This is the sixteenth part of a fiction serial, in 785 words. It may contain some swear-words.
A busy day for Alan.
Early the next morning, Alan was in a cab heading for the City of London. In his former life in London, he would have had no reason to enter the financial district, other than to commit a robbery. This time, his business was legal banking.
On a narrow side street in a somewhat unimpressive Victorian building, he entered a Private Bank. Not a bank with counters, cashiers, and ATM machines lining the walls, this was the kind of bank where you gave an account number to the receptionist, and she showed you to a comfortable chair while she made a phone call. Its head office was in Vaduz, the capital of tiny Lichtenstein, a European city that Alan had visited just once.
Five minutes later, he was in a comfortable office, watching as the professional middle-aged man in the chair behind the desk arranged transfers using a computer, and made phone calls on a speaker so his customer could hear the conversation. Twenty minutes later, a young woman entered the office and handed Alan a complimentary briefcase containing fifty thousand pounds. As well as the cash, he had transferred funds to a mainstream bank that he could access using his identity as Richard Alexander.
Ten minutes after that, he was in another cab, heading for Oxford Street. He walked into John Lewis, the department store where his father had once worked, and headed straight to the menswear department. He bought a heavyweight wool suit, navy blue with a pinstripe. Then added seven brand new white shirts, four assorted ties, and finished with a wool and cashmere overcoat in matching navy. In other sections, he bought underwear and socks, and a pair of strong black lace-up brogue shoes.
All transactions were made using Richard Alexander’s completely legal credit card.
Walking back in the direction of Tottenham Court Road carrying the shopping bags, he headed to the seedier end of the shopping street. One small shop that was little more than a booth sold phones and accessories. He stopped there, and ten minutes later had purchased a refurbished i-phone with charger, and a SIM card. The phone was unlocked and unregistered, and the SIM card was of the pay-as-you-go variety. He asked the young Indian guy to make the phone call to put one hundred pounds of credit on the SIM card, and handed over cash for all of it to the happy young man who said, “Have a nice day, sir”.
As he flagged down another cab, he wondered when saying that Americanism had become acceptable in London.
Gloria had convinced him to get the phone, worried that she wouldn’t be able to contact him when he was out. He knew he would have to make phone calls to Spain too, to speak to Chrissy and Rosa. At least the unregistered phone wouldn’t be traceable back to him.
The third cab of the day took him to a letting agent in East London. He told the sweaty man who ran the place that he needed a secure premises to use to store classic cars that he was buying and shipping over to America. He presented bank credentials in the name of Richard Alexander, as well as his passport to confirm his identity. The agent sensed money, and presented a pile of papers showing his flagship rental, a stand-alone warehouse on an industrial estate in Leyton. It had an alarm, and electric roller shutter doors. There was the added benefit of a staff bathroom, and separate office. He told Alan it was up for nine-fifty a month, six month minimum. When Alan didn’t reply, he said he was sure he could get it for eight hundred.
Letting his silence do the negotiating, Alan held the man’s gaze, lighting a cigarette without asking if smoking was allowed. By the time the man was mopping the sweat off of his head with a creased handkerchief, the counter offer was made. “Seven-fifty, to include all electricity. I will take it for six months, and pay you it all in advance now. Cash. You give me the alarm code and the keys, job done”. The man smiled and nodded, and Alan turned and removed four thousand five hundred pounds from the briefcase. Handing over the paperwork, code, and keys, the man extended a hand. “Pleasure to do business with you, Mister Alexander”. Alan ignored the sweaty mitt. “Can you phone me a cab from here? I doubt one will be passing. I will wait outside”.
He smoked two cigarettes before the minicab arrived. A fifteen year-old Mercedes diesel driven by an Arabic-looking bloke wearing a little white lace cap on his head.
Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
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Another great chapter Pete…lots of planning indeed
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Yes, you can’t risk rushing such things, John. Slow and steady, try to cover all the bases before you do the job.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I enjoy following him along his methodical ways. Even though he is a crook, I am beginning to admire him. You keep making me sympathetic to sociopaths!
