Trick or Treat

A story for Halloween  
 
As Paul Basso handed back the keys to his company car he felt his life had reached the lowest point possible. Sandra had left him and taken the children because of his serial flings with the office girls. The mortgage people were being unreasonable about his arrears simply because circumstances had caused him to break his word a few times. His credit cards too were all maxed out.  
 
On top of all that the bank had rung him that morning wanting to speak to him urgently about his overdraft. Now he’d been fired for through his falsifying of orders to increase his commission.  
He'd seen the writing on the wall a while back but the actuality still came as a shock.  
  
Standing in the late afternoon drizzle as he waited for a bus Paul felt very sorry for himself. He reflected on life and the unfairness of it all. Here he was approaching forty no job, few prospects and the whole damn world conspiring against him.  
 
He wondered why was it that he, a hard working bloke who only wanted to enjoy a few of life’s pleasures, seemed destined to be like king Midas in reverse? Everything he touched seemed to turn to dross. On the other hand there were people like his rich uncle Joshua sitting in undeserved luxury enjoying his retirement. He had a big house and a couple of nice cars on the drive and more money than he knew what to do with. Damn, it just wasn't fair.  
 
Paul had always hated his uncle Joshua. He resented his success at making a fortune out of what he regarded as nothing but con-trickery. What was he anyway? A damned old fraud, a conman who took people in with his supposed psychic powers. Medium my arse he thought bitterly as the bus finally arrived.  
 
Uncle Joshua had for many years run séances in church halls, he had read tarot cards and stared into a crystal ball predicting, advising and generally guiding his clients to the best of his ability. He had built up a considerable following of devotees and only charged what he felt they could afford. He had received a letter one day inviting him to audition for a TV show. It had been the making of him, his fame had spread and then followed several lucrative book deals too.  
 
Through all this fame and fortune Joshua had remained his modest self. Sure he’d bought a bigger house for himself and Audrey his wife and there were a couple of comfortable cars on the drive but nothing extravagant. They had bought some terraced properties with their new found wealth and let them out at affordable rents to working families, seeing this as a righteous investment.  
 
Audrey had ‘gone over’ two years ago and now and Joshua rarely left the house. He spent his time looking into his crystal ball, reading his cards, talking to Audrey and writing the odd article for a psychic magazine.  
 
Today was different though. Today, as the result of what the spirits had told him he had to go out to visit his solicitor. He also had to buy sweets for the children he knew would be calling in a few days time trick or treating. Joshua loved children and had always been sad that he and Audrey were never able to have their own.  
 
As the bus made its way slowly to its destination various people got on and off and seemed to take forever to do so adding to Paul’s annoyance.  
 
He glowered sourly out of the window wondering what he should do now. Much as he hated Joshua he was the old man’s only living relative so there could be a solution to his problems. If only he could get the old boy on his side life could be very sweet indeed. The seed of a plan began to form in his mind.  
 
A week later Paul rang his uncle’s door bell and heard the old man call out “Come in Paul it’s open.” Joshua was sitting in the living room his back to the window. Ah Paul thought the old devil must have seen me coming up the drive. He hadn't seen his uncle since the funeral of his aunt Audrey and then he’d stayed for only the minimum time that decency allowed.  
 
Paul forced a smile. “Good evening Uncle Joshua how are you?”  
 
“I’m not bad all things considered Paul, to what do I owe this honour?”  
 
“Well if it’s all right with you uncle I’ve come to see you on a business matter.”  
 
Joshua frowned, “Business? I've finished with all that sort of thing now Paul.”  
 
Ten minutes later, the social pleasantries out of the way, they were sitting in comfortable chairs sharing a pot of tea.  
 
“It’s like this Uncle Joshua” Paul began “I've had an opportunity to go into business by myself. It’s an Internet business so I don’t suppose you’ll know too much about it but, believe me, it has the potential to make millions.”  
 
Joshua looked at the crystal ball a couple of feet away on the coffee table. He seemed to be deep in thought. “Go on” he said finally.  
 
Paul went into a rambling presentation peppered with superlatives and hyperbole about the glowing prospects for his business. Finally he produced his trump card a carefully forged letter on his bank’s headed paper purporting to offer finance facilities for the venture.  
 
The old man sat staring at the ball for what seemed like an eternity finally, letting out a long sigh, he spoke. “Oh Paul you disappoint me, you really do. After all the loving care my dear late brother and your mother brought you up with you leave me very sad indeed.”  
 
Paul was startled “What the hell are you talking about uncle? Here am I offering you a cast iron deal that will net us both a fortune and you start talking like this.”  
 
The old man’s face hardened but he remained calm as he said “Paul listen to me. For a start I knew you were coming this evening and I knew you would be asking me for money.” He paused slightly before going on. “I wish you’d just plain told me the truth about your financial and marital woes instead of coming here lying.”  
 
Paul was angry now, this was not the response he’d hoped for. He made one last desperate attempt to get Joshua to believe him.
 
