The Guvnor | 1 47:58

For listeners in the States, the following episode contains references to the old bill, which is the police, super drug, which is a chain of pharmacies, and Big Ben, which is the name of one of the bells in the clock tower in the Houses of Parliament, but which here is used for a very different purpose. It also contains some strong language. ♪

Like a lot of small towns in the UK, Haverford West manages to be both charmingly quaint and slightly depressing. It's in Wales, about 100 miles from the capital, Cardiff. It's a small community nestled in the countryside. The sort of place where medieval churches mix with empty shops and greasy kebab houses. But for those that are born there, many choose not to leave.

Because despite the slightly run-down High Street, it's the kind of place that you can get on with your life without too much fuss. It's very quiet, it's peaceful, it's close to the sea. And where we live, it's just your bog-standard residential cul-de-sac. And nothing out of the ordinary ever tends to happen. And Sam, one of the 15,000 residents in Haverford West, loves that about this place.

Except today. That's going to change. It's the 3rd of November, 2006, and Halloween has come and gone. Leftover pumpkins dot across doorways, unsmashed, unbothered. It's getting late as Sam winds her way through the dark roads lined with trees and fields, leading up to her own quiet street. Her headlights start to sketch images of an unusual sight ahead of her. Strangers on her road. Lots of them.

And they're all in uniforms. Wow, there are just police cars everywhere here, lined up both sides of the road. But she doesn't stop and stare because it's none of her business what's going on. I went into my house, chucked off my work gear, getting my uniform all chucked in the wash and things.

Her husband, though, well, he can't resist. I hear my husband shout, quick, come quick, come and look out the window. They're searching Jill's house. Sam and her husband are not the only ones showing neighbourly concern.

I could see neighbours just peering around corners and peeping over fences. Everybody could see everything open, all the curtains, every blind. Officers rifling through all of her things, pulling out bits and pieces from everywhere, picking things apart, upstairs, downstairs. The house in question belongs to a police officer, a neighbour everyone in the road knows, Sergeant Jill Evans.

The gossip was just, woof, like wildfire through the streets. And who could blame them? I mean, a raid like this in their town? And for a police officer, no less. It's been a long time since anything this exciting happened in Haverford West. And Sam's husband has a theory as to what, or who, might be behind the commotion. He said, I wonder if it's him. And I said, what do you mean, him? He said, well, the guy she was with. I wonder if it's something to do with him. And I said, well...

Gosh, it could be. It's been 72 hours since a man was shot dead and the trail has led the police to Jill's door. A trail lined with tens of thousands of pounds, broken hearts and shower gel? Haverford West has never seen anything like it. But the truth is that this little town is about to witness one of the greatest and strangest love stories the world has ever known.

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Tonight. We're going to my island for a few days. Do you guys want to come? Wait, for real? Critics are calling Blink Twice a must-see twist-filled thriller. There's something wrong.

Wrong. This place. Channing Tatum is captivating. There is a version of this where we're all just still having a good time and laughing. Director Zoe Kravitz delivers a shocking edge-of-your-seat masterpiece. I mean, you know, what's really going on? Blink twice if I'm in danger. Blink twice, directed by Zoe Kravitz. Rated R. Under 17, not admitted without parent. Only in theaters tonight. From Wondery and Novel, I'm Kerry Godliman, and this is Stolen Hearts. Episode 1, The Governor. Get in here, boy.

There are matches made in heaven. Pairings that seem like they were always meant to be. Two people who, when you see them together, they just make you think, of course. William and Kate. Posh and Bex. Pie and mash. Fish and chips. Curry and rice. Cheese and tomato. Beautiful. Inevitable. Boring.

I much prefer the second kind of pairing. The kind that on the face of it seem utterly impossible. Romance novels and rom-coms are full of these and if they've taught us anything, and that's questionable, they've taught us that these are supposed to be the most perfect partnerships.

The stories are all the same. A rejection here, a heartbreak there, a last-minute realisation, a desperate race against time to get to the train station, the airport, press conference, to confess undying love to each other. Or they'll end up sharing one last tragic kiss in the ICC as behind them a big old boat sinks. Roll credits. This kind of love comes at a cost, of course. Our heroes will have to risk everything for it.

