Mother and Daughter Moments 21

Paying a visit to a home where there are younger girls can be both a privilege and also a little bit more tense. You have to make sure the pretence is kept up for all of them, but also that you really don’t do anything that could hurt the girls.

Not long after Steve and I got engaged, I was in a town in the West Country, sitting outside the home of a young woman called Dana Woolsey. Dana was a young and rising chef, who had recently appeared on the Great British Menu, and had attracted a fair amount of media attention – as well as mine and Steve’s, but he had another appointment.

I knew her husband was a writer, and away this particular week doing research, and that she had an eight year old daughter called Zoe. So I was here, wearing something different for once – a black waistcoat over a white long sleeved blouse, dark denim jeans and black knee length suede boots, as well as my leather gloves and the stocking, currently sitting under a baseball cap.

So I got out of the car, with my bag, and walked up to the front door, pressing the door bell and then looking round before I pulled the stocking down over my head.

I sent up a silent prayer of thanks when it was Dana who opened the door. She was wearing a blue v-necked top, with a brown floral print on it and long sleeves, jeans and a pair of brown moccasins, her long brown hair falling over her shoulders.

“Yes, how can I...”

“Good morning,” I said quietly as I stepped in, her eyes fixed on the starting pistol in my hand as I closed the door. “Not a word please – remain calm, do exactly what I tell you to do, and both you and your daughter will have an exciting morning to remember.”

“Who are you,” she said as she looked at me.

“I’m just someone who likes to help families to play games, and today, for you and your daughter, that game is robbers. So you are going to persuade her that this is all a game, that you have arranged for her and you to play, and that it’s all in fun, whatever happens.”

“You’re not going to hurt her or me?”

“Not if you do as I say – where is she?”

“In the kitchen – I was trying a new cookie recipe, and...”

“All right then – we’re going to go into the kitchen, and you will tell her this is a special game for today. Do nothing to frighten her, and you’ll both spend the rest of the morning together, understand?”

She nodded as I said “let’s go,” and we walked into the kitchen, me slipping the starting pistol into my bag. As we came in, I saw Zoe crouched in front of the over door, looking intently into the glass. The young girl had her mother’s hair colour and style, and was wearing a pink long sleeved top with coloured dots, jeans that had purple cuffs on the legs, and white socks.

“How much longer mummy,” she said as she looked round, and then looked again as she said “hello – who are you?”

“Me? Your mummy has booked me to come and play a special game with you today,” I said as I looked at Dora. “I’m pretending to be a robber, and your mummy and you are going to be the people I have surprised.”

“Oh,” Zoe said, “so what will you do to all of us?”

“Well, I have to make sure you and your mummy stay in one place, and you won’t be able to talk properly for a little while, but you can watch a DVD or sing along to a film while you do that.”

“That’s right,” Dora said, “all four of us will do that?”

Well, that was my first clue, as she said “let’s take the cookies out, let them cool, and then we can get ready to surprise Jan and Sally. You go and wash your hands first in the toilet.”

“Okay,” Zoe said as she went off, and Dora looked at me. “A friend of mine and her daughter are on their way over now. You’ll have to deal with them as well.”

“Well, I come prepared,” I said quietly, thinking over a different approach, “so why don’t you take the cookies out, and then we’ll make the preparations.”

“Hands clean,” Zoe said as she came in, and Dora took the baking tray out, putting it on a wooden board as they both helped slide the cookies onto a cooling rack.

“Now then,” I said as I looked at them, “we’re going to start the game by making sure you can’t tell your friend about the surprise. Let’s go into the front room.”

The three of us walked through, as I said “Zoe, why don’t you sit down on the couch, and then hold your hands out for me.”

As she did this, I took a length of soft cord from my bag, and gave it to her to hold. “Now, does this scare you,” I said as I took out a second length.

“Nope.”

“Good – now watch,” I said as Dana sat next to her daughter, and I used the second length to tie her ankles together, side by side, taking the rope around and between her legs. “Does that hurt at all?”

“No – but I can’t move my legs apart.”

“That’s the idea – now, I’m going to do the same to your hands and wrists in front of you. Ready?”

She nodded as I tied her wrists together, and then said “Now, remember I said you wouldn’t be able to talk properly with Mummy for a while? Why don’t we really surprise Jan and Sally, and show them what it’s going to be like.”

“Okay – how?”

“Can you put your lips together for me?”

As she did this, I tore a strip of white tape from the roll, and then pressed it down over her mouth.

“Whtddstth... hmmecnttlk!”

“See – now when they arrive, I can take that off, but they will be just like you and Mummy in the end. All right?”

Zoe nodded as I turned to look at Dana. “Do not spoil the surprise for them,” I said as the front doorbell rang, “understand?”

Dana nodded as she stood up and left the room, while I stood behind the door, putting my finger to my lips as Zoe nodded.

“Come on in, both of you – I’ll bring some drinks and cookies in a few minutes.”

“You all right, Dora – you seem a bit on edge.”

“Well, there’s a bit of a surprise waiting for you,” I heard Dora say as the door opened and a Chinese woman walked in, wearing a white top, jeans and black shoes, with a long white scarf that had a crimson design on it round her neck. With her was a seven year old girl, wearing a white top with short puffed sleeves, jeans and white shoes, and with a long pink scarf round her neck.

“Hlllsssn,” Zoe said, “wrrplynnnrbbrs.”

“What the...”

“you must be Jan,” I said quietly as I stood behind her. “Dora booked me to come and play a game of robbers with her and Zoe, and forgot you were coming as well. I hope you don’t mind playing with them.”

“Can we mum,” Susan said as she looked at her mother, who nodded and said “all right – so do you want to be like Zoe?”

“Well, I want you to sit next to your friend, with your mummy next to you Susan, while Zoe’s mum sits over her. Then I can sort it out so that you and your mummy start to play along, while I help Zoe’s mum with the snacks and drinks. All right?”

“Okay,” Susan said as she sat down, Jan nervously watching as I secured her wrists and ankles in the same way as Zoe – and then, instead of tape, I used her scarf as a simple over the mouth gag.

“Nwwucnttltkfrr.”

“Neeecntt,” Susan giggled as I bound her mother’s wrists and ankles as well, and then used her scarf as a gag – only, in her case, I asked her to open her mouth and make it a cleave gag, and used an extra length of rope to tie her wrists and ankles together.

“Now then,” I said as I turned the television on, ”you can watch this while I take Zoe’s mum to fetch the snacks, then I’ll remove the coverings from your mouths and you can eat them. All right?”

They nodded as I whispered into Jan’s ear “do not move – play along with them,” before I escorted Dora out. In the kitchen, we had a brief discussion about where her valuables were, while I helped arrange the cookies on a plate, and poured two glasses of milk as she made two coffees.

“Here we go,” I said as we brought the drinks and snacks through, and set them on the coffee table. I untied Jan’s wrists from their ankles, and then removed the scarves and tape, before Dora handed the drinks round and everyone took a biscuit.

“So,” Jan said as she looked at me, “I presume all four of us will be unable to move and talk for a little while.”

“Unable to talk clearly, yes,” I said as I looked at them, “but I’m going to make sure you stay together, and I will put on any film the girls want to watch.”

As Zoe and Susan discussed that, I took some cord, knelt in front of Dora and bound her ankles tightly together, she and Jan looking at each other as I then tied her legs together below her knees, and did the same to Susan’s mother.

“The reason I did that first will become clear very soon,” I said quietly as I tied the knot off behind Jan’s legs, and then looked at the two girls.

“Zoe, would you like to sit on your mother’s lap now?”

She nodded as I walked over and picked her up, watching as Susan lay with her head on her mother’s lap, and then sat her so that she could lean back against Dora’s chest. I then took another length of cord and tied her legs together below her knees, before I said “Mummy is going to give you a big hug now, aren’t you?”

As Dora wrapped her arms round Zoe, I tied one end of a length of rope to her right wrist, and then took it round her and her daughter’s body a couple of times, making Zoe secure in place before I secured the other end to Dora’s left wrist. I also tied Zoe’s ankles to the rope below Dora’s knees, before I said “Do you want to stay where you are Susan?”

The young girl nodded as I took more cords, and tied one from her wrists to the band below her knees. I then crossed Jan’s hands in front of her, and tied them tightly together, before I tied them down to her ankles, taking the rope round and not touching her daughter’s head.

“Now,” I said as I looked at them all, “it’s time to keep quiet, so what film do you want to see?”

Once the choice was made, I pressed fresh strips of tape over the mouths of both girls, and then did the same to their mothers – with a little extra cloth in their mouths as well – before I searched the house, and then went out of the front door, hearing the muffled singing as I removed the stocking first...

********

Recently, I did something I had not done for some considerable time, in that I made an impulse visit. I’m not going to say where – but it was a Sunday morning, and I was walking in the park when I stopped to watch a football game between two youth teams.

One particular woman caught my eye – she was standing with one of the coaches, and I guessed she was his wife. In her late forties by my estimate, she was wearing a taupe coloured hooded and sleeveless jerkin over a grey Fair Isle sweater, wine coloured denims and a pair of mid-calf black leather boots with a strap at the top. She had short fair hair with a hint of grey in it, but really caught my eye was the gold Rolex, the designer handbag and the rings on her hands.

With her was a ten year old girl, her long brown hair falling over a green hooded top, and a purple scarf wrapped round her neck. Under the top was a pink t-shirt with a large photo of a pug printed on the front, and she wore a pair of blue wellies with purple flowers on them over a pair of black jeans.

