Chapter 41
Chapter Forty-One
EVIE
‘Thank you to Helen, my guest today, who shared her story of being spoofed by a scammer who convinced her that it was her bank calling. Thankfully, her bank had an extra layer of protection. Voice recognition. So, the message today is, where you can, make sure you have two-factor identification. And just because it looks like your bank’s telephone number, remember scammers have the technology to make it appear that the call is coming from that number. It’s called spoofing.’
I gave the screen a little wave from my cosy armchair tucked in the corner of our lounge.
‘DM me to share your stories. Remember, you could save someone else from being scammed. And that’s all from me today. Stay safe, folks. And if something looks too good to be true, it probably is. Until next time.’
I pressed stop and sat back, exhausted. It was 10:30am and I was a little punch drunk as I’d been working most of the night to prepare this episode.
Helen had only been able to speak to me after eleven last night, and I’d been working nonstop for the last week since we’d moved into our new place, building up a body of material, so that I always had something ready to go.
‘You’re really good, you know that,’ said Esther from her spot, where she sprawled on the sofa opposite me, her feet resting on Jamie’s lap. The joy of having extra space had yet to wear off for all three of us. ‘Want a cup of tea, Miss Workaholic?’
‘I’d love one,’ piped up Jamie.
‘You don’t deserve one,’ said Esther.
‘Who built all the bookshelves,’ he protested.
‘I’d love one, too,’ I said interrupting their good-natured bickering. ‘I’m not a workaholic, there’s just so much to do. That poor woman, she was really upset. She honestly thought the call was legit. If it hadn’t been for the voice thingy—’
‘Love how techy you are,’ said Jamie.
‘You know what I mean. But she could have lost everything in her bank account and savings account.’
‘I’m only teasing you,’ replied Jamie.
‘Honestly,’ said Esther. ‘What you come up with scares me. I would have done exactly what she did if my bank rang and said I’d paid Curry’s four hundred quid. I didn’t know people could do that spoofing thing. Makes you think.’
‘That’s the whole point of the channel,’ I said.
‘I know, but you’ve really brought home just how many scammers are out there.’
‘Sadly, it’s a full-time job for some people.’
‘And you, too, now. What time do you have to get up tomorrow? I can’t believe you’re going to be on breakfast telly again.’
‘Four, but it’s okay, the TV studio is sending a car for me.’
Jamie yawned. ‘That’s not human.’ He shuddered.
‘I hope they’ve got good makeup,’ said Esther, pushing his feet off her lap. ‘No one, not even you, looks good at that time.’
‘Thanks, Esther. That’s very reassuring.’
She gave me a bright smile. ‘But brilliant that they keep asking you back.’
‘Yeah,’ I said with more than a little pride. I’d come a long way since New York. ‘They’ve offered me a regular slot. Every two weeks. And the money’s amazing.’
‘Good.’
‘And…’ I’d been dying to tell them this but I wanted official notification, which had arrived that morning, ‘Money Weekly has offered me my job back.’
‘Really? What did you say. Go shove it up your arse?’ said Jamie.
‘No, but I said I’d write a regular fraud column for them on a freelance basis.’ It felt like a triumph that rather than turn down the offer outright, I was able to turn it to my advantage. I was bossing life, and enjoying being in charge of it for a change, instead of rolling along.
Esther disappeared to the kitchen, again far nicer than our previous one.
I began reading my DMs, always slightly upsetting as every week there were more people with awful scam stories.
Some folks were a little na?ve, but that didn’t make them any less of a victim, others were shocked that they’d fallen for it, but everyone that contacted me had a sad story to relate and it made me even more determined to highlight the different ways scammers kept dreaming up ways to part people from their hard-earned cash.
Butterflies suddenly swarmed in my stomach, almost overcoming me. There in my DMs. A message from Noah. If I hadn’t have blocked him, would he have been in touch earlier? I’d been trying to protect my heart from further battering, although it had never really worked.
In the absence of the Empire State Building, meet me at the top of Horizon 22 on 14 February at twelve noon. I have something for you. Noah x
I stared at the message and my eyes blurred. And for some stupid, sappy reason I leaned forward and touched the words on the screen, pressing my lips together trying hard not to cry.
‘Evie! What’s the matter?’ asked Esther, retuning with three mugs of tea.
I looked up and gulped, sniffing because the tears were coming through whether I wanted them to or not.
‘Oh God, girl stuff. Do I need to leave?’ asked Jamie.
‘Noah!’ I said, giving Esther a wobbly smile.
She raced to my side and virtually plonked herself in my lap.
‘Oh, my God. Oh, my God. Oh, my God.’ She squealed, and squeezed my arm. She read the DM and squealed again, almost piercing my ear drum.
‘Sleepless in Seattle vibes. Oh, my God, he’s a keeper.’
Jamie looked worried. ‘What are you talking about?’
Tears were streaming down my face. What was with me? I wasn’t a crier.
‘Film stuff,’ I said between sniffs.
‘Oh, Evie, that’s so romantic.’
‘Kind of is,’ I said, wiping tears.
‘You’ve got to go,’ implored Esther, rather unnecessarily because of course I was going to go.
‘What are you talking about?’ asked Jamie with frustration.
Esther rolled her eyes and then read out the email.
Jamie nodded and waited a beat before saying, ‘You do know it’s Valentine’s Day today?’
There was a silence as Esther and I absorbed this information, and then screamed. Both of us jumped up and started running around like a pair of Keystone Cops.
‘Whattimeisit? Whereisit? Howlongdoesittaketogetthere?’ Barely coherent I tugged at my clothes. ‘I’m a mess. I can’t go like this.’
Jamie was on his phone. ‘Liverpool Street. Nearest tube. It’ll take you three quarters of an hour to get to the tube station. Probably another fifteen minutes to reach your destination.’
‘Fuuuck,’ said Esther.
I looked at my watch. I had fifteen minutes. I had pyjama bottoms and carrot-shaped slippers on my bottom half. Luckily, I was wearing video-worthy makeup and my hair was clean.
Esther, who’s always good in a crisis, grabbed my shoulders and steered me into my bedroom.
‘Shower first. I’ll sort your outfit. Go, go, go. We’ve got this.’
‘What if I’m late and he doesn’t think I’m coming?’
‘He’s going to wait.’
‘What if he doesn’t?’ Panic like a hungry wolf prowled in my stomach.
‘Fuck’s sake, Evie. Get in the shower. Let me do the worrying,’ snapped Esther, clearly just as stressed as I was.
I was manhandled into an outfit that I didn’t even have time to approve, Esther attacking me with perfume and a hairbrush to create a messy updo.
Ten minutes later, she and Jamie shoved me out of the door. ‘Text as soon as you get there. Just let us know you made it.’
‘Okay,’ I said.
‘You look gorgeous,’ said Esther, elbowing Jamie in the ribs.
‘Scrubbed up well,’ he said and leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek. ‘Go get him, tiger.’