But in the end, it's all worth it. The heart is always worth it. So, that's the theme. But now you need to get to know our leading lady. 12 months before her house is turned over by the police, Jill, who's 38, is out on the streets of Haverford West doing what she does best, being a cop.

with her athletic build and sharp crop blonde hairstyle that was synonymous with every strong woman of the noughties. We join her notebook in hand as she reluctantly scribbles whilst a man in a Panama hat tells her about what might very well be the crime of the century. What had happened was he'd bought this car, someone in the night had taken the badge off the front of the car and got his garden squirrel and stuck the garden squirrel onto the bonnet with superglue.

Yeah, that's the case. This is what 14 years of police training has brought Jill to. A garden ornament and an ongoing war between two feuding neighbours over a parking spot. So he had this garden squirrel perched on the bonnet of his car. Well, I thought it was hilarious. And he was furious. He was going, what do you think about this? And I was like...

I just couldn't stop laughing. Maybe people in bigger cities would go, "That's ridiculous. Why would you even be called about that?" But we would be called about the smallest things because it mattered to people, you know? Whether it was a big crime or a small crime, it still mattered.

Although Haverford West might not be a hub for master criminals, Jill has made herself the hero that this small town needs. And she has the awards to prove it. A photo with the Prime Minister here, a commendation for taking down a drug dealer there. Jill doesn't need a big city to make big waves.

But in truth, Jill enjoyed a simple diet of country crime. You get burglary, you get theft, you get the assaults, the fighting on a Saturday night, the farmers would come in and the rugby boys would come in and they'd all fight. And a lost dog, missing child, just the same thing all the time, over and over and over. The same people you'd go to arguing and the same people assaulting people.

But after a long day of keeping the streets of Haverford West safe, Jill heads home for the real work, caring for her two daughters. With a domestic routine as militant as her efforts in the force, Jill fixes dinner and prepares school uniforms for the next day. But at the end of the day, no matter how full her life is, there's something missing. Underneath, I was probably very lonely. Yeah, Jill's love life is non-existent.

And over cups and cups and cups of tea and more than a few custard slices, she laments her misfortunes with her best friend, Jenny. Jill needs to be loved. Jill needs to be wanted. That's the way she is. She's just got zest for life and energy. She's always striding out, you know, 100 miles an hour. She beams life, basically.

It's not that Jill hasn't had her share of relationships. By this point in her life, Jill's burnt through three engagements, two marriages and one affair for good measure. I would describe myself as a bit of a mess. My taste in men, it was all over the shop. And there was no shortage of men in the local police department where Jill stands out as one of the only female sergeants. And you'd better believe she's had her fair share of admirers.

It all started in 1992 with a bloke called Ian, back from Jill's days as a new recruit at the police academy. Well, I always just describe him as Bruce Willis. Yeah, not sure about that. Jill kept her crush quiet as best she could. But it all came out one night when Jill and Ian volunteered to collect the trainee copper's traditional Friday night takeaway.

A perfect time to make the first move. He volunteered to come with me to get the food and he had these massive hands, these like shovel hands, he was carrying these drinks. And I was quite nervous because obviously there's an attraction. We came back and he kissed me in the corridor. Clearly Ian didn't worry about personal relations getting in the way of his career or his marriage for that matter. You see, Ian wasn't exactly single.

Every time he swore he'd leave his wife, Jill's heart broke a little more. And Ian stayed married for a little bit longer. So Jill met a new man, David, also a copper, known to ride a police motorbike like he'd stolen it. But off duty, David pootled around in his plain old Citroen people carrier.

David wasn't in a bad relationship, he just wasn't exciting enough. Didn't have enough to get up and go in him. For Jill, David proved at the end of the day, a motorbike wasn't exactly a personality. And without it, he struggled to match her energy levels. I'm very strong-willed, sometimes outspoken, sort of like work hard, have nice things if you can. Whereas David still drives the same plane car, does the same plane thing.

David's very quiet, very don't rock the boat, don't stand out, follow the crowd. In other words, Jill found him boring. But love conquers all, right? I didn't love David and I don't think David loved me. Oh, right. Fine. Anyway, she married him. Happily ever after, at long last, like every great love story, Jill was prepared for a lifetime with steady, plain David and his plain car. They even had a daughter together.

But everywhere Jill goes, there's the man that only Jill thinks looks like Bruce Willis. Ian.

