THE UPS AND DOWNS IN THE LIFE OF DICKUS
by John Yeo
Maxwell Braithwaite Dickus, sold his business to a very big bank and became a multi-millionaire instantly.
As with many other windfall wealthy individuals, his actions then followed the easy come easy go philosophy, and he spent recklessly. Maxwell invested heavily in the stock market, and his personal broker encouraged him, buying and selling stock for him in some very questionable outfits.
Maxwell and his beautiful wife Mary were often seen together in Monte Carlo, Mary would spend time sunbathing on their luxury yacht, while Maxwell spent his time and money in the casinos.
Horse racing was another vice, he was a very valued client of a large bookmaking concern headed by Joey Brown, a very shady character who allowed him an extraordinary credit limit to finance his gambling habit.
Disaster struck without warning. A global stock-market crash destroyed many hopes and dreams. Sadly Maxwell lost everything.
The world was never going to look the same again. The sun would never shine as bright again. Maxwell Braithwaite-Dickus looked at himself in the antique mirror for the last time before the auctioneers arrived to clear his spacious house. Depression loomed as the finality of the crash sank in and the reality of bankruptcy became clear.
Mary was shocked.
'Oh. Why?' She shouted, ' Dammit Maxie, you have bloody done it now!
I have never felt so embarrassed before in my life. You have ruined us!'
'Mary, I'm truly sorry, I thought we would be secure for the rest of our lives, never to worry about money again! My plans are in ruins, I never saw this crash coming.'
'Maxie, I know you so well after all these years. It is so unlike you to put all your eggs in one basket. I really refuse to believe we are as bad off as you are making out. What is going on?'
'I wish you were right, my lovely wife. We are broke, stony broke... I have many debts and some very nasty people are chasing me for money. We may have to go into hiding for a while until I can find a way out of this mess.'
Mary brushed away a tear and cried. 'This is unbelievable! What are we going to do?'
Two men entered the conservatory.
'Sorry Sir, we have to clear the furniture and effects from this room now.'
'Go ahead! We are just leaving!'
They moved into the beautiful garden and strolled across immaculately manicured lawns. The sun shone gloriously on the lake teeming with wildfowl and full of fish. Leaving their home would be an awful wrench.
'Max, I had a suspicion that we couldn't go on spending as we have for very much longer. What are we going to do?'
'I have secretly sold the house and transferred the funds to an offshore account Mary. My brother Ferdinand in Paris has agreed to put us up for a while. I am sure you will love it there, the shopping is out of this world.'
'Are you mad? We are running away from here because we are broke and you are suggesting I spend even more.'
'Mary, life's for living, my darling, we have a little money from the sale of the house and I will soon recover my fortunes again.'
'Now listen to me Max, I will hate to leave here as I have loved my house and garden. I will come to France with you but on my terms. There will be no more gambling and squandering of our very little resources in future.'
'Mary, I think you are wonderful! You will never regret staying with me.'
Ferdinand and his family lived in a splendid detached house in the centre of Paris. Mary and Maxwell were made to feel at home.
'Stay as long as you like, we are very pleased to have the company Maxwell, we must get together to catch up properly after dinner tonight.'
Time passed swiftly and Maxwell and Mary blended into the locality seamlessly until two strangers arrived asking many people many questions.
One uneventful day the local patisserie owner M. Boulez, mentioned a mysterious visit of two Englishmen asking questions and showing a great interest in the newcomers.
Ferdinand became very nervous about things and began to worry about the safety of his wife and children. There had been a spate of kidnappings and he feared for their lives.
Maxwell and Mary were to be on the move again as soon as alternative arrangements could be made.
Mary was soon making enquiries among her very wide circle of magical friends and a very old friend of a friend offered to help.
'Maxwell my dear, you are going to become an employee on a very large estate in the highlands of Scotland.'
Joey Brown was very irate when the news arrived from one of his informants that Dickus had run into trouble and in the words of the messenger. 'Done a runner and disappeared.’
The very sore point with Joey was the five hundred thousand pounds he was owed.
Meanwhile on a remote estate in the highlands of Scotland, Maxwell and Mary were settling in comfortably. Mary missed her house and friends in the city, but she had been introduced and welcomed into the local coven of practitioners of magical arts. Maxwell was employed under an assumed name as the estate manager.
Then one fateful day a letter arrived from a firm of solicitors with regard to a large sum of money in trust for Maxwell that had been forwarded to Mary by her sister Grace in Colchester. Mary immediately wrote back to Grace imploring her never to reveal their new address to anyone, and enclosed the following letter addressed to the solicitors.
Dear Sirs,
I regret to inform you of the sudden death of Maxwell Braithwaite Dickus.
Please forward all further correspondence to solicitors. Hammond, Jones and Williamson, London EC1.
A few days later Clarence Hall was talking over the airwaves to Joey Brown.
'Hey Joey, I have just had news that Braithwaite-Dickus is dead. I think this is rather sudden and I will make some more enquiries. We need to meet up and compare notes soon, maybe early next week? Have your team had any luck? We seem to be coming up with dead ends.'
‘No news here Clarrie. That death came out of the blue! Who shot the son-of-bitch? I will get back to you about a meeting. Be lucky my friend.'
The funeral was extraordinarily well attended. This man was respected, loathed, loved and hated in many places. Some arrived to make sure he was actually dead and to raise a glass in celebratory style. Others were genuinely sad as the deceased had been extraordinarily generous to those who were loyal to him. The media were there in force, this man was a wheeler and dealer who had a very sketchy history of violence and contrastingly of genuine charity to those in need, this death was news.
Six black horses led the cortège pulling an ornate carriage, many members of the family and some very close personal friends walked slowly behind as the procession wended its way to the cathedral.
Joey Brown was seated above a retail shop with several friends and acquaintances using a pair of very high powered binoculars to survey the mourners in detail.
'I am certain our man is here somewhere, he is sure to break cover to pay his last respects to his late Uncle Alphonso, rumour has it that Dickus is in line to inherit a very large sum of money. I want what he owes me paid back with interest.'
There was a general ripple of assent from everyone there, James Black, his right hand man and personal assistant then replied. 'No worries Boss we have men everywhere, if the scumbag should have the nerve to show his face, we will get him and bring him here!'
So far there had been no luck and it seemed as if the exercise was to be a waste of everyone's time.
Waiting in the cathedral was another group of people with an identical mission. Clarence Hall was there with associates, examining the mourners and the family members in detail.
Maxwell Braithwaite Dickus was a very wanted man in more ways than one, as his Uncle went to his last resting place in style.
As the funeral service began, there was a slight disturbance when the doors were opened to allow the entrance of a latecomer. Clarence did not even turn his head to assure himself that his time was not wasted, he guessed and signalled to an accomplice.
Meanwhile Joey Brown was hopping mad as a black sedan with heavily tinted windows had smashed into the windows of the shop below and the occupants had fled. This took everyone's attention away from the search and the place was crawling with police who were trying to establish the facts of how it happened. Joey's men were in hot pursuit of the occupants while the object of the afternoons exercise was paying his last respects in the cathedral.
When the service ended and the congregation began to file out, Clarence Hall became mystified as his people were unable to locate Dickus among the crowd of mourners. The family and close friends were expected to gather in a luxury hotel in the centre of the city and Clarence and friends raced to intercept him at the wake.
Meanwhile a close friend of Mary was accompanying an infirm man in a wheelchair to the airport to catch a flight back to Scotland. Mary, was there to meet her and the plane took off.
'Phew, that was a close run escape Mary, it was wonderful how that PI firm was able to infiltrate and read every move our pursuers made. How did they do it! They are brilliant at the job they do.'
'I have known Marg for years.' Mary replied, 'She does not come cheap, but our fortunes have changed suddenly and when Alphonso's will is settled, we will be very wealthy again!'
'Excellent!' Exclaimed Maxwell.
'Just one last thing Maxie, I know you will not like this. I have arranged for Marg to seek out all of your creditors and settle all your gambling debts without delay. In future I will handle our finances my love.'
'All our finances? Mary, my darling.'
