A look into the wishing well 12

It had been with George that he was first a business man and if there was time, a husband.

He married Olive because he had to and his family had found him a beautiful girl from a good family. It was a good transaction as he saw all things. 

Everything was a good or bad deal. He always had to derive some profit from it. This time he had the wife who was talk of the town.

Now he was not so sure it was the way it should be. 

For sure he had almost lost Olive. Even now he was not so sure she could withstand the attacks and the exposures particularly on his character. He thought she must have a breaking point and then she will leave him. 

What would he do then? It mattered to him now. Olive, the kids - this is what made sense to him now. But no he would not let his brother crush him.

It was clear that his brother was out for war. Her mother's attempt to bring an end to the strife had failed. Benjamin was adamant that either victory is his or nobody gets anything. 

When Olive told George about the phone call, he played it cool. Just one of those women who now think they can make a quick buck of off me. Doesn't she know there are DNA tests and I can sue her for slander if she goes to the newspapers and makes the ridiculous claims. 

The next morning, the post arrived with a brown envelope addressed to George. When he got to it, pictures of a good looking little boy and then a picture of a teenager - invariably the same boy. 

Also inside the envelope was several strands of hair. The note read:

" George your wife could have been more polite rather than cut my phone so now I ask that by next week Friday I have $200,000 in my bank account and a house to go with it. 

If you think I am bluffing - I have enclosed a strand or should I say strands of his hair should you want to have a DNA test.  I would rather not go down that route if I were you because I will go straight to the papers and expose you yet again! "

Slightly caught off guard by the inclusion of the strands of hair, George thought that he had been Outfoxed and maybe there was truth in this lady's claim. Sure enough he had been reckless but not this crazy. He would have known by now and why now. 

"Blast it. I ain't going down without a fight. If it had been my child why conceal the fact and deny me my right to know my own child." 

There was a number in the envelope and he called it and a man picked it up and he intimated he was the said lady's representative.

"Just so you know... convey this message to your stinking snake in the grass, that she will not see a single cent of my money come what may. Firstly, I will sue for the fact that she concealed for all these years the existence of my child...I will secondly sue for custody of the child. I will with great ease demonstrate what kind of mother she is with this attempt at blackmail​.

The only free house she will get is the jail cell. 

Beyond that come Friday next week we will be waiting with the police. She better well pack well. 

To you and your crook of a friend...kiss my shiny behind."

 George slammed the phone down. He knew it was a high stakes gamble but he knew he had rattled her. If the claims were genuine sure enough the phone would ring. 

It did not. Not that day or any other day. 

Next step was to find out who was behind this. For sure those hired crooks would go into hiding at the threat of ending up in jail. 

George was sure it was Benjamin behind it. But he needed to be certain: it's not just someone who read the paper's and thought it was a chance to milk him for a few dollars. 

This was starting to get out of hand and it was taking a toll on olive. 

He partially listened to Olive. He shifted her and the kids to Penang in Malaysia. He opened a little office to give the impression that he was exploring the possibility of starting afresh there, but this was not the case. He was making ready to take the fight Benjamin. He wanted Olive and the kids out of the way. 

He came back to his house in Indonesia. Called the investigator he had hired to find out who was trying to hit him up for money. 

The investigator was a former detective and it proved easy to find the blackmailers. 

A petite lady, with a guy of average height walk into a block of apartments which George and the investigator have been watching for the best part of 2 hours. It was 9pm. 

They gave it a few minutes and go into the apartment block. Second flour room 22. 

They knocked on the door and a tall boy opens the door without even bothering to check...

The lady had run from upstairs but it was too late. The gentleman was too shocked to make a move as he was too relaxed in the lounge. 

The teenage boy asks who do they want to see.

"Sorry young man we are here to see your mother..." George politely said

"No she is not my mother but my favourite aunt...but I don't mind. She  has raised me anyway.."

The woman had a look of worry. She had gone pale. She and probably her boyfriend ( the so called representative) recognised George. 

The aunt asked the young boy to go to his room because they had some important business to discuss with these important people. 

Before he left George asked him how old he was. The boy had said 16 and George smiled. 

The was an awkward silence as the lady sat next to her boyfriend. George and the investigator sat down too even though they were not invited to sit. 

 

The investigator, who was a short and tough looking man spoke first: " so you know why we are here right?"

"We can explain..." The lady said, " but I know him but who are you?"

What does it matter I am here already, so you better believe that you will tell us what we need to know or else I am having someone's tail!"

The look suggested this short tough man had the motivation to do great harm, so they better play along.

The guy seeing the stakes are high jumps right in;

" A man approached us and offered us money to set you up. He didn't say who he was he just showed us the papers and told us all to say and do.."

"How did he look? " Asked George

He said he didn't remember. The investigator got up with his fist clenched as if he was planning to punch him.

"Wait wait! " The lady said. 

She basically went on to describe Rodney and she explained that she was an escort and he was one of his clients. That's how she was Asked to do this...

To be continued