They were cheering their team on, and it was a good game, but what caught my interest was when she said she was taking their daughter home while he took his son and the rest of the team out for a meal afterwards – it must have been a cup tie or something, and they were winning comfortably. The temptation and the opportunity were just too great to ignore, and as they started walking away from the car park I followed at a distance. I had my balaclava in my jacket pocket, so I was at least in a position to cover my identity that way, but I knew if I was going to do this I’d have to improvise...

They made their way along a quiet little road, and then turned up a cul-de-sac that had the houses in a circle round the road. I watched as they went into one particular house, and made my way casually up to it, slipping up the side before I put on my gloves and the balaclava mask. I had to admit, I was feeling a big adrenaline rush, as I made my way to the back door of the house and slowly opened it.

The kitchen was empty, but as I slipped in I could hear footsteps coming, so I closed the door and stood out of the way, watching as the woman came in and put the kettle on. Sadly, I had to postpone her coffee, as I put my gloved hand over her mouth and whispered “Remain calm, and do exactly what I tell you to do. Understand?”

I was counting on surprise to work for me here, and it seemed to do so as she said “Hmggddhhruu?”

“Me? I like to play games with the families I visit – so, I want you and your daughter to play a game with me. Is she downstairs or upstairs?”

She pointed straight ahead, as I said “Good.” On the surface by the sink, I could see a roll of twine and a pair of scissors, so I said “Listen very carefully – I am going to take my hand away, and I want you to put your hands behind your back. Do not raise your voice, do not call for help. Understand?”

She nodded again as I took my hand away, and picked up the twine and scissors.

“Please,” she said quietly as I crossed her wrists and started to tie them together, “I’ll tell you where everything is, just don’t hurt us...”

“As I said, follow my lead, and convince her this is a game, and you’ll be just fine,” I said as I pulled the twine between her arms, and then passed it round her waist. “I have no wish to harm either of you.”

Once I had the twine tied off, the cords sitting on the cuffs of her jumper as it held her wrists together, I slipped her rings off, leaving her wedding ring, and then said “we’re going to go and join your daughter now. Remember, this is a game you are both playing, understand?”

The mum nodded as we walked through to the front room, where her daughter was sitting, twisting her scarf round in her hands as she watched a television program, in which a girl had been captured by two masked men. So when she saw her mum, with her hands behind her back and a belt of twine round her jumper, and then me with the balaclava on, she almost jumped out of the chair.

“Mum!”

“It’s all right, dear – this man has come to play a game with us.”

“Oh wow – you mean you’ve captured us like in this program?”

“That’s right,” I said with a smile, “and I need to make sure you and your mum stay in here while I make my getaway. So I need you to sit down on that seat for a few minutes, while I make sure your mum can’t move – and then I’ll do the same to you.”

“Wow – did you really fix this mum?”

“Well, I had a different idea for the game,” her mum said as she looked at me, “but this is good as well.”

“What’s your name?”

“Denice.”

“Okay Denice, just keep your hands here I can see them,” I said as her mum sat next to her, and then sat down, using the twine to tie her ankles tightly together after I had crossed them. I then tied her legs together below her knees, and then looked at Denice, who still had her wellingtons on.

“You tied mum’s ankles while she still had her boots on,” Denice said wide eyed, “can you do that for me as well?”

I nodded as I made a lasso with the twine, and then passed it over the soles of her boots, and then gently pulled it tight, Denice giggling as she heard her wellies squeak when they rubbed together. I wound the twine round several times, and then passed it between her legs, before I tied it off and cut the twine free. Securing her legs together in the same way, she giggled as she tried to move her legs, and the rubber squeaked.

“I can do that as well,” her mum said as she rubbed her legs together, Denice giggling as the leather squeaked.

“Maybe we can make a tune later,” Denice giggled as I took her hands behind her own back, and used the twine to tie them together, keeping it over the cuffs of her top, and then passing the twine around her waist.

“I need to make sure your arms stay by your side,” I said as I tied the twine off and cut it, “and also to keep you quiet, but before I do that you can have a little time to talk to each other. Just remember it’s a game, and enjoy it.”

“All right,” Denice said as her mum watched me take her handbag, and then started to talk to her daughter as I went out and looked through the other rooms.

While I was in her parent’s bedroom, I picked up two belts and two of her mum’s scarves, and then came back down, leaving a bag with what I had found outside as I came in.

“I’m going to use these to keep your arms by your side,” I said as I fastened one belt round Denice’s body, and a second round her mother, before I looked at her purple scarf.

“Can you open your mouth as wide as possible?”

Denice nodded, and then sat still as I pulled her scarf between her lips, tying the ends together at the back of her head. As for her mum, I put one folded scarf in her mouth, while Denice was looking away, and then cleave gagged her with the second scarf.

“I’m going to make my getaway now – but you two can try and escape after fifteen minutes,” I said as I closed the door on them, and made my way back to my car...

********

This particular visit took place on a January morning, just after the New Year holidays, and the snow was on the ground as I drove up to the house. This house belonged to a charming gentleman by the name of Stafford Baines, who ran a local bank branch. Steve and I had looked carefully into their home and family, making sure I wasn’t stepping on any toes as I waited outside.

It was January, as I said, so I was wearing a brown fleece zipped up to my neck, brown corduroy pants and knee length brown suede boots – I wanted a change from black, if truth be told. I even had brown leather gloves and an American Tan stocking to make use of that day.

There was a car pulling in as I went past the entrance to their driveway, but I was expecting that – Hilary, his wife, usually went shopping on a Saturday morning, and she would not have left ten year old Rowan home on her own. I parked a short distance away and waited for the two of them to get out, their padded jackets keeping them warm, and then walk into the house.

I got out of the car, rucksack in hand, and put the bag on my back as I walked up the driveway, the snow falling as I did so. Stopping only to pull the stocking down and the gloves on, I rang the doorbell and waited.

It was Rowan who came and opened the door. She still had on her long grey padded coat, over a woollen knee length dress with a blue/grey/black zigzag pattern on it, white tights and knee length black shiny leather boots. Her chestnut brown hair was cut in a bob, as she stopped and looked at me.

“Hello Rowan,” I said as I came in and closed the door behind myself, “is your mummy in the kitchen?”

“Yeah,” she whispered as she looked at me, “why do you look like that?”

“Mummy’s going to tell you,” I said as I put my hand on her shoulder, “let’s go and talk to her.”

We walked into the kitchen, where Hilary was putting things away. She was also still wearing her padded coat, a black one in her case, as well as a black fleece underneath. I could tell, however, that she was wearing an identical dress to Rowan, with dark tights and black stretch boots that had a wedge sole.

“Who was it Rowan?”

“The lady said you would tell me who she is, Mum.”

Hilary turned and looked at me, putting her hand to her dark hair for a moment, before she realised who I was, and what I was going to say.

“Oh – oh my goodness I had forgotten that was today,” she said quietly. “Rowan, you know how Daddy and I have told you about what happens when someone wants to do something bad at Daddy’s work?”

The little girl nodded as she continued “well, they offered the chance for someone to call on families and pretend to be one of those bad people, to show you in a game what might happen. Daddy told me he had signed us up, but I had forgotten today was the day. That is why you’re here, right?”

“That’s right,” I said as I smiled at Rowan, “we’re going to play a game where I pretend to keep you here, while Mummy tells Daddy to do something. It means you won’t be able to talk or do anything for a little while, but I will put the television on, and Mummy will be with you all the time. All right?”

“Will it hurt,” Rowan said as she looked at her mum. Hilary shook her head and said “no – we’ll do it together, all right?”

“Okay – so what does the lady want us to do first?”

“I think you both should have a warm drink – it’s very cold out there,” I said, “but first, your mother needs to give me her handbag and her mobile phone. It’s important she doesn’t talk to anyone until I tell her to.”

Hilary nodded as she handed me her bag, and both of them took their coats off, leaving them on the backs of chairs while she made two mugs of cocoa. We then walked into the front room of the house, both of them sitting on a leather couch while I pulled the curtains over the windows, and then turned the lights on.

“Now then,” I said as I looked at them, “you both need to do what I say. If the telephone rings, your mummy can answer it, but she needs to tell whoever it is she cannot talk right now.”

“What if it’s Daddy?”

“You can talk to him, but you must not tell him what is happening – when I call him, it must come as a surprise, all right?”

Both of them nodded as I said “if you need the toilet before I make sure you cannot move, ask, and we will both take you. Now, finish your drinks, before we start to play the game properly.”

As they sat and had their cocoas, I opened my bag and checked the contents, before looking at Hilary’s phone. It was one of the new ones, where you can’t take the battery out, but then it started ringing.

“Who is it,” Hilary said as I looked at the front.

“Your husband – Rowan, as part of the game I can’t let your daddy hear you, all right?”

She nodded as they put their mugs down, and I sat with Rowan, my gloved hand over her mouth as I handed the phone to Hilary, both of us watching as she talked to the aforementioned Stafford. I could feel Rowan giggling under my hand, but I whispered into her ear “hush now...”

Eventually, she ended the call, and handed me back the phone before she said “now what?”

“Now,” I said quietly, “the bad lady has told you what you need to do, but she also needs to take you for a little walk. So, Rowan, I need to make sure you stay on the couch here. Ready?”

She nodded as I opened my rucksack, and handed Hilary a length of cord.

“Me?”

“I think Rowan would prefer it if you did it, but I’ll tell you what to do. Rowan, can you put your hands together in prayer?”

The young girl nodded as she did this, and I told Hilary to double the rope over, and then how to tie her daughter’s wrists together so that the cords sat neatly, around and between her arms.

