buzz you straight through. There's just a little paperwork.'
'OK, but hurry up, darling, I'm in rather a rush.'
Jessica headed towards the door. Kevin felt a stab of nerves as he went to meet her. He was doing business with a Hollywood movie star. Well, sort of. Linda had told him Jessica hadn't been in a film since her divorce, but that didn't matter. His wife would still be dead impressed.
By the look of it, so were his workmates. They had stopped what they were doing and their mouths hung open.
Jessica was every inch the movie star, but the necklace was what drew your eye. The two strands of pearls glowed, and the sapphire and diamonds twinkled. Kevin's present for Linda looked just like the real thing!
He pressed the security switch and the door unlocked.
'My driver is waiting outside,' snapped Jessica. 'I can't be long. Must I really sign some silly form? After all, you do know who I am?'
Kevin held open the door for her as she glided in with her assistant. 'Yes, of course I do. I saw you on TV last Friday. But I'm afraid we can't take a deposit without filling in a form. Sorry.'
'You saw me on TV, did you? You'd think the media would have had enough of me by now, but they always seem to want more. Oh, well.' She stroked her fur coat. 'I guess that's just the downside of being famous.'
'Madam, please.' He took her into his office where he kept the forms. 'Do sit down. Can I take your coat?'
This was turning into an exciting day. Kevin couldn't wait to tell Linda about it. He wondered if he could ask Jessica for an autograph. Maybe it wasn't the right thing to do. But what was the harm? He'd ask her when the necklace was safely in the basement.
'Forget my coat. Just get on with it!' She sat down and slowly crossed one long leg over the other. The other woman stood beside her. 'Quickly! Give me the forms.' Jessica pointed to her assistant. Clearly, you didn't pass anything to royalty in person.
Kevin handed them to the assistant with his pen, and the two women signed their names.
'Don't just stand there, sweetheart. Fetch me the key.' Her voice wasn't quite so rich and low now that she had only him to watch her. It was more of a screech.
Kevin unlocked the safe fixed to the wall behind him.
In it, there was a row of small hooks with numbers underneath. Some had a key hanging from them, but many didn't as the client kept their key at home. At the top of the safe, there was a small shelf with just one key. This was the guard key for all the boxes.
Each deposit box had two locks, which had to be unlocked before the box would open. The guard key was kept in the safe, and used by Kevin to open the first lock. Then Kevin would leave the guard key in the lock and the client used their own key to open the second. Kevin had to leave the guard key in the lock because the client's key would only work if the guard was in place. It was extra security so that the two locks couldn't be picked.
The safe in Kevin's office also had two locks to open and close it. Symington held the guard key and Kevin had the second. Each morning Symington would open his lock, then Kevin
opened his. At the end of the day, they both locked the safe for the night.
'Come on, then.' Jessica snatched the little key out of his hand. 'Show me my box.'
'It's downstairs, if you'd like to follow me. Oh, I should have introduced myself. I'm Kevin Dodds, deputy manager.'
Jessica looked put out. 'Deputy manager? I thought you were the manager. I can't hand over my necklace to any Tom, Dick or Harry. I insist on dealing with the manager.'
'I look after deposits, madam, and you don't need to hand your necklace to me. You can lock it into the safe yourself and keep the key, so that you can be sure it's all in order.'
'I know that.' She looked Kevin up and down. 'I've had more safe-deposit boxes than you've had hot dinners, but I will not be taken care of by a deputy. It's like going to the theatre and getting the understudy, you silly little man.'
She
'OK, but hurry up, darling, I'm in rather a rush.'
Jessica headed towards the door. Kevin felt a stab of nerves as he went to meet her. He was doing business with a Hollywood movie star. Well, sort of. Linda had told him Jessica hadn't been in a film since her divorce, but that didn't matter. His wife would still be dead impressed.
By the look of it, so were his workmates. They had stopped what they were doing and their mouths hung open.
Jessica was every inch the movie star, but the necklace was what drew your eye. The two strands of pearls glowed, and the sapphire and diamonds twinkled. Kevin's present for Linda looked just like the real thing!
He pressed the security switch and the door unlocked.
'My driver is waiting outside,' snapped Jessica. 'I can't be long. Must I really sign some silly form? After all, you do know who I am?'
Kevin held open the door for her as she glided in with her assistant. 'Yes, of course I do. I saw you on TV last Friday. But I'm afraid we can't take a deposit without filling in a form. Sorry.'
'You saw me on TV, did you? You'd think the media would have had enough of me by now, but they always seem to want more. Oh, well.' She stroked her fur coat. 'I guess that's just the downside of being famous.'
'Madam, please.' He took her into his office where he kept the forms. 'Do sit down. Can I take your coat?'
This was turning into an exciting day. Kevin couldn't wait to tell Linda about it. He wondered if he could ask Jessica for an autograph. Maybe it wasn't the right thing to do. But what was the harm? He'd ask her when the necklace was safely in the basement.
'Forget my coat. Just get on with it!' She sat down and slowly crossed one long leg over the other. The other woman stood beside her. 'Quickly! Give me the forms.' Jessica pointed to her assistant. Clearly, you didn't pass anything to royalty in person.
Kevin handed them to the assistant with his pen, and the two women signed their names.
'Don't just stand there, sweetheart. Fetch me the key.' Her voice wasn't quite so rich and low now that she had only him to watch her. It was more of a screech.
Kevin unlocked the safe fixed to the wall behind him.
In it, there was a row of small hooks with numbers underneath. Some had a key hanging from them, but many didn't as the client kept their key at home. At the top of the safe, there was a small shelf with just one key. This was the guard key for all the boxes.
Each deposit box had two locks, which had to be unlocked before the box would open. The guard key was kept in the safe, and used by Kevin to open the first lock. Then Kevin would leave the guard key in the lock and the client used their own key to open the second. Kevin had to leave the guard key in the lock because the client's key would only work if the guard was in place. It was extra security so that the two locks couldn't be picked.
The safe in Kevin's office also had two locks to open and close it. Symington held the guard key and Kevin had the second. Each morning Symington would open his lock, then Kevin
opened his. At the end of the day, they both locked the safe for the night.
'Come on, then.' Jessica snatched the little key out of his hand. 'Show me my box.'
'It's downstairs, if you'd like to follow me. Oh, I should have introduced myself. I'm Kevin Dodds, deputy manager.'
Jessica looked put out. 'Deputy manager? I thought you were the manager. I can't hand over my necklace to any Tom, Dick or Harry. I insist on dealing with the manager.'
'I look after deposits, madam, and you don't need to hand your necklace to me. You can lock it into the safe yourself and keep the key, so that you can be sure it's all in order.'
'I know that.' She looked Kevin up and down. 'I've had more safe-deposit boxes than you've had hot dinners, but I will not be taken care of by a deputy. It's like going to the theatre and getting the understudy, you silly little man.'
She
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