Chapter Thirty-Five - The Financial Advisor

Tuesday 5th November

Catherine took her coat off, hung it in the hall and walked in to her living room.  She set the business card down beside the house phone.  She had spent much of the morning so far trying to decide if she should call the number on it and, if so, what she should say.  She opted to give herself a little longer to think about it.

She had tried to speak to Colin, her Jobcentre work coach, first thing, after receiving an unexpectedly blunt text message the previous afternoon, informing her that she was in breach of her claimant commitment for failing to attend an appointment with him the previous Friday and that there were likely to be consequences.  This was the appointment which she had already explained clashed with work and which she had offered to reschedule.  Catherine replied as soon as she saw it, explaining that she had already advised him she could not make that date.  She let him know she was free all day on Tuesday - although she had made plans, they could be changed - and had expected a message with a new date and time, not what she actually received.  A separate, standardised message informed her that she would face a seven day sanction plus additional days until she complied with the requirement to arrange an appointment with her work coach.  This would wipe just over ten pounds per day from her Universal Credit.  Catherine quickly calculated that, unless Colin accepted she was back onside before her next payment was due, it would be at least one-hundred and seventy pounds short.  It could not be. She needed her full payment if she was going to pay her rent in full when Mr Stevens expected it.  She phoned the Jobcentre and was promised a call back.  She updated her journal to include the fact that she had called and the promise of contact.  She called again.  After several minutes of Vivaldi, she sent Colin another text. 

‘This must be what it’s like trying to contact a boyfriend who’s decided to dump you!’ she complained.

Later that same afternoon, she had been weighing up the pros and cons of asking for an advance on her wages, when the doorbell had sounded.

'Mrs Collier?'

The man standing on her path was a little younger than herself, dressed in a chic winter coat, undone to show off a well-cut suit.

'If you're selling double-glazing or similar, I'm not interested,' she said shortly.  'This is a rented property.'

He laughed good-naturedly. 

'It's nothing like that,' he said.  'Doorstep salesmen are a pest, aren't they?'

'And people peddling their faith,' Catherine answered shrewdly.

'It isn't that either,' he assured her.  'I'm Leo's father.'

'Leo?'

'Leo Finn.  He's in the same years as your daughter - Alex, isn't it?'

'Yes, I believe he is.'  The name suddenly dropped into place.  Catherine decided she had things to say to this man about his son’s conduct.  'Come in, Mr Finn.'

'Please, call me Nigel.'  

He had a salesman's firm, trustworthy handshake.  Catherine led him to the kitchen.  She didn't want him to make himself too comfortable.

'Tea or coffee, Nigel?' 

Catherine was quietly glad when he declined.

'I take it this is about Alex selling some of her things to Leo?' she said.

'I'm sorry?' he said, seeming genuinely surprised.

'Alex was trying to get some money together to pay the deposit for the school skiing trip, despite the fact I'd told her she couldn't go.  We lost my husband this time last year and...'

'My sincerest condolences, Mrs Collier.  Leo told me that.  He didn't mention that Alex had sold anything to him, simply that she really wanted to go and that he understood things were rather...' he paused.  'A little difficult for you.  Financially, that is.'

Catherine was not best pleased that Alex had been sharing their money troubles with her friends, although she might have guessed this Leo boy must be in the know. 

'It has been hard but I'm working again now.'

'So Alex will be able to go on the trip?'  Nigel Finn appeared delighted.  'Leo - and the rest of their friends - will be pleased.'

'I didn't say that.  In fact, I've made it quite clear to her that she can't think of going.  It's not just the cost of the holiday, it's the clothes, passport, luggage...'

'It doesn't pay for itself, I know.'  Nigel Finn gave her a sympathetic smile.  'It would mean such a lot to her, though.  They're a very close, cliquey group.  If Alex is the only one who misses out, she's likely to take it quite badly.  That's why Leo asked me to come to see you.  He was hoping we could help you.’

‘Help me?’

‘Help you financially, with the cost of the trip, so the friends could all go on holiday together, before they have to really knuckle down for their exams.’

‘Mr Finn…’

‘Nigel…’

‘Mr Finn, I’m sorry but there’s absolutely no way I could possibly…’

Nigel Finn put a hand to his forehead.

‘I knew I’d get it all wrong.  I’ve offended you now.  Absolutely the last thing I wanted to do.’

‘I’m sure you’re acting with the best of intentions, but I can’t possibly accept your money and I must ask you to have a word with your son, and stop him encouraging Alex to think she can win me round or that he can pay for her.  We all have to get used to things being rather different to how they used to be.  I have to be careful, economical and independent and, much as it’s terribly difficult for her, Alex needs to start learning these skills too.’

