The Lottery Ticket

by Michael D Goodman

  Sandra White was a little concerned as to why the police were taking such an interest in her husband. After all he had not been in trouble with the law since his spell in prison some five years before, or so she thought. Little things were however ticking over in her mind such as the late nights and the phone calls he made before leaving home suddenly.

  She began to wonder where he had been for the past few days. Her thoughts began to question whether he had come home over the last couple of nights at all. As this question was mulling around in her head she thought back to this morning when she had let the policeman into the house on the assumption that Roger was there.

  “What if he wasn’t”? She said out loud as she dusted the living room of the old ladies bungalow. She decided that before moving on to her next job she would go home and check that everything was alright and see if indeed Roger was home.

  As she peddled towards home she could not stop her mind thinking of the words her mother had said when she told her that she intended to marry Roger.

  “You’ll regret it my girl, he’s a bad ‘un you know. He’ll bring you nothing but trouble you mark my words”.

  When she first met Roger she was smitten by him. He was always surrounded by other boys and girls almost threw themselves at him. She also knew he had had several brushes with the law. None of this deterred her from becoming his regular girlfriend. Although he seldom worked he would always have money to take her to posh restaurants and to the pictures or the weekend dances.

  After they were married things began to change and his friends became more important and he would neglect her at the expense of those friends. He began to forget meaningful dates, birthdays, anniversaries and the like. He did change for the better for a while at least after the girls were born but then slipped back to his usual ways.

  The stint in prison was yet another turning point in their relationships demise. It was almost as if he blamed her even though she could do nothing to save him. She knew by then that nothing that she could do would repair the massive break in their marriage. For all intense and purpose it had become a marriage of convenience. She was sure it was at his convenience as she was constantly subbing him but never being paid back when she knew he was flush.

  When she reached home she saw that the car the officer had arrived in earlier was parked out the front again. “Surely he hasn’t been talking to Roger all this time”? Normally if the police were speaking to him it would be at length at the station not in his home.

  Williams saw her coming up the road and gave a massive sigh of relief as he had already been waiting some time and thought that he might have an even longer wait before someone returned. He stepped out of the car and made his way to the path.

  “Have you only just finished talking to Roger, Constable”, she asked, putting her previous thoughts into words.

  “He wasn’t in Mrs White and so after making sure the place was secure I left soon after you let me in”, he lied.

  “Why are you back”? Sandra asked in panic at the thought that Roger had been up to his old tricks.

  Little was she aware that Roger had never really stopped his old tricks.

  “I have been sent to pick up some items of clothing of your husband’s Mrs White”, Williams informed her.

  “What do you want with his clothes? She replied.

  “We would like to eliminate your husband from our inquiries into a spate of robberies in the town. We have arrested three of his known associates and we need the clothes for forensics to look at. If you wish we can get a search warrant and do it officially. This way it saves time”, he continued

  “You had better come in”, Sandra said as the thought of him getting into trouble again began to sink in along with the repercussions this would have on the girls, if indeed he had broken the law. Last time he went inside the children were much younger and the pressures weren’t so great but now they were older and their peers may not be quite so restrained.

  At least Julie had her friend Mandy who would help her through the worst at school. She was more concerned for the well being of her youngest daughter and what she might have to face.

  Deep in her thoughts she did not hear the question that Williams had asked.

  “Sorry, what did you say”? She asked as she put the key in the door.

  “I said, Can you tell me where your husband was on Saturday evening?

  “Well as a matter of fact he was at home that night. I know for certain that he was, because I remember I wanted to watch a program on the telly but couldn’t because he was in the room watching his beloved football or something”, she replied with some relief, thinking perhaps her previous thoughts and concerns were ill founded this time.

  “Wait there while I pop up stairs”, she ordered the constable. “Is it anything in particular that you want”? She asked.

  “A couple of items will do, perhaps a coat and a pair of trousers will do, thank you”, Williams answered.

  Sandra rummaged through the untidy wardrobe and found the items she needed. Williams was standing at the bottom of the stairs waiting. As she handed him the items he had one more question for her.

  “Do you know where your husband might be right now”? Williams inquired.

  “I haven’t a clue, he comes and goes as he pleases and has done so most of our married life”, Sandra replied with venom in her voice as she thought of the life he had reduced her to. “His van is not out front so I guess he must still be out, in fact I haven’t seen the van for several days, you don’t think something has happened to him, an accident or something maybe”?

  Williams assured her that he would make inquiries when he returned to the station and let her know if anything came up. He went back to his vehicle and sat and watched as Sandra White cycled off to continue her work. He wondered to himself what makes women get involved with no-hopers like White.

