Footsteps approached and Parker slammed the laptop shut. Darkness descended. The doorknob twisted, but then a conversation started on the other side of the door. Coley was telling the cleaner that he didn’t need his office servicing tonight and that he had just forgotten something. Parker stood up as quietly as he could and slipped behind a large mahogany bookcase situated in the corner of the room. He heard laughter from the other side of the door, which only seemed to exacerbate his fury. The men said their goodbyes. Parker’s chest was heaving, and he was still trying not to have a flashback.

The door opened and Coley walked in, still laughing until the exterior door closed. After the cleaner had left, Coley closed the door and locked it before exhaling and throwing his folders onto the workbench at the back of the room. He rested his walking stick against the wall next to the door and turned the lamp on. Parker peered at him from the darkened corner. His nerves were finally settling as he felt his focus come back; he had gone from prey to predator yet again.

He moved forward silently and waited for Robert Coley to spot him. This was risky and not something he would ordinarily do, but he was just so angry. He couldn’t live with this anger; he needed to act. He hadn’t touched anything with his bare hands and he knew he hadn’t been seen on the way in.

‘Hello,’ Parker said.

‘Jesus Christ!’ Coley jumped. ‘What are you doing in here? How did you get in? The door was locked!’

‘You should keep your voice down,’ Parker said.

‘You need to leave. Who are you? I’ve seen you in my lectures. Are you a student here?’

‘No, but my wife is.’

‘Look, I don’t know what you’ve heard, but I don’t do that kind of thing anymore. Whoever your wife is, I promise I didn’t touch her.’

‘Abigail Lucas is my wife.’

Robert Coley’s face changed, he looked confused and surprised. ‘Your wife? She’s not married.’

Parker held his left hand up and showed Coley the ring. ‘What is she a prime candidate for?’

‘What?’ The colour drained from Coley’s face. ‘What are you talking about?’

‘I’ve been reading your emails. I’m going to ask you one more time, what is she a prime candidate for?’

‘I can’t answer that,’ he said, his breath heavy.

‘You really should.’ Parker smiled at him.

‘You don’t know who you’re dealing with.’ Coley’s eyes darted over to the phone on his desk.

Parker reached forward and grabbed the phone cord, pulling it out of the wall. ‘Neither do you.’

‘I’ll scream, someone will come.’ He looked at Parker’s hands and saw the gloves. ‘Listen, you don’t want to do anything stupid. You can rough me up as much as you want, but I can’t tell you anything.’

Parker pulled a knife out of his pocket and removed the sheath, exposing the blade. ‘Who said anything about roughing you up?’