?” asked Kay, seizing the initiative.

  “Alan!” yelled Lucy. “It’s for you.”

  “Who is it?” called Alan, from the kitchen, over the sound of the radio.

  “You’d better come and see,” called Lucy, throwing a dirty look at their visitor. “Wait here,” she said to Kay, closing the door behind her.

  Lucy had looked somewhat uncomfortable, Kay thought. Good. Kay was probably the last person she had expected to see. You could never underestimate the element of surprise. On the few occasions the two of them had crossed paths previously, Lucy had been quite vile towards her. This morning, caught off guard, perhaps she would be vulnerable.

  The door opened and Alan appeared, wearing a dressing gown that matched Lucy’s. Unsurprisingly, he looked none too pleased to see her.

  “What are you doing here, Kay?” he snapped. “I told you to stay away.”

  “Season’s greetings to you, too,” said Kay, breezily. “I’m here because we have some things to discuss. Aren’t you
going to invite me in?”

  “No, I’m bloody not,” he replied. “Anything you want to say to me, you can say through my solicitor. Now if you don’t mind, it’s Christmas Eve and Lucy and I have got plans. Good day.”

  He went to close the door, but before he could, Kay said, “Just let me say five words, and if you don’t want to hear what I’ve got to say after you’ve heard them, I’ll go.”

  “Go on, then, five words,” said Alan. “And then you can clear off.”

  “Zurich Tiger Swiss bank account,” said Kay, taking her time over the words, emphasising each one in turn.

  She watched, delighted, as the colour drained from his face.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he blustered.

  “Oh I think you do. I know all about it,” said Kay. “I suppose you thought you were being clever, hiding it from me. Didn’t you?”

  “If such an account does exist, it’s my money,” he said defensively. “I earned it fair and square. So don’t even think about trying to get a cut in the divorce settlement.”

  “Fair and square, eh?” asked Kay. “You know I don’t think it’s just me that you’ve been hiding this account from, because I know where that money came from. Remember that deal you struck with that major vineyard in France? I know all about it. I think you’ve been a bit of a naughty boy, haven’t you?”

  Kay was enjoying this immensely.

  “Now, are you sure you don’t want to invite me in?” she added. “Is that coffee I can smell on the go?”

  “Whatever you think you know it’s all above board,” he said, clearly floundering with a look of guilt written all over his face. “You’ve got nothing on me.”

  “Well, if that’s the case, you won’t mind me ringing Nigel to confirm that,” she said, holding up her mobile phone. “Look, I’ve got his number on my phone right here.”

  She went as if to dial, but before she pressed the button he hurriedly said, “No, don’t do that. You’d better come in and we can talk about it.”