Barbara Bromley was the secretary of the managing director of a large engineering firm in Ashton. When Alan Howard had a garage there, Barbara had an account with him and after his move to Weatherfield they maintained correspondence. In March 1971, Alan accepted an offer of £25 from Barbara in exchange for selling her car and buying a new one. Alan had several clandestine meetings with Barbara, collecting her in his car, but Elsie's suspicions were aroused when Albert Tatlock complained to her that he'd seen Alan in a car driven by a mystery woman which had nearly run him over. Alan told Elsie that he was working overtime at the Canal Garage, but his cover was blown when Billy Walker denied this. A few days later, Alan slipped out of work to conclude the deal, but was delayed getting back,