Saskia eyes the bottle of red wine standing suggestively next to the coffee machine, then reaches for it and unscrews the top. In lieu of a glass to hand, she splashes some into her now empty coffee cup and takes a generous gulp. With nothing better to do, she picks up Kat’s phone and runs her thumb over the screen. Kat, the broad, brawny tomboy. The woman who prefers animal company to human, who wears comfortable clothes and zero make-up. ‘Fuck, of course,’ Saskia exhales slowly. She taps 1-2-3-4 into the phone, and watches the screen come to life. Kat clearly isn’t the type to dedicate thinking time to a phone passcode.

With a wide smile and a small whoop of triumph, she scans the home screen. She taps into the messages, but there’s nothing much in there. Beth, Sally, someone called Jayden. The Notes app is empty, but there are a few voice memos. Saskia clicks into the first and a chill runs down her spine. It’s slurred and distant, but it’s Beth voice she can hear, not Kat’s. And she’s talking about Saskia. My so-called friend spreading all the sordid details on the internet. God, she sounds so drunk. She never gets into that state with Saskia. A worm of jealousy wriggles across her shoulder blades, but she shakes it away. The important fact is that Kat was recording Beth. Why would she do that? So she can listen to Beth’s voice whenever she wants?

Saskia shudders and clicks into Kat’s photos.

And there it is. In both black-and-white and full colour. Evidence of Kat’s obsession.

As she scrolls, Saskia starts to feel sick, the red wine turning to vinegar on her tongue. Photo after photo of Beth, from different angles, close and long range. And other photos too. Martha and Ava. Beth’s stalker, Mark. And even Saskia herself. Her hands are trembling now, but she keeps scrolling, wide-eyed, heart racing. And then she sees it. A photo from last night. Mark. She throws the phone on the work surface in horror, and watches it slide onto the floor.

Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Joseph