Chapter 4

“Come in,” she said, swinging the door open. “Have you eaten?”

Fixer replied, “Not recently. I just got here.”

Prudence gestured him through to the dining room. “Come and meet my family, and we can get you something. It is pizza tonight: suit you?”

“Sure”, he responded. Seeing the group round the table, he nodded in greeting. Reg had stood up for him, and welcomed him. “Hi. I am Reg, and these ladies are Frances, Erika, Freda, and of course Prudence who got the door for you. Once you have eaten, you can tell us what your plans are.”

Later, Fixer explained that his remit was first of all to survey the house from the point of view of security, and then come up with a plan for improvements.

“The boss has told me that as this is family, he wants the company to foot the bill, so you won’t have to fork out for the security improvements.”

Reg was impressed at this largesse, but wanted to make a point. “Can you leave us a note of the total cost, please? I would like to regard this as a loan, and at such time as I am in gainful employment, I would like to repay Prudence’s father.”

This got him a telling-off by his wives. They insisted that if a repayment was in order, their parents could deal with that. Reg agreed to leave it for now.

The main recommendations that Fixer came up with was triple-glazed windows on the ground floor, as these were much more difficult to break, or even get through. The front and back doors were adequate protection against forced entry, but he recommended an additional bolt on the inside of both doors for night security.

He also looked a bit embarrassed before mentioning, “It is all very well securing the building, but if some yobbo turns up at the door and forces his way in, your security counts for nothing. You have to be able to defend yourselves in that situation.”

Erika was quick to respond. “Don’t worry about that, Mr. Fixer. We have that in hand. We are just about to start a self-defence course at the university, in our spare time. All five of us will be doing that course, so by the end of it we should be competent enough to deal with your yobbo character.”

He looked relieved. “I am glad to hear it. Now, your ground floor windows need to be non-see-through from the outside, so that it is impossible to tell whether there are people in the house or not. You can achieve this by blinds (roller, Venetian or vertical); thick curtains – not net or lace curtains, for these are almost see-through – or shutters, preferably security shutters that could make the windows even more secure. The final option is my recommendation.”

He then added, “I would also suggest that you have a fake TV light in one of the downstairs rooms.”

“Fake TV light? What is that?” asked Reg. The girls looked surprised that he didn’t know about something.

Mr. Fixer explained, “It is a light box that plays light in various colours that look like a TV program is playing in the room. The best versions also produce fake TV sound that will seem muffled on the outside of the windows. The device makes it seem that you are here, watched the television set.”

Reg was impressed. “A sort of ‘Son et Lumiere’ effect?”

“Exactly.”

Prudence was not quite certain. “You are sure that Daddy will be all right with all this expense?”

Mr. Fixer smiled. “It will probably be put down as a demonstration exercise for staff training, and will be recorded as an expense against profits!”

Prudence laughed delightedly. “That’s my Dad! He is not daft, is he?”

The man grinned back. “No, you can be assured of that, Miss Prudence.”

“O.K.” She agreed. “We can go with all that, if Daddy is fine with it.”

“Right. I will get things started. I may need access for the installation while you are at the university.”

Frances told him, “I can get you a key, Mr. Fixer. In fact, if you take mine now, I’ll use my master key to get another one cut tomorrow.”

The next few days were interesting in many way. The self-defence classes were arranged; the police reported that they had found the missing computer – but it was evidence so could not be returned yet – and the first tradesmen arrived to deal with the house windows.

Then a policeman, a sergeant, visited them. This time he told Reg and the girls that one of the thieves was the grandson of an important man in the local community. “Do you want the police to pursue it further, or let the matter drop, i.e. not offer evidence, if all the goods were returned, and the grandfather made a payment in recompense for damage to and within the house, and for the upset caused to your good selves?

Reg quizzed the policeman further.

“Sergeant, I would like your advice on this matter. We have no wish to cause any harm to others, but we would hope to see the culprits punished to the extent that they think twice before entering a stranger’s home again for purposes of theft. What can you tell us?”

“Mr. Robertson, I am in a difficult position here. The grandfather is on the police committee, so has influence on our operations.”

Reg was having none of this. “Sergeant, we are local residents, and we hope that the local police are on the side of the taxpayers as a whole, and not swayed by anyone’s membership of a committee.”

The policeman blinked at this forthright statement, and came up with, “Sir, it is more a matter of general policy. The Police Committee has the power to demand certain methods of working; some of which you might find less helpful in the future.”

Frances intervened. “Sergeant, if the Police Committee received a strongly-worded letter from a lawyer about the activities of a member of the committee, might that lead to his being asked to leave the committee?”

The Sergeant looked at her with a new respect. These were clever people; but that was why they were at university, he reflected. They might even have influential parents or relatives of their own. That was implicit in the young lady’s question. He worded his response carefully.

“Madam, should such an event happen, that a lawyer should write a letter to the committee (I would of course be obliged to give you the address for any such correspondence), then if it led to any improvement in the oversight of the local police force, that would not be a bad thing.” He smiled as he said this.

Reg looked at Frances, and deferred, to let her take the foremost position. He knew when to stand back and let the experts do their work.

She told the man, “If you would give me that address, Sergeant, I would be grateful to you.”

Reg stepped forward again. “Sergeant, would you be the one reporting back to the gentleman about our response?”

The Sergeant seemed embarrassed, but admitted, “That would be so, Mr. Robertson.”

“In that case, could you delay that report until we can get you a miniature recorder for you to wear? It would be extremely useful if there was a video and audio record of what he says to you, don’t you think? You would have some protection should he accuse you of interfering, such as being the one to suggest this offer. We would have evidence of what he tells you.”

The Sergeant beamed at Reg. “Do you have access to such equipment? Our force does have it, but there is no way it would be authorised for me speaking to a member of the Police Committee.”

“Hang on,” declared Reg. “Prudence?”

She came over from where she was chatting to Freda. “Yes, my love?”

“Do you think your Fixer could get us a wearable video and audio recorder for investigative work? We need it sharpish.”

Prudence smiled gleefully. “If I phone Daddy, I am sure he can have it here quickly. Who is it for?”

Reg gestured, “The Sergeant here.”

Prudence nodded. “Can you give me a few minutes, Sergeant, til I can make a call?”

He stared at the tall girl, and nodded. This odd-looking bunch were full of surprises, he mused inwardly.

She went to her handbag, retrieved her phone, and dialled. “Mum, can you contact Dad and tell him we need a wearable audiovisual recorder for secret recording by an individual. We need it yesterday.”

She listened for a few moments, then said, “Thanks, Mum. If he can get Mr Fixer to deliver it here, that would be great!”

The police Sergeant’s brows crinkled as he puzzled out this cryptic phone message, then gave up. He had no idea who this ‘Mr Fixer’ might be or who the young lady’s father might be, if he had access to such equipment. He guessed at the national security services, but who knew? He reckoned he would not be told. He spoke to the young man.

“I shall leave you my card, sir. You can call me on that number and I will return to collect the equipment referred to. Good day.”

Prudence had a call from her father a few hours later. “Tell me, my pet, what is the intention for such equipment?”

She explained what had occurred and the need for persuasive evidence to back up any claim against the father on the committee. He concurred, and promised that Fixer would deliver it tomorrow. She thanked her father, and apologised for asking him for things.

“No, no, my girl. This is important for you, and so it is important for me. In fact, I might be able to investigate this guy, once I know his name.”

Prudence promised to find it out, but spoke to her husband first.

“Reg darling? Daddy suggested we get the name of this man, so he could find out what he can about him. Are you happy to go along with that, my love?”

Reg was. “Certainly sound like a useful backup precaution, Prudence. It is always good to have as much ammunition as possible in a fight. Have you got the Sergeant’s phone number there?”

