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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

You said your goodbye then, thought Winters. But little did you know it was to be your final one.

Annie walked further down the concrete promenade, embraced herself tightly against the weather. As she walked towards the Echo Arena’s camera, she braved the wind to look up at people overtaking her in the direction of the meeting point at the padlocked railings, no doubt hoping to catch a glimpse of her Prince Charming.

She simply walked under the eye of Echo Arena’s camera and out of sight.

Alone.

Winters made a mental note of the time she was last recorded on the first of the Echo Arena’s cameras: 7:51 pm for the eight o’clock date, not wanting to turn up late.

He watched the screen as it flipped to the second footage supplied by the Echo Arena, CCTV from the side of the building, starting at 7:48 pm. He fast forwarded it until he reached 7:51 pm.

As the clock changed to 7:52 pm, Annie came under the CCTV camera’s watchful eye. It was a sideways shot of her. Winters paused it and counted three other people on screen. A pair of women walking in the direction from which Annie had just come and a man striding ahead of her.

She fought against the wind, which had picked up force, lowering the centre of her gravity as she struggled to get where she was going.

He looked at the CCTV footage from the riverside camera on the wall of the Albert Dock with the final two sequences of Annie.

He looked at the empty space where Annie had just passed through, and felt that he was watching the progress of a ghost.

Winters swapped pen drives, one out, one in, and watched Annie arriving at the railings with the padlocked hearts then standing still, her back to the water, as she waited from 7:53 pm, coat collar turned up, clutching her bag to herself. Time moved on but Annie remained where she was.

7:54 pm, 7:55 pm, 7:56 pm. No one, just Annie.

As 7:56 pm counted up to 7:57 pm, she became animated. She turned her head up and walked away from the railings and back again.

Time collapsed inside Winters’ head as he watched her growing colder and more agitated under the overhead street light, illuminating her frustration.

She walked around in a tight circle, stamping her feet and trying to keep warm against the worsening weather.

He looked at the time and saw that it was 8:15 pm.

Winters fast forwarded the footage, watched her perform what looked like absurd little dances as she waited in vain.

At 8:36 pm, he stopped the footage and watched it in real time. She reached inside her bag and took out a handkerchief. Winters zoomed in on her face.

She appeared to be crying and he watched her walk away from the railings and back the way she had come, having been made an utter fool of by a stranger.