Baseball Breaks Window

A Broken Window

1

A: This is Janet Smith in apartment 23. Can I speak to the apartment manager?
B: Hi. How can I help you today?
A: Well, my window facing the empty lot is broken.
B: Oh, that's not good. What happened?
A: I dont know. I wasn't home when it happened.
B: Do you have any clue who might have done this?
A: I have a feeling that it might have been the neighborhood kids.
B: Why, what leads you to that suspicion?
A: Well, next to the broken glass was a baseball.
B: Well, a baseball is certainly solid evidence.
A: I saw them playing just before I left my apartment.
B: Well, did you recognize any of them?
A: No, I just took a quick look.
B: Well, it'll take a couple of days to repair it.
A: A friend of mine is in the business. How about if I call him?
B: That's okay by me. First, let me come see the damage.
A: Come on over. So does my friend charge you or me?
B: Since you didn't break it, you don't have to pay for it.
A: That's a relief. I thought I was going to get stuck with the bill.
B: If I knew which kid did it, I would bill his parents.

2

A: I'm Janet Smith in apartment 23. Is this the apartment manager?
B: Hello. What can I do for you today?
A: My living room window is broken.
B: Are you serious? Do you know what happened?
A: I am not really sure, because I was out when it occurred.
B: Do you have any idea who might have been behind this?
A: Something tells me it might be some of the kids in the complex.
B: What led you to think it might be the kids in this building?
A: I found a baseball near the broken glass.
B: Well, you can't ignore a baseball in your living room, can you?
A: I saw them in the lot just before I went out.
B: Do you know any of them?
A: No, I didn't pay any attention to who they were.
B: I'll call the window repairman, but it'll probably take a couple of days.
A: I could get fast service if I call a friend of mine.
B: I don't have a problem with that. Let me look at the damage first.
A: Okay, I'm waiting for you. But who does my friend give the bill to?
B: Since the kids broke it, your friend can bill me.
A: Whew! I was worried that I would have to pay for it.
B: Believe me, if I find out which kid broke the window, I'll bill his parents.

3

A: This is Janet Smith in apartment 23. May I speak to the apartment manager?
B: Speaking. What can I do for you?
A: Something happened to my window. It's broken.
B: That doesn't sound good. Do you know how it happened?
A: I don't know the exact details.
B: Do you have an idea who might be responsible for the window?
A: I'm almost sure it is the local kids in the apartments.
B: How did you come to that conclusion?
A: There was a baseball in my living room along with the broken glass.
B: Well, at least there's no mystery about how it happened.
A: I saw a group of them playing in the lot just before I went out to my car.
B: Can you tell me which ones you recognized?
A: I just looked at them for a second.
B: I'll call a repairman, but it might take two days.
A: How about if I call a friend of mine who is a repairman?
B: That's no problem. I'll come by right now to look at the damage.
A: Okay. Come on over. But tell me, who pays for this?
B: You can pay for it, and I can reimburse you. Or he can bill me directly.
A: I'm glad to hear that. I didn't want to get stuck with the bill.
B: I will bill the kid's parents if I ever find out which kid did it.

4

A: Hello, I'm John Smith in unit 23. Am I speaking to the apartment manager?
B: This is he. How may I help you?
A: My window that faces the empty lot is broken.
B: I'm sorry to hear that. Why is it broken?
A: I can't tell you exactly how it happened.
B: Well, tell me what you think might have happened.
A: I've got a pretty good idea that it's the kids who live here.
B: Why do you think that?
A: Next to the broken glass in my living room was a baseball.
B: Well, you don't need Sherlock Holmes to figure this one out, do you?
A: Just before I went shopping, I saw them in the lot.
B: Can you give me a name or two, or a description?
A: I have absolutely no idea.
B: I'll call a repairman for you, but it'll probably take one or two days.
A: I could probably get it fixed today, because a friend of mine is a repairman.
B: That's okay. But let me see the damage first. I'm coming over.
A: The glass is all cleaned up, so come on over. But do I pay for this?
B: No. I will pay your friend, or I will reimburse you if you pay him.
A: That's good news. I was worried you were going to make me pay for this.
B: You're not at fault. But the kid who did it is.

5

A: This is John Smith in unit 23. Is this the apartment manager?
B: Hi. What do you need today?
A: I've got a broken living room window.
B: I'm sorry about that. How did it get broken?
A: I've got a good idea, but I'm not exactly sure.
B: Well, why don't you give me a few details?
A: I would bet a dollar to a dime that it's one of the local kids.
B: Do you have any support for that charge?
A: A baseball was on my living room carpet. I don't own a baseball.
B: Well, it sounds like someone hit a home run.
A: I saw them playing ball in the lot just before I went to the market.
B: Do you know for sure who they were?
A: All I did was glance at them before I left.
B: If you like, I'll call a repairman, but it might take a few days.
A: How about if I call my friend? He's a repairman and could probably fix it today.
B: Sure. Let me come over to see the damage right now, though.
A: Sure, come on over, but tell me, do I have to pay for this?
B: You're not responsible, so you don't pay. Tell him to bill me.
A: Well, lucky me. I was afraid that I was going to get stuck for the bill.
B: Maybe I'll install a camera on that end of the building to catch these kids.

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