Up On The Roof - Sandra 63

 

[For a quick guide go here: Quick guide.]

[Old back story is here: Story so far at 30 Nov 2020 and other Sandra episodes especially this one.]

[Other back story through in-links.]

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“Good job Berkhamsted was cancelled,” said Bill, calling over to Sandra, but through his mask so no-one got too worried.

“I know, it would be just our luck to get mixed up in that, wouldn’t it?” said Sandra. 

“How you’d manage that by attending an event at our local depot is a bit beyond me,” said Janice.

“Even so, very worrying,” said Sandra. “Family in-fighting I heard.”

“Glad that’s not my family,” said Janice. “We sort stuff out with a stern talking to. Never yet needed to resort to guns.”

Bill’s eyes looked more than a bit surprised above his mask.

"Yet?" he said and then he returned to looking at his computer screen.

“So what are we going to do about it?” asked Sandra.

“Nothing,” said Janice. “That’s the thing about other people’s families - never ever get involved. You don’t know where it will lead.”

“I meant the works event,” said Sandra. “Are we rescheduling?”

“Yes,” said Bill, “We absolutely are. Only trouble is we don’t know when. If everything does die down - sorry, bad use of words - by mid-July I reckon we can do it in August. But then people might be on holiday.”

“People are always on holiday,” said Janice. “And last I heard the guy hadn’t died. Critical yes, but not completely dead. Yet.”

“Never a dull moment,” said Bill, returning to the series of phone calls he was making to try and find enough drivers for the rest of the week.

“Are you thinking of making an official announcement?” Janice asked Sandra. “I mean about our amazing event.”

“I wanted to do something with it, yes,” admitted Sandra. “Just not sure what. And pitching it as another event that’s been put off by Covid really isn’t going to sparkle across anyone’s editorial desk right now.”

“Maybe you do need to mix it with a bit of family infighting and gun-slinging after all,” speculated Janice.

Sandra’s phone went off and before she thought about it she’d answered it. It was Rob. Sandra had occasionally spoken to Rob over the past few weeks, but not much and generally not alone. Things had changed since she’d had his campervan towed and he seemed to have given up on the idea that they might actually have - or even be having - an affair.

“I need to speak with you,” said Rob.

“Right,” said Sandra. “Sounds like I’m not going to like it. But hold on a sec’.”

She got up and excused herself from the office and, following a rather involved one way system, tried to navigate to an outside space. However she gave up on this and ended up ducking into the emergency stairwell and going up on to the roof.

“You still there?” she asked.

“It’s about this Compeyson and Arthur thing,” said Rob.

“The phishing scam?”

“Yeah,” said Rob. “But it’s not phishing. They’re absolutely right. Eight years ago I started something - several things - that they’ve found out about. I’m not saying they were good but I am saying they were worth while in terms of finances. And no one we knew knew about them.”

“Until now?”

“Right,” said Rob. 

“What’s this to do with me?”

Rob paused.

“You know how these things work,” he said. “Or at least your technical wizard knows how they work.”

“Tamsin?”

“Right. And while I can do without the reputation that comes with this I do need the money. How else am I suppose to keep knocking through my house?”

Sandra’s mouth was getting drier. 

“So?"

"So I need it to look like it’s all over and done with even though it isn't."

"And why would I, and my technical wizard, do that?”

“For old times’ sake,” said Rob. “For those times when you liked the idea of having an affair with me. When you said you were willing to forget who I was married to.”

Sandra stared across at the rest of the industrial estate considering her options. It was true. There had been a time - a long time ago now - when she would have happily been with him, despite her sister. When she wanted to be with him and when she probably said so by text or something more concrete. Having been able to negotiate the affair into the background over the past year the last thing she wanted was to have it brought back to the surface. And having given Rob the active role she certainly didn't want to face the music now.

“So just to be straight here,” she said. “You’re using blackmail in order to preserve the fraud you want to commit?”

“Nicely put,” said Rob. “You ever thought of working in communications?”