The Baron's cheque bounced. It was returned by the bank today having been presented twice unsuccessfully for payment.

I suddenly feel rather foolish for ever entertaining the idea that the cheque might cash at all. The fleeting moment of satisfaction I get from realising I can now refer to my nemesis as The Rubber Baron does nothing to offset the feeling of failure.

So I decide to refocus my attentions on The Baron's parents. Perhaps they are more cooperative, or at least more vulnerable to threats of court action, since they are the legal owners of the property. My internet research has thrown up a current address, which is just around the corner from me, so I decide to head straight round and try to introduce myself.

I walk to the address with some trepidation, take a deep breath, and knock on the front door of the property, which looks as if it is in the final stages of being renovated.

And who should answer the door, but The Baron himself.

Now this has occurred to me as a possibility, so I think I am significantly less surprised to see him than he is to see me. Flustered, he asks me what I want. I tell him his cheque has bounced and declare that I am sick of him and his empty promises and have decided to deal directly with his parents instead. He tells me somewhat defensively that they don't live there and starts to shut the door. I say something like "I'm not going to let this go!" through the diminishing gap between the door and the door frame and then it closes with a bang.

I wander back home, annoyed at myself for not handling the situation better — maybe I should have demanded to speak to his parents, or stuck my foot in his door until he produced at least some of the cash owing — and frustrated that my hot lead for his parents' home address may just be another anonymous development in The Baron's property empire.

Now I'm not normally susceptible to notions of fate or providence but when I get back to my flat, at perhaps my lowest ebb in my recent dealings with The Baron, I discover that the following leaflet has been pushed under my door:

Professor Mbaye's slate of services is certainly comprehensive. Although my problem is not explicitly mentioned — I scan the list hopefully for "bad debtor" or "pathologically uncooperative property developer" — I feel that it must surely be covered under the broader categories of "Business Problems" or "BAD OBSTACLES that are blocking your success".

It is difficult to ignore the timing of this offer to provide "THE ANSWER TO ALL YOUR UNSOLVED PROBLEMS" and although my normal instinct would be towards cynicism, I am reassured by the Professor's assertion that his work is "serious with confidentiality and Quick". Besides, why would a gifted and genuine spiritual healer risk ruining a 20 year reputation with spurious claims about his abilities?

I have a sudden strong feeling that this great man has reached out to me in my moment of need and all that is required on my part is small leap of faith. And once the thought of temporarily suspending my disbelief enters my head, I find myself inexplicably warming to Professor Mbaye's old-fashioned charm, generous nature and apparently boundless enthusiasm for capital letters.

So I put any doubts to the back of my mind and phone the number at the bottom of the flyer. The Professor answers after barely one ring — definitely a good sign for a self-proclaimed clairvoyant — and after patiently listening while I explain my predicament, assures me that my problem is easily solved. However, for the remedy to be fully effective he says I will need to provide some personal item from The Baron to allow him to focus his spiritual energies.

My heart sinks — how am I going to obtain such an item, particularly now relations with The Baron have almost completely soured — until I remember the bounced cheque returned by the bank. The Professor says that this is perfect as it is something that my 'enemy' has been in contact with recently, and is also intimately related to the problem at hand.

As if to seal the deal he tells me that due to the 'credit crunch' he is currently offering two most powerful spells for the price of one, and keen to take advantage of this limited period offer I take that leap and make an appointment for early next week.

After a disappointing start to the day, I now feel better knowing I am taking some new positive, if unconventional, step to shift the balance of power between myself and The Baron back in my favour and I'm looking forward to meeting Professor Mbaye in person next week.

I will let you know how it goes...