After their meal the men walk through to a private office at the back of the restaurant and conclude their business. Dave always takes his second-in-command, Kenny Green, with him, and Kenny drives back to Trentbridge with the drugs so that Dave is never caught with any in his own car.
During the many meals they share, Mohammad tells Dave about his various activities in London and mentions that he has contacts in several council housing departments.
Recalling this conversation, Dave contacts Mohammad and is put in touch with some of his associates in the housing departments.
When the time comes, they are prepared to rehouse London families to Asbury Park. The agreement is that Mohammad and his colleagues will receive ten per cent of the weekly rental income as a ‘consultancy fee’. They can set things in place so the council will pay Dave’s company £300 a week for each family, and have assured Dave that they have more than enough people to fill all of the 880 houses on Asbury Park.
By charging each London council £300 per week, Dave estimates the project will bring in over a quarter of a million pounds a week. After paying out ‘bribes’ or ‘incentives’ to corrupt council officials, it will mean they can recoup their entire investment in less than a year.
Dave is keeping all of this to himself. He hasn’t even told Peter Hogan, but when it goes ahead, Dave has promised Peter will have access to an offshore bank account with £200,000 sitting in it – money he desperately needs to leave his wife and set up home with Monique, who is half his age. The money will fund their love nest.
The Planning Committee meeting next month will discuss the offer and any others submitted before the deadline. Currently, Dave’s is the only bid on the table and so it certainly looks as though the deal is in the bag.
Dave has ambitious plans for the future. If anyone else decides to bid and stand in his way they had better watch out.
Chapter Eighteen
THE ALBION HOTEL
The Albion Hotel has been a fixture in the centre of Trentbridge for as long as most people can remember. Located on Trinity Street means it sits on a prime location in the centre of town and even has its own car park. Built in the thirties, the hotel was once the smartest meeting place in town. The outside facade reeks of pre-war high society.
It’s currently celebrating its eighty-fifth year and is still a popular place for people to stay. You can tell it must have been magnificent once, but time has taken its toll and it’s now showing its age a little.
Seven days a week, the staff on the early shift start to arrive just before six am. Most of them enter via the main entrance but there are four people who usually come in through the back door as its closer to their bus stop. I only know two of them by name.
Stella Young is a waitress in the restaurant and bar. She’s on the early shift today to serve breakfast to the guests. Stella is a well-built lady, I would guess in her late thirties or possibly early forties. She’s extremely attractive with natural blonde hair, shapely legs and an ample cleavage. Some people find her a little snooty. I’m told there was once a Mr Young but he found her ‘entertaining’ another man in their bedroom and walked out and has never been seen since.
The other person I recognise is Ronnie Brown. He’s a young lad, perhaps nineteen or twenty years old. Whatever he lacks in experience, he makes up for with elbow grease, and he’s always eager to help and is a hard worker. He’s only been working here for about four months and everyone seems to like him. When you first get to know him, he seems shy but he always enjoys chatting to people.
His main ‘disadvantage’ is he’s a heavy smoker and stinks of cigarettes, although his clothes are always clean and his appearance is usually smart. He obviously spends a lot of time on his grooming. He also appears to be down to earth, never boasting or trying to impress. He gives the appearance of an honest young lad looking to improve his life, yet perhaps held back by his lack of education. The word is that his mother is an alcoholic and his father left home when he was only six. He has an older sister and two older brothers, none of whom work or contribute anything to his life.
Ronnie is a trainee. His duties cover everything from unblocking the toilets to moving beds and furniture from room to room. He never seems to get angry no matter what he is asked to do. I’ve noticed he often works extra time after his shift, which is the total opposite of Stella, who clocks off ‘on the minute’.
It is easy to like Ronnie, but I just hope someone tells him he smells like a chimney (in the nicest way of course). If he can give up the smoking, I’m certain his chances of advancing his career will be greatly improved. He often stops for a chat when he pops out for a quick ‘ciggie’ and is never lost for conversation, which is good because I’m the complete opposite. I don’t have the skill of ‘small talk’ and find it difficult to start or contribute to conversations in an interesting way. I like him a lot (except for the stench of nicotine).
Today is special in many ways. It’s probably the first time I’ve ever gone into the hotel by the front entrance and I’m here to say a massive ‘thank you’ to two wonderful people.
George Leeman, the night porter, starts work at eight pm but I also know he hangs around the hotel from
