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
‘Daniel’s got a problem. His sexuality’s all over the place. It kills me to tell you this but I’m telling you because if he’s in trouble, you need to know the truth. I’ve known him since he was a baby and we’re close. He’s been massively oversexed since he hit puberty. He’s been playing around behind Lydia’s back since the day they met. He confesses to me. Yes, he goes with women. Yes, he goes with men. Yes, he goes with prostitutes. And, yes, he had a massive, massive thing about Francesca Christie. He didn’t have to tell me that last thing. Whenever she came up in conversation, I could see it in him. I’m his big sister. I know more about him than his wife does. I love him. I love her. I’m in the middle of an ongoing nightmare. He refuses to seek it out but he needs help, DCI Clay.’
‘Thank you for being so candid with me, Janine. I appreciate how hard this must’ve been for you.’
‘He needs a lot of help. Something’s got to give with Daniel.’
103
3.05 am
The silence inside the abattoir amplified the erratic beat of the rain as it crashed on the roof of the building. In the ceiling, fluorescent lights blinked into life as the site manager, Christopher Paisley, guided Detective Sergeant Terry Mason and Sergeant Paul Price towards the changing rooms.
‘The boss sends his apologies for the no-show. He’s delegated it down to me. He’s been at a Masonic dinner and he’s had a few too many sherries to drive over here.’
The huge bunch of keys jangled in his hands as he walked ahead of Mason and Price.
‘Edgar McKee?’ Christopher sounded puzzled. ‘It’s definitely his locker you want to look into, right?’
‘That’s right,’ said Price.
‘We’ve got some right scallywags working here. He’s not one of them. He’s one of them pillar of the community types. Ask anyone who works here. What’s he in trouble about?’
‘I can’t tell you,’ said Mason. ‘Sensitive investigation, early stages.’
Christopher turned his head and tapped the side of his nose. ‘Gotcha.’
Without looking, the site manager selected a single key from the crowded forest on the ring and stuck it into the lock of a plain white door. When he opened it, the smell of bleach and stale sweat was undeniable. He turned on the light to reveal a row of wooden benches down the centre of the space and metal lockers lining the walls on both sides.
‘I’ll open his locker with the master key.’
Christopher walked the line of grey metal doors, each labelled with the name of the person assigned to it.
‘As we speak, is he in police custody?’ asked the site manager.
‘Yes, but that’s as much as I’m going to tell you,’ said Mason.