The bad boy the lambrian.., p.3
The Bad Boy (The Lambrianus), page 3
‘Well, first we have Norman. He’s a bit simple but he’s a good guy. Although he has a prison record as long as your arm. Mostly petty theft and a failed cannabis farm, and then there’s the matter of him still being out of prison on licence because he murdered his wife. But he’s in his seventies now and got nothing to do but sit indoors and look out of the window. And the good news is, he doesn’t even know what he’s looking at. All he knows is to watch that computer on that page and let me know if the prices go up or down. The guy can hardly read let alone make out those figures. And no one ever goes into his house because he’s a little lax on hygiene.’
‘He seems ideal. How did you find him?’
‘Those dealers from Liverpool I told you about. They used to work with us until they all got banged up at His Majesty’s hotels. They all put his name forward and I went and spoke to him. He smells a bit, but when I told him his friends had said he could help me, he listened. Didn’t know what the hell I was talking about, which is good for us, but agreed as long as we oiled his palms. He doesn’t want money, though. He wants goods.’
Puzzled, Adam looked up at Bruce. ‘Goods? What kind of goods?’
‘Shopping, fags, and he needs a new television because his is knackered. He would also like someone to help clear his garden because the council have complained about the mess and the height of the grass.’
‘You’re fucking kidding me. Is that it?’ Adam couldn’t believe his ears. No one did that kind of work for a bit of shopping.
Bruce shook his head. ‘I also think if we do drop him a few quid now and again, he will be eternally grateful. Told you he wasn’t the full ticket, although maybe he’s not so stupid when you think about it.’
Adam couldn’t believe his ears. Most people asked for thousands of pounds, but apparently not this Norman man. ‘Well, I liked working with the Liverpudlians. They were good, honest thieves and dealers. If they recommend him, that’s good enough for me. What about the others?’
‘Even better, Adam. There’s a nurse not far from Norman. Poor cow hasn’t got a penny to scratch her arse with. She wants to buy her council house, ’cos the mortgage is cheaper than the rent and as she’s getting on a bit she’d like a bit of security. Her house has three bedrooms and sooner or later the council are going to ask her to downsize to a one-bedroom flat. She has no family to speak of, except a daughter who never visits. If she had a bit of a deposit stuffed under her mattress – she’s a couple of thousand short at the moment – then the bank would let her have the mortgage. She knows her way around a keyboard and she has more to lose than us. A disgraced nurse going to jail? She’d never get another job. She would lose her home and have a ten-foot by ten-foot cell to share.’
Adam had his misgivings about the nurse, but was prepared to listen.
‘The other two are much the same. Some woman who’s had a mini stroke and has only been given domiciliary carers twice a day from the council. She would like someone there on a more permanent basis, like a live-in carer. And there are a lot of illegal immigrants out there with nowhere to live prepared to do it. They get an address and she gets a carer. I know it sounds bleak Adam, but all they have to do is watch a computer and do what we tell them and we answer all their prayers. And then of course there’s your friendly accountant who knows more about money laundering than we do.’
Katie and her husband, Chris, were both accountants by trade and kept a close eye on the business’s books. ‘Let’s leave our accountant out of this for now.’
Bruce nodded, knowing the conversation was coming to a close. ‘Of course. By the way, how did it go this morning? Was Scarlet angry because you were running late? I have to say Adam, today worked like a charm. It was a genius stroke to have that bloke followed for weeks, and then for you to hook up with his girlfriend – she certainly gave you a lot of pillow talk. Thanks to her we knew he took his laptop home and exactly what was on it. I presume you’ve given her the brush-off now?’
Shaking his head, Adam smiled. ‘I haven’t given her the brush-off yet, actually. She had valuable information to share and very loose lips telling me about her partner making millions in cryptocurrency. But I’ve made it clear that I’m not into relationships, just a good time and a bit of fun. It’s up to her if she wants to carry on seeing me as I’ve made my feelings clear. She’s not the kind of woman for me – she has far too much to say.’
‘Well, thankfully, that dick of yours impressed her enough. I agree she let her mouth run away with her, but that’s her problem… and his. He’s obviously let her see him squirrelling away on his laptop about his clients and what he does at the stock exchange. Anyway, what about old Pete, the retired bingo caller? Do you think he could be a watcher for us?’
