Chapter 47 Part III Current Situation - 10

everything is messed up Dad gently led me to the house, as if I were a disabled person. Everything is messed up.Now, not only do I feel like a total loser, but I don't feel safe anymore.I didn't feel safe or secure at all, just lonely and restless.I sat on the sofa next to my mother, drinking tea and watching the program "Countdown". Every time there was a movement outside the door, I would be startled. What would I do if Derek Smeez was coming here? How long would it take him to drive here from London? An hour and a half? Maybe two hours if there was traffic? No, he won't do that, he's so busy with his job.

But he might come. Or send the bailiffs.God, those men in leather uniforms! My guts are clenched in fear.I'm really starting to feel like I'm being stalked now. Between commercials, Mom reached for a shopping catalog for gardening supplies. "Look at this lovely birdbath, I'm going to buy one for my garden." "Great." I muttered absently. "They also have some beautiful window boxes," she said, "that you can put in your apartment." "Yes," I said, "maybe." "Shall I order two for you? They're not expensive either."

"No, that's it." "You can use a check, or a VISA card..." she said, flipping through the catalog. "I really don't need it, Mom." My voice suddenly became sharp. "You just make a phone call, give them your VISA number, and they'll send the stuff..." "Mom, stop it!" I yelled, "I don't want these things, okay?" Mom gave me a surprised and reproachful look, and went to the shopping catalog again.I looked at my mother, suffocating with panic.My VISA card can no longer be used; my Switch card can no longer be used; any card can no longer be used.And she didn't know anything about it!

Don’t think about it, don’t think about it anymore! I reached over and grabbed an old copy of the Listening Guide from the coffee table and flipped through it. "Poor Martin and Janice! That's a real shame, isn't it?" Mom looked up and added, "Think about it, they only moved the funds two weeks before the merger! Bad luck up!" "I know." I mumbled, staring at the magazine in my hand.I don't want to think about Martin and Janice again. "What a coincidence." Mom shook her head. "When the merger was about to start, this company launched some new type of investment. I don't know how many people are like Martin and Janice, who are suffering from the transfer of funds to new investments." What a missed opportunity! It's really a pity." She looked at the TV. "Oh, look, it's about to start again!"

The pleasant music of "Countdown" began to sound, and loud applause came from the TV.But I wasn't listening, or even paying attention to the vowels and consonants.I was not in the mood to watch TV at all, I was thinking about what my mother just said.A coincidence—maybe it wasn't a coincidence at all, was it? In fact, the bank had written to Martin and Janice advising them to transfer the funds.They even baited it with a portable clock. Why are they doing this? Suddenly, I became alert.I'd like to see that letter from Flagstaff's insurance company - I'd like to know exactly how long before the merger happened.

"'ENDING'," said Mom, staring at the screen, "that's six. Oh, and an 'S'. Can you have 'ENDINGS'?" "I...go to the next door." I stood up, "I'll be back soon." When Martin opened the door, I found him and Janice also sitting in front of the TV watching Countdown. "Hello!" I said timidly. "I don't know—can I talk to you? Soon." "Of course!" replied Martin. "Come in! Would you like a glass of sherry?" "Oh," I was a little surprised.I'm certainly not against drinking, but it's not even 5 in the afternoon. "Well—well then."

"You can never drink sherry too early, no matter how early!" Martin said. "I'll have another drink, too, thanks, Martin," Janice's voice came from the living room. Passionate! They turned out to be a couple of drunks! Oh God, maybe it's my fault too; maybe the financial loss has forced them to drink and spend time in front of the TV. "I was just wondering," I said nervously, as Martin poured a dark brown sherry into the tankard, "out of interest, if I could read the letter from Flagstaff's insurance company, which is The letter asking you to transfer your investment. I would like to know when it was sent."

"Just got it the day we saw you," Martin replied. "Why do you want to see it?" He raised his glass. "wish you health!" "Good health to you!" I finished, taking a sip of my drink, "I just wanted to know..." "Go to the living room!" He interrupted me, leading me down the hall and into the living room. "Honey, your sherry," he handed it to Janice. "cheers!" "Shh," she replied, "it's a numbers game! I need to focus." "I thought I might look into this," I whispered to Martin, as the clock in Countdown ticked away. "I'm so sad about that."

"Four times 50 is 200," Janice said suddenly, "6 minus 3 is 3, multiplied by 7 is 21, add it up." "Well done, dear!" said Martin, groping in a carved oak sideboard. "Here's the letter. Do you want to write an article or something?" "Maybe!" I said, "you don't mind if I do this?" "Mind?" He shrugged slightly, "No, I don't think so." "Shh!" Janice said, "It's time for the countdown riddle." "Then," I whispered, "I'll just... take this letter, okay?"

"It's 'Description'!" Janice yelled, "No, it's 'Development'!" "And...thank you for the sherry." I took a big sip. The sherry was so mellow that I couldn't help but tremble slightly.Then I put down the glass and tiptoed out of the room. Half an hour later, I sat in my room and read the letter from Flagstaff Insurance several times.I'm sure there's some trickery going on here.How many investors have accepted that worthless portable clock, moved their funds, and lost the opportunity to make a fortune? To put it more plainly, because of doing so, Flagstaff Insurance Company saved money. How much money was bet? Suddenly, I really wanted to know about it all.More than that, I really wanted to write something about it.For the first time in my life, I was really interested in financial reporting.

And I'm not going to post it in the non-fictional Money Success magazine. Eric Foreman's business card is in my purse, with his direct phone number printed on it.I took out my business card.I stared at the card for a while, then went to the phone and called Eric before I could change my mind. "I'm Eric Foreman from The Daily World." Eric's loud voice came from the phone. God, have I really made up my mind to do this? "Hi!" I said nervously. "I don't know if you remember me. I'm Rebecca Bloomwood from Money Success. Our press conference at Sanclem Investment Management I met you before." "Yeah, I remember now," he said happily. "How are you, honey?" "I'm fine." I gripped the handset tightly. "Great. Hmm... I just wonder if you guys are still doing the Can We Trust Financial Experts?" series?" "Yeah, still doing it," Eric said, "what's up?" "That's it..." I swallowed, "I have a piece of news here, maybe you will be interested."