“Uncle please!” he wheedled “why would I lie to you? I’ve been completely open and honest with you" he waved his forged letter to emphasize his point. “I let you in on my deal and this is the thanks I get.” He glared at the older man “I'm the one who’s disappointed uncle I really am.”  
 
Joshua looked hurt he said "Paul, really, that story you told me should have begun with 'once upon a time' and ended with 'they all lived happily ever after' Do you really take me for a fool?"
 
Paul's anger rose further now as he saw his cause was lost. “Just because you've made a good living all these years as a con artist uncle don't judge everyone else by your own low standards.” He shouted  
 
Paul was expecting an angry rebuttal or at least defensive argument from Joshua; he was not expecting what came next.  
 
The old man brushed a tear from his eye and spoke in a low voice “Oh nephew if only you could see that the path in life you have chosen is the source of all your ills.” A tear ran freely down the old man’s cheek. “You have come here tonight with deceit in your heart bringing this cock and bull story hoping I’ll invest a hundred thousand pounds in your frivolous lifestyle.”  
 
Joshua paused and took a sip of tea as if to steady his nerves before continuing “I am not nor have I ever been a fraud. What modest gifts I have are genuine and I have always tried to use them to help those in need.” He stared Paul in the eye “You will find this out soon enough dear foolish boy.”  
 
Paul felt rage rising within him “Oh give it a rest you sanctimonious old fraud he bawled. Everyone knows that this psychic stuff is a load of garbage.” His voice rose to a high pitch as the dam of frustration burst.  
 
“You have made a fortune conning gullible fools into believing you could speak to their dead relatives.” He was trembling in his fury now “How much have made eh? A million? Two million? Three? You make me sick.  
 
Paul picked up the heavy crystal ball and shook it in his uncle’s face as he screamed “You expect me to believe that you can see the future in this stupid lump of glass?”  
 
He raised his hand and smashed the ball down on his uncle’s head. “You didn't see that coming did you eh? Did you smart arse?” The old man never made a sound he just slipped sideways in his chair.  
 
Paul slumped down in his chair his temper was subsiding now and he realized what he had done.” Think Paul, think” he said aloud. “Ah yes, a burglary, yes that’s it.”  
 
He went around the house wearing a pair of gloves he’d taken from the kitchen. He found a few hundred pounds here, a gold watch there and some of his late aunt’s jewelry went into his pockets too. He found a safe in the main bedroom but it was locked and bolted to the floor.  
 
Going from room to room he ransacked the house taking everything he could carry that looked like it was worth money. In the end he had to stuff it all into one of his uncle’s suitcases in order to carry it all.  
 
Leaving the front door ajar he hurried to his uncle's car and stuffed the suitcase in the back seat. He accelerated away down the long driveway anxious to distance himself from his foul deeds. As he swung onto the road he saw a group of children dressed in Halloween costumes approaching. He blasted the horn and they all leapt aside, all except one.  
 
He felt a slight thud on the side of the car and looked in the mirror to see a little girl sprawled in the road her witch’s hat rolling away from her. He never thought of stopping for one second he had to get away, the kid would just have to take her chances.  
 
When he thought he was clear he stopped the car in a deserted lane and set it alight. Let’s see them get DNA from that he thought.  
 
It was five days later that he was arrested whilst trying to catch a flight to Spain.  
 
In his interview with the police he realized that the children he drove past were able to identify him as the man driving away from his uncle’s house. The little girl he hit had a broken arm but luckily, no thanks to Paul, she had gotten off lightly.  
 
During his police interview he was asked why he had struck his uncle.  
 
He replied that it was because he wouldn't go along with his plan and that he made him angry by calling him names. His answer seemed to puzzle the detective who left the room to consult with a colleague.  
 
When he returned the officer, one detective sergeant Phillips, told Paul and his lawyer that he was being charged with burglary, taking a car without the owner’s consent, criminal damage, driving without due care and attention and failing to stop after an accident. He would be remanded in custody pending a full psychiatric assessment.  
 
“What about the death of my uncle” Paul asked surprised?  
 
The policeman looked at him quizzically “we know that you struck your uncle with that paperweight thing but according to the post mortem report your uncle died of a heart attack at least twenty four hours before your visit.”  
 
Paul fainted.  
 
After the trials sergeant Phillips was talking to his inspector about the case. “You know sir there is something rather strange about all this. Until just before Joshua Basso died he had left half of his estate to his nephew and the other half to childrens’ charities.”  
 
“Really Sergeant, then what?”  
 
“He visited his solicitor two days before his death and added a codicil to his will. It stated that his nephew should not inherit his share for a period of one year and a day after his death and if, during that time he were to acquire a criminal record, then he was to be disinherited and the whole estate should go to the charities.”  
 
“Now we know Paul Basso must be barking mad claiming he'd been talking to his uncle that day but it makes you wonder about this psychic stuff sir don’t it?”