James

Adam is safely born. Beth is asleep. Richard too…

Nervous exhaustion?

Lol!

It’s quiet. And it’s dark.

And it’s the first real chance I’ve had to sit quietly. To think…

… To consider what Charlotte said.

But… but… you sent me an email, with the link to the site and that photo. I went right through it. They had some lovely things. But I knew you liked that corset so I bought it.

I turn the words over in my head.

Not like her to fall for something like that… Way too canny…

Too suspicious…

So it must have been good.

?

It seemed to come from me…

So, someone had my email address…

And baited the message with something so perfect Charlotte had no reason to doubt it…

And they… they…

… they what?

They sold her a corset…

?

?

Weird or what…

Yes… What?

How could they know her that well? To target her so well?

*****

“Charlotte, do you still have that email? The one you said I sent you. Or have you wiped it?”

She glances up from her laptop. “I was just about to wipe it. Why?”

“I’d like to see it. And the invoice for the corset if you still have it. And the packing slip.”

face

with a couple of A4 sheets. “Invoice and delivery note.”

being targeted. The thing is, this has all the hallmarks of a scam, except that all it appears to have achieved is

to have achieved?” She swallows. “I’ve not

intention was to

but somewhere in the back of my head, alarm

*****

I’m still shaking my head. The lingerie company appears to be a perfectly legitimate business. It’s been trading for nigh-on thirty years and the only thing

same one as is connected with the website. A further search shows that the directors are authentic, actually exist as people and, judging by the string of company accounts I’ve looked over, are

bells are still

newsletter. So, making a couple of adjustments to my online security first, I sign up and wait

pops into my inbox within two minutes. Welcome to Arcadia Lingerie! We’re

I read on…

but since they’re selling a quality product

back in my seat, fingers

if I

chair, but

not surprised. Yes, of course.

me. An inch of amber nectar sits in the bottom of the glass. He sips from his

“Beth alright? And Adam?”

me a silly grin. “Doing great. Just catching up on their sleep.” He leans in

push the paperwork Charlotte gave me to him, along with some of the

shrugs. “What’s so

sip the malt, then take

the time, trying to sell her this or that: clothes, jewellery, bags, hats…

in Beth’s in-box purporting to come

sits back in his seat. “No, they don’t.” He pulls at his chin. “If I’m mentioned, it’s because the ad comes from one of the How To Spend It outlets. Usually trying

professed

“Personal email address?”

“No, work address.”

public information. Anyone taking a ten-second look at a

case, why the personal

that email lead Charlotte

hackers, but this link was to a legitimate company, a legitimate

man to know but, just because a company is legitimate… It’s website too, perhaps… Does

course it fucking

close look at the link and page together? Perhaps I can

pull up Charlotte’s email onto

this site. Find something you like. Life’s

very attractive redhead wearing an emerald green corset. The model can’t match Charlotte for looks, but the suggestion is there: a red-headed girl in sexy underwear which, had I really sent this message, is just the kind of thing I would have suggested for

real sender was right on target, whoever they are. This is no random spam. It’s targeted… at

I’ll find, I’ve done it three times already. The link is clean, with none of the ‘behind the screen’

that tells the more alert reader that some associate account

home page, looking for anything out of kilter.

so Charlotte’s on the Home Page. Where would she go next? How about the page it’s showing on the email? The one

doesn’t lead her…”

link doesn’t

Charlotte believes I have sent her

Christ!

searched through to find it, scoured the menus until she found

would have

the other I

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