“You were right Mum – it doesn’t hurt,” she said as I handed Hilary a second length of cord, and told her to bind Rowan’s ankles together in the same way, followed by her legs below her knees.

“All right, Rowan,” I said as I turned the television on, “Mummy’s now going to put something on your mouth that will stop you talking, but I will be back with her very soon, all right – and then you and she will be in exactly the same position.”

“Okay – I’ll do what the lady says, Mummy,” Rowan said with a grin as I tore a length of sticking plaster from a roll, and gave it to Hilary, watching as she smoothed it over her daughter’s lips before I helped her to sit back, and tied her wrists to the rope around her legs.

As we left the room, we could hear the creak of the ropes and her boots, me smiling as I closed the door and said “thank you, Mrs Baines.”

“I’ve heard of you and your friend – and I guess your reputation is justified,” she said quietly. “Thank you for letting me take the lead.”

“Well, I suggest we have a little walk round,” I said quietly, “and you tell me where to look. When we go back, I’ll make you both secure on chairs, watching the television.”

We went round the rooms, before we returned – but on the way, we went into the dining room, and each of us carried a chair into the room. As we came in, Rowan looked up and said “Ennedthtllt?”

“Do you need to go to the toilet?”

She nodded as I untied her legs, and removed the plaster, before saying “I want you to keep your hands tied, and Mummy will help you, all right?”

She nodded as we went to the toilet, me standing outside as she did what she had to do, and then we went back into the front room.

“Sit on here please Rowan,” I said as I patted the back of the first chair, “and then put your hands up in the air for me.”

She did this, Hilary watching as I used rope to tie the young girl’s waist to the back of the chair, and then a second band around her tummy, so that she was held firmly against the back of the chair, before she put her hands down and wriggled round.

“Please take the other seat,” I said as I looked at Hilary, “and put your arms to the side of the chair.

“Will Mummy have her hands in front?”

“I need to make sure Mummy cannot use her hands,” I said as I took Hilary’s arms and crossed her wrists behind the chair back, “and because she’s older, I need to do it in a slightly different way, but it won’t hurt her either.”

“It’s all right Rowan, I won’t be able to move as well,” she said, smiling as I bound her wrists tightly together, and then secured them to the chair back, before I used the longest length of rope I had to secure her arms and upper body to the chair back.

“Wow – that is different, mummy,” Rowan said, Hilary nodding and smiling as I tied the rope off, and then walked in front of them. Rowan’s legs were hanging over the chair seat, as she watched me cross her ankles and tie them together, and then re-tie her legs below her knees.

As for Hilary, she had her feet on the floor, watching as I crossed and lashed her ankles tightly together, and then took them to one side and secured them to the front leg of the chair, before I tied her legs together below her knees as well.

“See,” she said as she tried to move her legs, the ropes and leather creaking, “I told you we would be able to do it together.”

Rowan nodded as they both moved their legs, while I took my mobile phone out. “Okay,” I said as I looked at Rowan, “time for Mummy to pretend to talk to Daddy. I need to keep your quiet while she does this, all right?”

Rowan nodded as I put my hand over her mouth, and put the phone next to Hilary’s head, both of us listening as she pretended to tell her husband that they had both been taken hostage, and he had to do whatever the man who was coming to see him told him to do.

“Well done,” I said as I put my phone away, “and now I really need you both to be quiet. I’m going to put something in your mouths, and then I have a very special tape. It is different from what I used earlier Rowan, but it is just as good.”

“What are you going to put in my mouth?”

“This,” I said as I showed her one of her dad’s clean handkerchiefs. Folding it up, Rowan opened her mouth and let me put it in, and then watched as I peeled a length of white micropore tape away from a roll, and tore it free before I smoothed it over her mouth.

For Hilary, I used one of her scarves, folded up, to fill her mouth, and then sealed it with the tape over her lips. They looked at each other, trying to move their mouths as the tape moved with them, their legs squeaking as I put on the television, and watched it with them for a little while.

Eventually, Rowan’s eyes closed and her head dropped to the side, Elaine watching as I quietly stood up and put my finger to my lips. Leaving the room, I took off the stocking and left the house, clearing the snow from my car before I drove off...

********

One of the questions I sometimes see on the board is how noisy it was when they were tied up and gagged. Often, the answer is they all tried to speak, and occasionally they talk about the sound rope can make, and leather.

I have to say, however, that was not the most unusual in terms of noise. For that, you have to go to something that makes noise when you walk normally, much less when you are constrained.

This was about a year ago, when I planned to visit the home of a fashion designer called Linda Orpington. She designed hats and gloves, and was very good at it, having appeared in a number of fashion magazines. That was when she first came to my attention, but when I checked further, and found she was an independently wealthy women anyway, I decided she was worthy of a visit.

She lived with her eleven year old daughter Amy in a house on the outskirts of Reading, and so it was this particular Sunday morning I found myself parked outside her house. I checked my supplies, got out with my rucksack, and then walked quickly up to the side of the house, pausing once I was out of sight to put on my gloves and then pull down the stocking over my head, before I walked slowly round and tried the rear entrance to the house.

It was open, so I slipped inside and closed the door as quietly as I could. The kitchen itself was a rustic one, and I noted with some interest the Aga stove against the wall, but my attention was really focused on the sound of talking from the front room.

There was then a door opening and closing, and the sound of someone coming down the corridor. I could certainly hear boot heels, but there was another sound, a swishing sound like a breeze blowing through sheets on a washing line.

It was when Linda came in that I realised what was making the sound. She was wearing a brown corduroy coat dress, with a collar and a wide black leather belt around her waist, dark tights and knee length laced leather boots. Her light brown hair was falling over her shoulders, as she turned round, saw me, and whispered “what the...”

“Hello,” I said as I took the starter pistol from my pocket and pointed it at her. “My apologies for the unexpected interruption, but I am afraid your plans for today are going to change Linda. Where is Amy?”

“Upstairs with...”

“Linda – any chance of some sugar in that coffee?”

“Tell her yes – and not a word about me being here,” I whispered as I looked at her. She nodded, and shouted back “Two, right Kerry?”

“That’s right?”

“Oh god,” she whispered as she looked at me, and the gun, “what are you going to do?”

“Play a game with you and whoever else is here,” I said quietly, “where is Amy?”

“Upstairs with Bess?”

“And Bess is?”

“Kerry’s daughter – look, what are you going to do?”

“Let you make those coffees first,” I said with a smile, “but then I am going to rob you, and I need to make sure nobody can raise the alarm for a while. So, you are going to tell Amy, and Kerry is going to tell Bess, this is a special game you arranged to surprise them. I promise you I will not hurt any of you if you do this, and this way it will be less traumatic for them.”

She nodded slowly as I walked with her to the coffee machine, and allowed her to pour two cups, adding milk and sugar before she carried them into the front room, with me walking behind her. As we came in, I saw Kerry, the blonde haired woman sitting on a leather couch. She was wearing a maroon coloured wool jumper, crimson corduroy pants and over the knee black leather boots.

“What kept you Linda ohmygodhesgotagun!”

“Keep calm and quiet, Kerry,” I said as I closed the door, “I do not wish your daughters to know about the game just yet.”

“Game? What game?”

“Kerry,” Linda said as she put the mugs down, and sat with her, “I’m being robbed, and I think we’re all going to end up tied up and silenced. For the sake of the girls, we need to pretend this is a game I arranged for all of us to play. Do you understand?”

The blonde nodded slowly as she saw me take off the rucksack, and open it to take out several lengths of rope. “Good decision,” I said quietly, “so I want you both to put your feet on the coffee table, with your ankles crossed, and I will start by securing your legs. After that, you may have your coffee while I explain what is going to happen.”

They looked at each other before they did this, watching as I first bound their ankles tightly together, and then their legs below their knees, taking the rope around and between their legs in both places before I helped them to lower them to the floor. As I was doing this, they tried to move around, and I heard the sound of the corduroy rubbing on the leather.

“Now,” I said as I sat down, and they picked up their mugs, “here’s what’s going to happen. I am sure the girls will come down in a little while, and when they do you will tell them this is a game, and I’m playing the part of a robber. It is important that they believe you, so make it convincing.”

“Do you have to tie them up as well, they’re just kids?”

“I do,” I said as I looked at Kerry, “but we will make it fun for all of you. All I ask is your cooperation, and this will be as painless as possible.”

I watched as they both tried to move their legs, and then nodded in agreement.

“Excellent. Now then, it will be very helpful for me, Linda, if you tell me where your valuables are kept...”

A short while later, I closed the door to the front room, and made my way slowly up the staircase, hearing the sounds of two girls talking as I walked along the upper landing. I opened the door quietly, to see the two young daughters sitting watching something on their computer.

Young Amy was wearing a mustard coloured corduroy dress, with a skirt that came to just above her knees, and long black socks, while Bess was wearing a fawn coloured roll neck sweater, matching corduroy pants, and a pair of long fawn suede boots, the cuffs turned back under her knees.

“Oh my,” she said as she saw me come in and close the door, “who are you?”

“Well now,” I said with a smile, “I’m an actor that Amy’s mum hired to play a special game with both of them today. As you’re here as well Bess, your mum has said that you can play as well. I’m pretending to rob Amy’s mum, and that means all four of you have to be kept in the same place, and that you won’t be able to move or speak for a little while.”

“Oh my,” Amy said, “like in the movies?”

“That’s right – now your mums are already playing, and it’s time now for both of you to join them. Before we go down, however, I need to start getting you both ready.”

