So has anyone else been flip flopping on the significance of the pay phone? I think I'm now set on the theory that it wasn't part of whatever ploy one or both of the M's had for that night. As stupid as they are, it doesn't make sense that they wouldn't account for her calling SM's phone back at any point. Unless "by the way dad doesn't have a phone anymore" was some SUPER premeditated attempt to get her not to do that, but I doubt it. She was definitely in control of his phone for large amounts of time.
EXCELLENT catch from someone earlier in the thread about the 4+ minute phone call still happening AFTER she already started driving to PTL. That screams immense urgency, like grab-your-keys-don't-lock-front-door "okay okay I'm coming right this second" urgency. I don't know what that means yet. If SM had swayed HE with some nostalgic appeal to emotion, I think (and I know how stupidly speculative this is) that would result in HRE taking a second to gather her thoughts, maybe touch up her appearance, taking a deep breath, before going to meet him.*
So, based on TM's threats against SM sent to HRE that were revealed today, I started wondering if it was more like "I'm leaving her and I'm scared for my life." But I couldn't play that out in a way that explains how SM would've ended up somewhere without his own car, and how he could've claimed that HRE would've helped him specifically.
So maybe more like a "She knows you called me, she knows where you live and she's coming, come to PTL and we'll flee together." Safety, not romance. Followed by some "I'm here, where are you, are YOU okay" from HRE to SM.
However, that contradicts the idea of SM not being in on it since before the pay phone call, and doesn't take into account that HRE probably would've gone to her parents' house for safety.. so basically none of it makes sense whatsoever. Thankfully, as HCPD has shown, that doesn't mean they haven't made sense of it, and I'm very very relieved by that fact.
*On the other hand, I'm reminded of an ex calling 20 year-old me during a confusing break to come meet him immediately at a weird place at a weird hour to talk about "us" and if I don't come now we're done forever, and how I raced out the door in house slippers covered in acrylic paint because how could anything possibly seem more urgent. :aktion1: