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
‘Got it, Barney.’ She fell silent and after several moments said, ‘That’s great. The kid should be dead easy to identify. Circulate this CCTV footage to the team and give it to our PR people. I want this image of the lad on local news at teatime, Granada and the BBC. I want it repeated after ten o’clock and throughout tomorrow’s local news daytime bulletins. We’ll issue it with your landline number.’
‘Leave it with me. I think we’re going to have him in custody before the day’s done.’
At the other end of the line, he sensed Clay turning very quiet.
‘He doesn’t look like he’s capable,’ said Clay.
Cole heard the spark of her ignition and her shift into first gear.
‘Where are you off to, Eve?’
‘Norma Maguire and then home for an hour, to get ready for tonight.’
‘Good luck with that, Eve. I’ll hold the fort here and relay anything that comes in to you.’
Cole watched the footage through again and when the young man came fully into view, he was forced to agree with Clay.
He looked like a child trapped in the body of a young adult.
Cole didn’t know who he was or where he came from but he was sure of one thing.
The passenger was going to lead them to The Ghoul.
78
2.35 pm
Detective Chief Inspector Eve Clay stood alone at the window in Norma Maguire’s office and processed recent events.
She had arrived at the estate agency ten minutes earlier and found that Norma was still out of the office. She had told Carolyn Wilkes, the most senior of the estate agents, that she’d wait in Norma’s office for the boss to return and had given her an instruction to call Norma and ask her to return as quickly as she could.
Now, from the window, she saw Norma parking in the disabled bay in front of Maguire Holdings. She watched Norma get out of the car and into her wheelchair, a manoeuvre she performed with dexterity and speed.
Clay waited, heard Norma’s imminent arrival in advance with the ping from the lift.
The door to the office opened and Clay stayed still and where she was.
‘DCI Clay? What’s the matter?’
Norma wheeled herself to her place at the desk.
‘Thank you for coming back so quickly, Norma.’
‘Can I help you?’
‘I was just wondering about Francesca Christie?’
‘Have you got news for me about Francesca?’
Clay heard a note of concern.
‘Sadly, no. She’s still missing. Do you think her leaving could be linked to you speaking to her about her activities on the internet dating site?’
Norma frowned.
‘No. You’ve asked me that before.’
‘Double-checking, now. She didn’t give any reason why she was leaving?’