Caught on camera

Chelsea' s husband was cheating, but two could play at that game!

Chelsea loved her job in the control room of a large security firm. All day long she monitored a bank of CCTV screens, observing the comings and goings in a massive shopping-centrecome-leisure-complex.

Today was a quiet day with nothing untoward happening

until the sight of her old boyfriend had her leaning forward in her seat. She hadn' t seen her Max in years. He looked great.

Is that Max Baxter?' Stan, her boss, peered over her shoulder at the screen. Bad Max they call him, don' t they? When did he get out?'

Chelsea couldn' t take her eyes off Max. Lean, fit and sexy, he sauntered along without a care in the world.

No idea,' she said, truthfully.

Stan sneered. He' s always been a one-man crime spree that one. Keep an eye on him.'

I will.'

She was more than happy to keep an eye on Max who, even after a stretch in prison, still managed to have that whole bad-boy charm thing going on. He' d been the love of her life before her parents' disapproval had brought the relationship to an end.

Her folks had been thrilled when she' d eventually met and married Neil, a nice, sensible accountant. But Chelsea had never forgotten the illicit thrill of being with someone like Max.

As if thinking about her husband had somehow conjured him up, Neil too walked into view on screen.

Chelsea blinked. Neil was coming out of one of the big hotel chains that catered for business men and tourists. Trying to remember what he' d told her about where he was working today, she watched him look carefully around before striding towards the food court. Meetings, he' d said, but he hadn' t mentioned they were out of the office.

Neil ordered coffee and a sandwich and sat down at a table. She was considering going down to join him when another familiar face appeared on the monitor. Her best friend Josie had also just left the hotel.

Josie walked in the opposite direction from Neil, hurrying straight out of the shopping centre without even looking at the shops, which wasn' t like her.

Unsure what she was seeing, Chelsea zoomed in on Neil. His hair was wet, as if he' d just had a shower¼

That evening she casually asked Neil about his day.

Manic,' he said. Back-toback meetings.'

Oh? What did you do for lunch?'

He laughed. There was no time for lunch. Which is why I' m starving. What' s for tea?'

Such a blatant lie was hard to ignore.

Later, she called Josie.

How was your day off?'

Chelsea blinked. Neil was coming out of one of the big hotel chains that catered for business men

she asked.

Boring.'

You didn' t see that mystery boyfriend of yours that I' ve yet to meet?'

No. I haven' t been out of the house all day. Listen, I hear Bad Max is out. He never got over you, you know.'

Chelsea knew she was being fobbed off. Neil and Josie were both lying to her. But why?

When Neil went for a shower, she hurried to his sock drawer to find the little notebook where he kept his online passwords. She knew he thought it was a secret, but as she was the one who put his socks away, she' d always known it was there.

Of course, she had never been tempted to look at it. Until now.

After 10 minutes on Neil' s laptop, she was in shock.

Her husband and her best friend were having an affair? Never in a million years had she suspected they would do that to her. The feeling of betrayal was like a punch to the gut.

And it had been going on for months! No wonder Josie was so evasive about her new boyfriend.

Worse even than that, it seemed Neil had been speaking to an estate agent about putting the house on the market, something he had forgotten to mention to Chelsea.

As she heard the bathroom door open, she quickly closed his laptop and put the notebook back in the drawer.

Fuming, she said nothing to Neil. A betrayal on this level needed proper revenge!

Neil rarely showed any interest in Chelsea' s work, but a few days later, he surprised her.

Where are you working today?' he asked.

City Centre Surveillance.' The lie came easily. Why? Do you fancy meeting for lunch?'

I' d love to, but I' ll be lucky to have time to grab a coffee.'

And yet here was Chelsea, a few hours later, watching him arrive at the hotel, followed by Josie shortly afterwards.

For the next few weeks, Chelsea made sure Stan put her on the rota for the shopping centre. Twice a week, Neil and Josie met at the hotel.

Chelsea waited for her moment. And then one day on screen, she saw what she was waiting for.

Stan I' m going out to stretch my legs.'

OK.'

It wasn' t an unusual request. Too much staring at a screen all day could drive people crazy.

Chelsea slipped her jacket on over her uniform and pulled up the hood. Then went down to the concourse, hanging around till she spotted her target.

Max?' she said, feigning surprise. Fancy meeting you here!'

Chelsea?' Bad Max looked delighted. You look great.'

Not as good as he did. Thanks. You too. Fancy a coffee?'

His grin widened. Sure.' My treat,' she said. Why don' t you sit over there?'

She was acting super casual, but when Max glanced at where she was pointing, then back at her, his gaze had sharpened. He was a professional crook after all he knew immediately that she was directing him to a surveillance blind spot.

He took in the jacket and the hood and the fact that she kept her back to the nearest camera and his grin widened. Sounds good.'

Next morning, Chelsea was on her laptop when Neil came down to breakfast.

What are you up to?' he asked peering over her shoulder.

She was on the website of a large jewellery shop.

