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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

It wasn’t until I began my journey home that I thought I saw him, just ahead of me, across the pedestrianised area. Something about the way he walked. I pictured the image of him on the CCTV Detective Emmerson had shown me. The similarity in size and shape was striking. My heart pounded as I followed him up the road, away from home, towards the end of the high street where the bars and restaurants were located.

He slipped inside a betting shop and I paused, not knowing what to do. I’d never been in a betting shop before. I couldn’t follow him in. Instead, I hung around outside, a safe distance across the way. Staring into an estate agent’s window opposite, not looking at the properties but rather the reflection of the betting shop across the street. When he came out, he stood pushing a wodge of money or slips into his wallet. I turned to face him, and our eyes met briefly before he turned and walked away. I thought I might be sick and sucked in air to avoid bringing up my lunch. It wasn’t him, even from this distance I could see his eyes were wrong. They weren’t flat and lifeless, and the wrong colour too. My blood fizzed, rushing around my body, heart pumping at speed. I’d never felt so terrified.

20

TUESDAY 24 OCTOBER 2017

A week later I was still struggling with mistaking the man in the street. Now unsure of my plan to find him; the idea scared me. Despite being terrified of the moment we would come face to face, I continued to wait out in the park at various times during the daylight hours, wrapped up on the same bench, pretending to read. Even on Sunday morning too. It was eerie being there the same time it happened, but he didn’t appear. Searching for him gave me a purpose. I was clinging on to the fact I would find him, and things could go back to the way they were. I would feel safer once he was off the streets.

Jessica and I had finished our handover on Friday and I was now officially free. She was a smart cookie and Stuart, if he stayed, would be lucky to have her. I was going to look into getting some temp work lined up once my notice period finished to keep the money coming in. I’d had a last look around the Drive offices before sneaking out. I hated goodbyes and was happy to slip away anonymously. Stuart offered to take me out for lunch, but I’d declined. No one was in a celebratory mood with the redundancy process still ongoing for some. I did meet Debbie for a final cigarette before I left. We would keep in touch. I needed all the friends I had.