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Everyone in the story (except Gloria) is a criminal, so it’s hard not to take the side of one of them. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I see your point. Sneaky.
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This is better than a James Bond movie, Pete.
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High praise indeed. Thank you, Jennie. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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You are very welcome, Pete. It’s all true. My best to you.
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Fully agree to Jennie’s comment. Now, you are also involving the little Liechtenstein. 😉 xx Michael
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Yes, a tax haven, and home to some private banks.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I am enjoying this serial your best one yet and the attention to detail is great I look forward to reading this serial…Have a great weekend Pete 🙂 xx
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Glad to hear that, Carol. Back to 14C and constant rain here, sadly. 😦
Best wishes, Pete. x
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Yes my friend told me…brilliant sunshine here most of our rain comes overnight which is the best way 🙂 x
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Alan’s a busy man! He sure knows how to take care of business! This is getting exciting, C
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Thanks, Cheryl. The ‘build-up’ continues! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Enjoying it more each day, Pete.
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Thanks for letting me know, Don. I appreciate you following the story.
Best wishes, Pete.
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I have to agree with some of the other commenters Pete. I do believe this might turn out to be one of your best serials yet. And I don’t even usually like this genre!
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I’m very happy to hear that, Kim. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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(1) I know that technically ATM stands for Automatic Teller Machine, but I’ve always claimed it stands for Access To Money.
(2) Bad citation: “A young woman, driving a forklift, delivered fifty thousand pounds (twenty-five tons) of lead to the office. Alan immediately began to calculate how many bullets he could manufacture with all that lead.”
(3a) Alan, upon walking into John Lewis: “Sorry, chap! I wasn’t looking where I was going! Are you okay?”
(3b) Did you hear the one about the priest who refused to shop in the men swear department?
(4) Bad citation: “Alan headed to the garden center at the seedier end of the shopping street.”
(5) Y’all ain’t got nothin’ agin Yankee-isms d’ya?
(6) Bad citation: “The third cab of the day took Alan to a letting agent in East London.The letting agent noticed that Mr. Alexander was letting his silence do the negotiating, and protested, “Let me do the letting, sir!”
(7) After Queen Isabella and Christopher Columbus had negotiated the terms of the flagship rental, thereby securing the Santa María for the voyage, Columbus, lusting after the queen’s beautiful daughter, asked, “Do you mind if I treat your niña to a pinta at the royal pub?”
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7) Excellent historical connection, David. 🙂
3a) https://www.johnlewis.com/our-shops/oxford-street/?source=ATLCampaign_LocalListing_29012019&y_source=1_OTQ4Mjk5OS03MTUtbG9jYXRpb24ud2Vic2l0ZQ%3D%3D
Best wishes, Pete.
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Take all the time you want with this tale. I look forward to it every day.
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Thanks very much, Geoff. It is going to be a longish serial. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Hmm, after all those years in Spain he still seems very assured….
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Like riding a bike, Sue. You never forget how to do it.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Can’t wait to see where this goes…
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It’s definitely going somewhere, Yeti. You can be sure of that. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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A place to store or keep the vehicles for the “diversion”? Warmest regards, Theo
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Yes, somewhere to store the vans, and then use to divide the loot later. That’s the plan. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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it is sure a interesting story to read
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Thanks, I am happy that you think so.
Best wishes, Pete.
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whoaa such abusy day for plans for a robbery
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Yes, he had a lot to do that day. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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Thi sis a great story.
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I am so pleased you think so, Lucinda.
Best wishes, Pete.
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This IS a great story Pete, it reads like a movie in my head.
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Thanks, FR. That’s the best compliment I could ever ask for. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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I’m enjoying this story, Pete. Reminds me of life in the East End, lol.
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Not much difference between Islington and the East End, I suppose. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
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About the same I think. Well, as it was then…
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