‘I was just saying that somebody burned down the photo-shop nearest us where we used to get our films developed. You know the one. Speedy Snaps, it’s called.’

‘Who would do a thing like that?’

‘No one knows. I forgot to tell you earlier. It said on the news they think it was started at night with petrol-soaked rags pushed through the letterbox and then whoever it was threw in a match after it and up it went. I bumped into David who manages the place, poor fella, he was all through the wreckage of it the next day trying to salvage anything that was left. The police don’t know who did it, he says, in fact they’re looking into former employees.

‘David’s a lovely fella, he says what torments him is the thought of all those customers who trusted them with the films, their baby pictures and wedding pictures and whatnot, all those precious moments up in flames. He and his wife have only just had a new baby themselves so they know how it must feel. I said to him, “David you must remember that it’s not your fault, nobody will blame you. Sure it’s awful if photos get burnt but thank God at least it wasn’t people.”’

‘Aye,’ I said. ‘At least it wasn’t people.’

‘And here’s a funny thing because David never mentioned it at the time, but a couple of days later I got a nice wee letter in the post from Speedy Snaps just saying “we’re deeply sorry that your photographs were destroyed in a fire at our premises, we know that some images are irreplaceable”. It was addressed “to the Occupier” but I don’t remember putting any pictures in there lately – did you before you went?’

‘No,’ I said, ‘I don’t think I did.’

‘Maybe I did have something in there that slipped my mind, I’ll have to double-check. But it gave a number that you can call if you want to be compensated and they’ll send someone to the house to drop off a complimentary package—’

Oh God. A complimentary package with wires and nails in it, maybe.

‘Don’t ring that number, Phyllis. That letter’s not from Speedy Snaps.’

‘Well who else would it be from?’

‘It sounds like a scam. Trust me. I’ve heard about this kind of thing before. The fraudsters hear about an incident in the news and then they send out letters on the back of it to steal your details. Are you on your own at home tonight?’

‘No, I’ve just been telling you all about it, Jacky, Julie’s coming to pick me up at seven and I’m going to stay with her for ten days to help her out while her husband recovers from the operation. They have a lovely spare room.’