Roger was rich in fact some people would say he was filthy rich, but the money was no good to him because he was dying of a little known form of cancer and had but a few days left to live. He had inherited his money from his father that had been a merchant banker was only 26 and by rights should have been looking ahead to at least another fifty years of life.
His wife Vanessa was a beautiful slim blond of only twenty-two with an hour glass figure. Roger's respiratory system would soon collapse and that will be the end, and life support would only be able to keep him alive a few more days. Even then it would mean he would be in great pain. So that he could pass over silently and at peace with the world has signed a declaration declining the offer, on the grounds he may not be able to speak.
It was ten-thirty in the evening and Vanessa his wife was out partying as she did every night. In his weak state Roger was alone at home with tears in his eyes with knowledge that Vanessa was seeing a man. Vanessa knew that Roger was at home alone and dying but her uncaring heart showed him no signs of pity. Her lack of feeling never cared or crossed her mind that Roger was afraid, and never wanted to be alone when the moment came. He had spoken to her on many occasions but it had fallen on deaf ears. Roger's solicitor was coming around to see him in the morning and then he would hand him the last of the papers.
All the arrangements had been made and everyone knew what they had to do. He had given his solicitors all the letters that had to be posted, and his bank that he banked with had been informed. Vanessa worked in the bank as an online manager. The money Roger had was in a trust fund and he could only withdraw a small amount each week. If he died the money would be transferred to his benefactor.
Roger also knew that during her time working in the bank Vanessa had been siphoning the interest off the trust fund into her own account. She could not do it alone and that was where her man friend came into the equation. Bob Tomlinson also worked in the bank and was in charge of the Trust Fund Accounts. At 25 he was as deep into the fraud as Vanessa was and he had his fingers in Vanessa's pie. Roger died and as he had feared it was alone in bed. Vanessa found him at 6am when she arrived home from the all night club. The ambulance was called and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
As soon as the body was taken away she phoned Bob and told him the news but there was no sadness in her voice. She knew that it would be a pointless waste of time checking the will as there was a clause preventing any money being withdrawn for eight months after his death. Then and only then would the will be read. It was eight weeks later that Bob married Vanessa and he moved into the big house with her.
****
Six months had passed by since the death of Roger. It was late afternoon and the bank was getting ready to close when Vanessa was called into the manager's office. He was near to forty years old and a stickler for discipline and the law. "Vanessa, sit down please. I have had to call you into my office over a serious matter of discipline. As you know your late husband had a trust fund here and there has been anomalies found. It is a fact I am afraid that someone has been creaming the interest off of the top. This is a very serious crime and if the chief inspector of police I was speaking to last night is correct then the thief should serve at the minimum twelve years in prison. I cannot for the life of me understand why you had to do it?"
Vanessa was shell shocked to say the least and her mind was racing to think of an answer, but there were none to be found. Instead she went on the offensive, "That is ridicules what makes you think it's me and why would I do such a thing?"
"I have a letter here from your late husband with bank statements from your other bank. The letter was post dated for the receiver and the date was yesterday. I also have another letter here for you dated the same and I do know what is written. Roger sent a copy with mine with instructions what to do next."
Vanessa read the letter and could not understand why she had to do the things he was asking. But if she signed the banker's paper and did as was asked she could avoid prosecution and collect what is coming to her in three months.
"It is almost five Vanessa go home and think about your options, I don't want you to rush your decision."
Vanessa reluctantly rose out of her chair and with a mind full of anxiety left the manager's office. As the door close the bank manager smiled as he picked up the letter and read it once more
Once Vanessa had returned home she read the letter once more.
"Dear Vanessa,"
"You left me to die all by my self with no one to comfort me in my time of need. You were out with your lover once again and probably to the early hours clubbing. In your selfish uncaring way you pass through life pushing others aside as if they were irrelevant. You use the money belonging to others without thought of right or wrong in your pursuit of self gratification I have known what you were doing for the past year when creaming the interest off of my money. I have sat at home this past year so lonely at times I have cried myself to sleep. Since we were married we have had sex very few times, because you always had a headache. In truth you had probably already had sex or you were holding back for your lover."
"You have no idea of the hurt that your unfaithfulness and neglect has given me. Your selfish disregard for me so that you can please your lover was stuck in my heart by you like a knife and twisted. You are probably reading this letter with no more feeling for me now than you did while I was alive."
"You will now do as I say in my death if you wish to get your hands on my money, the bank manager is my advocate. You will now toe my line and you will do as the bank manager says without question. If you refuse the bank manager has been given instructions from me to forward all evidence to the police so they can file a conviction."
"For you to refuse is not an option and will also mean that you will not have a share of my last will and testimony. During your visit to the bank manager tomorrow you will wear all that sexy lingerie that you always wore for only your man friend to see. I am in no doubt that before I was buried you had most probably wed."
"Now it is time to pay back the money you have stolen. Believe me when I say you will have to work very hard to pay it back because your account has been stopped and you only have your wage to live on. You can only pay it back by working for the people that the manager finds. By the way did you know the manager is my cousin, but now I recall you were so drunk on our wedding day that I doubt whether you would remember?"
"I hope you have as much fun paying it back as you did spending it, I think in all it was about ten-thousand GBP."
"Your deceased husband, Roger"
Vanessa threw the letter down and poured herself a drink, then sat down on the couch burning with rage. She was sitting there for a long time waiting for Bob to return home and as usual he was late. When he eventually walked through the door she shouted "Read this lover,"
Picking up the letter he fast read it and then read it a second time. Then faced her and said, "I have that in the bank and I can get it out tomorrow and that will be over and done with. But just to humor the manager dress as it says in the letter, come on we will have a drink and then an early night. Tomorrow we will see the bank manager together."
The following morning Bob and Vanessa went to see the manager and he told them to sit down. "I hope you have come to the correct decision, Vanessa, as twelve years is a long time to be spending in prison."
Vanessa replied, "I just have to pay you back the ten-thousand pounds and it will be all over, am I correct?"
"That is correct."
