Forging Ahead part 5

FORGING AHEAD by Jimmy Connerly (based on an idea by Rico)

scene 2 continued

meet brian Rodney: Del, this is Brian.....

Del shakes his hand generously then at sits at the table.

Brian: Brian Macmillan.
Del: Macmillain? You're never Inky's lad?
Brian; Sure am Del.
Del: (Enthusiastically) Nice to meet you Brian.
Brian: Likewise, Del, dad always speaks highly of you.
Rodney: (Confused) Inky?
Trigger: (Looks to Rodney) Yeah, Inky Macmillain, best forger in Peckham.
Del: Yeah, not half Trig. You'd love him Rodders with your GCE in Art, he could clone Haywain's Sunflowers Inky could! Flawless - you'd never know. Undetectable. Where is your dad these days Brian?
Brian: Wormwood Scrubs.
Rodney: Blimey, I'd be interested will I? As an art background, it's hardly the Ufizzi is it?
Trigger: What's soft drinks got to do with Inky?
Rodney: Eh?
Brian: No, it's tough these days Rodney, forgery's more and more difficult. Advanced technology, the readies these days, scanners and the like, dad was caught passing funny money; twelve month ago.
Del: Banknotes?
Brian: No, luncheon vouchers.
Del: Blimey, bootleg luncheon vouchers? Is there such a trade?
Brian: (Smiles) Not really Del but you can't say we don't eat well!

All laugh.

Trigger: You should have seen the tenners old inky used to knock out Rodney.
Rodney: Good?
Del: Good! You couldn't extinguish it from a real one. Mum and Dad used to launder them for him, pass them off in the pubs and clubs.
Brian: Well that's what I wanted to see you about?
Del: What passing dodgy money? No sorry Brian, too dangerous these days!
Brian: No, no, nothing like that Del. It's about the laundering from the bank your Dad did in 1966.
Del: (Confused) Sorry Brian, you've lost me.
Brian: May 1966 he said, you're dad had a contact in a sub-branch down the road there. Over three months they swapped sixty thousand pounds. They split the profits 50-50.
Rodney: Blimey, thirty grand each!
Del: Well we never saw none of it. Dad must've pissed it all away. Up west, sipping champers with some old bow-wow knowing him!
Brian: No Del, they never spent it, that's what I'm here for.
Del: What do you mean they never spent it?
Brian: All the notes they swapped at the bank, they were all marked. Fivers and tenners back then were at lot easier traced. Dad reckons the plan was to sit on them for a few years before Laundering them.
Del: Well how come he's not been back to collect his share?
Trigger: Brian just told us Del, they're waiting till it's a bit less dodgy.
Rodney: Bloody hell Trig, eighteen years! It would have been safe long before now!
Brian: We thought it had gone Del. Look, no offence but dad reckoned your old man run off with the lot in the late sixties.
Rodney: What and he reckons the old git took all the money with him then?
Del: Yeah, I wouldn't put it past him.
Brian: Well nor did my Dad, when he heard he'd done a runner he assumed he'd taken the loot with him.
Del: Well that's that then.
Brian: No, not at all. Look listen Del, this might come as a bit of a shock to you but your dad's in the scrubs as well.
Del: Dad's in the scrubs?
Brian: Sorry mate.
Del: Oh, don't be sorry Brian. Best place for him!
Brian: Well anyway, when my Dad bumped into him he pressed your dad for his share of the money. Turns out that it's still hidden.
Rodney: What you mean the money's still about?
Del: No, don't listen to it Rodney, it's another one of dad's Jackanory tales. He'd have had that money away long ago.
Brian: No, he said he had to leave it behind.
Del: It'd still be gone by now. He came back here last year, you remember Rodney. He'd have had it away then.
Brian: That's not what he said. He said he went to get the money but he never got the opportunity.
Del: Never got the opportunity?
Rodney: He was with us for ages though weren't he Del.
Del: Yeah! He'd have had every opportunity?
Brian: I dunno, dad pressed him on it but he clammed up, reckoned my dad would double cross him if he knew where it was. Having heard the story I thought you might know, we'd split it with you.
Del: No sorry Brian. (Looks to clarify) No, honestly, straight. That's the first I've heard of it just then.
Rodney: Maybe Grandad might know something.
Del: Yes, good thinking Rodney! You off anywhere Brian?
Brian: No, I'm in no rush Del.
Del: Right, ok you lot, let's get these drinks down us and go back to the flat and ask Grandad now.

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