Ben told the laundrette owner that one of her machines had eaten a sock.
She opened the drum, checked the rubber seal, and pulled out two coins, a hair clip and a small toy dinosaur. No sock.
“Are you sure you put both in?” she asked.
Ben held up the single sock he had brought. “This is the other one.”
“When did its partner go missing?”
“About three years ago,” Ben said. “I was hoping your machine might know where the socks go.”
She handed him the dinosaur. “Ask this. It’s been living in there longer than I have.”