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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

‘Guess what, I’m getting a dog. A pug. My therapist thinks it would be a good idea, give me something to focus on.’

‘God, I love pugs, they are so cute with their squishy faces. You won’t regret it. A house isn’t a home until you have a dog. I wouldn’t be without my westie, Molly.’

Forty-five minutes later, after Debbie had told me everything I could ever want to know about being a dog owner, we asked for the bill. I insisted on paying and we gathered our things to walk back to the office. I felt guilty for lying, but I needed Debbie to do me a favour in a few weeks. She was going to help me out with a small part of my plan. So, for now, I was going to be getting a pug.

26

SUNDAY 28 JANUARY 2018

I describe our date last night in detail to Detectives Becker and Hicks. How we had a drink in Mangos before heading to the Italian restaurant. I relay how normal the meal was, how we got through the first bottle of red wine before finishing our main course. I told them I was trying to pace myself, but Ian ploughed through another bottle like it was fruit juice. It loosened him up. He told me he was an only child, that his mother had died when he was young. I almost felt sorry for him. He was good, so convincing. Acting like a normal human being.

It was almost too easy, the conversation flowed between us and there were no awkward silences. I could have forgotten why I was there, until I saw it. Something I said caused his eyes to flash, they rolled dark like thunder. A look I had seen before. Cold and devoid of emotion. It chilled me to the core. A mix of anxiety and revulsion churned my stomach as I sat across the table, watching him saw pieces of his steak. Smiling sweetly and saying all the right things, even managing to flirt when all I wanted to do was run.

‘Did Ian know you had been attacked previously?’ Hicks asks.

I snort. ‘No. It’s not really something you mention on a second date. Was I supposed to tell him I was damaged goods?’

He looks sheepish, fidgeting with his papers. Good, the prick.

‘That’s not what I meant, Eve. I was asking if he knew.’

I look away, worried I might launch myself at him.

‘What did you have to eat?’ Becker asks in redirection. Does she expect me to lie about something so trivial?

‘We both had steak.’ My voice has an edge to it, but I can’t help it. As if asking what we had for dinner brings them any closer to finding out the truth.