“So what do you need to do?”

Why don’t you both stand up,” I said as I opened my bag, “and we can start by making sure you cannot move your hands or arms. It won’t hurt, and when you’re with your mums, you can even try and move with them.”

“Okay,” Amy said as I started to bind her wrists together, and then tied some rope round her waist to keep them in place. She twisted round, the rope squeaking on her dress, and giggled as I did the same to Bess. Further lengths of rope then went around their arms and upper bodies, so that when I had finished by cinching those bands under their armpits, neither of them could move their arms at all.

“All right then,” I said as I picked up my rucksack, “let’s go and see what your mothers are doing, shall we?”

I escorted the two girls down the stairs, and as we approached the front room we could all hear the squeaking noise, as well as muffled calls.

“Is that our mums,” Bess said as she looked at me.

“It is – they’re getting into the game already,” I said as I opened the door and showed them in. Their eyes opened wide as they looked, and said “Oh wow – you really are getting into the game, aren’t you?”

“Swwrr,” Linda said from the leather couch. She was lying on her side, the rope around her arms and chest rubbing on the material, her arms pinned behind her back, and a wide strip of brown sticking plaster over her mouth.

“Hllmmee, rddtpl,” Kerry said from her position on the floor. She was also lying on her side, her ankles pulled back and secured to her chest ropes, her head resting on a cushion while the plaster moved with her lips.

“Are we going to be like that,” Amy said as she looked at me.

“Well, I’m going to put you next to your mummy, and Bess will be right next to hers, looking just the same, all right? So, I need you to sit in front of mummy, while Bess sits on the floor.”

I watched as Amy sat down, whispering to Linda while I knelt down, crossed Bess’ ankles, and tied them tightly together, as well as her legs below her knees. Amy giggled as she watched me move her friend to the floor, and then pull her ankles back, the rope attaching them to her chest ropes soon applied.

“You turn now,” I said as I walked over to Amy, and tied her sock covered ankles together, as well as her legs below her knees. I then laid her out so that her head was against Linda’s chest, her mother reaching down and kissing her head as she also wriggled round, her dress rubbing on the leather.

“Now then,” I said as I took a roll of sticking plaster out of my rucksack, and tore a strip off, “put your lips together and look at me Amy.”

“Fnkssmstrrbbr,” she said as I smoothed the plaster over her mouth, and then did the same for Bess. I had promised their mothers that this was all I would do to them – right after I had pushed folded cloths into their mouths and then taped them over.

And after I had obtained the jewellery, that was how I left them – the loudest sound of all corduroy rubbing against itself, the ropes and the leather, all four of them actually laughing at the way the noise came out...

********

I know that girls like to copy their mothers, but there are occasions when it takes even me by surprise. A few weeks ago, I was paying a visit to a place near Bath, where Steve and I had looked at the family living there. They were the Mumford family - Dad was a banker in the city, and away except at weekends, while Mum was a school teacher. They had two daughters, eleven year old Gale and eight year old Natalie, while the parent’s names were Peter and Mary. There was also the Au Pair, a twenty year old woman called Inga.

At any rate, we knew that Peter Mumford was spending this particular weekend in the city, so I drove down to their house and waited outside until I was sure nobody was looking, and then grabbed my rucksack before I headed to the door. I was dressed as normal for such a visit, as I pulled the stocking down over my head and rang the doorbell.

It was Inga who opened the door, looking at me with an expression of surprise and shock as I gently pushed her back into the house, my starter’s pistol pointed at her. She had brown hair that was held back by an Alice band, and turtleshell glasses, while she was wearing a cream coloured fleece top over a black t-shirt, dark leggings that had a sparkled pattern on them, and long fawn coloured fur boots made by Ugg.

“Not a word,” I whispered quietly as I closed the door behind me, “who else is home?”

“Natalie is in the front room, and Gale is out with Mrs Mumford,” she said in a voice that had a slight German accent, “who are you?”

“Not important – what is important is that you need to tell Natalie that this is a surprise game that her parents have arranged, and you both need to play at being my hostages for a little while. Do that, and I promise neither of you will be hurt, and you get to stay together. Understand?”

“I understand,” she said as she looked at me, the stocking pressing me hair down and blurring my features.”

“Good – now, turn round, and put your hands behind your back,” I said as I slipped my rucksack off, and drew a length of cord from the top. “Remember – this is all a game for Natalie.”

She nodded as I crossed and tied her wrists tightly together, and then walked into the front room with me. Natalie was sitting at one end of a long couch, wearing an orange infinity scarf round her neck and over a blue long sleeved top that had a white pattern on it, dark leggings, and fawn leather boots with a quilted back that came to below her knee.

“Who is this, Inga,” she said as she looked at me.

“Your parents asked me to keep this as a surprise for you,” she said as I helped her to sit down at the other end of the couch, “this lady is pretending to be a burglar, and she is going to stop us from moving or speaking while she looks round.”

“Will she be gone before Mummy and Gale get back,” she said as she brushed her long blonde hair out of the way.

“I may still be here – in which case they will play as well,” I said with a smile. “So, I need to make sure your hands are behind your back like Inga’s are.”

The au pair showed Natalie her bound wrists, the young girl nodding as I tied her wrists in the same way, and the tied her arms to her side with bands of rope around her stomach and shoulders, cinching the bands between her arms and her body.

I bound Inga’s arms as well, the rope sitting under and on top of her chest, as Natalie watched.

“You’ll need to make sure Mummy and Gale are identical, they do the same in everything,” Natalie said as I knelt down, and used another length of rope to bind her ankles together, and then her legs below her knees.

As I secured Inga’s legs, I said “I may have to take them to a different room, but they will play along just as both of you are.”

“You do not understand,” Inga said as I tied her legs together on top of her boots. “Gale copies her mother in everything.”

“Let me worry about that,” I said as I pulled the rope between her legs and tied the ends off. “Natalie, why don’t you lie down with your head on her lap?”

“Can you help me,” she said as she wriggled round, so I helped her to lie with her head on Inga’s lap, and then tied one end of a length of rope to her ankles, and the other behind Inga’s back to her chest ropes.

“That makes sure you both stay here,” I said as I turned the television on, “and now I need to make sure you both stay quiet. Open your mouths nice and wide, and don’t struggle after I do this. Keep calm, and it can be great fun.”

I then placed a small sponge in Natalie’s mouth, watching as she closed her lips over it and then I used some medical tape to seal them together. I did the same to Inga, with a slightly larger sponge, and left them to watch television before I searched the rest of the downstairs rooms.

I was in the other main room when I heard a car pull up outside, and took up a position just inside the door. I heard the front door open and close, and then a young girl saying “Mum? What’s going on?”

“Hello Mrs Mumford, Gale,” I said as I stepped out and looked at them standing in the doorway to the front room, “please, come with me, and you can join in the game as well.”

What took me by surprise was they were identically dressed – white Fair Isle sweaters, blue leggings and grey thigh high suede boots with a thin three inch heel. Gale looked at me, and then at her mother as Mary put her hands on her shoulders.

“You should have received notice that the game you booked was today, Mrs Mumford,” I said, watching as she slowly nodded and said “I... I forgot. Are you the actress who pretends to be the Games Player?”

“I am – so, if you and Gale will accompany me upstairs, we will make sure you play in comfort and security.”

“I want to be the same as you mum,” Gale said as she looked at me, both of you with long brown hair.

“Gale, this may be one time...”

She looked at her mother, as I said “Well, we can start down here. Please, both of you, face the wall and put your hands behind your backs.”

I had taken two lengths of cord from my bag in preparation for this, and smiled as they both did that, talking to each other as I tied their wrists together behind their backs.

“Don’t be scared, Gale,” Mary said as she looked at me, “this is just a game, after all.”

“I’m not scared Mum, if I do the same as you,” she said as she looked at me.

“Tell Inga and Natalie you will be upstairs,” I said as I took Gale with me to fetch my bag, “and you will see them later.”

As she did this, I picked up my rucksack and put it over one shoulder, before I escorted both of them up to the master bedroom.

“Sit on the bed,” I said to Gale, before I took a long length of rope from my bag and started to bind Mary's arms to her sides.

“Do the same to me,” Gale said as she watched the bands tighten on her mother’s body.

“Gale, I do not think...” Mary said as I pulled the bands tighter, and then passed the rope under one arm, around the back of Mary’s neck and under the other arm.

“I wish to be just like mummy,” Gale said as I tied the rope off, “so make me like mummy!”

I looked at Mary, and then allowed her to sit down as Gale stood up, watching as I bound her arms tightly to her sides in the same way as her mother. I then knelt down and crossed the ankles of both of them, using rope to secure them tightly together, and then their legs below their knees.

As they wriggled round, I took two sponges and the roll of white tape from my bag.

“You don’t have to do that, we’ll be quiet,” Mary said.

“Yes she does – we need to be the same as each other as well as Nats and Inga downstairs,” Gale said as she opened her mouth, and I shrugged my shoulders before pushing the sponge in, then waiting as she closed her lips over it before I sealed then with a long strip of the tape.

“The jewellery boxes?”

Mary told me where to find them before I gagged her, and then laid them on their sides, facing each other before I pulled their ankles back and tied them to their chest ropes.

As they wriggled round, I emptied the jewellery boxes, and then left them as I searched the rest of the house.

“I will be downstairs while you try to escape,” I then said as I went down, and checked Natalie and Ingrid.

“Your mother and older sister are just as secure upstairs,” I said, “have fun trying to get free.”

