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Back Stalker Save as PDF
Chapters (66)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. EPILOGUE
  63. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  64. MORE FROM GEMMA ROGERS
  65. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  66. ABOUT BOLDWOOD BOOKS

‘Fine. I can delay collection for a couple of hours or so, then she’s out of here.’

He nods, quickening his pace and leaving me behind. I can’t hold it against him, he wants to retire this year, just before his sixtieth birthday, and every case must be wrapped up neatly with a bow. He’s told me before he doesn’t want any unfinished business before he goes; he’s planning to buy a barge and spend his retirement sailing the canals with Sandra, his wife of forty years. I can’t see this being one of those cases that will come back to haunt him.

My desk is piled high with paperwork. A map of the local area sits on top, with an orange circle highlighting an area of approximately half a mile.

‘Phone triangulation for Eve; for yesterday.’ Guy manifests behind me like a ghost, making me jump. He’s so keen, eager to climb the ranks. I bite down on my molars and stifle a smile. A thought tries to push its way through the fog as I eyeball the map.

‘Guy, can you get whoever did this on the phone please and transfer them through?’

‘Sure, will do, he gives a quick nod and is gone.

While I wait for the call, I rummage in my drawer for some pins. A red pin is pushed through the location of Ian’s apartment, another through Eve’s. Ian’s sits inside the circle to the left; Eve’s is outside. I stare at the orange, absorbing the road names within, my eyes shifting in and out of focus. I’m so tired. The desk phone rings, jolting me back to the moment.

‘James, I’m putting you through to Detective Becker,’ Guy says, then I hear a click and the obvious background sound of a call centre comes through.

‘Hi James, thanks for producing the phone triangulation for us. I was wondering, could you have a look at the last four months on that account?’

I hear him sigh down the phone.

‘That might take some time. You want printouts for every day? What is it you’re looking for?’

It’s my turn to sigh and I massage my temples, keeping the headache at bay.

‘I’m not sure yet. No, I don’t need a printout. I’m just looking for anything out of the ordinary, any patterns or usage spikes,’ I reply. Something about the way Hicks is so convinced of Eve’s intentions unnerves me. Could I be wrong about her?

42

SATURDAY 20 JANUARY 2018