Adam shook his head. ‘Pete likes life on the inside too much. He has more friends inside prison than he has on the outside. No sooner does he come out than he pinches a packet of biscuits to get himself arrested again. He attracts too much attention… although there is someone with time on their hands who I would trust with my life. What about Knuckles?’ Adam looked up at his friend Bruce and saw the frown appear on his brow.
‘You ask him if you want to but leave me out of it. He’s one scary monster and makes King Kong look like a midget. He never smiles and stares right through you like an undertaker measuring you up. And you’ll have to see what Scarlet says.’
‘See what Scarlet says about what?’ Refreshed and wearing a pink cashmere dress with matching shoes, Scarlet glided into the room with her hair down, showing off just a little of her diamond earrings.
Shocked at her sudden presence, Adam and Bruce stared at each other for a moment and then back at Scarlet, who had now pulled out her chair and sat waiting for an explanation. ‘Let’s have it.’ Picking up her gold cigarette holder and putting a cigarette in it, she lit it and blew the smoke into the air.
‘Money laundering Scarlet, that’s what. Official money laundering,’ said Adam.
‘We launder enough money, Adam. Too much sometimes, so what makes your idea any better?’ Frowning, she waited.
Clearing his throat, Adam stared directly at her. ‘Don’t treat me like a fool Scarlet. Yeah, I’m the younger brother, but I have the same scheming blood in my veins as you! I’ve done my homework; I have the data and now all I have to do is move things around a little. It’s crypto money. Digital wallets… just numbers on bits of paper to most people, unless you know what you’re doing. And I do.’
‘What are you on about Adam? Cryptocurrency? I’ve seen and heard about it, but it’s useless. People want cash in their pockets not bits of papers with numbers and figures. How are you going to launder money with it?’ Scarlet laughed at Adam’s attempt at being the businessman, although truth be told, she wasn’t quite up to scratch with cryptocurrencies and didn’t want to show it. She took another drag of her cigarette.
‘That’s because you’re a dinosaur Scarlet,’ Adam snapped. ‘How many people down the supermarket do you see paying in cash? They all use plastic and that’s just numbers on a screen. It’s all plastic and digital now, Scarlet. This is the twenty-first century and we have to move with the times. That’s where I was this morning. I’ve acquired what I need to begin with. I’ll start small and there will be no suspicions because I’ve been playing the market for a couple of months already now.’
Scarlet glared at Adam and then at Bruce. ‘You can fuck off now Bruce; you’re not needed here. I wish to speak to my brother alone.’
Turning to look at Scarlet, Bruce blushed slightly. He could see the way her sapphire blue eyes were darkening, which meant she was nearly at boiling point. It was definitely time to leave. Turning towards Adam, he nodded and left.
Standing up, Scarlet shut the door and walked over to her brother. For a moment they both paused and looked at each other defiantly. With one swing of her hand, Scarlet slapped him across the face, making Adam jerk backwards.
Rubbing his cheek, he sat up again. ‘Don’t ever call me a dinosaur in front of your prick friends again! Do you hear me?’ she shouted angrily.
Realising his mistake and rubbing the burning sensation on his cheek, he nodded. Her harsh slap had almost made his eyes water, but he was determined not to show it.
‘Now pour me a drink and explain this idea of yours sensibly, without insulting me,’ she snapped and sat down. Her own hand felt hot and was stinging. She hadn’t meant to hit him so hard, but sometimes her temper got the better of her.
Once Adam had poured them both a drink, the mood seemed to lift slightly, and he welcomed the warm whisky down his throat. ‘Someone mentioned cryptocurrency to me, and then one of our business suppliers mentioned it, too. In different countries it’s used a lot, and we’re way behind here in the UK. But our drug suppliers have mentioned it in passing a couple of times which is why I looked into it. A lot of cash is hard to dispose of in some countries without suspicion and so they transfer it to Bitcoin. Or rather, whoever owes them money sells it to them on the market at a drop-down price. Inflation goes up and down and people want to sell so as not to lose money. You can also cash your shares in for real cash. That way it looks legal and above board. Dare I say it Scarlet, our drug suppliers use it a lot. It saves them burying it in their back gardens.’
Puzzled but intrigued, Scarlet took a sip of her whisky and leaned forward. ‘But is that all it’s used for? It seems like a worthless investment if so.’
‘No, it’s not. It’s growing and becoming more common. A lot of people take it as currency now. You can buy a Rolex, limousines and although Amazon don’t take it directly, they can put you on to the supplier that does. Come on Scat, all we’re doing is cutting out the middle man and buying direct. There is a commission to pay, but there is a price to pay on all the money you spend isn’t there?’
‘So, if we pay a commission Adam, how do we make money?’ Scarlet asked. Mentally, she knew this digital world wasn’t her hottest topic, and mused to herself that maybe to the younger generations she was a dinosaur.
‘We don’t use our own money. We don’t sell our own shares.’ Adam winked and grinned at her. He could see he had captured Scarlet’s interest and the idea of not spending her own money pleased her. ‘Fernando, our friendly supplier, mentioned that we should use Bitcoin, because it’s easier to get rid of and lighter to carry.’ Adam laughed. ‘Anyway, when he said that I did my research. I bought a few shares, nothing major, just a thousand pounds to try it and watched the market go up and down. The same with any stocks and shares. People buy and sell when the time is right.’
‘Yeah, I got that bit, but how do we not use our money? Tell me the important part. The interesting part.’ Scarlet wanted Adam to get to the point. The money-making point.
‘Patience Scat. After all, it is a virtue.’ He grinned. ‘Stockbrokers… they have clients and act on their behalf. Well,’ he scoffed, ‘the rich and famous do, not Joe Bloggs dabbling for a few quid. But the rich have realised it’s a good way to launder their own money. Stockbrokers act for them and buy and sell when the time is right. But to be able to do that, and here’s the interesting bit Scarlet.’ Flashing a smile, he paused. ‘The stockbrokers have to keep a lot of data about their clients. Who they are, what shares they have, their passwords or QR codes, which are effectively pin numbers for their digital wallets… I know, I know,’ Adam laughed, ‘let’s not get technical; you’re only interested in the crunch.’
Pursing her lips impatiently, Scarlet waited. She couldn’t quite get her head around it and would need to do some research of her own.
‘I know of a stockbroker and his girlfriend who explained all of this to me when I expressed an interest. Probably hoping I’d use him. He’s good, but sloppy. Recently, life has got in the way of his professionalism and he hasn’t been performing on all cylinders. I’ve had him watched over the last few months. He does the same thing every day, even goes to the same Costa Coffee shop. You know Scat, he has a bloody boring life.’
‘Yeah, and your story is just as bloody long winded. Get to the point Adam. You’ve been stalking a stockbroker for months who likes a coffee, so what?’
A little disgruntled by Scarlet’s lack of enthusiasm, Adam felt it was time to come clean. ‘He takes his laptop out of the office. Nothing unusual in that, but it does contain a lot of client details and a decent hacker can obtain those files. And it just so happens I know a good hacker. That’s why I was late today. I dressed up as a homeless person and went begging on London Bridge. I knew this stockbroker – his name is Jamie by the way – would be there at that time. I begged for money and tripped him up while he was rushing to work. As usual, no one paid attention as they are too busy getting on with their own lives. I wanted his case containing his laptop. I’d bought a similar bag to his and Bruce filled it with some broken iPad of his nephew’s, and during this stockbroker’s distress we swapped bags. The stockbroker wouldn’t realise until he got to his office, and by then it would be too late. I had his laptop containing all the data of his clients. Including all their shares to sell or buy.’
‘Is that why you had no clothes on under your jacket for the funeral? You were dressed up as some old vagrant, and that’s why you were late…?’ Scarlet asked.
Adam nodded. ‘Yes, that’s why I didn’t have any clothes at the funeral. I didn’t expect you to order me to strip though!’ Sitting back in his chair with his arms around the back of his head, he grinned. ‘The ladies enjoyed it though, and it took the seriousness out of the day,’ he laughed.
Scarlet sat back in her own chair and gave a half smile. ‘So what happens now?’
Adam smiled. ‘No real crime has happened as yet. We’ve done nothing. But, when we start emptying those accounts, it will be the crime of the century.’
‘And did you have any help stealing the laptop?’
Raising one eyebrow smugly, Adam replied, ‘I had a driver come and pick me up and drop me off by my motorbike.’
Scarlet frowned. ‘Who?’
Adam smiled. ‘Ask Knuckles. Do you really think I would trust anyone else?’
Confused, Scarlet looked at Adam, her eyebrows furrowed. ‘But Knuckles was with me at the cemetery. I think I would notice if there was two of him…’
Suddenly the stark truth dawned on Scarlet. Knuckles had disappeared to use the loo and had been gone a long time. She remembered how he had come back hot and sweaty. Shocked, she inhaled on her cigarette. For once she was speechless. ‘How long has this been planned?’
‘A while, and don’t worry, because we both have alibis just in case. Knuckles was with you and I’m always late.’ Adam shrugged. ‘As you’re always reminding me, I’m not a morning person, especially after being at the club all night,’ he stressed.
Standing up, Scarlet walked to the door and opened it. ‘Knuckles! Get the fuck in here. Now!’ She knew, as always, that he would be close by. After a few minutes, she heard his footsteps and saw him. ‘Inside my office!’ She indicated with her thumb.
Scarlet was angry. Her face was flushed, and she couldn’t make her mind up who to hit first. ‘You lied to me. You said you were going to the toilet and all the time you were on some heist nicking laptop cases with him!’
Standing there expressionless and ignoring Scarlet’s outburst, he answered, ‘Did take a piss. Didn’t lie about Adam. You never asked.’
‘How the fuck can I ask, when I didn’t know? Adam I can understand, because he’s a reckless, thoughtless, fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants idiot, but you are just an idiot. What is your excuse?’ Stressed and angry, Scarlet couldn’t help raising her voice at them both. She felt like the headmistress before two naughty schoolboys.
Knuckles looked around the room for inspiration, which didn’t come. ‘Don’t have one. Just helping.’
‘Well, you haven’t bloody helped. And what’s more, you did all that while I was mourning at a funeral.’ Breathing heavily, she sat down.
Knuckles looked up at the ceiling and then back at Scarlet. ‘You weren’t mourning. You didn’t like Jean. You said the only reason you went to the funeral was to make sure she had really died.’
‘What the fuck! How dare you. I think I like you better when you don’t speak. Jean was a good woman,’ she defended herself.
Adam nearly burst out laughing. He knew Knuckles had cornered her. ‘He’s right though, Scarlet. You said she was an interfering old cow, and you were glad to see the back of her.’ Adam looked towards Knuckles and grinned. They both knew Scarlet was getting nowhere fast.
‘So, what now?’ she asked, ignoring their comments. She had to admit it was true and she had been caught out.
‘Now, my lovely sister, the work begins. When the laptop was picked up, the data was downloaded straight away. You know Bruce can get into anything. You might call him a nerd, but he knows his stuff. He picked up the briefcase with the laptop and now he’s brought me this one. Over time, we have acquired watchers, who are people who have nothing else to do all day but sit and watch the computer to see if the price of the digital money goes up or down. Actually, we were wondering if Knuckles would be a watcher. He sits in the car a lot of the time waiting for you. He has time on his hands…’ Adam tailed off.
Frowning, Knuckles looked at the laptop on Adam’s desk. ‘Do I get one of them?’ Knuckles asked. Nodding, Adam could see he had interested the giant.
‘Oi, Knuckles works for me. Just me.’ Turning towards Knuckles, Scarlet dug him hard with her elbow.
Totally ignoring Scarlet, having got used to her outbursts over the years, Knuckles looked at Adam. ‘I’d like a red one.’
With her hands on her hips, Scarlet paced up and down while smoking her cigarette. ‘Will somebody listen to me? I am here, you know. Scarlet Lambrianu! Adam, Knuckles works for me and I need him at my side. He hasn’t got time to piss about looking at computers all day. Knuckles, you can shove your red laptop up your arse ’cos you’re not getting one.’
Adam stood up; he knew it was all a bit much for Scarlet to take in without blowing a fuse. Putting his arm around her waist, he kissed her cheek. ‘Sorry Scat. It was all my fault. Nothing to do with Knuckles. He did warn me you wouldn’t be happy.’ Adam cast a warning glance at Knuckles not to say anything, because they both knew Knuckles hadn’t warned him about anything. ‘We haven’t done anything illegal yet Scarlet, not much anyway, and if you don’t approve, we will let all that lovely money stay where it is. You’re the head of this partnership and I trust your judgement.’