At the supermarket, Ian. Out on patrol, there's Ian again. Ian, Ian, Ian. Tall, dark, handsome and still very married, Ian. You'd meet eyes and there'd be this look between us. That look soon gave way to snogging and eventually the only thing between them was several broken hearts and a whole lot of confessing after Jill and Ian's affair came to light.

And just like that, Jill went from two bad options to none. Best friend Jenny wasn't worried though. She knew that it wouldn't be long before Jill found a new man. And she did. The man with whom she had her second daughter, police constable Hugh. Nickname, Cuddles. Jenny wasn't a fan. I never liked him from the start, so I refused to go to the wedding.

No matter, because it quickly ended in tears. Specifically Jill's, when Jenny found her on her own doorstep after another explosive fight with Hugh.

When they went round to the house to pick up Jill's things, they found them all piled up in the garden. On fire. Big Ben was perched on the top like a candle on a cake. Big Ben, in this case, was a giant novelty dildo that Jill had bought as a joke for a party. All the rubber had melted and it was just the frame. And I remember Jenny saying to me, there's Big Ben on the top.

And I was crying at the time seeing all this and I just went, oh my God, we just burst out laughing because it was just what she said, that's Big Ben. And with the untimely demise of Big Ben came the end of marriage number two.

Jill moved into a new home and began a fresh start with a less than fresh feeling. I was in the bath upstairs in the en suite and it was cold. The water was lukewarm. There was a skylight just above me and the moon was coming in and I just cried and cried and cried and thought, well, here I am again. Second bloody divorce. I'm just thinking, what's the point? There is absolutely no point in just looking for a relationship. You'd be better off on your own.

But obviously I didn't want to be on my own. I think everyone wants to have that relationship that they feel wanted and appreciated and loved in. And I just hadn't found it. And so in 2006, after 16 years of bad relationships and over one of those many cups of tea, Jenny gives Jill the advice on the lips of every best friend of every newly divorced comrade. Get yourself online, girl.

And Jill's new type? Simple. Just don't be a bloody copper.

After putting the kids to bed, Jill would fire up her old desktop computer in the living room while on the landline to Jenny. And she'd be looking through seemingly endless profiles of middle-aged, overweight, balding, divorced men. And they're all looking for no-strings-attached fun. Posing in front of cars that they don't own and probably holding a fish. Every heart's desire. But it's not doing it for Jill. I said to Jenny, I'm going to come off. It's just doing my head in.

But I said, I'll have one more look. This time, she tries something different. As New Year's comes around with the promise of new beginnings, Jill widens her search. Now she's not only looking for a match in Haverford West or even in the whole of Wales, but any man, anywhere in the entire United Kingdom. And then... It was his eyes that made me look twice different.

staring back at her in an Armani suit. A navy blue suit. He was bald and he had a smile. I would describe him as a man's man. You would look at him and go, he can handle himself. I'd met an actual proper man. That's how I can describe it, really. Dean Jenkins, brooding with bulging biceps, a businessman, and he's looking for a wife.

Maybe it's because he's the first decent-looking man within 300 miles of Haverford West, but Jill doesn't wait to message him. She sends him a few. The gist is... You've found your future wife. The only problem is she lives in Wales. It isn't long before Jenny hears all about it. Look, she said, look at this guy. He's a businessman from London. I was all for it, thinking he looked fine, the profile sounded good, she liked the look of him. The best part? He wasn't a cop.

When Jill first picks up the phone and hears Dean's voice, he has her at hello. Or rather, he has her at... Hello, darling. I laughed because his accent was so pie-and-mash, darling. Initially, I was really nervous, but the conversation wasn't nervous at all. I think we spoke for about an hour and didn't really notice the time at all. We just clipped.

Dean and Jill quickly find their connections. They've both been married before, both parents to two children, all girls, and they've both got high-flying careers. Dean tells Jill that he's made his fortune selling his own personal brand of male grooming products.

It's called the Governor Range. And I initially thought, oh, this is rubbish. What's he on about? And he said, no, no, I'm serious. He said, if you Google it, it'll come up online. So I was scribbling down Governor, Governor Range. How do you spell that? He said, go to Superdrug, because he said, you're not going to believe me and it'll be on the shelf. And I'd say, oh, no, I believe you. I'm not going to go and look and I'd be quite cool on the phone. But Jill isn't cool. She's very curious. I mean, come on, a little window shopping never hurt anybody.

So she sifts through the shelves, confronted with endless bold male products with bolder slogans on strength and masculinity, all in the pursuit of getting a man to wash. Jilly's on the hunt. So there I am in Superdrug now going, oh, governor age, governor age, governor age, it's there. Picked it up, and I remember it now, the bottles were black and white. Then I flipped the bottle over and Dean's face was on the back.

As Jill stares at Dean's brooding face, her heart begins to flutter. For someone in little Pembrokeshire to meet someone who's got a shower gel range in Superdrug was a big thing for me at that time. And I was like, I can't believe my luck. Never mind those two marriages that have gone. I've hit the jackpot. It's all going so well. It doesn't even matter to Jill that one of Dean's products is a blood red body wash called Beat the Filth. I mean, Jill knows all too well that the filth is Cockney slang for the police.

Even so, she's coy about telling Dean exactly what it is she does for a living. For now, she just says that she works in law, sort of, and it does the trick. He got on so well and he decided to form that attachment

And I remember thinking, we haven't met yet. He could have a completely bogus picture on there. A lot of people can fall head over heels with an image they build of that person. There could be a completely fake picture up there and the person they're talking to could be completely fake behind the telephone call. But people form an image in their head of

And you can fall in love with that person before you actually meet. It's a fear that Jenny teases Jill about. She said, he might be like 40 stone and 65 years of age. And then what are you going to do? And I'm like, oh, don't, please don't do this because I'm going to be gutted. They decide to meet up for their first date. Jill makes her way to Cardiff. It's the halfway point between her and the dreamy Dean.

She's nervous. All the heartache and all the mistakes, all the missed opportunities and failed attempts at finally feeling loved have now led her to here. A small two-star hotel. With a breath to settle herself, Jill steps onto the sticky tile floor of a bar that seems less than prepared for true romance. I was thinking, oh no, this is it now. This is make or break.

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I didn't know he was there, but he called my name. He goes, "Jill." -Jill. -He's got this funny way of saying "Jill." -Jill. -Turned around and he was there. And it was like, "Oh, thank God." Hello, darling, 220th. The first thing Dean Jenkins notices about Jill is how tall she is, several inches higher than him. But Dean's not a man who's easily daunted. He's used to getting what he wants. And as soon as he sees Jill, he wants her. I had a big crush, yes.

I can't deny it. By his own account, Dean doesn't show his emotions easily. But meeting Jill Evans sets his pulse racing. When we met, it was as though we'd been together for 100 years. That's how it was. It was like putting a pair of gloves on and going, oh, God, are we sure we haven't known each other forever? That's how it felt because we were very comfortable in each other's company. Jill's a character. She made me laugh. I mean, damn, we laughed a lot. And at the time, I wasn't laughing that much in my life. So it was a breath of fresh air.

They settle in at a table, Joel's fingers wrapped around a gin and tonic. There was ice in the glass. The glass was going ding, ding, ding, ding, ding with the ice. I went, what's that noise? And he was so cool and he just went, it's your glass, darling. He goes, you're shaking. And I was like, oh, laughing. But he was so laid back. And if he had any nerves, you never see them. He was rock solid on top. I knew straight away that it was going to be something between us.

After a drink, they decide to go for a walk. Dean's never been to Cardiff before, and for a girl from Haverford West like Jill, Cardiff is very much the big city. Groups of scantily clad young girls bustle around lads with square haircuts, cheap cologne and tight shirts. But Jill and Dean don't take any notice of all the hubbub.

They're too busy focusing on each other. She's a very strong woman. It's like you can admire someone who knows what they want and goes to get it. And she was like that sort of person, so we kind of clicked in that way. Time was just flying as we were walking in the streets, just laughing and joking with each other, you know? Bouncing off each other about life and then laughing about life.

Squeezing into a small table of a local Indian restaurant, Dean pulls out Jill's chair for her and orders them both a drink. A gin and tonic for Jill, a vodka and coke for himself.

They order their curries and as they start to tuck in, a stag party walks through the door. The groom's brandishing a pair of pink fluffy handcuffs. Dean made a quip about the handcuffs and he said, oh, but you've got a pair of them or something like that. And I said, oh, no, we've got a black rigid pair. And he goes, ooh, you are, like this. And I said, oh, no, we're uniform. And he went, you are? What are you talking about? And she said, I'm a police officer. And he just went, and the curry came out.

