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talking to a solid citizen. 
    'Yeah, look we can do that for sure, maybe in the city centre somewhere. Aye, no problem, like. But the thing is … I have some, er … out of pocket expenses that he would need to cover. You know, before we can meet up.' Third red flag . A big one.
    'I don't understand,' said Annie. 'If we're talking about paying a taxi fare, then that wouldn't be a problem.' 
    'No, I'm thinking more like a reward.'  
    'Okay then, so how much are we talking about here?' said Annie, starting to lose patience. ‘You tell me.' There were now more red flags flying than at the annual Red Army parade in Moscow.  
    No hesitation by the caller, 'right, five hundred pounds is the going rate for one of these bad boys. Cash. And yer buddy Jamie can get his iPhone back today, in exactly the same condition as the last time he saw it.'  
    'What? How come it's that much?' said Annie, genuinely shocked. 'I was thinking that maybe twenty or thirty pounds would cover it.'  
    A swift change of tone. Impatient now, with all pretence of being a Good Samaritan suddenly gone. 'Well it fucking disnae , okay. Look, I don't give a shit either way. That's the deal on offer, so you and your speccy wee pal can either take it or leave it. Oh, and by the way, don't bother with all that fancy Track my Phone shite, because you'll be wasting your time.'  
    Annie attempted to keep the conversation going, as she desperately tried to remember if the meagre balance in her current account would cover the outrageous sum being demanded. 'No wait, please don't hang up. Would two hundred pounds work for you?'  
    'Naw, it widnae.'  
    'Okay then, can you meet me half way? How about three hundred? Honestly, he’s just a student and I'm certain that's all he can afford to pay to get it back.'  
    A pause, then an exasperated, 'for fuck's sake, man, you're doin’ ma head in, so ye are.’  
    Annie took the silence that followed as a sign that she was perhaps getting somewhere and tentatively asked, 'so do we have a deal here, or not?' 
    'Who would be coming to pick it up?'  
    That's a yes then, thought Annie, before replying. 'I'll do it for Jamie, I work here in the city centre anyway.'  
    'Right then, be at stance 48 in the bus station at three o'clock. That's where the express bus from Edinburgh comes in. Oh, and don't even think about contacting the police, or trying any other stupid shit, because we'll be watching. Understand?'  
    'Absolutely. I'll be there at three o'clock with the money. By the way, I've got short blond hair and I'll be wearing jeans and a black leather jacket. How will I recognise you?'  
    'You won't. Just be there and have the dosh ready in an envelope. Someone will come up to you and let you see that it's definitely your mate's phone. You hand over the cash and get the phone. Everybody's happy, sorted.' 
    'Fair enough, three o'clock at the bus station then,' said Annie, as the call ended abruptly.  
    Sitting back in her chair, her mind whirled as she tried to make sense of the phone call. Now she knew exactly why Jamie wasn't answering his phone. The thieving bastard she'd just spoken to had somehow got hold of it. But the more worrying question was, why on earth hadn't Jamie been in touch to let her know what happened?  
    She called Jamie's home number again several times. Still no answer. And then she remembered that he'd mentioned something about his retired parents being away on a Mediterranean cruise for two weeks. She next tried his office, where work colleagues were equally puzzled regarding his whereabouts.  Finally, she contacted their night school lecturer at the college, on the off chance that Jamie had dropped off some material for an overdue class project. Nothing. Jamie Boyd had dropped off the face of the earth. It didn't make any sense.  
    Checking her watch, she realised there was only twenty minutes left until the three o'clock rendezvous at the bus station. She wished Jack was with her, but