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
The tactics deployed at the Albert Dock hadn’t worked and her deepest hunch was that he had been there and had been spooked by something he’d seen but was still on the hunt.
Sandra. Annie. Amanda.
The Ghoul knew it was a sting.
If I call in help, the words passed through her mind, he’ll see us coming for miles, flooding into the area around the mortuary and multi-storey car park. The best shot of catching him would be blown.
She pulled up at a red light, took the Glock from her bag and placed it in her coat pocket.
The red light seemed frozen in time.
A message came in.
No pressure Sally but my mood is swinging. Please be there ASAP. Please.
She messaged back.
Please wait for me, Geoff. You need me. I need you.
The red light turned green and she switched to contacts on her phone.
She called Riley but her line was busy.
Clay called Stone and she guessed he was on to Riley.
A message came in.
How far away are you, Sally my love.
She looked out of the window, saw the illuminated tower of the Anglican cathedral. She pulled up to the pavement.
Geoff, I’m three minutes away. Stay.
She called Hendricks and felt another incoming message.
Sally, I feel like throwing myself off the fourth floor.
‘Eve, what’s up?’ asked Hendricks.
She drove down Hope Street towards the Metropolitan Cathedral.
‘Eve, are you there?’
Her thoughts raced and clashed. Alone, she had control. If the truth came out, she lost control of decision-making, and risked losing The Ghoul.
‘I’m checking out a lead at the mortuary. Making sure that the shit about his mother dying in an RTA was a total lie. That’s where I’ll be if anyone needs me. There or thereabouts.’
Her pulse quickened and her mouth turned stone dry.
‘Francesca. Are you still alive?’ she asked herself.
I am your best and only hope, thought Clay.
She headed towards the multi-storey car park.
Clay could smell and taste blood, realised she had bitten her lower lip.
The Ghoul was waiting.
86
8.40 pm
Sitting between his father and the duty solicitor, Mr Robson, Robin Wren was less than a metre away from Detective Sergeant Barney Cole but looked as if he may as well have been on Mars.
‘Robin?’ Cole tried.
‘He really can’t stand his first name,’ explained his father. ‘He likes to be addressed as Wren.’
In Interview Suite 1, Wren looked at the space above Cole’s head and chewed the heel of his hand. Wren’s father settled a hand on his son’s shoulder and Cole observed that the tender, well-intentioned gesture drove the young man deeper into himself.
‘Wren, just tell the truth, son…’