Murder In The Telephone Exchange*

“Hello,” Seb says.  He is calling me on the actual telephone.

“Hello darling,” I say.

“Isn’t the weather glorious?” he says.

“Yes, it was great to come back to some sunshine,” I say.

“I missed you,” he says.

“I missed you too,” I say.  I wore my little silver necklace that you gave me the whole time.  And I rehearsed saying ‘I’m sorry but have a boyfriend’, just in case anyone asked me out or…”

“Did anyone?”  he says.

“No,” I say.

“I’m sorry that no-one asked you out,” he says, sounding amused.

“No, it’s fine.  I just missed you.  I missed talking to you,” I say.

“Me too, lovely,” he says.

“So, how’s the dissertation,” I say.

“Well, I’ve come in to college to do some graphs because I don’t seem to be able to do them on my computer,” he says.  “And I really want to see you very soon – I just have to get this piece of work out of the way and…”

“I know.  I want you to do your work,” I say.

“As soon as I’m finished I want to see you – whether it’s at the weekend, realistically next weekend, or in the week or…”

“Look forward to it,” I say.

So, please can you all send him some positive vibes of getting-on-with-the-damn-thing.  Miss him!

*1948.  By June Wright.  “Stars feisty young operator Maggie Byrnes. When one of her more unpopular colleagues is murdered — her head bashed in with a “buttinski,” a piece of equipment used to listen in on phone calls — Maggie resolves to turn sleuth.”

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