Copyright © ~ Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved
by John Yeo
Maxwell Braithwaite Dickus, sold his business to a very big bank and became a multi-millionaire instantly.
As with many other windfall wealthy individuals, his actions then followed the easy come easy go philosophy, and he spent recklessly. Maxwell invested heavily in the stock market, and his personal broker encouraged him, buying and selling stock for him in some very questionable outfits.
Maxwell and his beautiful wife Mary were often seen together in Monte Carlo, Mary would spend time sunbathing on their luxury yacht, while Maxwell spent his time and money in the casinos.
Horse racing was another vice, he was a very valued client of a large bookmaking concern headed by Joey Brown, a very shady character who allowed him an extraordinary credit limit to finance his gambling habit.
Disaster struck without warning. A global stock-market crash destroyed many hopes and dreams. Sadly Maxwell lost everything.
The world was never going to look the same again. The sun would never shine as bright again. Maxwell Braithwaite-Dickus looked at himself in the antique mirror for the last time before the auctioneers arrived to clear his spacious house. Depression loomed as the finality of the crash sank in and the reality of bankruptcy became clear.
Mary was shocked.
'Oh. Why?' She shouted, ' Dammit Maxie, you have bloody done it now!
I have never felt so embarrassed before in my life. You have ruined us!'
'Mary, I'm truly sorry, I thought we would be secure for the rest of our lives, never to worry about money again! My plans are in ruins, I never saw this crash coming.'
'Maxie, I know you so well after all these years. It is so unlike you to put all your eggs in one basket. I really refuse to believe we are as bad off as you are making out. What is going on?'
'I wish you were right, my lovely wife. We are broke, stony broke... I have many debts and some very nasty people are chasing me for money. We may have to go into hiding for a while until I can find a way out of this mess.'
Mary brushed away a tear and cried. 'This is unbelievable! What are we going to do?'
Two men entered the conservatory.
'Sorry Sir, we have to clear the furniture and effects from this room now.'
'Go ahead! We are just leaving!'
They moved into the beautiful garden and strolled across immaculately manicured lawns. The sun shone gloriously on the lake teeming with wildfowl and full of fish. Leaving their home would be an awful wrench.
'Max, I had a suspicion that we couldn't go on spending as we have for very much longer. What are we going to do?'
'I have secretly sold the house and transferred the funds to an offshore account Mary. My brother Ferdinand in Paris has agreed to put us up for a while. I am sure you will love it there, the shopping is out of this world.'
'Are you mad? We are running away from here because we are broke and you are suggesting I spend even more.'
'Mary, life's for living, my darling, we have a little money from the sale of the house and I will soon recover my fortunes again.'
'Now listen to me Max, I will hate to leave here as I have loved my house and garden. I will come to France with you but on my terms. There will be no more gambling and squandering of our very little resources in future.'
'Mary, I think you are wonderful! You will never regret staying with me.'
Ferdinand and his family lived in a splendid detached house in the centre of Paris. Mary and Maxwell were made to feel at home.
'Stay as long as you like, we are very pleased to have the company Maxwell, we must get together to catch up properly after dinner tonight.'
Time passed swiftly and Maxwell and Mary blended into the locality seamlessly until two strangers arrived asking many people many questions.
One uneventful day the local patisserie owner M. Boulez, mentioned a mysterious visit of two Englishmen asking questions and showing a great interest in the newcomers.
Ferdinand became very nervous about things and began to worry about the safety of his wife and children. There had been a spate of kidnappings and he feared for their lives.
Maxwell and Mary were to be on the move again as soon as alternative arrangements could be made.
Mary was soon making enquiries among her very wide circle of magical friends and a very old friend of a friend offered to help.
'Maxwell my dear, you are going to become an employee on a very large estate in the highlands of Scotland.'
Joey Brown was very irate when the news arrived from one of his informants that Dickus had run into trouble and in the words of the messenger. 'Done a runner and disappeared.’
The very sore point with Joey was the five hundred thousand pounds he was owed.
