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Back The Ringmaster Save as PDF
Chapters (73)
  1. Cover
  2. The Ringmaster
  3. Contents
  4. Prologue
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. Epilogue
  72. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  73. Copyright

‘Sam, this is serious, someone is stalking you. Why didn’t you tell anyone earlier?’ Which was the question I knew everyone would ask. But how could I explain it? Initially, it seemed too silly to mention and, if I was really honest, perhaps I’d brought it upon myself, and therefore it was up to me to fix it.

‘I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it.’ My voice sounded as feeble as the excuse.

‘But it is a big deal. You of all people should know that. These sorts of people are unstable. It might have started with a few nasty notes, but now, they’re following you, and it could escalate to assault, or worse. It has to be stopped.’

Paul’s words seemed to hammer away any remaining shreds of resistance. What with the crap I’d had from the boss, my grief and guilt at killing Cassie, anger at the whole bloody mess of this case, worry about Dad, tiptoeing around Mum and the gnawing ache of fear, I was spent. I couldn’t even reply.

‘Look, Sam,’ he said, tender but firm. ‘Let me go into this for you. I know you probably don’t want your work colleagues to get involved, I can understand that. I’m independent and can check this guy out. Let me do this. I’m rather too fond of you to let some little arsehole stalker make your life a misery or put you in danger.’

The tears warmed their way down my cheeks and then dropped, making little circular splashes in the dust at my feet. ‘Okay,’ I managed.

59

It seemed ridiculous for a grown woman to be wary of an inanimate object, but I gave the shit-heap a wide berth all the same as I made my way along the footpath and up to the house. The drive home had seemed surreal. I’d felt detached from reality and had driven like a drunk knowing they shouldn’t be behind the wheel of a car and therefore being exquisitely careful. My hands were still shaking as I battled the key into the front door and then stumbled into the entrance as Uncle Phil opened it on his way out.

‘Oh, sorry, Sam, I didn’t mean to surprise you.’ He steadied me to vertical, then looked at me with great concern. ‘Are you okay? What’s happened?’ It was one friendly person too many and I found the tears making a repeat appearance down my face. I hadn’t intended on telling anyone else my woes, but they came spilling out, all the same.