She didn’t want to offend Nigel Finn by suggesting that Leo’s motives might be other than altruistic.  Alex didn’t tend to attract the wrong sort of attention from boys, unlike her little sister, but there was something unsettling about this supposed keenness to include her in the skiing trip.  Catherine could remember the names of most of Alex’s closest friends and her daughter occasionally mentioned boys in her classes.  Catherine could not recall Alex, nor any of her friends, mentioning Leo Finn until the matter of trading electronic gadgets for the school trip deposit had come to light.  

‘You’re a wise woman, Mrs Collier,’ Finn agreed.  ‘I suppose we do indulge our kids, when we can, a little too much.  They’re young for so short a time, aren’t they?  Leo’s already worrying about tuition fees if he goes to Uni, whether he’ll be able to get a decent job, buy a house – all the things our generation took for granted.  I suppose that’s why I try to reward him, when he works hard and stays out of trouble.’

‘Alex gets her rewards too,’ Catherine protested. 

‘I don’t doubt it, Mrs Collier.’ 

Without being asked to leave, he moved towards the door.  Reaching into the breast pocket of his suit, he took out a business card, setting it down on the sill of the little window beside the front door. 

‘In case you change your mind,’ he said.

‘Thank you.’

She closed the door behind him a little more hastily than was entirely polite.

The smell of what was probably a very good cologne still lingered as she inspected his card.  That it was for a company called Lifebuoy Financial Services caught Catherine by surprise.  It seemed that Mr Finn was a financial advisor of some sort.  In an area like this, he might have a prestigious client group, although, as she turned it over in her hands, she felt it was odd that it didn’t have Nigel Finn’s name on it, nor a job title, nor an address, merely a mobile phone number and an exhortation not to drown in debt.  Catherine had never been a money adviser, but she had an idea that anyone giving financial advice should be licenced and that, if for no other reason than good practice, details of that licence should be on cards and correspondence. 

Minded to do some detective work, she had settled down at her computer, but been interrupted by a telephone call.  It was Ralph.  He had another odd day of annual leave booked for the following day.  He had done all the chores he needed to at his allotment and the weather forecast suggested too nice a day to waste it sat at home writing out Christmas cards.  He wondered if she would like to join him for a walk and a pub lunch.

‘That would be lovely, Ralph, but…’ 

She absolutely could not afford another meal out.

‘If you’re busy, we could make it just lunch?’

‘I can’t really…’

‘Or the walk and no lunch.’  He sounded sad.  ‘It’s a shame not to get out and about while the weather’s so bright.’

‘I’ll probably have to go to the Jobcentre,’ Catherine explained.  ‘I don’t know what time.’

‘Then let me give you a lift and either treat you to lunch before your appointment or after it, and we’ll have a walk too, if there’s time.  Riverside Park is nice, or the Itchen Navigation.’

‘Don’t be silly, Ralph.  You didn’t book a day off to spend it hanging around waiting for me outside the Jobcentre.  You have a nice day out in the New Forest or the Meon Valley, or up on the Portsdown Hills or…’

He was absolutely right not to want to waste the day.  Catherine could not afford to waste it either.  She needed to track down Colin and come up with a plan to pay her rent.

‘Let me know if you change your mind,’ Ralph said, trying to sound upbeat but not making a very convincing job of it.

‘I promise.’

Catherine knew she couldn’t borrow through most conventional resources.  William had seen to that.  She had no access to money of her own for the last seven years of her marriage so had no credit reference history.  She had no credit card and little chance of getting one at this address, due to Will’s history of problematic borrowing.  She could approach her bank.  She would do so, when she was next in town, although she doubted they would be willing to help with her income so low and precarious. 

‘Don’t Drown in Debt!’ she instructed herself, reading Nigel Finn's card again.

It was half-past ten on Tuesday morning when Colin from the Jobcentre called.

‘What’s all this about a sanction?’ Catherine asked him.  ‘I told you I couldn’t come in on Friday morning, because I was working.’

‘Sorry.  I forgot.’

‘Is that why you didn’t arrange another appointment?’

‘It is, yeah.  We can do that now, if you like.’

‘I’m free all day today.’

‘I’m not.  What about Wednesday morning?’

‘I’m working Wednesday, Thursday and Friday morning.  I told you.  I put that on my journal.’

‘You did, yeah.’  She guessed her was checking his diary.  ‘Next Monday?’

‘I can do any time next Monday.’

