Criminology

Dick finds himself in a very awkward position given his standing in the society.  Seen in the society as an honest man he now finds himself facing the prospects of having his well cultivated image dismantled in less than 48 hours by a local loan shark.  To all who know him he is successful.  He has a wife and two handsome children and a good job in the local bank.

The people who know him intimately will tell you Dick owns nothing but the clothes he wears.  He married the only daughter of a banking magnate and thus all he has belongs to his wife.  In fact, if it was not for his father-in-law he would have been jobless. The wifes family owns the bank where he works.  The local loan shark is demanding 4,000 from Dick which has accrued from an initial loan of 2500 for which he stood collateral for a friend.

 The friend has done a runner and now the loan shark has given Dick 48 hours to come up with the money or else.  Dick knows the loan shark is not to be taken lightly and has for the past month been trying to have the loan rescheduled for another two months to give him time to come up with the money.  He has already drained his meager savings servicing the interest from the loan.

In Dicks mind he knows time is not on his side.  In his young days he was known for being a very resourceful fellow.  He could get anything he put his mind to and was known to have a soft spot for vulnerable and people in need.  Many are the times he got in problems just because he was doing something to help a friend in problems.

As he sits in office desk early in the morning with only twenty four hours left he knows what he must do.  It is not an easy decision and it will have the consequence hurting his family if he is found out.  He knows in his father-in-laws office there is a safe that has at least 100,000 at any given time.  He is also aware that his wife knows the lock combinations as he has seen her open it on numerous occasion to either put or get money.  He reckons no body would miss let alone notice 4,000 and after all he plans to return it.

He knows that with a bit of persuasion he could easily get the lock combination from his wife.  She has on many occasions in the past offered to give him the combination but he had flatly refused. Dick does not have access to the keys so he knows he must get to the safe between his father-in law leaving the office and the assistant leaving for the evening.

He knows the personal assistant has a soft spot for the local junior league soft ball coach who happens to be Dicks bosom friend.  Unfortunately he has never given her a second of his time and she is always frustrated.  She has intimated countless times to Dick that she would do anything in her power to go out with him.  Dick decides today is the day her wish will come true. For this to happen, Dick needs to explain his plan to his friend.

He sets out one afternoon to make him understand why he should risk having to be berated by his girlfriend for taking out the assistant for a date.  Before he is through explaining to his friend what he has in mind, he gets two calls on his mobile phone.  One is from the office his father wants to see him in thirty minutes. The second is from the loan shark informing him they are considering reducing the time and coming to collect in the next eight hours.  Dick pleads with them promising to have the money before the appointed time.

His friend seeing how dick is sweating from speaking with the shylock agrees to come to his friends aid.  He tells him to worry about his part as the assistant will be out of the office by 4 oclock.  With that he hurries back to the office.  At the meeting, his father-in-law to inform him that he being happy with his work has decided to give him a promotion to assistant bank manager and a pay rise.  News that would have at any other time made Dick overjoyed does not even register in his mind.  He is trying to figure how he will get the lock combination when he hears his father-in-law speak words that jolt him back to reality.  He informs him that he expects delivery of very important documents and that could he keep them in the safe for him when they come since he would be out.  He gives him a note with the safes combination.

With the new twist he informs his friend that he now needs his help in delivering the money.  He cannot afford to go to downtown and be at his house in time for the evening and would his friend deliver the money for him since he also lives in the neighborhood of the loan shark and it was actually on his way home.  They agree he is to call him once he has gotten the money.  

He then proceeds to the managers office and ensures he locks the door on entering.  As he works the combination lock of the safe, he is sweating and shaking.  His whole life is going through his mind.  He remembers how he had sworn to himself that he would lead a clean life and now he was about to steal from his father-in-law.

Dick opens the safe and almost collapses in shock.  In it there is almost a million dollars in hundred dollar bills.  They are not neatly arranged which is unlike his father-in-law.  He starts second guessing himself as to what he is about to do.  Just then the phone rings.  He picks it up and on the other end is the loan shark informing him the deadline has been brought forward to six oclock.  That seems to be the catalyst for Dick for after replacing the receiver, he goes to the safe, places the documents, arranges the money, counts 4,000 and puts it in an envelope.  He closes the safe and walks out of the office majestically like one who has just done a routine task.