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
‘Mama’s coming for you, baby.’
‘Give me the keys, Daniel. The keys to 431 Coventry Road.’
He placed them on her desk. The lift doors parted. Francesca snatched up the keys and grabbed her wet raincoat from the back of her swivel chair.
‘You’re rather keen to get out all of a sudden, Fran!’
‘I need to go and assess the property before I do the viewing. I need to find a way in, a way to convince both parties of a way forward.’
Norma Maguire wheeled herself backwards from the lift into the main area of the office.
‘You had three missed calls yesterday, Francesca,’ said Daniel, as she stepped towards the front door. ‘Three missed calls from Mr Doherty’s office. What’s going on, Francesca?’
‘Nothing’s going on. I can’t help it if people phone me up. Did you ask for those emails you receive on a daily basis telling you there are dozens of Russian women just dying to meet you?’
Norma turned herself round and smiled into the office, focusing on Francesca and wheeling herself towards her.
‘Change the subject, Daniel!’
‘Good luck, kid,’ he said, walking away.
Francesca half-raised a hand to Norma, threw in a cheery, ‘Morning, Norma.’
‘In a hurry, Fran?’
‘Kind of.’
‘Fran?’
Francesca froze, counted to three and smiled at Norma.
‘Yes, Norma?’
‘A little bird tells me you’ve been receiving some unwanted attention from a certain someone just down the block.’
Francesca looked around the room for that little bird and saw Daniel disappear into the staff-only kitchen area.
‘Just be careful, Fran. The grass may look greener on the other side of the fence but all that glitters, hmm, Fran…’
As Norma spoke, Francesca’s eyes were drawn to her mouth, which looked vivid and red.
‘What can I do to make you stay? Fran?’
‘Leave me… Alone…’
‘Pardon?’
‘I mean, leave it with me. Your little bird’s singing the wrong tune. Listening to gossip? It’s not a good idea. Coventry Road. I have to go.’
‘Fran?’
‘Yes?’
‘I’m trying to protect you. Don’t take it as anything other than that. I’ve got your back, Fran. But you know that. Don’t you?’
Norma turned herself back in the direction of the lift, the veins in her hands protruding, thick and blue, the muscles around them twitching as she made the manoeuvre.
Francesca headed for the front door with a dozen eyes piercing the nape of her neck and soothed herself with the thought that yesterday James Griffiths had sent her the twenty-four red roses that sat in a vase by her bedside.
31
10.01 am
In the incident room on the top floor of Trinity Road police station, Detective Sergeant Bill Hendricks asked, ‘Ready?’
On the screen of Hendricks’ laptop was a frozen image of the exit from the footpath between Allerton Manor Golf Course and Allerton Towers on to Allerton Road. The time 3:29:31 pm, the date 01/12/21.