  Back at the office he dropped the items of clothing on Davis’s desk.

  “Good work, Williams, did you have any problems getting them”?

  “Considering the man she is married to she comes across as a really decent person and no, I didn’t have any problems. She said she had no idea where her husband was and would I check if he has maybe had an accident and is lying in some hospital somewhere, I said I would, is that ok Sarge”?

  Davis was not intent on letting Williams in on what information he had at this moment but he was touched by his concern for Mrs White. He too felt she had been dealt a bad hand and that she deserved better. He deceived his colleague into believing he had already checked the hospitals and assured him that he was not registered in any close by.

  “Go and get yourself a coffee and a bite to eat, you’ve earned it”, Davis told him.

  His main reason for wanting him out of the office was to give him time to put the jacket he had stored in the bag with the other items ready for Williams to take down to the lab.

  Everything was working to his master plan. He could not believe he would soon be getting his revenge on Mr ‘Clever Dick’ White for thinking he had got the better of him. He considered White as a small time crook who thought he was better than his station in life.

  He sat in his chair with his feet outstretched and his hands on his head as he contemplated White’s arrest. The net was tightening, he thought as the smile on his face broadened.

  Just then the phone on his desk jump into life. After listening for some time to the person on the other end of the line, he replied that the situation was coming to the crunch and could they possible stick it out for just a bit longer. Whoever it was he knew he had them on his side and that they would stay on the job as long as was necessary to see the job completed.

  Chapter 13

  A Tested Friendship

  Mandy and her friend Julie met at school and in town to discuss the robbery with the purpose of trying to solve
it. This was not very easy as they were short on clues. They had become aware that three men had been arrested and were considered to be members of the gang who were responsible for a number of break-ins in the town.

  What Julie could not reveal to her friend Mandy was that she had over heard her father speaking to men with these names on the phone on numerous occasions. She tried to put the thought out of her mind that her father could possibly be involved in such a crime and especially as he knew that Mandy was her friend.

  What was also going through her mind was that she might have been the one to give her dad the information about her friend’s holiday. Try as she might to convince herself that her father was not involved in the break-ins she continued to have doubts.

  If it was proved that her dad had been involved with the gang responsible for the spate of robberies what would be the reaction of her friend to this revealing information. Surely that would be the end of their friendship. Her friend would never forgive her for being the one who gave away the vital information that rose to the opportunity of the robbery.

  After one of their meetings Julie decided that she would not continue with the investigations and told Mandy that it was because they were not getting anywhere. She could not bring herself to tell her friend of her suspicions. All the information they had received came second hand from the visits by the police to Mandy’s parents. That is until Julie had been told by her mother that the police had been round and were looking for her father.

  Julie had also told both of the girls that she believed that Roger had left her. Neither of the girls could believe he would do this and asked why their mother believed this to be so. She explained that their marriage had been a farce for some time and that their marriage was effectively over some time back. As he had been missing for some time now and the only clue that he ever lived with them was the wardrobe of scruffy clothes that remained. The van had gone and that was very unusual.

  Even though Julie’s relationship with her father was very limited she at least had a father unlike some of the other kids at school. She had always felt sorry for them. All the information she was getting from different sources was beginning to make her more certain that her father was involved with the burglary gang.

  This resulted in her nights of crying for many reasons. Her friendships at school would end, Mandy would never want anything to do with her and now she was in the same boat as those fatherless children she once felt sorry for.

  She felt helpless to change the situation and could only find solace in the fact that she would still have her sister and her mother to lean on for support when the whole story broke.

  The police had been to the house almost daily to see if Roger had returned with the assurance from Sandra that he had not been anywhere near and that the last time she had seen him was on the Saturday night as she had already told D.C. Williams.

  She had assured them that if he did show his face, that he would be told that he was no longer welcome here. She too was beginning to believe that he was involved in some sort of crime and that if he was caught she would do nothing to help him. She owed him nothing and now she would give him nothing.

  Sergeant Davis returned to the Campbell’s house to give them some startling news about the coat button he had supposedly found in their garden. He had proof that the forth person involved in the robbery was a Roger White and that it would not be long before he would be arrested.

  What surprised them even more was the answer given to when their goods would be returned. Davis told them that at this point in time they had no information on the possible whereabouts of their goods. He was not about to reveal that they had been fenced by him and that there was no chance of them being returned.

  When Mandy was told of the imminent arrest of a Mr Roger White for the break-in by her parents she was horrified. “Was this the same Roger White who was Julie’s dad”? She thought to herself.

  What should she do? Her best friend’s dad had robbed them not only of their possessions but of the winning lottery ticket that would have made them a fortune and changed their lives forever. She would seek the advice of her mother before doing anything. This she always did when faced with difficult dilemma.

  Jennifer, although very upset at the news that someone they knew of had broken into their home, was pointing out to Mandy that her friend could not be blamed for what had happened and that she was not her father’s keeper.

  Mandy needed to talk to her friend and find out why she had not told her what she knew. Her mother suggested she might ask herself that question if she found herself in the same situation. In consideration of what her mother had said Mandy decided not to ring Julie but to wait until the next day and talk to her at school.

  The air between them could be cut with a knife as Mandy and Julie met the following day. Julie knew from her friend’s demeanour that she was aware of the possible involvement of her father in the robbery of her best friend’s house. He had put their friendship in jeopardy.

  Julie did not know what to expect when they met in the school playground. She needn’t have worried. Mandy threw her arms around Julie and they both broke into tears. The atmosphere was so intense that both girls were sobbing for each other.

  Once composure was restored it fell to Mandy to update Julie on what the policeman had told them. Julie explained that although she suspected her dad it was not easy to come to terms with the knowledge and very difficult to explain what she had suspected to someone she had grown very close to

  Mandy said that although she was angry with Julie’s dad she did not blame Julie and that there future friendship would not end. To this generous gesture Julie could only reply through tear filled eyes that she could not have a better friend than Mandy.

  Chapter 14

  The Arrest

  Roger and Elizabeth had moved into the mansion and although Elizabeth seemed distant and preoccupied she tried to hide this from Roger. He thought that it might be the sudden change in lifestyle and that she would soon get used to living the high life.

  His break from his past seemed to give him a new lease of life and he became interested in acting out the role of lord of the manor. Since the purchase of the house he had severed all ties with his passed and Sandra and the girls were becoming a distant memory. He felt no remorse at leaving his old life behind.

  His family meant nothing to him and he cared little for the rest of his mates as they were facing what may turn out to be a lengthy jail sentence. He congratulated himself on the fact that he had got the better of Sergeant Davis and he knew this would anger him.

  A number of months had now passed and he was beginning to become complacent about his past. He thought that as he had changed his identity to that of a man of wealth he would be safe and so started to mix with the local inhabitants of the near by village of Four Oaks.

  In his attempt to play the part of the ‘Lord of the Manor’ he had decided that he would put on a lavish party and invite the villagers to the house for a cocktail party. This would test his new identity and he could show off his new acquisition to the locals.

  As Elizabeth was still in contact with her previous employer Roger asked her if they would be prepared to look after all the arrangements.

  “I will need to ask them, but I’m sure they would be happy to do it “, Elizabeth replied.

  “No expense spared, I want this to be the party everyone will remember. I want a band and the best food and plenty of drinks” Roger ordered.

  “I will get on to it right away”, assured Elizabeth.

  Roger was pleased that at last he had found something that had bought Lizzy out of he seemingly preoccupied state. The thought that she would be seeing her friends again had given her a new lease of life. She showed signs of her old self he thought.

  Elizabeth soon organised the arrangements and the date was set. Invitations were sent out and
the response was excellent. Most of the replies were acceptances. Both Roger and Elizabeth were looking forward to the big day.

  The caterers had put on the perfect spread. It was fit for a Queen, thought Roger and he complimented Elizabeth on her handling of every little detail.

  The band was big enough to be called an orchestra. All were dressed in evening wear and looked brilliant sitting in front of the red velvet curtains that acted as a back drop.

  The lounge had been turned into a ballroom for the event and the dinning room became the banqueting hall. Nothing had been overlooked. Even the detail of announcing the guests as they arrived had been taken care of.

  All was set and all that was left to do was for Roger and Elizabeth to get themselves ready to meet the guests as they arrived. There would be nearly a hundred people in the house if they all turned up.

  “You have done a marvellous job of organising this party Elizabeth; nothing has been left to chance. You have done me proud. I can’t thank you enough”, Roger praised.

  “I can’t think of a better way of letting the locals see you as a generous person and I’m sure they will want to see this party right to the end”, replied Elizabeth.

  Roger was a little surprised by this comment but his thoughts of grandeur soon overtook his doubts. This was going to be the highlight of the local calendar year and if this one turned out to be successful he might make it into an annual event.

  Roger had bought Elizabeth a stunning dress for the occation and an evening suit for himself. Elizabeth looked stunning and Roger was breathless as he took in the beauty that stood before him. What he was finding difficult however was the uncomfortable feeling of the suit and the bow tie he was wearing. He had never worn anything as smart as this and he fidgeted for some time before feeling almost satisfied that he would pass off as the host.

  In less than an hour all the guests had arrived and the band was playing background music as Roger and Elizabeth mingled with the guests.