‘Nine o’clock?’

Later would be better but she could manage that, taking an early bus.  ‘That’s fine.’

‘I’ll put that on your journal.’

‘So will I.’  It made sense not to leave anything to chance.  ‘I take it that’s the end of the sanction issue?’

‘That’s up to the Decision Maker.’

‘You’ve just admitted it was your mistake!’

‘It’s gone to a Decision Maker, though.  I can tell them.  I expect it’ll be alright, although they’ll look at your work search too.’  She heard keys clicking.  ‘You haven’t put much on your journal.’

‘That's because I’ve actually been working, Colin.’

‘Yeah, of course.’

Catherine had a sinking feeling that there might still be a problem with her payment.

‘Colin, I need this payment to come through without a hitch.  I can’t upset my landlord.  Do you understand me?’

He insisted he did.

‘I’m going to put my working hours and the details of my rent due in my journal too, so the Decision-Maker can see it, okay?’

Colin agreed she should.  She sensed he had no idea whether it would help.

By the time she put the phone down, Catherine was almost ready to make her call to Nigel Finn.  She made one other first.

‘Thanks for coming round, Ralph,’ she said when her friend arrived.  ‘I thought I ought to have a witness and some moral support before I do this.’

She dialled the mobile number on the business card.  Finn answered.

‘Mrs Collier!  How nice to hear from you!’

‘You may change your opinion about that, Mr Finn,’ Catherine advised him.  ‘I’m calling to ask that you never contact me or my family ever again, or I will go to the police.  I have spoken to the Head at the school regarding both Alex’s false hopes of participating in the skiing trip and Leo’s utterly unacceptable attempt to exploit her dream.  I'm sure you will be hearing from the school in due course, but I wanted you to be in no doubt as to whom had raised this matter with them, and that they know the full details of the threats made against my daughters by your son.’

‘I’m shocked and disappointed, Mrs Collier.  Leo and I were genuinely trying our best to help…’

‘Arrant nonsense, Mr Finn.  You are no more genuinely trying to help than you are genuinely offering financial services.  Why is your name and address not on this card?  Where are the details of your FCA registration?’

‘I must have given you an old one by mistake.’

‘Your mistake, Mr Finn, was coming round here at all.  I trust you will not repeat it.’

Finn started swearing.  Catherine left the telephone on speakerphone until he hung up.

‘Good day to you too, Mr Finn!’ she said.

‘Gosh,’ said Ralph.  ‘He sounds rather a nasty piece of work.’

‘He doesn’t give that impression when you first meet him.  He’s all smiles and charm, when he thinks he might reel you in.’

‘Reel you in?’

‘He’s a loan shark.’

‘Good lord!’ Ralph’s brow furrowed.  ‘They can be jolly unpleasant, can't they?  Are you sure you did the right thing to call him?’

‘Someone has to take a stand, Ralph.’  Catherine replied.  ‘I wanted to make sure he knew not to try his scams with me.  He’s due a visit from the authorities following my visit to the school this morning already.’

‘On account of his son’s antics?’

‘And his own.  I showed the Head this business card.  She said it confirmed something that had troubled her about an incident involving another local family, but couldn’t say any more about that to me.  There’s a national hotline to report loan sharks, so we called it from her office and gave them all the information we both had about Finn.’

‘I say!' Ralph said.  'How terribly brave of you!’

Catherine didn’t feel brave at all, compared to her elder daughter.

‘Alex has been braver.  If she hadn’t opened up to me last night about what was happening at school, I might not have spotted Finn’s game.  In a way, although it sounds dreadful, it was almost lucky that Leo scared Alex so much she told me the truth and asked for help.’

‘What did he say?’

‘I’d rather not share that, Ralph.  It was rather distressing.  Alex has been fantastic, though.  As well as owning up to deceiving me, which took a lot of guts, she’s had to face down the jibes of her better-off friends and face up to missing out on her holiday.’

‘That must be grim.’

‘It was.  On the plus side, however, she’s got a better idea who her true friends are now and has earned their respect.  Most of them aren’t going on this dreadful skiing trip either, so they'll have a better time while the snobs are away, she can stop trying to be someone she isn’t and get on with being the lovely, bright kid she actually is.’

‘I’m sure that will make life easier for you both,' Ralph said.  'Now, after all that, would you still like to come out for lunch with me?’

‘I’ve had rather a hectic morning, Ralph, and I still have to…’  Catherine smiled.  ‘Actually, that would be lovely.  Nothing too fancy - and you must promise to let me treat you, when I can.’

‘You have my word on it,’ he replied.