“Yes, here it is: Sergeant Terence Phillips. Do I need to use the area code, or just the local number?”

“If it is the local code, then just the number should do, love.”

She inputted the number and made the connection. He was quick to answer, and she put him on Speakerphone, for the others to hear.

“Hello?”

“Sergeant Phillips? Prudence Robertson here. My Daddy asked me for the name of the gentleman on the police committee. I presume this is public information?”

“It is, Miss ... Mrs ... Robertson.”

She told him, “Mrs Prudence Robertson, Sergeant. The name, please?”

“Ah, yes. His name. This is awkward, given his background. I think I am clear of other hearers, but just let me check.” He came back after a short time.”Okay, all clear. Steven Herbert Aitchison, D.S.O. He was a Squadron Leader in charge of an explosives servicing flight, which meant he was responsible for unexploded munitions. He got his DSO for rescuing one of his men who had fallen into the pit where they were defusing a World War Two bomb.”

Prudence became more careful; she was considering a real-life hero. She asked, carefully, “How long ago was this, Sergeant?”

“About thirty-five years back, Mrs Robertson. It was in a field which had once been a temporary aerodrome that was bombed by the Germans. The bomb was lodged deeper than one would expect, that’s why it had been missed before. Its signal, fairly weak, was found by a metal detectorist thinking it would be another interesting curio a few feet below, and he dug down. When he got to the expected level, and was instead getting a much stronger signal from below, he got frightened, realising it was probably a bomb. He called in the Bomb Disposal squad, but they were in Northern Ireland on another job, so the RAF explosives people were asked to step in and get the initial investigation started.”

“You seem to know an awful lot about this ancient event, Sergeant?”

“Yes, ma’am. I read up on his details, when this matter came up. I wanted to know what sort of man we were dealing with.”

“And how did he get his medal?”

“One of his men fell into the pit and cracked his head on the bomb. The Squadron Leader climbed down a ladder and pulled the man up to the surface, disregarding the unexploded bomb underneath him. He then dragged the man to a safe distance and called for an ambulance.”

Reg interrupted, “I thought each team had two men on the job, led by an officer?”

“No, sir. The officer leads a team of about fourteen, some of whom would be in the pit, and others at a distance monitoring events, maintaining constant communications, providing necessary backup, and so forth. You are right in that there would probably be two men detailed to the pit for the hands-on preparations, then one man for the final defusing operation. It appears that they were approaching the pit for the first time, in twilight, and the one man tripped and fell in, head first, while the other reported on the accident, to get help.”

Reg was impressed with the Sergeant’s intimate knowledge of the event.

“Thank you, Sergeant. Now tell me, why would a hero try to bribe the police to let his grandson off, for a burglary?”

“Now there you have me, sir. It disturbs me that a hero would act this way. I have put it down to a degree of senility, due to his advanced age.”

Reg frowned. “You really believe that, Sergeant? Surely a man showing signs of senility would be removed from the Police Committee?”

“Yes, sir. It suggests he does not show such signs; in which case, why do such a thing as we have heard?”

“Curious. Well, Prudence’s father is in a position to explore such questions, unobtrusively, I can assure you, Sergeant. It will not come back to you, and we should have the recording equipment tomorrow, I hear. That will not come back to you, ever.”

“Thank you, sir. I like your ideas, son. University must be good for you.”

“You have to be clever to get in, first, Sergeant. What has been good for me are the girls you met. They saved me from myself.”

“No doubt, sir. I was impressed by these ladies. They may not have the faces of models, but they have the brains to make any man happy to be with them.”

“Quite true, Sergeant. We will phone you when we get the delivery we mentioned.”

“Thank you, sir. I shall await your call. If Squadron Leader Aitchison requests my report, I shall explain that I am heavily occupied on important police business, but will get back to him as soon as practicable.”

Reg laughed at this subterfuge. “I like it, Sergeant.” Prudence completed the call, and they relaxed, all except Reg.

“That’s odd,” he declared.