20-minute ‘Dead’ line
“Hi Joan, how are you. Thanks for popping round.” “I’m fine thanks, Jill. I’m feeling quite sound,” “Now Joan I’ve asked you to come here to allay my fears, “Seeing as we’ve been good friends and neighbours for many years. “Would you like a cup of tea and a tea cake? “I have got to get something off my mind for sanity’s sake.” “I’m listening, Jill, you obviously need to unload your mind. “I’m a good listener, as you will, no doubt, find.” “It’s my husband Jack, “I’ve had this bad feeling all morning and afternoon that he won’t be coming back. “It’s crazy, I know, as I am normally a level-headed person, “But this dream last night was so vivid, now I’m not so certain.” The phone in her hand rings, it’s a text message and she reads it It’s from Jack, it says he will be back in 20 minutes. “That’s great news, Jill, now that you know he’s on his way, “Twenty minutes isn’t long to wait from 24 hours in a day. “Glad to hear everything is okay, Jill, see you later, thanks for the tea.” A knock on the door, Jill answers it, two policemen are standing there. “Mrs Jill Roberts, can we come in?” She gives them a curious stare. “It’s about your husband, Jack. I’m afraid he has been in a car crash and I’m afraid to tell you he died at the scene.” “How do you mean, it must have just happened? He’s just texted me, saying he was on his way home from work. It must be someone else, you’ll see.” “Madam, I don’t know where the text came from.” “There was no phone found at the scene, so, madam in this respect you have got it wrong,” he continues. “And the accident happened around 8.30 in the morning on his way to work. He’s been dead for hours.” Joan starts to comfort Jill as she breaks down. A noise is heard in the dining room, it’s a mobile phone, it’s on full power, It’s Jack’s mobile, he must have forgotten to bring it. A voice slowly starts to speak after pressing the screen
With a terrified look on her face, Jill listens.
“Hello darling, it’s me again, as promised. I told you I would be home in 20 minutes.”