Old Friends Read online

  Chapter Ten

  Mutual Insurance had a branch office two doors down from Chase Investigations, which was handy for a number of reasons, not least because Chase handled their investigations work. They were a nationwide firm and getting bigger, and had been one of Dan’s first clients when he went private-in fact, he’d stolen them from his previous employer in a satisfying coup.

  They also handled Marcus Haulage’s insurance, which was why Molly visited them-after sorting out the spat between her husband and his friend and making sure the dust had settled first.

  Julie was the branch manager, an efficient if somewhat bland woman in her forties, with round spectacles and a plain grey skirt suit. She looked up from her PC as Molly entered the office with a bundle of files in her hands, and waved her to a seat across the desk.

  ‘Here you go,’ Molly smiled, plopping the files on the top of Julie’s in-tray. ‘All done, photos and reports enclosed.’

  ‘Excellent, well done you.’ Julie finished the email and fired it off. ‘Are they the ones I gave you last week?’

  ‘Yep, all of them. Neil’s finished up with us and is retiring to Tauranga, he got most of them knocked out and Dan did a couple as well.’

  ‘Retiring?’

  Julie looked alarmed now. She didn’t handle change very well and was on medication for her nerves. Something like this was likely to throw her into a tailspin. As it was she removed her glasses and started frantically wiping them while squinting at Molly expectantly.

  ‘It’s okay though, we’ve got a replacement already and he’s started his induction,’ Molly told her smoothly, ‘I think he’ll work out just fine.’

  Anticipating Julie’s normal barrage of questions, she gave a brief rundown of Mike’s background and his long-standing friendship with Dan.

  ‘So he’s a truck driver?’ Julie looked perplexed.

  ‘Was. That’s what I need to speak to you about actually.’

  Julie listened intently while Molly briefed her on the situation Mike had found himself in and the investigation that resulted from it. At the end she nodded solemnly.

  ‘We do insure Marcus Haulage, that’s quite correct, and I’m aware of a number of claims they have filed recently.’ She tapped at her keyboard for a minute. ‘Here we go.’

  She studied the screen for another minute. Molly waited patiently, knowing that Julie wouldn’t share any information with her at this stage. To do so would be irregular, and Julie didn’t do irregular.

  ‘My question, then, is this-what is it that you want to know?’

  Molly gave her the big smile, the one perfected by those who broker peace deals and negotiate the surrender of hostile forces.

  ‘Marcus Haulage is our client for these thefts, and they’re also your client. We want to confirm some details of the claims they’ve made, in order to progress the investigation and possibly assist you in the process.’

  Julie nodded again, taking it in. She could see the opportunity for some investigation time she didn’t have to pay for herself, and she liked it.

  ‘We believe it’s an inside job,’ Molly continued, ‘and if it is we can close it down pretty quickly. That’ll be our job done, and it will save you money by reducing the number of claims you’ll receive otherwise, and also hopefully recover some of the goods that have been stolen.’

  ‘I see.’

  ‘Further to that is the issue of payment.’

  Molly paused now, putting a little bit of tension on the line to see if the fish was ready to reel in yet. Julie blinked nervously behind her librarian spectacles and leaned forward ever so slightly. She was ready.

  ‘Terry Marcus has engaged our services. He’s paying the bill.’

  ‘I see. Yes?’

  Julie had the bait in her mouth and was nibbling on it. She was ready for a bite.

  ‘That means that we won’t be charging you for it. Effectively you get a free investigation.’

  Molly sat back in her chair, drawing the line tighter. Julie leaned in closer still, unable to hide her hunger now.

  ‘So what do you want to know?’ she asked, and chomped on the worm.

  ‘Who’s Brian Marcus?’ Molly asked, her voice coming through the hands free speaker a bit tinny.

  Dan looked at Mike in the passenger’s seat beside him, gesturing for him to answer.

  ‘That’s Terry’s brother,’ Mike replied, ‘he works there.’

  ‘As the office manager?’

  ‘Something like that, he does the admin stuff. Why’s that?’

  ‘He’s the one who’s submitted the insurance claims on behalf of the company.’

  ‘That’d be right. He’s the brains of the outfit, Terry’s the muscle.’

  ‘Uh-huh.’

  The speaker went silent for a moment and Dan wondered if they’d lost the connection.

  ‘Why d’you ask, Mol? Are you still there?’

  ‘Yeah, I’m still here.’ She paused again. ‘How much d’you think has been taken?’

  ‘Total value? Hang on.’

  Dan flicked through the file until he found Terry Marcus’ stock notes.

  ‘Ahh, total value to date is just under fifty four grand.’

  ‘That’s interesting.’

  They could hear a tremor of excitement in her voice now.

  ‘The total claimed for to date is a fraction over seventy five.’

  ‘Seventy five big ones?’

  The two men looked at each with surprise.

  ‘That is interesting. Have payments been made?’

  ‘Not all of it. The last claim hasn’t been settled yet, and Julie actually said she was going to pass it on to us anyway. She didn’t realise that the other claims had been settled, she was on holiday when they got put through all together so she missed it.’

  ‘Heads will roll.’

  ‘Certainly will, she wasn’t happy.’

  ‘So someone’s amped up the claims then, claimed too much and then creamed off the excess?’ Mike suggested. ‘But how do they then get the money?’

  ‘It got paid into the company account direct. Someone would have to have access to that to be able to withdraw the money,’ Molly told him.

  ‘So that could be Terry himself then,’ Dan noted, and Mike frowned, shaking his head.

  ‘I can’t see it mate, he’s not like that y’know? I mean, he’s a bit of an idiot obviously, but I don’t think he’s a thief. Anyway, he’d be stealing from himself, it’s his company.’

  ‘You’re probably right, but we’ll have to find out for sure. I just hope you’re right, ‘cause if it’s him we won’t get paid.’

  Dan looked back at the phone as if Molly could see him through it. ‘Mol, can you do some checks on both Terry and Brian Marcus, find out their financial positions, also the company itself. I’ve got a call to make.’

  ‘Will do, call you later.’

  She rung off and the two men looked at each other again.

  ‘So what’re you then?’ Dan asked.

  ‘What am I what?’

  ‘What’re you? The brains of the outfit or the muscle?’

  Mike leaned over, pinched his friend’s bicep and gave a derisive snort.

  ‘Whadda you think?’