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
Clay glanced over her shoulder at Detective Constable Emma Simpson from Admiral Street police station, who had been assigned to follow her back to her vehicle. Simpson’s presence did nothing to stop the tightening in her stomach as she came closer to her car.
As she walked in the footsteps of the dead and abducted, she smiled bleakly at the irony of John and Yoko’s Happy Xmas War Is Over carried on the bitter wind from the Marina Clubhouse.
She caught sight of Detective Sergeant Gina Riley approaching her on the edge of her vision but turned her head so that she didn’t make direct eye contact with her.
There was an incoming message to her iPhone.
Geoff
She opened the message.
Dear Sally I am so very sorry to have let you down. I am also extremely sorry to have to tell you the reason why I couldn’t make our date tonight. My mother died suddenly at 6.30 in the evening. She was crossing a road near where she lives and was hit by a drunk driver and was pronounced dead on the spot by medics. I am currently in the family room of the mortuary at the Royal Liverpool Hospital. I apologise profusely for not turning up for our date and hope you will understand my sad predicament. Love Geoff xxx ps I will make it up to you if you are good enough to give me a second chance. pps I know I should have called you direct but I am unable to speak due to the depths of my grief and I just keep on breaking down.
She stopped at the back of her car and forwarded The Ghoul’s message to everyone on the team.
At the driver’s door of her car, she looked around, turned a whole circle, but the only person she could see was Simpson with one hand on the gun in her coat pocket and the other holding her mobile phone to the side of her face.
Despite the absence of immediate danger, as Clay opened the car door she expected to be attacked from nowhere. Nothing happened.
She turned on the overhead light inside her car and checked the back seat, wondering if Annie, Amanda or Francesca had experienced any sense of imminent danger as they slumped away in defeat at being stood up.
Clay closed the door as she sat behind the wheel and felt her heart pumping, adrenaline flowing through her, and a mixture of emotions; relief that she was physically unharmed and profound disappointment because she didn’t get the chance to face him down and stick him in custody.
Her car rocked in the wind as she clicked to reply.