Just looking for something for Josie' s birthday. Do you think she' d like these?' She showed him a pair of sparkly silver earrings.

I' m sure she will.'

The problem is, I' m working in the city centre today, so I won' t have the chance to buy them. Actually, I might ring Stan to see if I can change to the shopping centre. Then I can nip in¼' What? No!'

No?' She blinked in surprise.

What I mean is, why change your shift and mess people about? I can pop in to the shopping centre and buy them for you,'

You can? I thought you said you had meetings all day?'

He kissed the tip of her nose. They won' t notice if I sneak out for 10 minutes. Give me the details.'

Thanks, love. That' s a big help.'

No problem.'

At her monitor in the shopping centre a few hours later, Chelsea watched Neil enter the jeweller' s. A few minutes later, he emerged and headed for the hotel.

On the way, a man thrust something into his hand. A promotional voucher for a pizza place. Neil stuffed it into his pocket without a glance, in too much of a hurry to meet Josie.

In the control room, Chelsea smiled. Job done.

Two days later, Chelsea arrived at work to a huge commotion. What' s going on?' she asked Stan.

The jewellery shop' s been robbed.' He mopped his brow. It' s all gone. Everything.'

The police arrived not long after to check the CCTV.

Hi, Chelsea.' The detective had been here before. The usual, please anyone behaving suspiciously over the last couple of weeks.'

Chelsea sat at her monitor and began to run tapes. We have new facial-recognition software I' ve been dying to try out.' Her mouse clicked as she spoke. I can check for any faces seen more often than others¼'

Wait! Go back,' said the detective. That guy there. He looks suspicious.'

She zoomed in on an image of Neil emerging from the hotel looking furtive. Oh!' What?' That' s my husband!' She hoped she hadn' t overdone the shock.

Stan looked at her with concern.

Chelsea,

love, we can get someone else¼

No.' She managed a laugh. Neil' s an accountant. He wouldn' t know how to rob a jewellery store.'

Of course not,' said the detective. Just see if you can find him again, though, will you?'

With a click of her mouse, Chelsea selected the carefully edited tape she' d made. Images of Neil came up on the bank of monitors, showing he was a frequent visitor to the shopping centre.

The detective homed in on one of him leaving the jewellery shop.

Casing the joint,' he breathed. Does he ever meet anyone?'

She clicked some options to show Neil in the food court on multiple occasions.

He' s allowed to have lunch!' she defended him.

Wait!' said Stan. Who' s that sitting next to him?' He and the constable spoke together. Max Baxter!'

The restaurant is busy,' she said.

This was true. Max had been able to sit at the table with Neil barely looking up.

Concentrate on Bad Max,' instructed the detective. Obediently, she switched the facial recognition to seek

Max out.

Together they watched

Max talking to someone who kept their hood up and their back to the camera. At one point, Max looked directly at the security camera and smiled.

He knows we were watching him,' Stan exclaimed. Cheeky beggar!'

On another screen, they saw Max hand something to Neil which Neil then stuffed into his pocket.

He' s passed him something,' said the detective excitedly.

Max had spent the morning in the centre handing out vouchers for a local pizza place. Once Neil had accepted one, he' d dumped the rest. Of course that wasn' t on tape.

This morning, Chelsea had removed the pizza leaflet from Neil' s pocket and replaced it with the schematics of the jewellery shop security system. With luck, it would still be there when the police arrived.

She saw Stan and the detective exchange glances. Looks like they' re in it together. Sorry, Chelsea,' murmured Stan.

Neil' s not been himself recently,' she said, squeezing out a few tears. I¼ I think he' s having an affair.'

Dark horses,' muttered the detective. Where is he now?'

At work.' She named a prestigious accountancy firm.

I' ll send a team to pick him up.'

Chelsea sobbed into her hankie to hide her smile. Oh, to be a fly on the wall when that happened. Can I go home?' she asked quietly. I' m not feeling well.' Of course,' Stan said.

Conscious of each and every camera in the shopping centre, she walked with her head down till she reached a secluded corner of the car park. Everything go OK?' asked as she slipped into the

car.

Robbing the jeweller' s had been a piece of cake for him once she' d given him the security details.

Her overnight bag was in the boot. Max had the new passports and the jewellery had already been sold. Except for the diamond necklace Chelsea had put in the gift box with Josie' s earrings, of course.

Josie had loved it, but assumed it was a fake. The police, when they arrived to question her about her relationship with Neil, would know better.

Of course, Josie and Neil were both innocent of theft anyway but it would take them a while to prove it.

You OK?' asked Max, gently.

Never better.'

He tossed her a small jewellery box. Inside was a gorgeous diamond ring.

It' s legit. Well, sort of.' He gave a lop-sided grin. I got it for you 10 years ago.'

Delighted, Chelsea slipped the ring on her finger and fastened her seat belt, heading for the airport. With her security knowledge and Max' s skills, an exciting new life awaited them.

Conscious of every camera, she walked with her head down till she reached a corner of the car park