Jill freezes. She's seen this reaction before and normally it means the date's ruined. But then Dean's face breaks into a grin. And I said, is that a problem? And he goes, why would it be a problem? He said, no, not at all. He says, listen, my darling, I got every respect for the old Bill. Dean doesn't ask too many questions and Jill's relieved that her job is quickly discarded as an area of interest. It's getting late and the two of them are still giggling like school kids. You kind of think, we don't need to go home. It doesn't matter, we can talk all night.

We was flirting with each other. You're close. You're going in for the big one, right? It was just a kiss. There was nothing seedy in it. There was no sleeping together or anything like that. It was refreshing. Finally, real romance. Get in there, Jill. Over the coming weeks, Jill and Dean take every opportunity they can to see each other. When the kids are away, Jill and Dean go out to play.

Every other weekend, hotels in Wales, hotels in England, even when they're apart, Jill and Dean hold each other close. We would probably send about 50 texts to each other a day. Every morning it would be, ''Hello, darling, what have you got ahead in your day?'' ''Or how are you feeling today?'' It was like talking to your best friend. And, as you'd expect, there's even a couple of cheeky photos. ''Cheer up, my lovely. ''How can you be sad when this woman is all yours, ''you lucky, lucky man?''

Over tea and Welsh cakes, Jenny's getting her share of the story, whether she wants it or not. He was into boots. He was into kinky boots. And I think he was buying her boots. Is that a share or an overshare? Who's to say? Either way, Dean, it turns out, is a big fan of boots. I'm a sucker for a woman in a pair of boots. I don't know why. I don't know why. It's just, we've all got something. And that's not the only gift Dean's got for Jill.

One weekend, about six weeks after they first met, Dean calls Jill after work. He said, "I've booked your flights. You just need to sort out the kids." And he'd arranged it all. And he said, "Just need your passport and I've booked and paid for your flight." And I was like, "My God." Goodbye two-star hotels in Cardiff and hallo romantic weekend away to Italy. Bologna, to be precise. We stayed at this little hotel in a side street. A bit gothic-y, but the rooms were very elegant, very nice.

Dean is here on business, and not just any business. They're here for Cosmoprof, one of the most prestigious beauty trade shows in the world. An all-elegance, all-decadent, statement-upon-statement display of elite fashion, big money, and the creme de la creme of the glittering cosmetics industry.

Dean is in his element, shaking hands, mingling, gliding through crowds of beauty aristocracy, past tables of hair straighteners and mascara. She saw my business world, how I worked and how it came about and what it does. It was nice for her to see Dean the businessman. This is what I'm about. So anybody that gets to share that sees the real me because that's what I'm like. She got me real sometimes. She got the real me.

In the evening, Jill, Dean and the beauty aristocracy head out for dinner at an expensive restaurant in the heart of town. Tiny restaurant. So exclusive. Jill takes her seat at the table next to Dean and opposite his business partner, George. George is a big deal. He's Dean's most successful colleague, a giant in the beauty industry with his products displayed in London's poshest department store.

Jill's desperate to make a good impression, but this swanky restaurant only makes our small-town girl feel even more out of place. We go to the table, we sit down. I'd say, I'll have a pizza, I'll have cheese and tomato pizza. And they go, oh, you mean a margarita? And I go, oh, yes, a margarita. They would say champagne, I'd say Prosecco. And I was remembered thinking, oh, just say the right word, for God's sake, never mind the cheese and tomato, just say margarita and then you'll be fine. Mm.

By the time the desserts have come round, Champagne has relaxed everyone except Jill, who's nervously fidgeting with her false nails. I was fiddling, fiddling, fiddling, and I heard it go ting. One of her nails breaks off her finger and goes sailing through the air across the table towards George. And I watched it go up in slow motion and down and land in his ice cream on the spoon, which was ready to go again with another mouthful.

And I'm like, oh no, oh no. George lifts the spoon up to his mouth. Please don't eat this, please don't eat it. And something in my head was going, he isn't going to eat it. He isn't going to eat it. He isn't going to eat it. He isn't going to eat it. He did eat it.

