25 Jul 23.54
Fine, missing you though. It’s so hard ?
25 Jul 23.54
It’s only for a couple of months Have come up with great idea for bbq with H&A Need you to phone house at 10 tomorrow, pretend to be Andy
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25 Jul 23.54
?
25 Jul 23.55
Just play along
*
26 Jul 10.35
Thanks, Andy!
26 Jul 10.35
Haha did it work?
26 Jul 10.35
Out buying sausages for bbq at this very moment 26 Jul 10.36
She real y believes she invited them?
26 Jul 10.36
Yep!
26 Jul 10.37
Can’t believe it’s so easy
26 Jul 10.37
?
The Breakdown
339
When I leave Hannah’s, I drive to the alarm company
in the industrial estate and go into the reception. A lady looks up from behind an untidy desk.
‘Can I help you?’ she asks, smiling.
‘We had an alarm fitted by your company a couple of months ago. Would it be possible to have a photocopy of our contract? I’m afraid I’ve mislaid ours.’
‘Yes, of course.’ She looks at me enquiringly.
‘Anderson,’ I tell her.
She types it into her computer. ‘Here we go.’
The paper whirs out of the photocopier and she
reaches over and hands it to me.
‘Thank you.’ I look at it for a moment, noting the installation date for Saturday 8th August. And Matthew’s signature at the bottom.
20 Jul 23.33
Guess what? She told me over dinner she wants alarm Has already arranged for someone to call around Friday 20 Jul 23.33
Sorry! That was me going on about your isolated house Told her you needed alarm, didn’t think she’d actual y go ahead
20 Jul 23.34
If we get one, it will make things more difficult
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20 Jul 23.34
Not if you give me the code ?
*
27 Jul 08.39
Good morning!
27 Jul 08.40
Thought you might phone. Are you on way to rig?
27 Jul 08.41
No at industrial estate, waiting for alarm company to open 27 Jul 08.41
Why?
27 Jul 08.41
Going to order the alarm and make her think she did 27 Jul 08.42
How you going to do that?
27 Jul 8.42
By forging her signature on dummy contract 27 Jul 8.43
Can you?
The Breakdown
341
27 Jul 8.44
Piece of cake. Told you, I’m a good forger Alarm company about to open, will get back to you 27 Jul 10.46
On train to Aberdeen, have arranged to have alarm installed Saturday morning I need to be there but need her out, any ideas?
27 Jul 10.47
Will have a think
Safe journey
*
29 Jul 09.36
The silent cal s are real y spooking her!
Doesn’t want to stay by herself so I suggested she goes to hotel 29 Jul 09.36
Nice for some
29 Jul 09.37
You and me one day, I promise Works out well because she’ll be out of the way Saturday when alarm installed But need you to do something for me
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29 Jul 09.38
OK
29 Jul 09.38
Phone house later and leave message Pretend to be from alarm company confirming installation Friday 29 Jul 09.39
Don’t you mean Saturday?
29 Jul 09.39
No, Friday. Trust me, I know what I’m doing.
Make same call again tomorrow 29 Jul 09.40
OK
*
31 Jul 16.05
Hi, are you back from rig yet?
31 Jul 16.34
I am now. At house, about to leave for hotel Told her I found alarm man standing on doorstep Taking dummy contract to prove she ordered it The Breakdown
343
31 Jul 16.35
Hope she buys it
31 Jul 16.35
She will
31 Jul 19.13
She did
31 Jul 19.14
Must think she’s going mad!
31 Jul 19.14
Isn’t that the plan?
I leave the alarm company and drive to Castle Wells.
The shop assistant in the Baby Boutique is busy with a customer so I wait, trying to curb my impatience.
‘Don’t tell me,’ she says when she sees me standing there. ‘You’ve had second thoughts about keeping the pram.’
‘Not at all,’ I reassure her. ‘But there is something I’d like to know. When I came in yesterday you mentioned my friend would have shot you if you’d sent the wrong pram.’
‘That’s right.’ She nods.
‘So how did it happen?’ I ask. ‘I’m just curious, because it was completely unexpected. It just turned up out of the blue.’
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‘I did suggest having it delivered a bit nearer the time, because – well, anything can happen. But she wanted it delivered straight away.’
‘How did it come about? Did she say she wanted to
buy me a present and ask for suggestions?’