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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

Francesca Christie’s scream cut through the darkness of advancing night.

136

6.30 pm

In Interview Suite 1, Clay and Hendricks faced Norma Maguire. She looked at each of them in turn.

‘Your brother has made a serious allegation against you, Ms Maguire,’ said Clay. ‘Edgar told me that you drove your mother to visit her friend on Mather Avenue on the night she died. Is that true?’

‘Yes.’

‘When you were on Mather Avenue that night, did you pretend that the car had broken down and ask your mother to check if the headlights were working?’

She nodded.

‘As she stood in the road, did you reverse backwards suddenly and drive at her at speed?’

‘Yes.’

‘Did you ever have any feelings of remorse because you’d murdered your mother?’

‘No. I hated her.’

Clay looked at Norma Maguire and said nothing, sustaining the silence in the room.

‘What is it?’ asked Norma Maguire.

‘Did your mother write Edgar out of her will?’

‘Yes.’

‘Why did she do that, Norma?’

‘I don’t know.’

‘You were the executor of your mother’s will. In the last years of her life she had dementia. Edgar told us. His mother didn’t write him out of that will. You did. You changed the will so that everything went to you. You got your demented mother to sign that amended will so that you got the lot. What do you say to that? Answer the question about your mother’s will,’ insisted Clay.

Silence.

‘Who was the sole beneficiary of your mother’s will?’

‘I was.’

‘Look at me, Ms Maguire. I’d like to go a little further down the timeline with you.’

Clay placed a set of travel receipts on the table and spread them out.

‘Read them back to me, Ms Maguire. Where to, where exactly, and when? Can I translate your silence into an admission of guilt?’

‘No, you can’t.’

‘Liverpool John Lennon Airport to Pisa Airport.’ Clay pushed the receipt closer to Norma Maguire. ‘Then, by train from Pisa to Florence. Date. 4th July, 2019. Shall I outline the date and destination of the return journey? OK, it was the first train out of Florence to Pisa on the morning of 9th July and then a flight back to Liverpool from Pisa, the day after Sarah Ezra was stabbed to death in the toilet of a pizzeria near The Fountain Of Neptune. Why did you kill Sarah Ezra? It was Richard who walked out on you.’

‘Revenge. He loved her. I wanted him to suffer,’ said Norma Maguire.

‘Let’s move further down that timeline. This year. This month and the summer beforehand. According to Edgar, and I’d have to say I agree with him one hundred per cent, you had a lot of financial clout and you used that power over him. Did he groom your victims over the phone?’

‘Yes.’

‘Did he abduct them for you?’

‘Yes.’