He goes, what is this? It's a nail. Bring the owner here. And I'm like, oh, no. They got all the waitresses, check their nails, and there was a big hoo-ha, take all the ice cream back, blah, blah. It wasn't until we left this restaurant, and Dean was like, I see that nail being, and I went, Dean, I've got something to tell you. And he goes, what? And I said...

I showed the missing nail hand and he goes, oh, you're joking. And I went, no. And he just burst out laughing and thought it was hysterical. But I was mortified going like, oh, my God, how embarrassing. The love-struck pair wander under the Italian moonlight. I wanted her to feel amazing and special. She was getting from me what she'd never had from anybody else in life. She just fit.

I'd always had this image of the sort of person I wanted to be with, but never seemed to end up with that image. Whereas he epitomised the image that I had. We were very different. "Ego, you make me laugh so much," he'd say, "because you're so down to earth. You don't feed me the bullshit that people think I want to hear." That's what I love about you. That's right. Dean's dropping the L-bomb. It's intense.

But Jill doesn't mind. Jenny used to say to me, I can't believe you've met someone who's minted, got his own business, he treats you brilliantly, and look, you're going away and doing stuff, which is what you always should have been doing. I'm like, I can't believe it either. I'd finally found what I was looking for. Back in Haverford West, the grey reality of normal life seeps in along with the British rain. But Jill's seen how life can be. She doesn't want it to stop, can't let it stop,

And a conversation in Italy has planted a thought in Jill's mind. I always wanted a third child and he said he'd always wanted a son. It's eight weeks since their first date. Jill takes the plunge. We agreed that we would try.

At first, best friend Jenny's a little taken aback. It just all seems so fast. I used to think it was a bit crazy getting pregnant of mine, but there we go, it's what they planned. They planned it together. He was in love with her and she loved him and they were going to have a baby and everything was going to be wonderful. But one person has yet to approve. A person that even Dean holds his tongue for. MUSIC

And so one day in April, Dean and Jill set off on a 300-mile journey to a steakhouse in Surrey to meet his mother, Joyce. Matriarch of the Jenkins family, Joyce is sharp of mind and blunt with her words. You get the sense that leading the Jenkins tribe has not been an easy job. And at first, Joyce is a little wary of Jill. She was very upfront, I thought.

I was a bit suspicious when she had two kids by two different policemen. I thought, oh, I don't know if I like that very much. But Jill's not one to be phased. If she can break up a local bust-up between rugby lads on a Friday night, then she can disarm the scepticism of even the most ferocious mother-in-law. Over dinner, the two women get talking. She came across as being very professional and she was studying to become an inspector.

I thought, well, maybe he's found someone on his wavelength and she seemed to make him happy. I had a lot of time for her, a lot of time for Jill. Thank God for that. And that's not all. Over time and more meetings, Jill and Joyce become more comfortable with one another until eventually Jill reveals that she and Dean have got some news to share. She said, you know, me and Dean are trying for a baby and I went, oh, that's nice.

But when Jill's back is turned, Joyce turns to Dean with a simple question and a sweet motherly tone. I said to Dean those famous words, what the fuck are you doing?

It does all seem a bit fast, doesn't it? But Jill's undeterred. She's 38 and she can feel her biological clock ticking. Although it takes a couple of months of trying, Jill gets pregnant. No turning back now. Jill and Dean are tied together forever.

♪♪♪

As spring turns to summer, it's time for Jill to let her colleagues know about her hunky new boyfriend. For once, Jill's been trying to keep her work and her love life separate, but now she's having a baby, it's time to spill the beans. One of the first people Jill confides in at the Haverford West Police Station is Sergeant Kevin Jones, a bear of a man. Kevin knows all about Jill's checkered love life, and so he's naturally supportive.

He wasn't a police officer at first start. He seemed to be reasonably well off, so he wasn't freeloading or anything like that. And she was very happy, yeah. I think she'd found Mr Right. And it's Kevin that Jill goes to when she has her first argument with Dean, who is, technically speaking, still married. And Jill wants him to hurry up and get divorced. He told me that it was over, that they were just waiting for the divorce to go through...

For me, the fact that it was over was like, well, how long do you wait then? Stranger yet, Dean would sometimes have his phone off when Jill called. And when Jill pulls him up on it, Dean responds with a burst of short, angry text messages. Just hang on. I'm just going to get into character now. One, two. Lower one. One, two.

