Small Change

Was Diane really doing anything wrong? Surely no-one begrudged her odd pence? But how to make her every single action appear normal when each of her accounts, all 37 of them, were churning thousands of pounds her way week after week. The Bank had to know, but not how to act without advertising that every customer was vulnerable?

Of course, it was all son Luke's fault, this special talent: embedding the trapdoor, the invisible interest payments? And what harm for a year, a few million pounds un-noticed? So why a breakdown, why wreck her retirement plans? And another threat: had Luke any friends in cyber-space - like Jas, the card, the master PIN? It might be transforming his relationship with Tanya but not with the expiry date looming, and Luke in an expensive nursing home? He needed the mother.

But she had other problems. What did Tanya's friend, Ros, know: manager at one of Diane's 37 branches? But her accounts could never be closed, never be moved? And how had ex-husband, Frank, contrived to re-appear? What might he be saying to her two older children? Hadn't she made them wealthy enough? And as for her dream home: couldn't the builder have mentioned his tax affairs?

Most unlucky of all, why the police: did they believe she was linked to Harry, smashing and grabbing ATMs? Could they not appreciate that was real robbery? But perhaps it explained why a Bank publicity man wanted to interview recently retired staff; might he have also have tracked down old Aunt Diana to the nursing home?

Uncertainties might lie ahead but Diane remained absolutely convinced: this life-style had to be preserved. It just came down to overcoming the obstacles one by one.