Meanwhile on a remote estate in the highlands of Scotland, Maxwell and Mary were settling in comfortably. Mary missed her house and friends in the city, but she had been introduced and welcomed into the local coven of practitioners of magical arts. Maxwell was employed under an assumed name as the estate manager.
Then one fateful day a letter arrived from a firm of solicitors with regard to a large sum of money in trust for Maxwell that had been forwarded to Mary by her sister Grace in Colchester. Mary immediately wrote back to Grace imploring her never to reveal their new address to anyone, and enclosed the following letter addressed to the solicitors.
Dear Sirs,
I regret to inform you of the sudden death of Maxwell Braithwaite Dickus.
Please forward all further correspondence to solicitors. Hammond, Jones and Williamson, London EC1.
A few days later Clarence Hall was talking over the airwaves to Joey Brown.
'Hey Joey, I have just had news that Braithwaite-Dickus is dead. I think this is rather sudden and I will make some more enquiries. We need to meet up and compare notes soon, maybe early next week? Have your team had any luck? We seem to be coming up with dead ends.'
‘No news here Clarrie. That death came out of the blue! Who shot the son-of-bitch? I will get back to you about a meeting. Be lucky my friend.'
The funeral was extraordinarily well attended. This man was respected, loathed, loved and hated in many places. Some arrived to make sure he was actually dead and to raise a glass in celebratory style. Others were genuinely sad as the deceased had been extraordinarily generous to those who were loyal to him. The media were there in force, this man was a wheeler and dealer who had a very sketchy history of violence and contrastingly of genuine charity to those in need, this death was news.
Six black horses led the cortège pulling an ornate carriage, many members of the family and some very close personal friends walked slowly behind as the procession wended its way to the cathedral.
Joey Brown was seated above a retail shop with several friends and acquaintances using a pair of very high powered binoculars to survey the mourners in detail.
'I am certain our man is here somewhere, he is sure to break cover to pay his last respects to his late Uncle Alphonso, rumour has it that Dickus is in line to inherit a very large sum of money. I want what he owes me paid back with interest.'
There was a general ripple of assent from everyone there, James Black, his right hand man and personal assistant then replied. 'No worries Boss we have men everywhere, if the scumbag should have the nerve to show his face, we will get him and bring him here!'
So far there had been no luck and it seemed as if the exercise was to be a waste of everyone's time.
Waiting in the cathedral was another group of people with an identical mission. Clarence Hall was there with associates, examining the mourners and the family members in detail.
Maxwell Braithwaite Dickus was a very wanted man in more ways than one, as his Uncle went to his last resting place in style.
As the funeral service began, there was a slight disturbance when the doors were opened to allow the entrance of a latecomer. Clarence did not even turn his head to assure himself that his time was not wasted, he guessed and signalled to an accomplice.
Meanwhile Joey Brown was hopping mad as a black sedan with heavily tinted windows had smashed into the windows of the shop below and the occupants had fled. This took everyone's attention away from the search and the place was crawling with police who were trying to establish the facts of how it happened. Joey's men were in hot pursuit of the occupants while the object of the afternoons exercise was paying his last respects in the cathedral.
When the service ended and the congregation began to file out, Clarence Hall became mystified as his people were unable to locate Dickus among the crowd of mourners. The family and close friends were expected to gather in a luxury hotel in the centre of the city and Clarence and friends raced to intercept him at the wake.
Meanwhile a close friend of Mary was accompanying an infirm man in a wheelchair to the airport to catch a flight back to Scotland. Mary, was there to meet her and the plane took off.
'Phew, that was a close run escape Mary, it was wonderful how that PI firm was able to infiltrate and read every move our pursuers made. How did they do it! They are brilliant at the job they do.'
'I have known Marg for years.' Mary replied, 'She does not come cheap, but our fortunes have changed suddenly and when Alphonso's will is settled, we will be very wealthy again!'
'Excellent!' Exclaimed Maxwell.
'Just one last thing Maxie, I know you will not like this. I have arranged for Marg to seek out all of your creditors and settle all your gambling debts without delay. In future I will handle our finances my love.'
'All our finances? Mary, my darling.'
Copyright © ~ Written by John Yeo ~ All rights reserved
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