I should do it. You are bang out of order. I turned my phones off to go to sleep only. You are very quick to judge me when all I do is for you. I have never made you or yours feel not good enough. I'd been divorced before and I said...

I've got to be honest with you, Jill, you know, if he's going to his wife and he's divorcing his wife and she doesn't know about you, the last thing he wants is the phone going off with you on the phone and him having to explain who this is. Because if she finds out, this amicable divorce that might be going through will not be amicable anymore if she thinks he's got another girl. I said, so I don't blame him for doing that so he doesn't have to explain what this phone call is until he gets back, you know. OK.

Kevin's advice makes Jill doubt herself. Is she just jaded after all those terrible exes? Is she sabotaging the one good relationship she's ever had? Maybe she should just cut Dean some slack. It's not you, babe. It's me. You've done nothing wrong. You get it from all angles at present. The one that gives you the hardest time is me. I'm so, so sorry. I can't speak. I feel too upset and too ashamed. They hadn't spoken for two or three days, which is the first time they'd not spoken for that amount of time.

And she said, oh, she'd rung him and she'd said, oh, look, Dean, you know, have a think about it. And he said, I am still going to be seeing you. And he burst into tears on the phone. He burst into tears and said, oh, I thought you were going to finish it. You know, I thought it was all over. You know, I'm really glad it isn't because I didn't want it to finish. And I was like, OK, well, he seems genuine about that. A few weeks later, Dean sends Jill a text with the news she's been waiting so long to hear. Sorting divorce, but I'm on my way. Happy days.

So what if they had a blip? Jill trusts Dean with her life. He becomes a part of the family and he fits like a glove.

He joins Jill's family on holiday in France and Dean finds time to do quick business with Jill's brother who sells him a new car. Of course, it's a Jag. I mean, Dean already has one in silver, but this one's in blue, so frankly, it's a must-have. Anyway, it's nothing the governor can't afford. He'd look in my wardrobe and he'd say, ''I'm going to buy you some clothes.'' He'd be like, ''I need to buy you a new wardrobe.''

To prepare for the baby on the way, Dean helps Jill pick out a new car, a slick black Chrysler, with a DVD player in the back seats for her two girls. And just in case anybody wasn't aware that they were totally in love, Dean suggests they get matching GUV licence plates, a nod to his governor range. And Dean says that with the new baby just around the corner, he's going to take the next big step. He's going to move to Wales to be with Jill.

It's not going to be easy, moving his business with his two girls in London, but he's determined to make it work. For now, though, Jill and Dean are still long distance, meeting up on weekends.

One Sunday afternoon, with Jill in the passenger seat, Dean drives her home and in true Dean form, he's driving over the speed limit. I said, you better watch your speed in. You'll get stopped. And he said something about, oh, I can't afford to get stopped, I'll be back in prison or something like that. And I went, what? He was laughing. He said, you're so gullible, you'd believe anything. And of course I was like, oh, yeah, whatever. Gullible? Yeah.

I'm not so sure about that. Jill's a cop, after all. What's for sure is that she's obsessed. And in case Dean hasn't picked up the hint, she sends him a pitch-perfect voicemail. It's all about you. It's all about you. It's all about you, babe. It's all about you. I'm nearly home. Ten minutes to go. I thought I'd send you a little song to tell you I love you, babe.

With summer giving way to autumn and the leaves turning brown, Jill can't wait for the big day to finally come. When Dean moves to Wales, they text each other day and night.

And again, 30 seconds later...

I know you're under pressure on all sides at present, but I just want you to know that I am with you. And no matter how tough it gets, nothing will break us and we will see that light at the end of the tunnel. Kiss, kiss. Dean's there every morning. Morning, sexy. Kiss. And at lunchtime. Love you. Kiss. Soon Halloween creeps round the corner. Jill has five months before their bundle of joy is due to be born.

She's never liked Halloween, a trait she's passed on to her daughters who are filling up on Haribo sweets before any trick-or-treaters try and come round and scoff them. You can expect a knock on the door tonight because it's Halloween and trick-or-treaters will be out in force. They certainly will. For most people it's just a bit of fun, but after problems last year, extra police will be on duty in case things get out of hand.

