Mesmerised, I continued watching. He finished his phone call and started tapping the keyboard. Perhaps he was sending emails. It was frustrating not being able to see the screen this time. He was sitting on the opposite sofa and the screen wasn’t in view. After a few minutes, he stretched and put his hands behind his head. He swore, then snapped shut the lid of his laptop and threw it on the sofa. He strode out of view, returning a minute later, unbuttoning his shirt as he stared at something, eyes glazed. What was he doing? A nervous twitch erupted in my eye as I glared at the screen. He left the room and I sat, willing him to come back into shot.

Minutes passed, and I smoked two cigarettes back to back before he returned, now dressed in dark clothing. I sat up straight. Was he going running? Or… Fuck. He was going out on the prowl.

Jumping up, I ran into my room and pulled on running leggings and a black hoody. I had to stop him. I had to do something. I couldn’t let him go out and attack another woman. Adrenaline pulsed in my muscles as if they knew I was about to run the mile journey in as few minutes as possible. I didn’t know what I’d do when I saw him. Would it blow everything?

Grabbing my phone and keys, I was a few steps from the door when a knock came from the other side. I ignored it; I had to get going. I hopped from foot to foot, considering using the fire escape stairs, but the knocking persisted.

‘Miss Harding?’ a voice called.

I instantly recognised the cool tone with a hint of middle class. She had terrible timing.

I opened the door.

‘Detective Emmerson. Sorry I was just getting changed.’

‘Hello, Eve, are you on your way out?’

‘Yes, I’m just off to the gym,’ I replied.

‘Can we have a chat, it’ll only take a few minutes.’

I sighed and stepped back from the door, defeated. Emmerson stepped across the threshold. Her blonde hair bobbing as she moved. For a second, she looked like she was walking bowlegged and then her long beige mac parted, and her bump was obvious.

‘Congratulations,’ I said, gesturing towards her belly, the navy fabric of her wrap dress stretched tightly across it.