Day five: Surprise surprise

Erin called with two messages for Barry. Firstly she’d decided that she and Barry would finally go on that much needed date – she’d already booked tickets for them to hear the Metropolitan Police Male Voice Choir at the Barbican. Erin’s second message was that she had sent a huge bunch of flowers to Mrs Tams in Barry’s name.

A delighted Jeffrey Drum boomed across to Barry’s desk that morning. “You’ve sent Mrs Tams flowers, Abacus! Why didn’t you say so? She’s over the moon!”

“So if we’ve still got the Tams account, we need to get the return filed pronto!”, Barry pointed out.

“I’ll call him,” said Drum, tapping his nose. “He and I have a special relationship!”

“Someone will have to continue the normal workload,” added Barry. Silas was quick to volunteer himself for the job - always conscious of where life was safest.

“Well, that leaves me and Cressida,” Barry concluded. Cressida, however, did not share Barry’s grasp of logic.

“Count me out. I’ve got a very full diary right now. I’ve got to get fitted for my wedding dress, get the bridesmaids fitted, check with the caterers and the printers, and go to see what’s-his-face at the thingy-place with my fiancé”.

“That would be the vicar at the church,” Silas interpreted. “Or is it a special service in Rampton?”

Barry was nonplussed.

“Okay, Cressida,” he said slowly. “Yes, of course it’s a busy time.”

I caught his eye.

“Assertiveness,” I mouthed.

“So you and I will sit down to discuss your programme, Cressida,” he said. “Meanwhile we’ll start on the Tams return with the data we have.”

“Excellent idea, Barry,” I said. “But as you have your plate full, leave me to chat with Cressida instead”.

Just then one of the secretaries popped her head round the door with a print-out of an email in her hand.

“It’s for you Cressida,” she said. “It seemed important so I brought it right over...”

What’s in the email? Find out next week.