DECEPTION

CHAPTER ONE

     ‘Andrea, you got to come downstairs now’. Jason her younger brother called from the bottom of the stairs. What did he want now? She wondered tossing in her bed.

     ‘Andrea. You have some people here to see you’. Jason shouted again. This triggered her from the bed. What now? She straightened her hair and went downstairs. She saw a man standing in the living room, Jason playing mortal combat on his PSP. Typical of him not to offer the man a seat. She joined her visitor, offering him a seat.

     ‘Simeon Locke’. He introduced himself offering his hand for a handshake. Andrea took it.

     ‘Andrea Norman’

‘So you are Andrea?’ he asked feigning surprise and smiling.

‘Yes. please sit’.

‘Thank you. Can we talk? Private?’. He threw a pointed look in Jason’s direction. Andrea turned to see Jason so engrossed in his game.

‘Jason, could you please excuse us?’ Jason paused his game and turned to look at his sister, pleading with his eyes.

‘No way Jason. Beat it!’. Her own eyes spoke volumes of no-nonsense.

‘Aww men!. Come on sis, show some love’

‘I mean it Jason’

Jason nosily threw down his game pad and left the room’. Andrea shook her head with disapproval. Her brother was a snobbish 17years old.

     ‘Am sorry. Mr.—‘.

‘Simeon Locke’. Simeon filled in.

‘Oh yes! Mr. Locke. What can I do for you?’

‘It is about your father’.

‘what about him?’

‘Actually, I am here to represent my client concerning an issue involving your father and him’

‘what could that possibly be?’. Andrea could feel her heart thumping away in her chest.

‘your father got a loan from my client with an agreement to pay back at a particular time’

‘A loan?’ her mouth fell open.

‘Yes. A loan of fifteen hundred thousand which should have been paid back two months ago. He gave this house as collateral’. Simeon opened his briefcase, searched through and handed over some loose pages of document to a very dumbfounded Andrea.

Andrea scanned through the documents hoping that somehow, this wasn’t true. But, it was her father’s name. Cole Jordan Norman Snr. That was signed at the bottom of the page. He was supposed to have paid up two months ago. Was this the reason for his heart attack? No! couldn’t be.

     ‘Mr. – Locke, I find these hard to believe how could my father take a loan of $1.5million from your client?. We didn’t know about it. The lawyer didn’t mention it. Who is your client?’

‘I can’t tell you that. The agreement was made with privileges that protect my client’s identity. He rather remains anonymous could you at least respect that?’

‘These – these is absolutely preposterous. How could he have made agreement that his lawyer isn’t aware of? I won’t accept it’. Andrea threw the paper down and stood up pacing the room’.

     ‘I advice that you calm down and read the agreement again. There are only two copies of this agreement. Your father has one somewhere and my client has one. Obviously, your father was expecting to pay back before the due date’.

     Andrea picked up the papers and what she saw confirmed her fears. She excused herself, went into her father’s study and returned few seconds later with the twin copy of the document from his safe. His signature was proudly sprawled at the bottom. Cole Norman had always been a proud man she thought slumping into her seat. ‘Mr. Locke, wh—what can—what can we do?’ she stammered.

     Simeon collected his own copy of the document and filed it back into his briefcase. Ceremonially locking it securely, he stood up to his full height. He could see Andrea looking at him expectantly, her brown eyes seeking anxiously answers. ‘My client has been exceptionally patient and exceptionally considerate too Ms. Norman. Because of your father’s death and the blossoming friendship that existed between them’. Simeon paused and picked up his briefcase allowing the impact of his words to sink into Andrea’s subconscious. ‘But, He is definitely running out of patience fast and he is giving you two weeks to pay him or you will have to forfeit the house. I advice you call your lawyer’.