Epilogues

Epilogue 1:

George and Jennie were at the hospital for a scan. The midwife thought Jennie was getting big very quickly and had a sneaking suspicion there were two babies. Jennie thought so too - she clearly remembered the double-sided ovulation pain.

The technician moved the ultra-sound device over Jennie's abdomen. Just seconds later the suspicion was a certainty. "Yes, it's going to be twins," she said. Elated George hugged Jennie.

As they were walking back out to the car hand in hand, George put on a pretend-concerned face. "Two! One is bad enough. It is really irresponsible of me getting you pregnant in the first place. What will Sanders IT Security do without you?"

Jennie laughed. "Not a problem, I've got it all worked out. Cathy will have finished her training just before the babies are due. She can take over at the company while I am on maternity leave!"

Epilogue 2:

"'E seems to 'ave vanished," Nick said. "Can't find 'im or 'is wife anywhere."

Mike was furious. "I want my money. I want Harold Banks found."

Steve had entered without knocking - a cardinal sin in Mike's world - and now he spoke without being asked, another cardinal sin. But the content of what he said was even worse.

"You won't find him boss," Steve said. "I grilled the neighbours. It seems our Harold has done away with himself."

"What?" Mike exploded.

"He hanged himself a month ago." Steve said. "On the Saturday of the Bank Holiday - a few hours after Nick had 'talked' to him."

Mike sent Nick a withering glare.

"'E was givin' me all kinds of 'ogwash about the wife leavin' and the daughter leavin' and 'aving no money," Nick defended himself. "So I put a bit o'pressure on 'im like, and said we might visit 'im at work if 'e didn't pay up, right? 'Ow was I to know 'e would do away with 'isself?"

"Well, he did," Steve said sagely.

"Can we go after the wife for the money?" Mike asked. "She must have the house now. Did you talk to her?"

"No chance," Steve replied. "The house has been sold and she has moved away. The neighbours didn't know where to. The Bankses kept themselves to themselves; no-one seemed to know them well."

Epilogue 3:

The building society clerk listened patiently to the irate female. "Surely this must be a mistake," she was saying - waving a letter at his face. "You can't be demanding money from me. I got the cottage absolutely in the divorce settlement."

"Yes Madam, I am sure you did," the clerk said. "That means you took over title in the property - and all liabilities. You signed a document to that effect." He pointed to the document in question.

Lillian was confused. She remembered signing documents in Marion's office two days after the court case - just before she left for that disastrous holiday with John. There had been a whole pile of papers and she had barely scanned them, just signed where Marion told her to sign. She vaguely recalled that particular document; she had thought 'liabilities' was about electricity bills and council taxes and what-not. She had no idea the property was mortgaged and said so.

"There is a loan of £1.8 million in the property Madam," the clerk explained in a way suitable for a small child or a dim-witted person. "That loan is now in your name, as are the regular repayments - principal and interest and fees - that you have to pay."

Lillian was shocked. "£1.8 million? That is the exact amount my ex-husband was made to pay!"

"Why, that makes sense," the clerk said brightly. "To cover the mortgage in the property no doubt?"

"It doesn't make sense at all," Lillian shot back. "I was paid with my own money!"

Lillian was not very strong on financial matters, but there was no way she could afford servicing a debt of £1.8 million in a summer house, that much she knew.

"I shall have to sell the cottage then," she said to no-one in particular.

"Yes Madam, that is a possibility," the clerk said - obviously thinking the observation was addressed to him. "That should just about cover the loan."

"Just about?" Lillian snapped. "That's rubbish - the cottage is worth nearly £3 million!" Strangely she used the highest of the valuations, not the one used during the court case.

"Ah yes, that was perhaps the previous valuation," the clerk said. "I fear you will find that the market price has fallen significantly. The Building Society is quite concerned that the loan exceeds the market value." He thought the term 'negative equity' would be lost on this customer.

"What are you talking about?" Lillian asked in abject shock. "Why should prices have fallen that much?"

"Oh, perhaps you didn't know Madam," the clerk said with something bordering on sympathy. "The neighbouring land has been sold to an institution for the mentally handicapped. Building will commence in a few weeks."

Lillian felt faint. The cottage's small garden was surrounded on three sides by a large vacant plot of land that was only used for grazing of horses. She had pleaded with George to keep it that way through buying it. She was sure he had. "I thought the cottage and the adjacent land was one property," she faltered.

"No Madam, it is not," the clerk said. "The two properties were never joined. Your former husband retained the land and he has now sold it."

Epilogue 4:

Henry entered the restaurant. Annie had excused herself - she needed a toilet again. The maître d' showed Henry to their table. On the way he passed an animated party of fellow lawyers. One of them was Marion Ingleby who had represented Lillian Sanders in the divorce.

"Hello Henry," she said brightly.

"Why, hello Maid Marion," Henry said. He knew she hated that nick-name. "How charming to see you!"

"Is it indeed? I thought you had a grudge against me!" Marion said and with a theatrical whisper added to her friends "I fleeced one of his clients last year!"

Henry pretended not to hear that. "Grudge? Of course not," he insisted. "It was delightful. I wish I had more cases where you were representing the opposite side."

"Come on Henry. We all know we completely wiped the floor with you and that Mr. Sanders," Marion urged. "I do believe you're just trying to get in my pants," she added - again for the benefit of her hangers-on and rewarded with their loud giggles.

"Thanks but no thanks Marion," Henry replied. "I'm sure inside your pants is a nice place to be and I am charmed by the offer, but I have another set of pants I get into by exclusive arrangement."

Marion coloured up pink at this outrageous misinterpretation of her words. She had made no such offer! She wished she had and that it would be taken up. She had a string of disastrous relationships with young men her own age behind her. Henry was a dish and mature, but he was twisting her words and her friends were now laughing at her.

"And as to fleecing my client," Henry added, "whatever gave you that idea Maid Marion?"

"Come on Henry," Marion retorted, "we got everything we asked for. You didn't get a leg in!"

"It ought to make you suspicious when the opposing party agrees to give you everything you ask for," Henry said pleasantly. "And no, you didn't get quite what you asked for."

"What do you mean? We got the exact sum!" Marion said hotly.

"Marion my dear," Henry said paternally. "You are much more recently out of law school than me, so I'm sure you can remember the difference between a settlement based on the agreed division of an asset list and one based on an agreed lump sum?"

"There isn't one!" Marion said, and then more hesitantly "is there?"

"Not if the asset list is correct," Henry said. "We told you it wasn't. Rather than asking for a correct list, you accepted the lump sum. Have a pleasant evening."