Chapters (156)
- A DATE WITH DEATH
- Also by Mark Roberts
- A Date With Death
- Copyright Page
- Contents
- The Past
- 1977
- Day OneWednesday, 1st December 2021CatoptrophobiaFear of mirrors
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- The Past
- 1979
- Day TwoThursday, 2nd December 2021OneirophobiaFear of dreams
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- 36
- 37
- 38
- 39
- 40
- 41
- 42
- 43
- 44
- 45
- 46
- 47
- 48
- 49
- 50
- 51
- 52
- The Past
- 1980
- Day ThreeFriday, 3rd December 2021MonophobiaFear of being alone
- 53
- 54
- 55
- 56
- 57
- 58
- 59
- 60
- 61
- 62
- 63
- 64
- 65
- 66
- 67
- 68
- 69
- 70
- 71
- 72
- 73
- 74
- 75
- 76
- 77
- 78
- 79
- 80
- 81
- 82
- 83
- 84
- 85
- 86
- 87
- 88
- 89
- 90
- 91
- 92
- 93
- 94
- 95
- 96
- 97
- 98
- The Past
- 1982
- Day FourSaturday, 4th December 2021ThanatophobiaFear of Death
- 99
- 100
- 101
- 102
- 103
- 104
- 105
- 106
- 107
- 108
- 109
- 110
- 111
- 112
- 113
- 114
- 115
- 116
- 117
- 118
- 119
- 120
- 121
- 122
- 123
- 124
- 125
- 126
- 127
- 128
- 129
- 130
- 131
- 132
- 133
- 134
- 135
- 136
- 137
- About the Author
- An Invitation from the Publisher
‘Oh, God, yes, yes it is. Hair’s shorter in the group portrait, but the smile’s undeniably his.’
Stone dialled Clay on speed dial.
‘Karl, what’s happening?’ asked Clay.
‘Look at your photo gallery on your iPhone, Eve. The group portrait, Maguire Holdings, two back from the latest featuring Francesca Christie. Look at the man standing next to Norma Maguire. He’s not in the next two portraits after that one. Richard Ezra, the real one, the one the killer’s claiming is him. Ezra worked for Norma Maguire before he worked at Doherty Estates and Properties. Just like Francesca Christie.’
‘Get your coat on,’ said Clay. ‘Get yourself over to Maguire Holdings and grab the office manager, Daniel Ball. Richard Ezra leaves and his identity gets stolen by The Ghoul. Francesca Christie leaves and she gets abducted by the bastard. We need a list of names of former employees. I’m going to Doherty Estates and Properties. I need to speak to Mr Doherty.’
74
12.30 am
As Neil Wren drove past Broadgreen Hospital and over the flyover on Queens Drive, his son wound the window down in the passenger door.
‘Wind the window up, Wren, or the rain’ll soak you to the skin!’
Wren wound the window up and asked, ‘When’s Edgar coming back to the abattoir?’
‘I’ve told you before. I’ve told you dozens of times. When his symptoms have cleared up, he’s got to wait for at least forty-eight hours before he can come back to work.’
‘Well, when will his symptoms clear up?’
‘I… don’t… know…’
‘It’s Friday, half past twelve. If his symptoms have cleared up now…’
‘There’s no point in speculating, Wren.’
‘Saturday lunchtime, Sunday lunchtime, he could be back in on Monday morning. Yay! Dad, Dad, Dad. Why don’t you give him a ring and ask him if his symptoms have cleared up?’
‘I’ve explained to you over and over, I’m Edgar’s line manager. As his line manager, I’m not allowed to contact him because he’s off sick. If I contacted him, it would be rightly read as harassment. So, no, Wren, and please don’t ask again. I am not going to phone Edgar, end of.’
‘How long’s he worked at the abattoir?’
‘Years and years. He was there before me.’
‘Did he ever meet Mum?’
‘No.’
‘Did you ever talk to him about Mum?’
‘After she died. Yes, when everyone else in work was pretending that nothing had happened half an hour after I got back there. He’s a very good listener. He gave me some great advice. Can we stop talking about Edgar now!’
‘What great advice did Edgar give you, Dad?’
‘Cling on to your memories of your wife tightly, but cling on to your son with all your heart and soul.’
Keeping perfect time with the windscreen wipers, Wren said, ‘Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh.’