Welcoming the Consequences – Bentley 7

[For back story see lower numbers in archive]

By the time he'd left answerphone message number twenty three, Bentley was running out of things to say. He'd started off by simply being incoherent in his rage, not making sense, just ringing up Darren's number and listing various term of abuse, speculative methods of modern and medieval torture and several wishes that nether Darren nor anyone else would want to come to pass. After a while he at least managed to string together an argument and almost a request for action from the man who had off-loaded his bank account to all but the final hundred and fifty pounds.

"I can still give you the benefit of the doubt," he said, surprising himself with his sudden conciliatory tone, "but you need to get in touch with me right now – and I mean as soon as you get this, because otherwise I warn you...  You won't like it."

And there was more than a chance that Darren wouldn't like it either. Bentley was not your average mug to be taken for a ride by chancers. Having spent days, weeks, months – even prior to lockdown – on his own in a room with a cat and a computer he knew how to use the technology to trawl the web for pretty much everything. This had started, of course, with some fantastic train pictures, but then, as his life lurched haphazardly, he'd used it to find other things. What his ex-wife, was up to, for example, where she was doing it and who she was doing it with.

As his geographic mobility narrowed, Bentley's global reach extended. It was a virtual, web powered reach, and it was effective. It was extensive and detailed and, since the man had time on his hands and the internet was the internet, it was essentially infinite.

That said Bentley was surprised and would still be surprised if Darren was not above board. Obviously he wasn't above board in his line of work, but he checked out fairly well for a private detective who would do whatever you needed him to do. It was a rather bold set up to use if the only end goal was to empty your target's bank account, after all there were endless easier phishing schemes that would do the job if that's all you wanted.

Bentley had found a private detective, but he could find more. He could find people who knew the back way into systems, people for whom passwords were open door policy, people who would take no end of pleasure in discovering a website's weakness and exploit it until the owner would leave the internet, kicking, screaming and begging for mercy. 

But while it was true Bentley knew these kinds of people he’d never never asked them to do anything and therefore they would be untested. But then that was all he had now. Untested fight back or stick with the bank and wait for weeks, sign the paperwork and then be told there was nothing that could be done.

So Bentley drafted an approach which would set the wheels in motion. An email that was ready to go if he needed it to. It was an initial enquiry, nothing specific. Just wondering, should the need occur, what would be the procedures, what would be the consequences? He realised he was already making some kind of fingerprint across the net and that his presence and actions would be noted, but lockdown or not you couldn't just sit there and do nothing.

And then Darren rang.

Darren played it straight, said he was already making great progress and there was nothing to worry about. Bentley said he was worried about where his money had gone. Up-front payment, said Darren, bank error said Darren and finally do you have any idea how much this kind of thing costs said Darren.

Bentley advised Darren that he did know what the price tag was like, adding that he also knew how much it would cost to close Darren down as well. Darren advised Bentley that he had a contract. The time for refunds was past and they were now on an unstoppable course. There would be no turning back.

“I know your ex-wife, your son, your granddaughter,” said Darren. “I know where they live and I’m going to find out what they do, where and how they do it. I know where you live. Leave me alone to do this and we'll get along fine. Come after me and I assure you you'll regret it."

Bentley hung up. Considered, and then pressed send on his enquiry email. Procedures and consequences. Bentley would welcome them, whatever they were, as long as he won.