Mad, Bad and Dead by Sherryl Clark

Author:Sherryl Clark
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Verve Books
Published: 2022-03-28T12:09:26+00:00

14

I stood there for a few moments after Chris left, staring at the dark window opposite and my reflection in it. Portrait of a Shocked Woman. What was that about? We’d had two murders in less than a week. Did he think I was next? My skin felt clammy and I rubbed my arms. That was all I needed – someone else threatening me. Except it hadn’t sounded like a threat – it had sounded like a plea.

Weird. I shook myself and turned around. The bar was empty and Charlie was collecting the last glasses and wiping tables. Normally I would’ve left him to it and gone to pick up Mia, but tonight I helped him and left when he did, getting into my car and locking the doors before he drove away.

At my house, having collected Mia, I carried her inside and held her awkwardly while I locked the door behind me. I didn’t go out to fetch my bag and a bottle of wine from the car until I’d checked the rest of the house was locked up and looked all around outside. It gave me the shits that I felt compelled to do this. I’d long considered my little house to be an oasis and a retreat, safe and quiet. Now, yet again, I was questioning its isolation.

‘Bugger it,’ I said out loud. ‘Nobody’s bloody chasing me away from here!’

My heart rate slowly settled, I poured myself some wine and turned on the TV to watch the late news. As usual it was boring politics and weaselly politicians, a husband killing his wife, a massive car crash near Cranbourne and boring footage of footballers training. I was deep in thought about Chris Winter and what he’d admitted to me when the phone rang – I picked it up without thinking.

‘You want to be very careful,’ the harsh voice began.

‘Oh, fuck off,’ I said.

‘In the car park at your pub alone? Nobody would miss you.’ Click.

I put the phone down very slowly, trying to breathe without gagging. Why the hell had I answered? After everything Connor told me. The voice echoed in my head. Something about it was… Well, it wasn’t Chris Winter, I was pretty sure of that. Too ocker, not cultured enough. Not that Chris was cultured, but he spoke with a bit of a private school edge.

Car park at the pub? Whoever it was had been watching me leaving work. Thank God tonight I’d waited for Charlie. This was getting personal – and close.

I took the landline receiver off the hook, shoved it under the couch cushion and used my mobile to call Connor from near the back door, making doubly sure it was locked first. As soon as he picked up, I said, ‘That guy called again. A definite threat. Talked about me in the car park at the pub after work. Should I hire someone for security?’

‘Slow down, Judi. What time was the call?’

‘About four minutes ago. I –’

‘Same voice?’

‘Yes.’

‘You recognise it yet?’

‘I’m pretty sure it’s not Chris Winter.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.