“Not sure really, but from the tone of things not to congratulate him on his win. I just wondered if you wanted to warn James. He was a good lad before the accident with his wife and kids, and I wouldn’t want to see him come to any harm as a result of Mr Rex or his associates.”
“Thanks, Phil. Let me give it some thought and I’ll decide on the best thing to do. Let me know if you hear anything else, please.”
“Yep, will do. All the best to the family. Take care.”
Phil Jones had spent thirty years in the police force before he retired and ventured out into the world of private investigation. He is now aged fifty-five.
He knows who the good guys are and who not to trust. Both Howard Neave and James Sheldon are most definitely good guys in his book. He certainly doesn’t want to see any harm come to James because of someone like Dave Rex.
Chapter Thirty-One
JAMES
The process of establishing a Charitable Trust is a long one. Fortunately, Susan has some previous experience and knows a firm of specialised solicitors called Stoneman’s. One of the partners, Richard Rutherford, has agreed to act on our behalf in setting everything up. It means filling in and returning a constant stream of paperwork, ensuring all the ‘t’s are crossed and all the ‘i’s are dotted, but Susan is extremely good at that sort of thing and gradually everything is starting to fall into place. It helps that I am able to prove that I have significant funds available, and once the trust’s bank account has been opened, I will transfer five million pounds into it.
So for the past few days we’ve been busy putting every last detail in place. We’ve visited the Asbury Park estate with two local building contractors and a surveyor, and looked at the overall condition of the houses. We are satisfied that all the properties can be made habitable without too many problems and at a reasonable cost.
Susan has proven to be a staunch ally. We have been working discreetly on our plan and are almost ready to put forward our bid to the council before the deadline. The main reason we are keeping things close to our chest is because in her capacity of working with various charities and housing projects, Susan is aware of the reputation of the Planning Officer, Peter Hogan, and doesn’t want to bring it to his attention until we are ready to submit our bid.
Our plan is that the estate will be refurbished in stages. We will repair all the houses which have been left to the elements and goodness knows what else. We propose to pay the council to have their teams repair the road surfaces. BT has promised that the entire estate can have the latest level of broadband Internet within six months. We also plan to complete the unfinished doctors’ surgery and school.
We are lucky in that the houses, originally built in the late seventies and early eighties, were well constructed and finished to a high standard. Over on the business side of the park, there are several buildings which were completed before the money ran out.
To get the charity foundation off the ground, I have arranged to rent two offices on the first floor from a rental company based in Sidney Street specialising in letting out space by the month. The main office is large and has enough room for up to eight people to work comfortably. It is a bog-standard finish with magnolia walls. The overhead fluorescent lighting makes it bright and the floor is a nondescript grey made up of carpet tiles. The second office is far smaller and solely for my use. Although I will spend most of my time in the main office, it’s a place where I can sit and think on my own when needed.
A recent visit to a local computer company means we now have a network of computers and printers. I found a local second-hand office furniture company who has supplied us with beech desks, bookcases and four filing cabinets.
Susan suggested we recruit an experienced office manager who can keep everything running smoothly on a day-to-day basis and after interviewing fifteen people we were lucky enough to find Jill Dean. She stood out above the other candidates, and in the two days she has worked here she has already added a range of plants and items to make the office look friendlier and more inviting.
Jill is in her mid-thirties, petite, with blonde shoulder-length hair and has previously worked for a local solicitor prior to taking two years’ leave after having her first baby. Jill is such a happy person. She wears short skirts which flaunt her long legs and at the moment she wears knee-length boots. The office is filled with her pleasant perfume, although I couldn’t tell you the name of it. And she certainly knows how to organise an office. Everything down to the last paper clip has its place.
I’ve also found a nice two-bedroom apartment off Hills Road to rent until the purchase of Foundry Road goes through. It’s only a mile from the town centre so, weather permitting, I can ride into the office on my new bicycle. I’ve bought myself a car too, a two-year-old Ford Mondeo. No need to spend money on a fancy car. Maybe I’ll splash out on a luxury sports car in a few years’ time, but for now the charity is the main focus.
Susan thinks we should employ someone to handle the PR side of things. She explained that a lot of the work we are planning to do needs to impress many influential people who could help us in the future. Having a good media presence is no bad thing. It could open a lot of doors which otherwise would remain closed. Apparently, it’s what a lot of charities do.
It will also demonstrate to