As usual, Jill's playing text tennis with Dean. After a few rounds of flirty banter, he signals a break in play. He's got his girls and he needs to drop them back with their mum. Babe, don't phone me for at least half an hour, dropping kids back. Kiss, kiss. Jill cooks dinner, hot dogs as her daughters watch TV. After a couple of hours, she checks her phone. Nine o'clock came, nothing. Nothing came at ten, nothing came at eleven. So I thought, oh, maybe it's just gone on. I'll just go to bed.

Didn't really sleep much because I didn't hear from him because it wasn't like him. And then woke the next morning and still nothing, no message on the phone. Babe, where are you? Not like you to be so quiet. A knot is forming in Jill's stomach. Babe, I hate it when you do this to me. It makes me worry. But I shall presume you're doing your own thing and will contact me when you're ready. Kiss. After six hours, Jill's fear curdles into rage.

By 2pm, Jill is in full-on worst-case scenario mode. It's all becoming too much. She phones Dean's mum, Joyce. She's in a meeting with George. She's in a meeting with George. Dean's business partner, the one who Jill had given the finger, or rather the fingernail to. He'll ring you. He said he'll ring you as soon as he can.

Jill hangs up, relieved but not convinced. As a police sergeant, Jill has a sixth sense for trouble and she can't shake this knot in her stomach. I was thinking, something's wrong, something's wrong. Your imagination starts giving you all these scenarios. But like any good parent, Jill keeps the routine by making the family tea and preparing the school uniforms. Every second scrapes at her nerves. Until finally...

The phone goes off. It's a text. But it's not from Dean. It's his sister, Debbie, with an instruction. Go to a phone box and call me. I said to the girls, "I've run out of milk. I won't be long." It was a really frosty, cold night. Freezing cold. But I wanted answers, so I went up to the phone box. Jill opens the door to the phone box and a foul smell hits her. I remember looking down and going, "Oh, no, what am I standing in here?" She punches Debbie's number into the machine

And her first words were, "There's been an armed robbery. Dean's been arrested." It was like a spinning top. You know when there's those spinning tops and someone's pressing it down, pressing it down, and it gets faster and faster and faster? And I felt that. That's where my head was going. I actually thought she was joking. And I said, "This is ridiculous. Debbie, you need to tell him now, right? Stop with these stupid stories. And if he doesn't ring me, that's it. The relationship will be over." And she went, "Jill, will you listen to what I'm telling you? This is true. Have a look on the news."

She put the phone down and I'm in the phone box thinking, what the hell is going on? Jill catches sight of herself in the reflection in the glass. Cold, scared and confused. Does she even recognise the woman staring back? Back at home, she frantically turns on her TV. This is where the shooting happened outside a building society in New Romney. It's thought the 42-year-old victim was killed after he opened fire on police. That's coming up on Stolen Hearts.

From Wondery and Novel, this is episode one of six of Stolen Hearts.

Stolen Hearts is hosted by me, Kerry Godleyman, and written by Kim McCaskill, Tom Wright and Anna Sinfield. Our producer is Tom Wright, associate producer Anna Sinfield, assistant producer Amalia Sortland. Additional production by Leona Hamid.

Fact-checking by Andrew Schwartz and Fendall Fulton. Managing producers are Lutter Pundya, Olivia Webber, Cherie Houston and Charlotte Wolfe. Music supervisor is Scott Velasquez for Frisson Sync. Music and sound design by Nicholas Alexander. Additional engineering by Daniel Kempson. Executive producers are Max O'Brien, Maithili Rao and Johnny McDevitt for Novel.

Executive producers are Erin O'Flaherty, George Lavender, Marshall Louis, and Jen Sargent for Wondery. This is the emergency broadcast system. A ballistic missile threat has been detected inbound to your area. Your phone buzzes and you look down to find this alert. What do you do next? Maybe you're at the grocery store, or maybe you're with your secret lover, or maybe you're robbing a bank.

Based on the real-life false alarm that terrified Hawaii in 2018, Incoming, a brand-new fiction podcast exclusively on Wondery Plus, follows the journey of a variety of characters as they confront the unimaginable. The missiles are coming. What am I supposed to do? Featuring incredible performances from Tracy Letts, Mary Lou Henner, Mary Elizabeth Ellis, Paul Edelstein, and many, many more, Incoming is a hilariously thrilling podcast that will leave you wondering, how would you spend your last few minutes on Earth? ♪

You can binge incoming exclusively and ad-free on Wondery Plus. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify.