Islamic State: England

by John Morris

“Yes Dan. I thought we could spend the night here. One of the pubs serves good food, and I fancied a drink before eating.”

  “That suits me fine, I have a lot to tell you, say thirty minutes at your place.”

  Dan slid his tablet into a brief case. “Sorry Alison, I must dash, is there anything you need?”

  “No, I’ll be fine, go.”

  “What about days off, this is Friday?”

  “You must be joking. I’m working through, there’s so much to do. Later I’ll take a few days … I’ll need a long weekend, I’ve been invited to a friend’s wedding. I’m a bridesmaid. My first time, so I can’t miss it. The hen night begins on Thursday. You agree?

  “Now don’t keep the lady waiting, Dan. Ba-byeee.”

  Chapter 18 ~ Land Registry

  Dan and Felicity enjoyed a lovely evening, and on the walk back to her home, he pointed out the house he had put his name on.

  “But Dan, you can’t just go and claim ownership of a property.”

  “It seems you can, if it doesn’t belong to anyone. It was tithed to the old tannery, and looks as though it’s been derelict for years.”

  “Yes it has, but still.”

  “Percy took the house two doors down, apparently they always wanted to buy it, but couldn’t find the owner. That’s because there wasn’t one.”

  “Let’s check them out in the morning. Time for a nightcap.”

  They returned in daylight, checking out what Dan had put his names to. The roof and brickwork were solid, if pointing required in places. Dan’s house needed a chimney rebuilding. There were broken windowpanes, but otherwise, apart from the garden being overgrown, the houses were structurally solid. Dan looked for a window to force open, only to find Felicity entering through the rear door. She held up a key. “I found this under a plant pot on the rear patio.”

  She opened the front door, gave him the key, and they made a tour. The place was fully furnished, but things like mattresses and fabric chairs would need to be renewed. The rear garden seemed more like a field, and there was a strange workshop, but no garage.

  Felicity threw her hands over her head and twirled. “I love this place Dan, it’s massive. It has six bedrooms, although the box room could be turned into an en suite bathroom. Downstairs are a library, dining room, sitting room, and sunroom. The kitchen is massive, and off it lie a pantry and a scullery. There’s even a cellar.”

  “The garden looks enormous, and look, there’s an orchard, also massive. It’s going to take a lot of work to fight back the jungle it’s become.” Felicity chucked a stick at him.

  Locking up, they went to see the house Percy had hopefully acquired. They were not surprised to find him agog inside. “Percy, how’s it looking?”

  “The house is in quite good shape overall. There’s some tiles to replace, and windows to fix, and that’s about it. I can’t believe it.”

  “You told the misses yet?”

  “No, I daren’t. What if the deal doesn’t go through, there’d be hell on. If it does, then we got four bedrooms, three reception rooms, and a … What do we call it? … massive kitchen. Be too big for us, but nice to be lord of the manor. I s’pose we could treat the ground floor as a bungalow in our dotage. The grandkids could stay upstairs.”

  They chatted a while before Dan returned with Felicity to her home. “There may be others similar, you should check around.”

  “Thanks Dan, I’ll do that, but I like your place the best. Strange, but it felt like home. Mind you, there’s one hell of a lot of work to do on it.”

  Felicity started a pot of coffee when they got back, and asked Dan what his plans were for the day. “I’ll need to get back and work with Alison. We’re making great progress. Oh, and I’ll be in London on Monday. I’ll drive down Sunday afternoon.”

  “Good, I’ll be over having Sunday lunch with my parents, as usual. Now, answer me one question. Are we a couple?”

  “Yes of course. I love being with you.”

  “Good, correct answer. So Danforth Glover, you are taking the day off, spending it with me, and we are going to Norwich to do ‘couples things’.”

  Dan began to protest, mentioning all the work they had to do. Felicity said, “Give me your mobile, unlocked.”

  Dan warily handed it over. Felicity scanned the numbers and dialled, putting it on speaker. “Hello Alison, this is Felicity. Dan wants to take me out for the day, do you need him for anything? You are on speaker, and he is listening.”

  “No, not at all. I have a mountain of work to do, and if he is here, he’ll only give me more. Make it several days, and I’ll be happy.”

  “Done. He’ll be back on Monday. Thanks Alison. Ciao.”

  She cut the call and handed Dan his mobile back. “Looks like you are taking the weekend off. Today we go shopping for clothes, and then lunch. I’ll be ready in twenty minutes. See to the coffees.”

  “But, but…” Dan had already lost, and muttered under his breath. He hated shopping, and knew women took ages. He poured the coffee, and resigned himself to his fate.

  The day passed extremely quickly. Dan enjoyed her company, and her no-nonsense approach to shopping. She needed shoes, skirt, and blouse, and made quick decisions, unlike every other female he had met. He even began to enjoy window shopping with her, especially when she saw a jacket that would suit him perfectly. Even Dan liked it, although it was not his usual style.

  Later, the situations reversed. “Felicity, you would look stunning in that dress. Come, try it on.”

  She gawped at the price, and said, “I’ll never wear it, it’s for posh do’s.”

  “Well, I wear a tuxedo and bow tie occasionally, and next time I do, I would like you to be wearing that dress.”

  She tried the dress on, and it fitted perfectly. She looked at herself in the mirror and said, “Wow!”

  Dan bought the dress for her, plus shoes and a clutch bag to match. It was fun, as again she scanned and chose quickly. They had luncheon at a classy café, and in the afternoon, visited local buildings of interest, walked in the park, and discovered a small fun fair offering rides and amusements. He bought candyfloss, and they behaved like children.

  Their evening meal was Italian, and much enjoyed. Later they took in a show. Dan said, “Let’s spend the night here, look, there’s a hotel over there that seems okay. We can get some late drinks, a club if you fancy, and in the morning you can head off to your parents, I’ll find my own way home.”

  A small argument ensued, but Dan got his way, and Felicity had to choose what they did next. Just then her phone rang, it was the duty sergeant. “Sorry Ma’am. There was a jewellery heist at the new supermarket come plaza a few minutes ago. One of the security guards was shot. I’ll need you to attend.”

  “Of course, I’m on my way. I’m in Norwich, but will be there as quickly as I can.”

  “Oh, in that case Ma’am, stay there. We’ll need a preliminary statement from the security guard, and he is en route to Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.”

  “Why not Wymondham, it’s much closer?”

  “Because of the gunshot Ma’am. It is potentially life-threatening, but the initial prognosis was good.”

  “Good. I’m on my way, and will get what I can. I’ll be on the scene later. What about the thieves?”

  “Car chase in progress. Other units are closing in. We should trap them on Valley Road, Ma’am.”

  “Good, inform me as soon as anything results. Ciao.”

  She turned to look at Dan. “Sorry.”

  He stood tall, and held her firmly. Looking her in the eye he stated, “No problem. This is what we do. Go and do your job, and I will be there in the background, supporting you. I’ll hail a cab to get us back to your car.” He put two fingers in his mouth and whistled. “Taxi!”

  Sometime later, they arrived at the hospital main A & E entrance. Dan said, “Go, see this man. I’ll park the car and wait for you, but call me if you need assistance. You won’t.”


  “Okay. Buy a ticket. The car park is Pay and Display, and they’re like vultures.”

  Once parked, Dan locked the doors, settled back to rest his eyes, and linger upon the delights of the day, which were many. He could not believe how one girl could have changed his outlook on life so much, and in such a short time. He had to admit, Felicity Wigglesworth was ‘a keeper’.

  To distract himself, Dan rang Alison, who was still working. They chatted about work, but Alison kept trying to prise nuggets of information about his date. She got little information. “Hold on Dan, I got something coming through. Stay on the line.”

  Dan bided his time, and could hear the keyboard clicking in the background. He was about to ask her to call back, when she said, “Got them at last. These are tricky fish to net.

  “From what I just got, the directors only use one firm of lawyers, who have a conveyance and soliciting arm. You’ll love the name, Ali Brothers. One of the initials are a match for the one main director of all these companies, and the other two are qualified in law. I’ll get confirmation of full names later, the search is already in progress.”

  “That’s excellent work, Alison. I’ll leave you to it. Did you mean what you said earlier?”

  “No silly, although you do give me a lot of work to do. Look, when a girlfriend asks her boyfriend to take her out for the day, the boyfriend does his duty. Otherwise, he is just a male friend. It went well?”

  “Brilliant, and that’s all I’m saying. Alison, get some sleep, goodnight.”

  When Felicity reappeared, Dan went over to pick her up, and drove her back to Lower Meddlington. She spent much of the journey on her mobile, but did say, “I got a few minutes with the guy. He should pull through. I had to be tough with the doctors, but the information I got is priceless. He shot footage on his mobile, which I have taken into evidence. I let his family know, but will need to visit them personally tomorrow morning. We also caught the thieves, and got the jewellery back. It’s been a good result so far, but I doubt I will get any sleep. A perk of the job I guess. You okay?”

  “Fine, no problem. I checked on Alison, and she’s a wonder. She unlocked a key piece of information I will need to use on Monday. I’m in London, remember. Anyway, what I mean to say is, that this is annoying, but I understand. We both have difficult jobs to do, ones that call on us to do things at a moment’s notice. I respect you for that. Now get back to work, and I’ll get you there.”

  Dan stayed with Felicity at the crime scene, until it was sealed off for forensics only. They went to bed late, and got up late.

  Dan was early for dinner in London with the Director. He had been to the club twice before. It was discreet, and welcomed the confidential exchange of information, something they both shared in full measure.

  Before that evening, Dan had always found the Director to be predisposed to him, but bossy, nosey, and into everything. When they parted, they did so as friends, he understanding the why of it.

  Dan woke at six and worked out in a corner of his apartment he had made into a gym. He showered, ordered his thoughts, and packed his briefcase with documentation he could use as weapons, if need be. Alison sent him the last. He called Percy. “How’s your wife?”

  “A little better, so I will be back at work today.”

  “Good. I’m in London and will be back later. Don’t action anything we talked about yet, as things could change. “

  Dan was waiting in the foyer when the director’s car arrived.

  He got in the back. “Good morning Dan, I hope you slept well. Good to be back in the smog, eh. Now, run me through the all of this again, from the beginning, and we’ll hone our plan.”

  Dan and the Director talked about work for most of the trip, although she was interrupted several times concerning other matters. Just before they entered Croydon, she asked, “So how’s it going with your latest girlfriend. I hear you were up late on Saturday night.”

  Dan was taken aback, but the Director continued, “You’ve been seeing her for a while now, so we checked her out. She has passed all our tests and checks. So Dan, as a mother to her son, if you want this woman, go for her. Otherwise my lips are sealed.”

  “Thank you Ma’am. And Alison’s?”

  “Why yes of course, although my information did not come from her. If your operation blossoms, as I believe it will, I’ll need to put a Commander in charge. You have the credentials, but have not passed the course. I have arranged for you to be on one, all of next week. If you want to be promoted, you will attend.”

  “But Ma’am...”

  “Stop. I need you to pass this course, no ifs, ands, or buts. Understood? I need you to officially step up to the next level.

  “Now, regards this morning, this is how we will play this game. I will introduce. You lay out our needs in this order and be forceful... You will add detail and I will sit back, watching the man, looking for his tell, as the Americans say.

  “Once we reach a certain point, I will ask you to step outside and then lay the law down so he understands. When we enter, set your mobile to voice recording. I have one also, but damn, these modern smart phones are much better at it. Leave the phone behind when you leave the room, and don’t switch voice recording off until we are back here.

  “Ah, we are here. Thank you Geoffrey. Please pull over there. Dan, are you ready to go on?”

  “Yes Ma’am. Let’s do this.”

  The director of Her Majesty’s Land Registry was officious at first, bordering upon disrespectful. Dan’s boss had a calming way about her, and eased the man into what they needed to discuss.

  He admitted, “These ancient tithe properties are a real nightmare for us. It is difficult to prove continuity of ownership. Most applications are accepted and registered, because the company, church, or school that held the tithe, went bankrupt a century before, or ceased to exist.”

  Dan took over. “This is our problem, Sir, and I am looking for a speedy resolution…”

  He laid out what was happening to the villages in and around Lower Meddlington, in detail. He asked for a check on the property development company, Anglo-Asian Holdings. There was a pause as staff generated data.

  Once completed, the real questioning began. “What is your stance on tithe property in this area?”

  “If the tithe is either defunct, as in a business gone bankrupt, or, a super-farm has sold title to a property developer, then we register the property to the new owner. It is all above board.”

  “I disagree. Take Wymondham. These properties, entire villages, were bought by Anglo-Asian Holdings, and you gave them a transfer of ownership documents. Care to explain?”

  “I assure you, we initiate most thorough checks in all instances. Barring a counter claim, the Title is passed on to new ownership. In rural areas, this is often supported by local councils and charity organisations. There remains a need for new housing to meet government targets, and these properties lie empty. Derelict.”

  “We need to know the details of these transfers of ownership. I also know that wards and parishes of Wymondham have been taken over by Muslim families.”

  “Ah. Those would be immigrant resettling projects run by local councils. Charities are involved also. There is nothing here.”

  “And what of British families in situ for centuries, being turfed out of their own homes, because of Mohammad, Ali, and Hussein.”

  “Regards forcibly removing existing tenants from their homes, that is impossible.”

  “No. It has already happened. Here is the name of their legal scammers.” Dan placed a piece of paper face down on the desk, and asked the director to check. It took a while, but the results were a perfect match.

  The bureaucrat looked at the paper, and then eyed Dan. “You mean, we have been conned?”

  “I believe so sir.”

  Dan’s Director spoke at that moment. “Dan, please excuse us for one moment, I need a word in private with the director.”

  A few minutes later she reappeared,
the director of Land Registry effusive with support. “Here’s your phone, Dan. Don’t forget it next time, I may need to call you.”

  “Yes Ma’am. My mistake,” he smiled courteously.

  Chapter 19 ~ Peterborough

  The Director dropped Dan at his apartment. “Well played in there. I got fast-track approval for all your local catchment area villages, and villagers, on proof of electoral roll registration.

  “Your next appointment is for two o’clock at Peterborough office. That’s the local branch that deals with East Anglia. Press them hard, but gently, the way I do.”

  “I understand, Ma’am.”

  “I’ll be sending Alison to you with related facts and figures. I want no mistakes on this, Dan.”

  “Neither do I. Do I really have to do this course next week?”

  “Only if you want to remain in command of this project.

  “Oh, you requested more drones for your home station. You should have thought of that sooner. Tim will drop them by within the hour. Until next time.”

  “Ma’am.”

  Back at his flat, Dan spent a few minutes throwing perishables into a bin liner, wondering if he should invite Felicity down to London the next weekend, but then, she always seemed to be on call.

  He rang her, and was informed, “Dan, you are invited for Sunday lunch. My mother wishes to meet you. What can I say? She wants to inspect you, judge if you are a suitable husband … yes, I know it’s so silly, but then, that’s my mother for you. She has my best interests at heart.”

  “Damn!––I mean great. Okay, we can do this. I guess we need to do this, girlfriend. I’m, sitting here on my lonesome, in my London pad, wondering if I should invite you down here for a night, a weekend on the town, but you’re always on call.”

  “Not always. It can be arranged in a fortnight. Yes, that sounds good. I love London.”

  “I hate it, but know my way around. You okay?”

  “Yes, we got the thieves’ statements, but reports due from here until Christmas. The guard is off critical, and should pull through. I need my space tonight. I got the painters in, thank God!”