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Chapters (156)
  1. A DATE WITH DEATH
  2. Also by Mark Roberts
  3. A Date With Death
  4. Copyright Page
  5. Contents
  6. The Past
  7. 1977
  8. Day OneWednesday, 1st December 2021CatoptrophobiaFear of mirrors
  9. 1
  10. 2
  11. 3
  12. 4
  13. 5
  14. 6
  15. 7
  16. 8
  17. 9
  18. 10
  19. 11
  20. 12
  21. 13
  22. 14
  23. 15
  24. 16
  25. 17
  26. 18
  27. 19
  28. 20
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. The Past
  36. 1979
  37. Day TwoThursday, 2nd December 2021OneirophobiaFear of dreams
  38. 27
  39. 28
  40. 29
  41. 30
  42. 31
  43. 32
  44. 33
  45. 34
  46. 35
  47. 36
  48. 37
  49. 38
  50. 39
  51. 40
  52. 41
  53. 42
  54. 43
  55. 44
  56. 45
  57. 46
  58. 47
  59. 48
  60. 49
  61. 50
  62. 51
  63. 52
  64. The Past
  65. 1980
  66. Day ThreeFriday, 3rd December 2021MonophobiaFear of being alone
  67. 53
  68. 54
  69. 55
  70. 56
  71. 57
  72. 58
  73. 59
  74. 60
  75. 61
  76. 62
  77. 63
  78. 64
  79. 65
  80. 66
  81. 67
  82. 68
  83. 69
  84. 70
  85. 71
  86. 72
  87. 73
  88. 74
  89. 75
  90. 76
  91. 77
  92. 78
  93. 79
  94. 80
  95. 81
  96. 82
  97. 83
  98. 84
  99. 85
  100. 86
  101. 87
  102. 88
  103. 89
  104. 90
  105. 91
  106. 92
  107. 93
  108. 94
  109. 95
  110. 96
  111. 97
  112. 98
  113. The Past
  114. 1982
  115. Day FourSaturday, 4th December 2021ThanatophobiaFear of Death
  116. 99
  117. 100
  118. 101
  119. 102
  120. 103
  121. 104
  122. 105
  123. 106
  124. 107
  125. 108
  126. 109
  127. 110
  128. 111
  129. 112
  130. 113
  131. 114
  132. 115
  133. 116
  134. 117
  135. 118
  136. 119
  137. 120
  138. 121
  139. 122
  140. 123
  141. 124
  142. 125
  143. 126
  144. 127
  145. 128
  146. 129
  147. 130
  148. 131
  149. 132
  150. 133
  151. 134
  152. 135
  153. 136
  154. 137
  155. About the Author
  156. An Invitation from the Publisher

‘Do you know what, Wren,’ said Cole, leaning forward to get into his eyeline. ‘I told my boss, DCI Clay, about our first chat and how you weren’t answering my questions. So, this is the second time of trying to sort out this horrible mess and I’ll tell you what I told you first time round. I don’t think for one minute that you’re involved in any wrongdoing. When you were at the desk with Sergeant Harris and he was explaining why you were here and what had been going on, I thought maybe you were involved in disposing of a body. But I just don’t buy it. The end.’ Cole sat down. ‘Look at me and let’s sort this whole thing out for good.’

Slowly, Wren lowered his gaze.

‘Thank you,’ said Cole. ‘Thank you for looking at me. Stay with me. OK?’

‘K.’

‘Wren, when was the first time you ever met Edgar?’

‘Wednesday just gone. First day of December. On my first day in the abattoir.’

‘So until two days ago, you’d never met, seen or spoken to Edgar?’

‘Correct.’

‘Wren, did you tell Edgar about Captain Cyclone on the first day you met him?’

Wren made a noise deep inside his throat, a sound that was impossible to interpret.

‘Was that a yes or a no or an I don’t know, Wren?’

Cole looked at Wren’s father and back at Wren, and pictured himself in the same position with one of his sons. Sorrow sliced through him and then pure relief at the normality he had taken for granted for years on end.

‘That was a yes,’ said Wren.

Light appeared on the darkest horizon.

‘Your dad told me quite a bit about Captain Cyclone. You made him up, right?’

‘Right.’

‘He showed me pictures you painted on your bedroom wall. You’re quite an artist. I’m impressed. Dad even sent the pictures to me. He’s as proud of you as would I be if you were my son.’

Cole turned his laptop round on the desk so that Wren could see the image of Captain Cyclone on his bedroom wall.

‘So, Captain Cyclone’s face changed on the day you met Edgar. Now Captain Cyclone looks like Edgar, right?’

Wren nodded as if his brain was made of concrete. ‘Yeah.’

‘Thank you for telling me the truth, Wren. I think the greatest thing I learned from your dad when he told me about Captain Cyclone is the importance of telling the truth and being a good witness. You created Captain Cyclone out of your own brain and your own imagination. I believe that Captain Cyclone’s core values are your core values. I read what you wrote on your bedroom wall and I need you to step up to that. I want you to be a good witness, not a bad witness. You got me, Wren?’