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It had been a pretty good day all round, Colin thought to himself. The client he'd taken around this afternoon had liked the last condo they had viewed and said he would buy it. They just had time to make it to the lawyer's office to start the purchase process, and then they'd ended up here at the London Bull.

After a few beers to celebrate the client had gone home and Colin pulled out his mobile phone to call his wife to tell her he would be coming home soon.

Ring, ring.

"Hello?"

"Hi Honey, it's me. I sold another condo today, so I'm down at the pub at the moment celebrating. I'll be home in about half an hour."

"Oh congratulations! That's wonderful. You take it easy. It's been raining and the roads are a bit slippery."

"Don't worry. You know I do this trip all the time. Never had any problems yet. Hey! Do you know what?"

"What, darling?"

"You know I love you."

She laughs at the silly game they always play on the phone. "I love you too darling. See you soon. Byeeee."

After he hung up he drained his beer, paid his bill and headed out the back of the pub where he'd stowed his bicycle that morning. He started out down the hill on the footpath. He'd gone a few yards when he lost control of the bike and slid into a telephone booth. He looked aghast as it started slowly sliding down the hill on the wet grass. As it gathered speed Colin could see it was headed straight for a car waiting at the corner. He yelled out to the driver who saw what was coming and immediately backed his car out of the way just as the telephone booth left the footpath and crossed the road. When it hit the curb on the other side it fell over and its journey was finished.

Colin stood there open mouthed. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He hadn't hit the booth very hard. Just a gentle nudge as he slid off the bike. Why had the booth taken off like that? He looked at the spot where the booth had started its journey and saw that it had been unbolted from its usual concrete plinth and placed on the grass ready to be taken away for repairs. "So, that's why it slid away so easily." He thought to himself.

He continued on down the hill to the driver of the car and stopped to explain what had happened. "Don't worry about it." Colin said, "I'll call the telephone company in the morning and tell them how their booth ended up half way down the hill.

Then he jumped on his bike and continued his journey.

Near the bottom of the hill the road curved around to the right as it followed the top edge of a steep cliff. The drop off to the bottom was about 40 feet into a quarry with sharp pointed rocks crouching there. Colin put on his brakes as he approached the bend and his bike slipped on the grass again. He careered on a few more yards and then fell off towards the cliff. He managed to stop himself sliding over the edge, but he felt himself sliding slowly down as the wet grass tried to defeat his grip. He looked up and there was a stranger offering Colin his hand. He reached up to grab it and then he blacked out.

When he opened his eyes again he was back at the London Bull propped against the bar with a beer in front of him. He looked around for the stranger, but he was on his own. "Strange", he thought to himself. "I wonder how I got here. I'd better get home."

He went outside to look for his bike, but it wasn't in the usual place. He looked everywhere for it, but it was definitely gone. Then he remembered that he had almost fallen off a cliff, so the bike was probably lying mangled at the bottom. Shrugging, he decided to walk home. A slight drizzle had started so he pulled up his collar and started walking back down the hill he'd traveled earlier that evening. Yep! There was the telephone booth, looking slightly forlorn, lying on its side. He walked past and then decided to call his wife again to let her know he was going to be a little late.

He dialed the number and listened. When she answered the phone Colin was just about to speak when he heard his own voice talking to her.

"Hi Honey, it's me. I sold another condo today, so I'm down at the pub at the moment celebrating. I'll be home in about half an hour."

"Oh congratulations! That's wonderful. You take it easy. It's been raining and the roads are a bit slippery."

"Hello? Hello?" Colin said into the phone, but his wife ignored him. All he could hear was his own voice on the other end continuing the conversation he'd had with her earlier that evening.

"Don't worry. You know I do this trip all the time. Never had any problems yet. Hey! Do you know what?"

"What, darling?"

"You know I love you."

She laughed at the silly game they always played on the phone. "I love you too darling. See you soon. Byeeee." And they both hung up.

How strange, Colin thought to himself as he, too, hung up the phone. That's the exact same conversation I had with her earlier this evening. I wonder if the telephone company is playing a joke on me for sending their telephone booth flying?

He dialed again, but this time when his wife answered, and before Colin could speak, he heard her best friend, Samantha, on the line.

"Oh, Vanessa, I'm so sorry. I just heard. Are you alright? Would you like me to come over?"

Alarmed, Colin shouted into the phone. "Vanessa? Honey? Are you all right?" But they ignored him. It was like they couldn't hear him at all.

Colin heard his wife sob again as she said, "Oh yes, please, Sam. Do come over as soon as possible. I'm devastated. The police have just been around to tell me. They want me to go with them." Sob! "What am I going to do?" she cried into the phone.

Colin didn't know what they were talking about but obviously something awful had happened. Had the telephone company filed a complaint against him for wrecking their booth?

He said again into the phone. "Honey? Hello? Can you hear me?"

But Samantha was speaking again. They were completely ignoring him. Must be a crossed line somewhere, Colin thought to himself.

"I'll be over right away dear." Samantha said. "Don't you worry. I'll help you get through this awful time. Tell the police to wait until I get there and I'll look after the kids while you go down to the morgue to identify Colin's remains."