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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

‘Until a few days ago, when you had quite an erratic day I’d say. On Monday, you made over twenty phone calls,’ Hicks says.

My expression remains stoic, but inside panic swells like a balloon. Sweat prickles underarm as my temperature spikes. I need to head this off.

‘I was trying to find Ian.’

‘Is that why you called every care home in Oxford? To find Ian?’

Think you’ve caught me out, detective? Think again.

‘Yes. He told me he wouldn’t be around as his father had a fall. He was going to Oxford to see him. I wasn’t sure he was telling me the truth.’

Hicks frowns at this.

‘So, you phoned every care home in Oxford?’ He doesn’t believe me. It doesn’t matter.

‘Yes.’ I try to resist the urge to stand up and give the smug detective the finger. I can’t be convicted for being a clingy girl keeping tabs on her man.

‘And you found him? You found Ian?’

‘Yes, at Nuthatch Care Home. The member of staff told me he was there visiting his father, David.’ My poker face is good. It is hard not to smile. These tiny victories feel amazing given the circumstances. Could this be the light at the end of the tunnel or is Ben about to contradict everything I’ve said?

‘How did Ian react to you checking up on him?’ Becker asks, breaking her silence.

I glare at her, she’s fed me to the wolf that is Hicks.

‘I don’t know. He never mentioned it and neither did I. I’m not sure he knew.’ I lean back in my chair, drinking in Hicks’s grimace. You’ll need to try harder than that, detective. But deep down, there’s a niggling feeling in my gut I can’t ignore. It was a mistake using my phone for those calls. How many other mistakes have I made? My shoulders tense. They couldn’t seize Susie’s computers, could they?

50

TUESDAY 23 JANUARY 2018

I stood still on the pavement, unaware of the people passing me by. Jostling for room and hurrying to get out of the rain. Staring at my phone although Ian was no longer on the line, fat drops splashing down from above. I had visions of Ian’s hands around my neck. Is that what he meant? I shuddered involuntarily and managed a few slow steps forward. Annoying those trying to navigate around me.

I was going to die on Saturday. It wasn’t cat and mouse. It was lamb to the slaughter.