“Fnkssmmssrbrr” Natalie said as I made my way out, shaking my head at the differences in the two girls...

********

This particular tale goes back to my early days, when as you know I tended to be a bit more impulsive and just go where the mood took me – all the time making sure the people I visited were in the main unharmed. So this would have been in the late spring, and if I remember correctly it was in the South of England when I saw this mum and daughter coming out of a delicatessen. The mother was wearing a blue dress, which had a lace overskirt that went just over the hem of the dress, and cream coloured leather boots with a fur band round the ankle. What really struck me was her snow white hair, which fell over her shoulders.

The girl with her looked as if she was six or seven, with a little peach bow in her straw blonde hair. She was wearing a white t-shirt, and a long white skirt which had the shadows of a deer printed on it in different colours. The skirt came almost down to her ankles, covering the top of the brown Ugg boots she was wearing.

Under any other circumstance, I wouldn’t have done anything, but I could see the diamond earrings in the mother’s ears, and her bracelet, caught my attention, so I followed them back from the town centre and into a semi-detached house a short walk away.

This was just after lunchtime, so I figured the chances were good there was nobody home, so I sipped up my hoodie, put on a pair of dark glasses as well as my gloves, and put the hood up over my head. I didn’t even have a stocking with me, so I had to rely on my hood not coming down to provide any further identification.

What can I say? That was how I was back then.

So I walked up to the door, and was pleased to find it opened as soon as I turned the handle. Coming in and closing the door behind myself, I found myself in a hallway, and I could hear that someone was in the front room, so I walked quickly down and looked in. The mother was in the room, looking through her mail, so she was taken completely by surprise when I grabbed her round her waist, and put my hand over her mouth.

“Whtssgnnnn,” she mumbled as she tried to wriggle out of my grasp, so I said quietly “don’t struggle, and listen carefully. All I want is your valuables, nothing else – if you do what I say, you won’t get hurt. So, will you calm down and listen?”

She stopped struggling for a moment, as I said “now, are you and your daughter alone at home?”

She nodded, so I then said “Are you expecting your husband or anyone else to call for the next hour or so?”

She thought for a moment, and then shook her head as I said “good – now listen carefully. Like I say, I only want your valuables, but I need to make sure you and your daughter stay in one place, and don’t raise the alarm. So here’s my next question – do you have any rope or washing line?”

“Ntthhkshn, why?”

“I will take my hand away if you promise not to scream or raise the alarm. Will you do that?”

She nodded slowly as I removed my hand and said “where is your daughter?”

“Playing upstairs – look, I’ll show you where things are, but please leave her alone.”

“Oh no – you and she are going to be playing a game of hostages.”

“A game?”

“That’s right – you’re going to tell her this is a game you want to play with her. Understand?”

“No...”

“You will – we’ll walk to the kitchen, and I will explain further.”

We walked down to the kitchen, where she pointed to a tall cupboard. I told her to fetch it, watching as she slowly opened the door and took out a coil of cotton line, while I picked up a pair of scissors. She laid it on the table, and watched as I cut a length off the end.

“Turn round.”

She slowly did so, biting her lip as I crossed her wrists behind her back and secured them together. “What are you going to tell her,” she said as she looked behind her back.

“You’re going to tell her this is a game,” I said as I tied the rope off, “and I will make sure the two of you are together for the game. Now, let’s go and you can talk to her, all right?”

She nodded slowly as I picked up the rope and scissors, and then we walked up the stairs, the mum in front of me. She indicated the main bedroom, and sat down on the bed as I cut two more lengths of rope from the coil, using one to secure her ankles together as it pressed the fur band round her legs, and then a second length around her legs below her knees.

She then indicated, as she had promised, where I could find her jewellery and money, which I placed in a pillow case before putting it by the door.

“Now then,” I said quietly as I stood by the door, “call her in – and don’t spoil the surprise.”

She nodded, and then said “Rosie – can you come into Mummy’s bedroom please? I’ve got an idea for a game we can play.”

“Coming mummy,” I heard the girl say, and then she came in, stopping by the door as she said “mummy? Why do you have your hands behind your back? Do you have a surprise for me?”

“In a way – Rosie, I want to play a special game for you, and I’ve asked someone to help us play this together.”

“Oh? Who?”

“Hello Rosie,” I said as I closed the door, “I want you to listen to your mummy, all right?”

“Rosie – come and have a look at me, see what the man has done to me already?”

The young girl walked in and looked at her mum, before she said “does it hurt Mummy?”

“No – now, this man is going to do the same to you, and then he’s going to make sure we can’t get off the bed or call out easily to anyone. He’s then going to allow us to try and escape from the way he leaves us, all right?”

“Is it going to hurt me?”

“No it’s not,” I said quietly as I cut some of the washing line from the coil. “Hold this, tell me how it feels.”

“It feels like my skipping rope,” she said as I cut two more lengths off.

“That’s right, now I’m going to use these to do the same to you as I’ve done to your mummy. Then I’m going to move you both so that you are lying on the bed, and then you can start the game.”

Rosie nodded as she stood in front of her mother, and I tied her wrists together behind her back, then I helped her to sit on the bed next to her mother while I took her boots off, and tied her ankles together. I then took the third length of rope, and wrapped it round her legs above her knees, gathering her skirt round them as I pulled the rope tighter.

As she swung her legs up and down, her mother watched as I laid the remaining length of washing line across the bed. “Now then,” I said as I looked at them both, “can you both move over and lie down, looking at each other?”

I waited while they did this, Rosie resting her head on her mother’s chest as I took the rope round both of them and made sure they stayed together. “Now then,” I said as I went to her mother’s wardrobe, and took out two silk squares, one blue and one white, “I need to make it difficult for you both to call out. So, Rosie, I’ll show you what I’m going to do on mummy first.”

I rolled the blue scarf, and tied a knot in the middle, before I pulled the knot between her mother’s lips and tied the scarf round her head, moving her hair out of the way as I did so. Rosie looked at her, and said “is it all right mummy?”

“Tsffnnrsee,” she said, Rosie giggling as I rolled the white scarf up and tied the knot. Rosie then opened her mouth, the knot sitting in her mouth as I moved her hair out of the way and tied the ends together at the back of her neck.

That’s how I left them, as I went down the stairs, found a carrier bag and put the pillow case inside, and then left the house, hoping they would enjoy themselves.

********

On the other hand, a more recent visit shows how much planning I do put into these visits Stella and I make now. Especially when it is clear I need to take additional care with one of the mothers.

Bea Coles is married to a fairly successful actor, who at the time I was planning the visit was away on a two month location shooting trip. She had a ten year old daughter called Lila, and was also about seven months pregnant when I planned to call. For that reason, I also knew her younger sister Cecelia was living at their farmhouse with her on an extended visit, with her own nine year old daughter Angel.

So as you can imagine, I prepared myself for a number of possibilities, before driving to the farmhouse, arriving at about midday. I went into a public car park across the road, watching as a Saab pulled up outside the house and Bea got out. Her bump was plainly visible under the red and blue stretch jersey dress, an old faded denim jacket over the top half, while she was wearing white deck shoes.

Little Lila also got out, also wearing a denim jacket, but in her case over a white t-shirt and a pair of shorts which had a coloured fern pattern on white. She was wearing a pair of sandals, her light brown hair held back in a ponytail, while Bea’s was also in a ponytail, but on top of her head rather than behind. Both of them were also wearing gold hoop earrings.

Anyway, I allowed them enough time to get into the house, and get themselves settled, before I collected my bag and made my way up to the main house. As I did so, I pulled down the rim of my beanie hat – given it was on a main road, and daylight, I figured this would be one of the occasions when a balaclava as opposed to the stocking mask would be necessary.

I tried the front door, but it needed to be opened from the inside, so I made my way round to the rear of the house. Although the door was locked there as well, the kitchen window was open, and no one was inside, so I managed to get in that way, and also avoided knocking anything over.

It was a typical country kitchen – but I had to move quickly, because I could hear light footsteps running down the corridor. I hid behind the door as Lila came in, having removed her jacket, and took two bottles of water from the refrigerator before she ran back out again.

I followed her down the hallway, to see Bea sitting on the couch. She saw me and gasped as Lila turned round and said “who are you?”

“Me? I’m part of a surprise game that your daddy booked for while he was away. I’m sure your mummy knows all about it – don’t you Mrs Coles?”

She looked at me for a few minutes more, Lila looking at her, before she said “Oh. Oh yes. Lila, you remember when we were talking about the man who played games while he robbed families?”

“Oh yeah – are you him?”

I shook my head – yeah, I lied – and said “no, but your daddy hired me to play the part of him, so that you and your mum could play a game where you pretend to be the people he visits.”

“Will aunt CeCe and Angel play when they get back?”

“When are they due to return?”

“Soon,” Bea said as she looked at the clock.

“Then we need to start playing,” I said with a smile. “The bad man needs to make sure you and your mum can’t move, so let’s get started. Can you stand next to your mum, Lila, while I keep her hands behind her back?”

Given Bea’s condition, I was not going to use ropes, but I had in my bag several wide rolls of white electrical tape. Lila watched as I took one out, and moved her mother’s arms behind her back, folding them so that her forearms were parallel and then taping them together from wrist to wrist. The design of the couch she was sitting on meant that, when I was finished, her forearms would rest on the arm of the couch while her back was supported.

“Coo – will you do that to me?”

“If you want,” I said as Lila folded her arms, and giggled as I taped them together in the same way. She rocked from side to side, as I helped her mother to sit with her legs along the couch, and then taped her ankles tightly together, as well as her legs below her knees.

