with the money?’
‘Exactly.’
‘What did you do?’
‘I spoke to Jennifer about it.’
‘Not Mr Briggs?’
‘No. I thought it was more appropriate to go to her first. She was the company accountant.’
‘What did she say?’
‘She took me out for lunch.’
‘Lunch?’ Murdoch had some nerve, I thought.
‘Away from other people listening. She wanted to do it privately. She told me she had a problem with one of her assistants.’
‘Sonia Bray?’ I asked.
‘I don’t know, I didn’t ask.’
I told her to carry on.
‘This assistant had been cashing the cheques and taking the money but she’d only just found out about it. Jennifer said she’d been having some personal problems, stuff with her husband, that kind of thing. So she’d taken her eye off the ball, so to speak. She’d never opened up to me before, so I was flattered she was telling me, I suppose.’
‘What was the problem with her husband?’
‘Money problems, arguing, the usual kind of stuff. She confessed to me that she wasn’t really doing a good enough job and she’d let this assistant get away with it.’
‘And you believed her?’
Buckle didn’t answer.
‘You know what it sounds like, don’t you? Why didn’t you report the matter to Mr Briggs or your manager? Surely you had a responsibility to do that?’ She was upset, but I had little sympathy.
‘She asked me for some time, so she could sort it out. The next day she said she could get just under £10,000 back, about half the amount. She said she’d sacked the assistant, so it wouldn’t happen again.’
‘And you accepted that?’
Buckle was barely whispering. ‘She offered me half of the money to not mention it to Briggs.’
I was trying to process the information. ‘Why would she do that?’
‘Because she said Briggs would sack her if he found out.’
‘But she wasn’t doing her job properly?’
Buckle shook her head but offered nothing further.
‘If it had been her assistant, she didn’t really have to worry too much, surely? You went along with her story, despite knowing it wasn’t true. It doesn’t make sense. You let someone else take the blame. Why would you take the money? You’ve got a good job.’ I shook my head. ‘You’re a qualified accountant; you could lose your qualification, couldn’t you?’
‘I needed the money.’
‘Sorry?’
‘I needed the money. Me and my husband had bought a house, just before the property collapse. Our mortgage deal was about to end, he’d lost his job as a builder and we were struggling. Jennifer offered me a way out. I didn’t question it. I suppose I just heard what I wanted to from her.’ She sat up straight and held my stare. ‘We all have money problems, don’t we? I might be lucky enough to have a good job but it’s expensive just getting by.’
I thought about Sonia Bray. She’d carried the can for Murdoch and had been taken advantage of.
‘Why did Jennifer need the money?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘I think you do. Even if you were complicit in her deception, you must have wanted to know why. You were putting yourself on the line.’
I watched her stand and pace around the room. She was biting at her fingernails. ‘What are you going to do?’
‘How do you mean?’
‘Are you going to tell Mr Capebourne? If he finds out, he’ll sack me. I’ll lose my job, my qualification, everything.’
I stood up. ‘I need to know why Jennifer needed the money.’
‘She was gambling. She’d joined a casino. I think her husband had taken her there once and she’d got the bug for it. She told me she’d got into some trouble but her half of the money would clear her and she’d seek help. I wanted to help her.’ She turned to me. ‘What are you going to do now?’
I shook my head. ‘I don’t know. I really don’t know.’
‘You’ve got a nerve, Joe.’
I flashed her what I hoped was a winning smile but she was right. Jane was sort of an ex, and I hadn’t spoken
‘Exactly.’
‘What did you do?’
‘I spoke to Jennifer about it.’
‘Not Mr Briggs?’
‘No. I thought it was more appropriate to go to her first. She was the company accountant.’
‘What did she say?’
‘She took me out for lunch.’
‘Lunch?’ Murdoch had some nerve, I thought.
‘Away from other people listening. She wanted to do it privately. She told me she had a problem with one of her assistants.’
‘Sonia Bray?’ I asked.
‘I don’t know, I didn’t ask.’
I told her to carry on.
‘This assistant had been cashing the cheques and taking the money but she’d only just found out about it. Jennifer said she’d been having some personal problems, stuff with her husband, that kind of thing. So she’d taken her eye off the ball, so to speak. She’d never opened up to me before, so I was flattered she was telling me, I suppose.’
‘What was the problem with her husband?’
‘Money problems, arguing, the usual kind of stuff. She confessed to me that she wasn’t really doing a good enough job and she’d let this assistant get away with it.’
‘And you believed her?’
Buckle didn’t answer.
‘You know what it sounds like, don’t you? Why didn’t you report the matter to Mr Briggs or your manager? Surely you had a responsibility to do that?’ She was upset, but I had little sympathy.
‘She asked me for some time, so she could sort it out. The next day she said she could get just under £10,000 back, about half the amount. She said she’d sacked the assistant, so it wouldn’t happen again.’
‘And you accepted that?’
Buckle was barely whispering. ‘She offered me half of the money to not mention it to Briggs.’
I was trying to process the information. ‘Why would she do that?’
‘Because she said Briggs would sack her if he found out.’
‘But she wasn’t doing her job properly?’
Buckle shook her head but offered nothing further.
‘If it had been her assistant, she didn’t really have to worry too much, surely? You went along with her story, despite knowing it wasn’t true. It doesn’t make sense. You let someone else take the blame. Why would you take the money? You’ve got a good job.’ I shook my head. ‘You’re a qualified accountant; you could lose your qualification, couldn’t you?’
‘I needed the money.’
‘Sorry?’
‘I needed the money. Me and my husband had bought a house, just before the property collapse. Our mortgage deal was about to end, he’d lost his job as a builder and we were struggling. Jennifer offered me a way out. I didn’t question it. I suppose I just heard what I wanted to from her.’ She sat up straight and held my stare. ‘We all have money problems, don’t we? I might be lucky enough to have a good job but it’s expensive just getting by.’
I thought about Sonia Bray. She’d carried the can for Murdoch and had been taken advantage of.
‘Why did Jennifer need the money?’
‘I don’t know.’
‘I think you do. Even if you were complicit in her deception, you must have wanted to know why. You were putting yourself on the line.’
I watched her stand and pace around the room. She was biting at her fingernails. ‘What are you going to do?’
‘How do you mean?’
‘Are you going to tell Mr Capebourne? If he finds out, he’ll sack me. I’ll lose my job, my qualification, everything.’
I stood up. ‘I need to know why Jennifer needed the money.’
‘She was gambling. She’d joined a casino. I think her husband had taken her there once and she’d got the bug for it. She told me she’d got into some trouble but her half of the money would clear her and she’d seek help. I wanted to help her.’ She turned to me. ‘What are you going to do now?’
I shook my head. ‘I don’t know. I really don’t know.’
‘You’ve got a nerve, Joe.’
I flashed her what I hoped was a winning smile but she was right. Jane was sort of an ex, and I hadn’t spoken
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