Five minutes later he entered Coleshaw High Street. Full of shoppers and office workers during the day, the shops and offices were closed now so he was able to park right outside the bank. Switching off the engine, he lowered the kickstand and removed his helmet and gloves. A couple were already at the cash machine and as he waited for them to finish he looked up towards the bank’s CCTV camera, aware it would be picking him up very clearly. Evidence, should he ever need it later. He didn’t think Paul would do the dirty on him but life had taught him that you could never be sure. If Paul did decide to make trouble for him, he now had some evidence that he was blackmailing him.

    The couple finished and walked away, and Derek crossed the pavement to the cash dispenser. Unzipping his leather jacket, he took out his platinum debit card of which he was proud and inserted it into the cash dispenser. The screen showed what he already knew – that although he was allowed to withdraw £1000 in 24 hours, the maximum single transaction was three hundred pounds. He withdrew the maximum three times and then a hundred pounds to make it up to a thousand.

    In full view of the bank’s camera he took two envelopes from his inside jacket pocket on which he’d already printed Paul’s full name and address. He carefully divided the money between the envelopes, counting five hundred pounds into each, and tucked them into his jacket pocket. He placed the receipts in his wallet and put that into his jacket too. Donning his helmet and gloves he returned to the bike, revved and pulled away, trusting it was all recorded on the bank’s CCTV.

    Using the back streets Derek knew so well, he headed towards Paul’s home – about ten minutes away. When Paul had first applied to work for him Derek had spent some time viewing where he lived on Google Earth and Street View. Then once Paul had begun, he’d made a point of collecting him from home once to take him to a job. He’d done this with all the lads he’d employed so their family could see his work van with the name of his company emblazoned on the side and back doors. It helped reassure them that his was a reputable company and their son would be in safe hands. Most of these lads were straight from school and still wet behind the ears and their parents – especially their mothers – fretted about them in a way his own mother never had. He’d had to go to work when his father had left and that was that.

    Not wanting to draw attention to himself, he cut the engine as he entered Paul’s road and cruised noiselessly to a halt, parking under a tree a few houses from where Paul lived. The street was quiet and the last vestige of daylight had gone. Derek raised his visor and checked the time. It was now 7.55. He remained astride his bike and waited. Paul had said to post the money through his letterbox at exactly eight o’clock and he would be waiting for it on the other side of the door. Derek assumed that was so none of his family got to the envelope first and began asking questions.