When asked to provide proof of his allegations, Mr Rex says his bid to the local council had already been made before he went on his business trip and therefore was in place a month ahead of the rival one. He also offers proof of playing the winning set of numbers on a regular basis.
The local Planning Committee Chairman, Peter Hogan, states that he can bear out the facts presented by David Rex.
He says, “The idea to refurbish and repair the 880 houses on the estate and offer them to local families at rents substantially below those being charged by private landlords is a magnificent gesture from a well-respected figure in our community and I would not like to see such plans upset by someone with ulterior motives. This plan will give struggling local families a chance to build a future and bring up their children in nice houses with their own gardens. The council totally supports Mr Rex’s project.”
Mr Rex also confirms he has taken advice and is currently in the process of issuing legal proceedings. With the overwhelming amount of evidence, including an independent witness to the theft of the ticket, he says he is in no doubt he can prove he is the legal owner of the winning ticket and believes the courts will agree.
His lawyer has commented that it is only a matter of time before the case goes to court at which time he fully expects his client to be able to claim the Lotto winnings.
Mr Rex is quoted as saying “Of course the money is nice, but what really hurts is the fact this project including the plans to build a doctors’ surgery and school could benefit many hundreds of people in our community. I would hate to see Asbury Park being turned into a gated community for a few wealthy individuals. My legal team and I are working around the clock to ensure this doesn’t happen.”
The article makes the front page of the local newspaper The Trentbridge Times three days after the article taken from James Sheldon’s original press release.
Two days after this damaging article appears in the local newspaper, Alison ensures it starts to reach the national press and Dave sets step two of his plan in motion. He has previously given his lawyers instructions to issue a High Court writ against James and once again, thanks to a damning press release written by Alison, copies reach the news offices of the local and national newspapers, all of whom have run the previous story.
The next step is for Peter Hogan to contact other Planning Committee members and begin stirring things up, telling them he has received phone calls and messages from many highly influential people who want nothing to do with James Sheldon’s charity bid and that they should seriously look at accepting the alternative, even if the offer is lower.
Things are beginning to go Dave’s way. With just a week to go until the council award the bid, the newspapers are questioning whether James Sheldon really won the Lotto or if he’d stolen the ticket.
Yes, things are looking up for Dave Rex. And what’s more his illegal activities are also going from strength to strength.
Chapter Forty
JAMES
Today is not a good day. In fact, it is probably the opposite of the day I found out I had won the Lotto.
Further correspondence has arrived from Dave Rex’s lawyers, which seems to indicate he will win the court case and I will have to return all the winnings. The thought of losing the money is not what’s worrying me. I’ve never been after riches – you don’t join the police to become rich. It’s the horror of realising that all the people who could be helped with the Asbury Park Housing Trust would lose the opportunity to have a decent home at a price which gives them a chance to make something of their lives.
I remember the encounter in the mini-supermarket with the person who is now claiming the ticket is his. Did it happen that way or is this man trying to trick me into thinking that’s the way it happened? After all, he’s the person who burned the twenty-pound note in front of me when I was homeless.
I still keep going over it in my mind. Did I really pick up the wrong ticket? Is it really his money? I’m honestly not sure.
All this worry is not what I had hoped to experience. My head is starting to spin and I can feel one of my migraine headaches coming on. I haven’t experienced a bad one for a long time but now they are back. I’m trying to figure out what the best course of action would be. Should I fight the case or should I save myself all the aggravation and expense. I’m really not sure what to do for the best.
One of the things I need to do is to explain the situation clearly to Susan and Stevie. They’re the people who matter to me; the people who have helped me put the entire plan for Asbury Park together. I couldn’t have done it without them and they deserve to know the facts.
Perhaps one option could be to work with Dave Rex, to try and form some sort of partnership and see the project come to fruition. Maybe if I give the money back, I can get a written agreement the project will be completed. Or perhaps he’ll settle for fifty per cent of the winnings.
Out of the £168 million, I’ve given two million to Martin Hammond for giving me the two-pound stake money. I am also about to spend twenty-one million on buying The Albion Hotel. All other expenses to-date have been