“Now then,” I said as I looked at Lila, “can you hop onto that big seat over there, and I’ll make sure your legs are like your mum’s?” I waited as she pushed herself back in the armchair, and then taped her ankles and legs as well.

She looked at the white bands, before we all heard a car pull up outside. “Not a word now,” I said as I stood by the door, “this is going to be a big surprise for them, right?”

“Remember, Lila, it’s a game we’re all playing,” Bea said as she settled herself, Lila nodding as we waited. After a few moments, the front door opened and closed, and we heard another female voice say “Bea? Where are you?”

“We’re in the front room,” Bea called out, “can you both come in? You need to see something.”

The door opened as Angel ran in. The young girl had her brown hair in a ponytail as well, although not as severe as Bea’s, and her black leather jacket covered a peach coloured lace dress. She was also wearing black leggings and flat shoes.

“Mum? Why is Aunt Bea sitting with her legs taped together?”

“What do you mean – Bea? What’s going on?”

Cecelia was wearing a light purple leather biker’s jacket over a black smock top, faded jeans with a patch on one knee, and black ankle boots. She looked at her sister, then at Lila, before she turned round and looked at me.

“We’re pretending to be robbed by the Games Player,” Lila said as Bea nodded.

“That’s right – my darling husband arranged this, so we can all thank him when we see him, won’t we sis?”

“Yes – yes we will,” she said quietly, “so are we going to play as well?”

“Yes you are,” I said with a smile, “so please, take off your jackets, and remove your shoes, dear lady – then we can begin.”

“Are you going to use tape on us as well,” Angel said as she looked at me.

“I am indeed,” I said as I took another roll from my bag, “why?”

“Cool – and we won’t be able to move?”

“Well, I cannot say that for certain, unless I tape you and your mother together. I can’t do that for Lila and her mother...”

“Can he, Mum?”

Cecelia looked at me, and slowly nodded as I said “very well then – but I need to start with you little Angel. Can you sit next to your cousin for a moment?”

Angel nodded as she sat down, and I crossed her wrists in front of her, taping them together before I taped her ankles as well.

“Why didn’t you do to her what you did to me and Mum,” Lila said as she watched.

“You’ll see in a minute,” I said as I invited Cecelia to sit in the other armchair, the others watching as I taped her ankles and legs below her knees first. As she sat there, I then carried Angel over and placed her on her mother’s lap, smiling as I used more of the tape to secure them together around their waists. I also taped Angel’s upper arms and body to her mother’s body, so that her head rested against her mother’s chest.

Cecelia then shuffled back, her daughter’s legs resting on hers, as I taped Angel’s legs to her mother’s. Finally, I asked Cecelia to hug Angel, before I taped her wrists to her forearms in front of the young girl’s body.

“Can you tape my arms as well?”

I nodded as I taped Lila’s upper arms to her body, and then did the same to Bea so they all were well secured.

“Now, you an all talk quietly while I pretend to look round,” I said.

“No – we’ll call for help,” Angel said.

“Angel...”

“No – she’s quite right, and I can’t have that,” I said with a smile as I looked at them. “So, all of you, put your lips together for me.”

I went round the room, smoothing strips of white tape over all their mouths, and then turning the television on, finding Nickelodeon as the girls settled down to watch, and the two mothers looked at each other. For my part, I searched the house, selected a good range of items, and checked they were all fine before I left...

********

Apparently, the idea that we can use far stricter forms of binding if the situation demands it really has some people excited at the prospect we’re going to call on them – and I’m not sure if that should terrify or please me.

I’ve also noticed a lot more families playing with the idea of having fun pretending one of us has called round – and those came together rather nicely for me in a recent home visit I paid near Bristol.

Paula Carson was a primary school head, whose husband was the manager of a firm of accountants in the city. She was in her late thirties, and they had an eleven year old daughter called Harper. Steve and I had, as we usually do now, carefully researched the family, and we had decided I would call in on a day when the schools were closed, but her husband had to be in the office.

It was about two thirty when I parked outside their semi-detached house, and grabbed my rucksack from the boot of the car, before I made my way up the driveway and to the side of the house. Pausing to slip on my leather gloves and pull the stocking down over my head, I slipped in the side door and walked down the corridor.

I had to stop myself for a moment when I heard what sounded like Paula say “now then, you just stay there while I go and look for your mother,” and barely had time to duck into a coat closet before I heard her come out of the room and walk up the stairs. As soon as I heard her walking on the upstairs landing, I slipped out and looked in the room she had just come out of.

Harper was lying on her side on the long couch, facing the back, but I could see that her wrists were tied firmly behind her back with white rope, and that her elbows had also been secured together with a second band. She had bands of rope around her arms and chest, her waist, thighs, below her knees and her ankles, all cinched and tightened.

The young girl was wearing a denim jacket and jeans, and pink ankle boots, and she had a scarf tied round her head, trapping her long brown hair underneath. From the sounds she was making, I guessed the scarf was knotted and the knot in her mouth, so I left her there, curious as to what exactly was going on.

Heading carefully up the stairs, I looked in the bedroom to see Paula looking in a wardrobe. She was wearing a purple military style jacket, the reflection the mirror in the door showing the braiding and her black top underneath, black pants and purple baseball boots.

The mirror also meant she saw me as I stepped into the room, and she looked at me, the black stocking over my head, and dressed in black. She then simply said “Oh my god – are you who I think you are?”

“That depends – if you think I’m the tooth fairy, I’ll have to disappoint you.”

“You’re one of the Games Players – oh god, she’s going to be over the moon about this...” She sat down on the bed, and said “Sorry – it’s just she loves pretending to be captured by the Player, and then having to try and find me...”

“Well, today you get to experience the real thing,” I said quietly. “From the way she is tied, I presume she prefers to be totally unable to move?”

“I’m afraid it’s more than that,” Paula said, “she wants to be forced to tell all – and I suspect you will have to force me as well.”

“Well, let us presume that is the case – you know you will be left tightly bound and unable to move or talk for some time?”

“I know – which is why I have a request to make. This one – well, it fulfils one of my fantasies. I want us to be tied up as if we were going to bed, so that we cannot move off this bed.”

“That sounds like something my friend Jay Edwards would do...”

“Precisely – she’s fascinated by him as well. Can you do that?”

“I think so – so let’s start your afternoon off. Please kneel in front of the bed, and put your hands behind your back.”

“Hello Harper.”

As she rolled over, I saw the knot in the scarf sitting between her lips, damp with her saliva – but it was the way her eyes opened, and she said “hmggddd” as she saw me with her mother that caught her attention.

I had bound Paula’s wrists tightly behind her back, as well as using a length of rope to secure her elbows together, while bands of rope sat above and below her chest. The effect of this was to pull her jacket open and her chest was pushed out.

“Harper,” she said quietly, “this lady is here to play a game of robbers with us, and I want you to play along as well. Will you do that for me?”

She looked at both of us for a moment, and then nodded as I said “Good – stay right there,” as I made Paula sit on the floor, then crossed and bound her ankles together. I then secured her legs together below her knees, and then her thighs, taking the rope between her legs as well on each binding.

“Now then,” I said as I tied the last rope off, “let’s discuss your valuables. Where are they?”

“I’ll never tell you,” Paula said as she looked at me, and wriggled round.

“Really? Well, we shall see about that,” I said as I looked at Harper, and stood up.

“What are you going to do?”

“Well, I need you to tell me where your valuables are,” I said, “and you will, but perhaps your daughter will be more cooperative about her valuables.”

“Nddrrr,” she said as she wriggled round, and then squealed as I pulled her jacket open, realign her white t-shirt, and then started to tickle her sides.

“I will stop when you’re ready to talk,” I said as she wriggled round, kicking her legs up and down as Paula said “don’t tell her Harper! She wants to rob us!”

“Dnnttdthsttmmm,” she mumbled as I kept up the tickle assault, but she eventually tired out and said “llrrrttltlk.”

“Better – one moment,” I said as I untied the scarf and eased the knot out of Harper’s mouth, leaving her panting as I gagged Paula with the same scarf, the knot sitting behind her teeth. “Now then, Harper, where can I find your jewels?”

“They... They’re in a locked box in the bottom drawer in my room,” she said with a smile. “Oh god – it’s really you isn’t it?”

“Oh yes – scared?”

“”Excited.”

“Right – I need to make sure you can’t get off this couch for a little while, so roll over Harper.”

I waited until she had done so, and then pulled her ankles back, securing them to her chest ropes before I took a roll of white tape, tore a long wide strip off, and placed it over her mouth. I then hogtied Paula, before I went upstairs and found her box. It was mostly costume jewellery – nothing of any real value, but I took the box downstairs and opened it in front of her, her eyes gleaming as she watched me empty the contents into my bag.

“Shsstknfrrfnmm,” she said as she tried to talk, her lips moving under the tape as Paula nodded.

“Now, your turn – will you tell me where your valuables are?”

“Nffrrr,” Paula said as she wriggled round, and then turned her head to watch as I unlaced and removed her shoes.

“Whtrrudngtmfr?”

“Well, Harper, seeing as your mother does not want to be as nice as you were,” I said as I stroked my finger up the sole of Paula’s foot, smiling as she wriggled round, “I need to persuade her otherwise.”

“Hnnnshsvrreetcklsshh.”

“HRPRR!! HMGMGDDNNNMMMMMPPLSLSSSSSS”

Paula tried to wriggle out of the way, but she could not escape as I tickled her feet, and the backs of her legs, before she said “LLRRTTEGFFNNN”

“Better,” I said as I removed the scarf from her mouth, “and where are they?”

