He made Megan’s toast, gave her some juice and rang his brother Martin. Martin made a living on eBay, pretty much, that and car-boots. He always knew where you could pick up a bargain. Mike explained his predicament.
‘Aw, mate!’ Martin commiserated. ‘How’d they get in?’
‘Lounge window. Never thought. Only gone twenty minutes.’
‘Leave it with us, see what I can do.’
Martin rang back within the hour. He could get them a digital set but it wouldn’t be flat screen, DVD player too. Might have a couple of pixels out but the lot for £95. Cheap as chips. But Mike had nothing. No contingency, no rainy day fund. He imagined saying no, turning down the chance, and then the weeks to come with the four of them out of sorts and climbing the walls.
Mike took a breath. ‘I haven’t got the readies at the moment.’
‘No problem.’ Martin was quick to step in. ‘I’ll sort it. Pay us back when you can.’
Which could be never, thought Mike, the prospect bitter in his mouth. ‘Appreciate it,’ Mike told his brother.
‘Probably be tomorrow,’ Martin added.
‘That’s great. Thanks, mate.’
Mike had expected Vicky to go ballistic when she heard. He even thought about lying to her, for like a nanosecond. Knew he couldn’t get away with it. But instead of blaming him, letting some steam off and giving him a good bollocking for being so thick, she went white. Locked on to the thieves.
‘While you were getting Megan?’ she said quietly. ‘So they must have been watching the place.’
‘What?’
‘Waiting for you to go out. Knowing your routine.’ A big frown on her face. Her lips bloodless. ‘Watching us, then coming in here and taking the only things we’ve got that are worth anything.’
‘Vicky, I’m sorry.’
She wasn’t interested in him, in apologies. ‘They targeted us, Mike, don’t you see?’
‘They were probably just passing,’ he said. ‘An open window, it’s asking for it. It’s down to me, I’m sorry.’
‘Just passing!’ The incredulity laid on heavy. ‘Why would anyone be just passing here, in the pouring rain? It’s a cul-de-sac.’
‘There’s the alley, they could have been cutting through.’
She stopped, her face alert, like she’d just heard something. ‘They must have had a car. That telly’s too big to carry.’
‘Not impossible.’
‘And the DVD player.’
‘There might have been two of them.’ As soon as he said it Mike knew she’d turn that round to support her theory. ‘Look,’ he hurried on, changing tack, ‘they didn’t take anything else. No mess, nothing broken. Martin will sort us out.’
‘You don’t care.’ Her face was flushed now.
‘What?’
‘Strangers, some low-lifes who’ve been watching the place, have been in here, touching our stuff, watching us, waiting for you to leave.’ She’d never been the hysterical type and this sudden melodrama made Mike feel peculiar.