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
‘Have there been sightings of Richard Ezra?’
Mr Doherty nodded. ‘But I don’t believe in any of them. I think he had a moment of clarity. He saw what he’d become, remembered the man he’d been and decided to end it all. That’s what I like to think happened.’
The initial antagonism Cole had felt towards the estate agent completely evaporated.
Mr Doherty stood up and, turning his back on Cole, looked out of the window as rain raked the glass.
‘Is there anything else you’d like to ask me, DC Cole?’
‘Yes, Mr Doherty, there is. You said that you were there when Sarah’s coffin lid was lifted.’
He nodded at the pouring rain.
‘In my view, that was well above and beyond the call of duty for an employer.’
Mr Doherty turned and Cole placed his contact card on his desk.
‘You asked me about professional capacity. First and foremost, I wasn’t just his employer. I was his friend and mentor. I don’t have many friends but Richard was one of them.’
‘I’ve left my details there, Mr Doherty. Do you still have his work laptop, work telephone?’
‘He took them away with him when he first came back to the UK. At first he made a show of attempting to work from home. He didn’t, of course. After he disappeared and his house was cleared, there was no trace of them. Just his personal laptop, riddled with filth.’
‘Did he have an address book in work?’
‘Yes… yes, we still have that somewhere in the office. Everyone who works here keeps a paper copy of their contacts in case of technology failure.’
‘That’s a good idea. If you find Richard Ezra’s professional address book, can you call me and I’ll collect it. Or if you think of anything else you haven’t mentioned to me now, call me.’
When Cole got to the door, Mr Doherty said, ‘What do you want his address book for?’
‘The name of the person using Richard as a shield could well be in that address book.’
‘I’ll instruct the office junior to find that book and deliver it to you. How dare they pour dirt on Richard’s memory?’
‘That’s right, Mr Doherty. How dare they?’
38
11.25 am
As Detective Chief Inspector Eve Clay turned left on to Woolton Road on her way to Springwood Avenue, she realised what the stretch of road she was heading for was like in reality.
This is a piss take of the highest order, she thought as she headed to the lights at the junction with Springwood Avenue, all hope fading away as she turned on to South Liverpool’s expansive Death Row.
A phone call from Hendricks had already confirmed that Danny Guest’s given address – 134 Addingham Road – was a fake, with the numbers on the doors of the terraced houses ending in the high seventies.