8- The Sunbed and a Margarita
8 – The Sunbed and a Margarita
Quite
clearly the way forward was do as the boss said. There was no question. He was
always right. Lucy Turnbull was not happy though. The system they were
installing as far as she was concerned was defective. It left them vulnerable.
They had significant value in clients’ funds that needed a very serious degree
of protection. The system should have a built in failsafe but didn’t. That
surely was a mistake
Lucy
had worked at the solicitors for a good number of years. The office manager.
Organising, arranging, dealing with the constant stream of contrary and sometimes abusive clients
that fell through the door every day. The practice was large with around twenty
six legals, that’s how she referred to them, covering a vast array of fields.
And all their support staff. They varied in competence. There were a few that
were just simply a pain in the arse. The legal side of their work was fine
after all she did not get involved in that. The administration though, that was
something else. And it was her job to stick it all together and keep it stuck
together. Regardless. In short they muck it up, she unmucks it. The result is
overwork.
She
gets into the office early. Very early. Every day. Way before anyone else. The
cleaners are still cleaning when she arrives. They have at least thirty minutes
to finish. That’s how early she is. The vacuum cleaner belting out it’s
irritating whine. Whizzing round her feet. So irritating. But she puts up with
it. They have a job to do and she needs every minute of the extra time. She
uses this time to work on the new system while no one is in the office who can
scupper her adjustments by pressing inappropriate buttons. When all the many
computers are silent.
Then
shortly before nine the chaos starts again. All those secretaries arrive
instantly fussing about this or demanding that. Everything that happens in that
office is urgent. Needed to be completed yesterday or even better one week
before the work started. But she is calm. The epitome of efficiency. She has that
rare ability of being able to iron out problems without even a blink of an eye. That is why she is so valuable to the practice. That is why she is so
trusted. That is why they are confident just to leave her in charge of all
those funds. The few millions of pounds that just simply linger, waiting for
the nod, the confirmation that completes the deal. The deal that is the
culmination of, in some cases, many months work involving copious amounts of
paper and an over abundance of words. Legal words. The text designed to
eliminate ambiguity. Those millions just sitting, waiting, tempting. All locked
within a system that has no failsafe. That is inherently vulnerable.
The
police arrive nine forty five on Tuesday morning. Mr Blackwood-Smith the practice
leader in attendance. It is he that has noticed the discrepancy. The two and
three quarter million pounds that has disappeared from the clients’ account. “How
is this possible?” he asks Lucy. She mentions the inadequate system but this of
course is not acceptable. Mr Blackwood-Smith is always right. Lucy is hauled
off to the police station to answer some very serious questions. Face accusations.
Her bank accounts are inspected. Her affairs scrutinised. The supposed secret
funds to be exposed. She is the prime suspect. In fact the only suspect. The
only person in the entire practice that has access to everything. So she is
charged and bailed waiting trial.
Three
months after Lucy committed the offence, on a beach in Mexico a young lady is
relaxing on a sun bed, in the sun, drinking a freshly made Margarita. She is
maybe twenty three and recently graduated from university with a double first.
She is well off. Quite rich in fact. She is very happy. She is very happy in
particular to be away from that awful cleaning job. Having to manoeuvre around
that miserable lady who always arrived early. The lady who dismissed the
cleaners as a nuisance. Was indiscreet. Logged on and navigated her computer in
full view of the young computer technology student in charge of the vacuum
cleaner.
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