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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

DC BECKER

I sit at traffic lights, five minutes from home, the image of Eve’s battered face etched in my mind. I hate these kinds of cases, they hit a nerve. There are too many monsters out there. I wish I could catch them all, but even if I could, they’d get chewed up in the justice system. Spat out, apparently reformed after a pitiful sentence, only to offend again. We do the best we can with the resources we’ve got but it never feels like enough.

The car behind beeps its horn, signalling me to move. Lights are now green, and I pull away slowly. It’s a taxi, the driver overtaking me as soon as he’s able to. I don’t care, I shouldn’t even be behind the wheel. I’m exhausted. Only a couple more minutes and I’ll be home. Then I can slip in beside Steve and grab a few hours’ sleep. Recharge my batteries. Hicks will probably sleep in the rec room at the station, but you wouldn’t catch me on that mouldy old sofa.

At least Eve’s talking. I’m sure her solicitor will have advised her not to comment. So why is she willing to tell us what’s happened? Is it because she believes she’s done nothing wrong? Clearly, she’s going to claim self-defence and by the state of her, I don’t doubt it was.

I need to squeeze my husband tight, kiss my daughter’s head in her cot and only then will I be able to sleep. I can worry about putting the pieces together later. Then I will find out who Eve Harding is, and how she got herself caught up in such a serious crime.

19

MONDAY 16 OCTOBER 2017

I rose early the next morning, feeling motivated. It was good to have a purpose. I had missed the routine of work. As much as I didn’t want to go back, it was a reason to get out of bed which I no longer had. I’d planned to fill my days with training and exercise, but there was only so much my body could take. I hadn’t anticipated how much rest my muscles would need in between workouts and I was getting bored of aching all the time. No amount of bathing in Epsom salts seemed to make a difference. Jason kept trying to get me to drink protein shakes, but the one he’d offered me tasted awful. Green tea and something? Perhaps I needed to try a different flavour?