Leggings@60+com part 9 maybe

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Sharon strugggled towards me grimly waving a clipboard.
"Hiya," She said as she drew level, "Have a clipboard, i borrowed them from the Department of Work & Pensions."
I stared at the blue plastic clipboard. On it was several thin sheet of ruled paper, "Pardon?"
"It'll be okay, we just have to walk up and down the road asking the nice people questions."
I read the questions, it really was simple,
1. Did the family who lived at no. x behave like a royal?
2. Had they ever admit they were royal?
3. Would you help us play out a little game, so we can find out if they are royal?
"Is it true?" I asked quietly.
"No, course not," said Sharon chuckling, "It's the start of a Shallong. We call it that then everyone can blame the Romanies, there's plenty of them settled here about."
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I was shocked to the core, "Its evil," then I objected, "Because if they said they were royal they would be committing a crime."
"Well we need to discredit her completely," said Sharon shaking her now pale white concrete hair through her fingertips. "Its her own fault, she's a heiress, or would be if she had the paperwork."
"How did you get hold of the paperwork?"
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"Connexions," said Shanaron, "Whats our clubs are all about. I built a business out of taking old wills. There's alot of money in them, and if you're lucky the would be recipent never knows its been taken."
Brian met us further down the street, he was giggling. Looking at him closer than I'd done before I could see under the behome exerior, he was an impotent old man with a runny nose.
"Ladies," he said to us both, "You've got here!"
Sharon nodded at him, "No bother!" she said cheerfully, "We have a full team here today, to make it look official. People will believe us. We can say she's a heiress, and owns lots of houses. She's not to know that though, it's part of the game to keep it from her, Okay?"
"Sounds brilliant," he replied, wiping his nose, "Are the team in the know?"
"yes, they are to walk around in twos. Some of the natives might be funny. Lots of Romanies here about."
"Fine work!" said Brian,"You should have been with us in the old country back in the day!"
"We've primed the Parish Council, and spoken to the police etc, no stone is unturned."
"There's a poetry prize too!" said Brian odiously, he seemed in good spirits, I really didn't like him. We'll not tell her the truth, yet."
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They laughed. I felt I had to too. It seemed as if I would be next on their hit list.
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A little further down the street a gang of about 10 met us, all waved the same blue plastic clip boards in the air, Sharon handed out the sheets of paper with the questions on.
They laughed as they read the questions. One girl put her hand up.
"What?" asked Sharon.
"What about asking if they mind if we strip the scum from the street?" she laughed loudly, "We know hey're not actually having all this."
"This isn't the time for that," claimed Brian softly. "We've only just arranged that the post comes to us first to be checked. We wouldn't want her to find out anything now would we?"
Sharon nodded softly, "We will ask that question at the right time. When we have our substitue heiress in place - with the same name of course. One with a more suitable background and job. Teacher/nurse/dwp? One who will share and share alike with us. "
"Equal shares!" shouted the team, "Why should they get it? Why should they have more than us? "
"Shhhhhhhhh," said Brian, "We don't want the populace to know what we're up too just yet."
There was general laughter.
"We'll say it's a village game."
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"What about discrediting her and her kid?" said the girl's mother, a thin llittle woman with an aggressive stance, "Have you looked at the bodies on them?"
"We could sell them," laughed Sharon, "If it bothers you that much!"
"Local man's in love with her," said another soberly, "PIty its not my daughter,"
"Don't worry," said Sharon, "We have a contract on him too, his game is up."
"Fun!" said a man gently, "Lets really make his last days count!"
There was a howl of laughter, "Just not to violently," he said candidly, "Yet!"
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The whole situation was surreal. There was nothing I could have done to stop it. If the woman or her child come out we were to stop and walk away quickly. She was to left wondering what was going on. Without the paperwork she couldn't actually prove it.