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
‘I heard an engine revving up at the Allerton Road end of the footpath. I heard a vehicle driving away.’
Jackie Graham loosened her grip on Oscar.
‘Did you have any overall impressions about what you saw, Jackie?’
She was quiet for a moment and said, ‘Yes. How can one man carry a dead woman to that spot on his own? Maybe one of them got away with his torch. Maybe the other got away through the golf course. Whoever he was or they were, they were in a hurry to disappear into the dark. I was convinced in my own mind there must be more than one of them. I think that’s all I can tell you, DCI Clay.’
Clay handed her a contact card. ‘If you think of anything else, call me. Nothing too small, this is a big, big deal, Jackie.’
Jackie reached for the lock.
‘It can only be unlocked from the outside,’ said Clay. She pointed at PC Woodrow. ‘He’ll let us both out in a moment.’
Clay stopped recording and listened to Oscar’s empty stomach growl in the confined space.
Clay’s iPhone buzzed with an incoming call. ‘Excuse me, Jackie.’ She glanced at the display and connected. ‘Barney, what’s up?’
‘Cathy Jones, Annie Boyd’s best mate, she’s just showed up in reception. She wants to talk to you.’
‘I’ll be there in ten to fifteen minutes, Barney.’
22
5.19 pm
‘Thank you for stepping forward to talk to me, Cathy,’ said DCI Clay.
In Interview Suite 1, DCI Eve Clay turned on the audio recorder on the table between herself and Cathy Jones.
‘You were next on my list of people to talk to,’ said Clay.
‘I’ve spent all day going over everything,’ said Cathy. ‘As soon as I had it all straight as I could in my head, I came to speak to you, DCI Clay.’
She turned her wedding ring round and round her finger like she was performing a ritual protecting herself from harm.
‘Cathy, you’re not a suspect,’ said Clay. ‘You’re assisting us with our enquiries. I know how stressful this must be for you, but please try and relax.’
Cathy nodded, glanced at the digits on the audio recorder, counting down time. Clay poured Cathy a glass of water and pushed it in front of her. She drank it down in one.
‘When we first met in Annie’s house, I got the distinct impression from your facial expression and body language that you didn’t want me to talk about Annie’s internet dating activities in front of her father. Is that correct?’
‘It’s correct.’
‘Did her parents know she was doing internet dating?’