73. Looking after it

I spent yesterday afternoon with Keith, a friend of forty years whom I haven’t seen for a long time - not since before we went to live in Cayman.  He was making a rare visit to North London and popped in to see me.  We spent an enjoyable afternoon catching up on old times and telling of recent events.  He told me an intriguing story.

Keith is the boss, running a medium sized organisation employing about 60 people.  Two years ago on a Sunday he was forced, because of the pressure of work, to spend the day in his office.  He arrived at nine in the morning and worked solidly until he suddenly realised that he was hungry. 

He locked up and went off to buy a sandwich but when he went to pay for it he realised that he had left home that morning without his wallet and he had no money at all.  His home is about an hour’s drive from his workplace and so, resigned to being hungry, he returned to his office.

But then he had a brainwave.  The office next to his is that of the Financial Controller and in his office was a small safe and inside that safe was kept an amount of cash, usually from one to six thousand pounds.  He knew the combination and would borrow some money.

When he opened the safe he had a worrying surprise.  There were some coins in a tin inside the safe but the metal box containing the paper money was not there.  Keith helped himself to five pound coins and went back to get his sandwich. 

He was very worried, concerned and disappointed.  Keith had known the Financial Controller for some time.  He had appointed him to the position and he had grown to trust him and like him very much.  He couldn’t believe that he would steal money from the organisation, as eventually he was certain to be found out. 

On Monday morning and with a heavy heart, Keith went into see Harry, the Financial Controller.  They chatted for a while about their weekends and then:

“How much cash have we got Harry?”

“A couple of thou, I think.”

“Have a look will you please and tell me how much there is?”

Harry went over to the safe, knelt down, turned the dial and opened it.  He took out the metal cash box and took it over to his desk.  Keith was taken aback. When Harry opened the lid Keith, to his amazement, could see that it contained a lot of cash.  Harry said nothing but quickly and expertly counted the banknotes.

“Three four,” he said to Keith.

“Three thousand four hundred?” Keith asked, trying not to sound surprised.

“Yep,” said Harry.  “Do you need some?”

“No, in fact,” Keith said, throwing a five-pound note on to Harry’s desk, “I borrowed this yesterday.  Put it in please.”

Things were still hectic the following weekend and Keith found that he had to be at his desk again.  On Saturday, late in the afternoon, just as he was about to leave for the long drive home, he remembered the events of the last weekend and driven by compelling curiosity, went into Harry’s office to look in the safe.  The cash box was missing again.

On Monday morning Harry was off site at a meeting and so Keith went to see Harry’s secretary.  She opened the safe for him and handed him the cash box which he opened to find that it contained just less than two thousand pounds.  He was puzzled.  What was Harry up to?

When Keith found that the same thing happened on the third weekend he was really perplexed but then he had a thought.  Suppose Harry was taking £X every Friday night but bringing back £X – y on Monday morning.  It seemed a convoluted way of pilfering cash but it was the only explanation that seemed to make any sense.

The following week Keith decided to test things out.  At 4:45 on Friday afternoon, just before everyone packed up for the weekend, he asked his own secretary to fetch the cash box from the Financial Controller’s office.  He opened it and counted the notes:  £4460.  The box was returned to the safe and everyone went home.

On Saturday morning, even although there was no pressing work to be done, Keith, despite the moans and groans from his wife, made the journey into work.  He went straight to Harry’s office and opened the safe.  No cash box.

Before he drove back home, Keith went to the police station and told a detective constable all the facts as he knew them.  They thought up a plan.

On Monday morning at 4:30, Keith and the detective let themselves into the empty building and went up to Harry’s office.  Keith checked the safe and saw that the cash box was still missing.  The lights were turned off.  They sat in silence in the dark, cold office and waited.  At 5:15 there were noises as the heating came on and the radiator gurgled and spluttered.

Just before six o’clock there was the sound of footsteps in the corridor outside the office.  A key was put in the lock and the door opened.  The lights were turned on and there, blinking in the bright light and holding the cash box, was Harry’s secretary.

Nothing was said.  The detective took the box from her and handed it to Keith who counted the money.

“How much,” asked the detective when Keith had finished.

“Four thousand four hundred and sixty,” said Keith, quietly, feeling very confused.  “It’s all there.  None missing.”

“Why did you take it Miss?” asked the detective.

“To look after it,” she said and that is all she would ever say no matter how often she was asked or by whom.  She was never charged with anything because, as far as the police were concerned, she had committed no crime. 

Theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent and with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it.  She was not guilty of theft as she proved week after week that she had no intention at all of depriving anyone of anything.

Two years on and she still works for Harry but the combination of the safe has been changed and she does not have it but she soon will because as Harry keeps telling Keith, she is completely trustworthy and it would make his life easier if she did.

What was her real motive?  I have no idea.  Have you?

Wednesday January 25th.  I have been worrying about her motive all night and I think that I have come up with what she was up to: 

Her husband/partner is a counterfeiter.  She takes home genuine notes on Friday evening and brings back forged notes on Monday morning.