Martha notes that after Boxing Day Alistair returned to his mother’s, called daily with worsening updates, then abruptly stopped all contact from 30 December onward. She spends New Year’s Eve alone and senses this absence feels permanent rather than one of his usual disappearances.

Back at work with the children in care or at school, Martha turns to the shop finances Alistair had taken over when he quit his job. She discovers unexplained shortfalls and stock discrepancies, initially about £1,000, then more. By day’s end she calculates nearly £3,000 missing through irregular withdrawals, cash conversions of invoices, and unaccounted inventory, concluding Alistair is responsible.

Martha documents the evidence and calls her friend Grace, who reviews the spreadsheets and urges immediate action: see an accountant and then a lawyer, as the pattern suggests systematic embezzlement. Grace also offers practical support, including housing and childcare if needed.

After Grace leaves, Martha texts Alistair that she needs to talk and will see a lawyer tomorrow. He calls within ten minutes, protesting and then breaking down as Martha lists his week-long absence, four days of silence, and the £3,000 loss. She presses him about missing stock and unpaid bills, demanding to know for whom the money is.

Alistair delivers a lengthy explanation, claiming a life of past danger, debts, and unstable relationships, saying he took the money as a safety net after leaving his job and then used it for his sick mother. He promises to repay everything, says he is arranging power of attorney, and plans to sell his mother’s house to make things right, pleading for forgiveness and trust.

In the pause after his plea, Martha hears seagulls and waves on the line, realizing Alistair is not in the West Midlands with his mother but somewhere by the sea, confirming he is lying about his whereabouts and casting his entire story into doubt.