“Safe... Safe in my wardrobe.”

“Combination?”

She shook her head, but two minutes of tickling and she happily gave up the number. I then taped over her mouth and left them to struggle again as I emptied the safe, as well as finding other valuables.

When I came back down, I looked at both of them and said “I need to stay a while until it gets dark, so I need to make sure you two really can’t raise the alarm.”

“Hwwruggnndtht,” Harper said as I started to unite her legs, helping her to sit up before I did the same to Paula.

“By making sure you both have to spend the night in bed,” I said as I helped her mother to stand. “Get up, and come with me.”

I could see her smile under the tape as I gathered the ropes up, put them in my bag and walked with them up to Harper’s bedroom. As Paula sat on the bed, I peeled the tape away from her daughter’s mouth and said “now, find a nightdress to put on, and get changed into it.”

She nodded as I untied her arms, before she said “I need to go to the toilet.”

“Of course – but remember, I have your mother here, so no attempts to raise the alarm, understand?”

Harper nodded as she took her jacket off and laid it on the bed. I watched as she went into the toilet, and then came out, returning to her room where she stripped off and put on a long sleeved white nightgown which came halfway down her lower legs.

“Now what are you going to do,” she said as I opened my rucksack. It isn’t often I go all the way, but this seemed to be one of the occasions. So I took out two sponge balls, and a roll of duct tape.

“Make a fist with these in your hands,” I said as I handed them to the young girl, “and hold them out.” She could barely stop herself grinning as I made her hands into two silver fists, before finding a pair of sports socks in her drawer and pulling them over her hands, making sure the sleeves were covered before I taped them to her gown.

“Now then – mummy’s turn,” I said as we went to Paula’s bedroom, Harper sitting on the bed while I ungagged and untied her mother, before she changed into her own nightgown and I covered her hands as well.

“All right – both of you, kneel on the floor facing each other, and I’ll make sure you cannot move your arms.”

“Are you all right, Harper,” Paula said as she looked at her daughter.

“Oh yeah Mum,” she said as I crossed her sock covered wrists and tied them tightly together. I then tied some rope round her waist to lock her wrists against her back, before moving behind Paula and securing her wrists in the same way. Once I had the rope tied round her waist, I then took a fresh long length and started to bind her arms to her sides, taking the rope above and below her chest as her gown was stretched over it. I then tightened it still further by cinching the bands under her arms, between her arms and her body, as Harper stared at her.

“Wow – am I going to look like that?”

“I’m afraid not, Harper,” Paula said, “but you will be as tightly tied. Ready?”

Her daughter nodded as I started to bind her arms to her side, and then giggled as I tightened the bands under her arms. She wriggled round as I secured the last rope, and then they both looked at me as I took two more sponges from my bag.

“Now, I need to make sure you’re both really, really quiet, so open wide.”

I made sure the sponges were safely in place before I used knotted strips of cotton towel as cleave gags, both Harper and Paula grinning over them as I then wrapped white tape tightly round their heads, covering their lips and the band as their hair was trapped against their heads. I then wrapped the duct tape round the white band, and finally used two head scarves, one white, one grey, from Paula’s wardrobe as over the mouth gags.

“Hwwddssnnddmmm?”

“Vrreqweet,” Paula said as I helped them both to stand up and then lie face down on the bed, both of them trying to talk to each other as I secured their ankles, and then their legs below their knees, folding back the skirts of their nightdresses to do that.

I then tied their thighs together, this time over the nightdress, and finally tied their ankles to the foot of the bed as they wriggled onto their sides, facing each other.

“Well, I’m sure someone will be around eventually,” I said as I looked at them, “enjoy your afternoon?”

“Wllucllssmnn?”

I nodded as I left them there, and made my escape. I did call the police an hour or so later – after they had time to have some fun...

********

Now that autumn is well and truly upon us, you see more and more women wearing leggings of various forms and descriptions. Well, I paid a visit a few weeks ago where two mums and their daughters were indeed wearing jazzy leggings – and I made sure they all had fun while I raided the place in my own way.

The house actually belonged to Lindsey Hope, a woman in her early thirties, who had a nine year old daughter called Mercy. Her husband owned a jewellery store, and the research I had done had indicated his success was reflected in the jewels she wore to various functions.

It was a Tuesday lunchtime when I made my way up to the front door of their house, dressed as usual in black. The front of the house had a line of tress that obscured the view from the road, which allowed me a chance to put on my gloves and pull the stocking down over my head before I opened the door and walked in. As I closed the door and turned round, I saw Lindsey come out of the front room, and turn to the kitchen.

She was wearing a long sleeved black top, with a lace detail on both sleeves, and a pair of leggings with a brown Aztec pattern on them. The tops of a pair of white socks were visible above the knee length taupe leather boots she was wearing.

So I walked quietly behind her, and as he got to the kitchen door I put my hand over her mouth, whispering into her ear “not a sound, understand?”

She nodded as I walked into the kitchen with her, and closed the door quietly to behind me before I said “as long as you do as I say, everything will be all right, understand?”

She nodded as I took my hand away, and said “where is Mercy?”

She turned and looked at me, as I saw the white necklace she was wearing, and she whispered “in the front room – oh god are you going to rob us?”

“I am,” I said quietly, “but I don’t want to upset your daughter, so you are going to pretend this is a game. I’ll make sure the two of you stay together in one place, but you must convince her this is a game, and she has nothing to fear. Understand?”

She nodded slowly as I said “Good – now what were you coming to the kitchen for?”

“A... A drink for her?”

“Good – we’ll take it to her together,” I said, Lindsey nodding as she selected a carton, and we walked back into the front room. As we went in, I saw Mercy was wearing the same style of top and leggings as her mother, but in her case the socks were more visible above the black felt boots.

As Lindsey sat with her and explained about the game, I opened my rucksack and looked at the two of them. There was a large area of floor in front of the couch, facing their television, so I said “When you’re ready to start, I want your mummy to sit on the floor, with her legs stretched out in front of her, while you finish your drink. All right?”

Mercy nodded as she sipped her drink, while Lindsey sat down, watching as I tied her ankles tightly together with the first length of rope, and then secured her legs together below her knees.

“Does it hurt mummy,” Mercy said as she looked at Lindsey, but she shook her head as she watched me do the same to her daughter, before I lifted her up and sat her on her mother’s lap, then used a longer length of rope to tie them both together around their waists.

“There – we’re together now,” Lindsey said as she kissed Mercy on her head. Both of them had long blonde hair that flowed down their backs and over their shoulders.

“Now then,” I said quietly as I knelt beside them, “mummy; going to hold your hand in hers, and then I’m going to use this rope to keep your wrists together, all right?”

“Let me hold your hands,” Lindsey said as she put her hands over Mercy’s and then I tied their wrists together, so that they sat on Mercy’s lap.

“Now then,” I said quietly, “Mummy needs to tell me where...”

“Aunt Lindsey, are you...”

The door opened and an eight year old girl came in, wearing a white cardigan over a black top. The top had three buttons at the collar, and a tiered lace bottom, while she was also wearing a pair of black wool leggings with a snowflake and stripes pattern. She also had a pair of small brown cowboy boots on her feet.

“Wow – are you both playing a game?”

“Who’s playing a game,” and older woman said as she came in. While the girl had her blonde hair held up by a black hair clip, hers was held in a bun on her head – but she was wearing a black short sleeved top with a round neckline, the same style of leggings as the young girl, and knee length brown leather boots. She stared at Mercy on Lindsey’s lap, as Lindsey looked at me, and said “that’s right – this is an actor friend, who is pretending to rob us. He just made sure neither of us could move.”

“Cool – can we join in mum?”

Her mother was looking at me, before she said “I don’t know Gail...”

“Bobbi – please?”

“Indeed Bobbi,” I said as I looked at her, “your daughter wants to play, so why don’t you?”

She slowly nodded as she said “so what do you want us to do?”

“Well, why don’t you sit next to your sister Bobbi,” I said with a smile, watching as she sat down and stretched her legs put, before Gail sat on her lap. I started by tying them together around their waists with rope, and then tied their wrists together in the same way as her sister and niece.

I then tied their ankles together, as well as their legs below their knees, as the girls talked to each other, and their mothers watched me. Smiling, I took two more lengths of rope, and tied the girls’ ankles to their mother’s knees.

“Now, let me put on the television,” I said as I turned on CBBC, “and I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

I soon had found what I was looking for, and came back down, making sure the phone was disconnected.

“I need to finish the game by making sure you can’t talk very clearly,” I said as I looked at them, and took a roll of brown sticking plaster from my bag. Soon, all four were trying to talk while the brown fabric moved with their lips, and I made my exit...

********

When I’m not visiting homes and playing games, I dress much the same way as everyone else does, but not in a particular style. I do understand those who feel comfortable more often than not dressing in a certain way, however, and when I do visit families who do that, I like to adjust things so that the way I leave them fits their choice in some way.

Case in point – we’d been researching the family of Grace Harman, a fashion writer and photographer, and one of those people who promote the idea of fashion going in cycles. Her husband, of all things, was a police officer in the CID, and they had two daughters – ten year old Molly and nine year old Cher.

She is quite right about her views on fashion, by the way – but I digress. The point was I was going to visit them while her husband was at work – and so it was, towards the end of the summer holidays, that I pulled up outside their detached house, and got out of the car.

