Eaves Dropped Conversation

Giles sat in class on creative writing. The class had been great Giles had learnt so much about creative writing in a few weeks. Now they were going to be given homework for next week’s class. They were in the Farnborough Further Education College.

The class were sitting in the canteen, well it was really lots of vending machines, at this time in the evening you could sample any chocolate bar you wanted at highly inflated prices. The healthy options that were advertised everywhere were all finished. The class got themselves plastic coffee, hot chocolate, and tea from the vending machines. Or there was the inflated costed water.

At the end of our break, we all made our way back to the classroom to await our homework for next week. We all sat patiently waiting for our assignment. The teacher Mr Ronald walked into the class room smiling.

‘I want you to put on your listening hats this week. When you go a restaurant, on a train, or anywhere public listen out for conversations that are going on, eavesdrop, and write a story about the conversation that you heard. Do you all understand this?’

A few hands went up, but we understood that we had to eavesdrop on a conversation and write a story about it. The class ended a few minutes later. We all discussed how we were going to eavesdrop.

‘I have a journey on a train this week to go to Weymouth. Trains are always a good place to overhear conversations that can be on mobile phones or person to person.;

Looking forward to my journey to Weymouth, took a pad with me and a good pen. My train left early in the morning and there were no good candidates on the train until we got to Southampton. Then the train filled up and I got my listening ears on. But there was nothing juicy reached Weymouth, went about my business then caught the train back again. I sat in my seat waiting for a good conversation. The train gradually filled up until it got to Bournemouth. Then with a full carriage my listening ears were on.

The first conversation I heard was about last night in bed and how good my husband is. That did not last long the two women got off at the next station. But the two people that got onto the train then were a goldmine.

They started talking about the shop-lifting that they had done that day in Bournemouth. They estimated that they had cleared at least five thousand pounds worth of gear. Then they talked about how they were going to sell their gear to. They were going to be met at the station in Southampton. The train stopped at Southampton; the couple got off dragging two suitcases behind them. I got off of the train as well, keeping well back I adjusted my camera to get the best possible photograph of the handover. Sure, enough the two women were met just after the barriers by two men. I took a few snaps with my camera. These would get sent to the police later. I ran back to the train and got back to my old seat. This time a man and woman were sitting behind me. I kept hoping for a good conversation. I was not disappointed.

Once the train pulled out of the station, they started talking about the scam they were carrying out on my further education college. They were submitting false claims for milage that they were undertaking but they never went anywhere. Every claim was small but they did not want to attract any attention, thus small and many were far better than large claims. They were claiming between four and five claims a week. Making in the region of two hundred pounds a week. This had been going on for the past six months. Doing a quick calculation in my head that worked out to about five thousand two hundred pounds. That would make a massive hole in the budget of the college and it could end up with the college being shut down. I needed to get some photographs of who these people were. I stood up and walked to the toilet pretending to talk on my mobile. I made all the correct sounds then I walked back holding my mobile up and filming the passengers as I passed them. The man and woman in the seat behind me are on the film. That pleased me.

The train on and the conversation about how they were robbing the school became even more interesting with names of other scams that were going on. These people were making serious money with their scams going on all over the town. Names were being mentioned, some of them were known to me. My interest was the leader of the gang. The conversation continued and my notebook was filling up quickly. Then they said it the name of the ring leader. Ian Ronald, that is our class tutor. It is an inside job being run by a lecturer.

Need to contact the police and let them know what is going on with these scams. The train arrives at Basingstoke station, this is where change trains to get to Farnborough, the man and woman have got off of the train as well. Trying to look casual, use my mobile and check X. My notebook is in my bag hidden away. The man and woman who were discussing the scam sit on the platform seat next to me. Try to look calm and not get nervous. Put my mobile into my inside pocket of my jacket.

The train to Farnborough pulls into the platform. Casually get up and walk to the train and get on. Making sure that am nowhere near the couple have been overhearing. The train leaves Basingstoke and arrives at Farnborough. Stay on the train and go to Woking and then on to Aldershot station. Go to the police station and tell them all about my story. They take a copy of the video of the pair of crooks.

On Monday go back to college and the creative writing course. The police had told me to say nothing about what was overheard. They said that they would deal with matters in their way. They would not say what they were going to do. Back in class Mr Ronald ask for each person to describe what they had overheard. Talked about going to Weymouth and the items that were overheard. Did not mention anything about the scam. Five minutes later the police knock at the classroom door, they have come with the principal to arrest Mr Ronald. Mr Ronald starts shouting and getting very upset about being arrested in his classroom. The class all watch as Mr Ronald is handcuffed and lead away by the police still shouting that he is innocent.