The Old Lady lived in a house that adjoined the flat where Vinny Ashford, a crooked associate of Pat Phelan, lived. The two men were involved in a scam to develop and sell flats at The Carter Warehouse on Calcutta Street in which they would flee to Mexico on false passports with the investor's deposits, leaving them empty-handed. Vinny though also had plans to scam the scammer by running off alone with all the money. He packed his bags and left the flat to get into his taxi for Manchester Airport as the lady came out of her next-door house, being nosy about his plans. Vinny told her he was going to Hawaii and to advise the landlord if she saw him calling.