He waited for her on the couch, then handed Joanna to her and went upstairs. He lay on his bed, feeling the warmth where Alice’s body had been. He had just enough time to think I’m going to be asleep in seconds, and then he was asleep.

Mike Andrew

He didn’t know much, but he knew he was in love. He’d met Diane at a pub in town a few weeks back and he’d realized immediately she was different. When he’d told Trent the next day Trent had laughed, and said, yeah, different because she’s interested in you, that’s all, and he had wondered if that was true. Maybe we told ourselves that the person we were with was special, the one for us, because otherwise we’d have to accept they were the same as anyone else, except you simply happened to have met them in a pub.

Either way, he didn’t care. Diane was fantastic. And she was posh, at least by his standards. She lived with her dad and his girlfriend in Stockton Heath in a detached house, which was twice the size of the place he and his two brothers shared with their mum across the swing bridge in Latchford.

He hadn’t taken her home yet. He wanted to make sure she’d really fallen for him before she met his family.

He’d been to her house, but only when her dad was out. Like tonight – except her dad had come home.

Shit, she said. They were on her bed and his T-shirt was on the floor. You have to go. Out the window.

Why? I could meet your old man.

You don’t want to. Not if he’s had a drink. Out.

Diane? You home?

Her dad’s voice had a harsh, strained tone to it. Mike grabbed his T-shirt and wriggled it on. The kitchen roof was below her window and he could climb onto it, then scramble down somehow.

OK, he said. Call me. He kissed her. Love you.

Love you too.

He could have floated down to earth on those words. She had said she loved him!

She loved him!

He wanted to run into the house and hug her dad, but no. That was not a good idea. Once he was down he scuttled to the back of the garden and let himself out of the back gate, then headed for home.

He glanced at his phone. It was 2 a.m. He strolled along the middle of the road, grinning from ear to ear. She loved him. She fucking loved him.

It was the best night ever. At the bottom of the road he turned left and headed for Lumb Brook, where it headed under the aqueduct. It was dark, and for a moment he thought about the serial killer, but he shook off his anxiety. Nothing could ruin a night like tonight.