Given it was the summer, I was dressed slightly differently – a dark grey tunic dress with black leggings and knee length black suede boots. Collecting a black grip bag from the back of my car, I made sure I had my black leather gloves on, before I walked slowly up the driveway and then round the side of the house – pausing only to pull a dark stocking down over my head, as I looked round to see if there was anyone in the back garden.

It was clear, so I walked to the back door and slowly opened it, slipping inside as I listened to see where anyone was. I could hear the television on, and noises upstairs, so I decided to make my way upstairs first, stopping only to slip something out of the grip bag.

When I reached the top of the stairs, I could hear the sound of some typing, so I made my way in that direction, and looked into an office. Grace was sitting with her back to the door, working on a computer, her long brown hair falling over a mustard coloured sleeveless top which was over a white t-shirt.

So I walked up behind her, put my gloved hand over her mouth, and said “Not a sound, not a whimper – just do as I say, and you, Molly and Cher will have a story to tell your friends. Do you understand?”

I waited as she looked to her side, and saw the gun in the palm of my hand, before she nodded slowly.

“Good,” I said as I took my hand away, “stand up and look at me.”

As she stood, I saw the mustard top was more of a bohemian style top, with a neckline and front that was more brocade in style, and opened at her waist. She was also wearing a pair of denim jeans, the lower legs of which were tucked in to mid-calf brown leather boots.

“What are you going to do,” she said quietly as she looked at me.

“I will be honest – I am here to rob you, and I am going to stop you and your daughters raising the alarm,” I said, “but I also don’t want them or you to be more scared or upset than you are already, so we’re going to pretend this is a game of robbers for them.”

“Oh god,” Grace said, “you’re one of those Game Players, aren’t you?”

“That’s right – so first things first. Save your work and switch off the laptop please – then I want you to stand upright, and put your hands behind your back.”

Grace nodded as she did as I asked, and then moved her hands behind her back, watching as I opened my grip bad and took out a roll of tape, which I used to secure her wrists together for the moment.

“Now, we are going to go downstairs,” I said quietly, “and we are going to tell Molly and Cher about the game, and that they are going to do as I say as if I was a real robber. I promise you, they will not be hurt, but I will have to make sure they cannot move. Understand?”

Grace nodded as we walked down the staircase, with me holding my grip bag, and then walked into the front room. It was a large room, and I could see to one side a dining table with six high backed chairs round it – but my first attention was to the two girls.

Molly was wearing a blue denim dress, with elbow length sleeves, that had a knee length skirt with four tiers to it, as well as a crochet style brown sleeveless jacket. She had a large beige flower clasp in her brown hair, and white tights on her legs, her feet in a pair of fringed moccasin style boots made of brown suede – you know, the ones some girls like to wear if they dress up as Pocahontas for a party.

Cher was wearing a short sleeved white lace dress with a blue trim on the sleeves and hem, and had a white headband round her head to keep her long brown hair out of the way. The hem of her dress came to just above her knees, while she was also wearing a pair of boots in the same style as her sister.

“Mummy,” she said as she looked at us, “why does the lady have that over her head?”

“Well,” Grace said, “I hired her to come and play a different game with both of us today.”

“What sort of game,” Molly said.

“Robbers,” Grace said quietly, “she’s pretending to be a bad woman who has come to rob us, and that means she needs the three of us to do as she says, and also that we may have to stay in the same place and be quiet for a while. I want you both to play, all right?”

“Does Daddy know,” Cher said as she looked at us.

“Daddy knows – he says he’s going to play as well, because he is going to come and stop the bad lady. So I want you both to go to the toilet, and then we’re going to start playing, all right?”

“The downstairs toilet” I said quietly, “and Mummy and I will come with you, to make sure you don’t try and call someone.”

The two girls looked at each other, and then got off the couch and walked to the small room downstairs, Grace and me watching them. When we went back into the room, they sat with their mother on the couch while I picked up two of the chairs from the dining table and brought them to face the television, which they were watching Finding Nemo on.

“Okay,” I said as I looked at them, “I want you both to come and sit on these chairs. I’m going to make sure you stay on the chairs, and then I’m going to take your mummy around the house. When I’ve done that, I’m going to make sure she can’t move, and then I’ll take you both up to join her. Right now, though, come and sit here.”

Grace nodded as they both came over and sat in the chairs, their legs hanging over the ends.

“Now then,” I said as I knelt behind them, “I want you both to put your hands through the back of the chairs, and then push yourselves right back.”

“Do as she says girls,” Grace said as she tried to move her hands, so Molly and Cher put their hands between the slats in the chair backs, and then wriggled right back.

“What are you doing,” Molly said as she felt me put something over her hands – a pair of short sport socks.

“The bad woman is going to make sure neither of you can move your wrists, but she doesn’t want you to hurt your skin, so she’s covering them with something to keep them safe,” I said, before I took a length of cord from my bag, and started to tie her wrists together, taking the cord around and between her arms with her covered palms against each other, and the cord over the socks.

“You’re right,” Molly said as I tied the ends off, “I can’t move my wrists, and it doesn’t hurt Cher, so you do it as well.”

The younger sister nodded as she put her hands through, and I pulled a second pair of socks over her hands before I tied her wrists together.

“You’re right – does it hurt you mum?”

“No – but my wrists are taped together,” Grace said as she watched me take some more lengths of cord from the grip bag, and start to tie their ankles together, the rope sitting over their suede boots as it went round and between their legs. I then tied the legs of both girls together below their knees, so that they could swing them up and down as they watched the television.

“Now, your mum and I are going to go for a little walk – can we trust you two to be quiet, or are you going to call for help?”

“Oh we’ll call for help,” Cher said as Grace shook her head.

“Well, I can’t have that. So I need you both to put your lips together and look at me.”

As they did this, I smoothed a single strip of black tape over their lips, and then left them trying to talk to each other as I took Grace round the house, asking her where her valuables were and placing them in my grip bag before we made our way into her bedroom.

“Now,” I said as I looked round, “I want you to sit on the bed.”

“What about the girls,” Grace said as I watched her sit, and then knelt in front of her, crossing her ankles as I bound them tightly together with rope.

“When I’m done up here, I’ll bring them up to join you – but when I do that, they’ll be just as tightly tied as you, all right?”

“Do you have to?”

“It’s part of the game,” I said as I pulled the rope between her legs, and tied it off, before I secured her legs together below her knees. “Now, where in this room are your valuables?”

She pointed me to where her jewellery boxes were, and watched as I emptied them out, the creak of the ropes and leather as she tried to move her legs the only other sound.

Eventually, I took some more rope out of my bag, and then removed the tape from her wrists as I said “cross your wrists in front of yourself, and don’t move them.”

Once she had done this, I tied her arms tightly to her sides, and helped her to lie down before I lashed her wrists together with rope, and then tied the ends of the rope to the band below her knees.

“Now, you need to be kept quiet,” I said as I took a roll of white tape and a sponge from my bag, “so open wide.”

“The girls?”

“Will play along with you – now, open wide.”

As Grace opened her mouth, I eased the sponge into her mouth, watching as she closed her lips over it, and then I tore a strip of the white micropore tape off the roll and smoothed it over her lips and chin, making sure it formed to the contours of her face as I did so.

Once I had made sure the bedside phone was disconnected, I said “Don’t move.”

“Ftchnsns,” Grace said, especially after I used one last length of rope to secure her ankles to the foot of the bed, and then walked downstairs.

“All right girls,” I said as I peeled the tape away from the mouths of Molly and Cher, “are you enjoying the game so far?”

“Yes,” Molly said, “so where’s Mum?”

“She’s waiting upstairs for you, but she wants you to come up so that you are the same as her,” I said with a smile, “so first things first – I’m going to untie your wrists, and then I want you both to stand up so that I can re-tie them.”

“Okay,” Cher said as they both wriggled forward and slid off the chairs, turning to look at each other as I walked round, and crossed Molly’s wrists behind her back, making sure they were tightly secured together.

“So how is Mum tied,” Cher said as I secured her wrists together.

“She has her wrists tied together in front of her, but there is a reason there for that,” I said, “but she had some rope around her arms and chest as well, and she wants you to have that. Ready?”

“Ready,” Cher said as I wrapped the rope around her arms and body, in two bands, making sure her arms were held firmly to her sides and then cinching them between her arms and body.

“This is different,” she said as I repeated the process for Molly, “I really can’t move my arms now.”

“Neither can I,” Molly said, “so how are we going to get upstairs?”

“You can jump, with my help,” I said, “but first you need to be kept quiet just as your mum is. I’m going to put these in your mouth, and then put some of this white tape over your lips.”

The girls looked at each other, and nodded before they opened their mouths, and I put a sponge ball inside, big enough to keep their tongues pressed down, but not so small they would fall down their windpipes. I then tore a strip of the white tape each and smoothed it over their mouths, waiting as they got used to it before I said “right – jump to the sitars.”

I followed them as they slowly did that, and then told them to sit on the steps and push themselves up. Once they reached the top of the staircase, I helped them to stand, and then they jumped into the master bedroom.

“Hllmm – wehrrr.”

“Hllgrls,” Grace said as I lifted Molly up and laid her on one side, her daughter rubbing her cheek on her mother’s shoulder before I put Cher on the other side. I then found Grace’s mobile phone, and took a picture of them, before I said “Dad will be home soon to try and stop me – stay here until he comes, all right?”

The two girls nodded as Grace watched me pick up the bag, and walk out.

Once I had driven a couple of miles down the road, I took out Grace’s phone, found her husband’s number and sent him the picture. I then drove home – first dropping the mobile phone in a waste basket...

Return to the Relative Perils index

Return to the main index