Stalkers by Polly Clarkson

Author:Polly Clarkson [Polly Clarkson]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781782191544
Publisher: John Blake Publishing
Published: 2012-03-14T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hindmarsh

Strutting around the party like he owned the place, John Hindmarsh cut an intimidating figure. He seemed to be itching for a fight – you could see the intense aggression in his eyes. He had only been at the party for five minutes, and was already searching for trouble.

‘Who on earth’s that?’ another guest, Rachael Carter, asked.

‘John Hindmarsh,’ spat her friend, Anna. ‘He’s an idiot.’ Rachael could immediately see why. Rachael was just seventeen years old, but she had already encountered men like John Hindmarsh before. Arrogant, self-righteous and vulgar. She turned away in disgust. In her eyes, this nasty character did not deserve her attention.

‘Hi,’ said a soft, gravelly drawl behind her. Rachael’s heart fluttered as images of a handsome stranger flashed through her mind. She could not wait to see who the seductive voice belonged to. But as she turned her head, she was gobsmacked. Standing behind was the man she dreaded. It was John Hindmarsh.

As he flashed Rachael a warm smile, her heart melted. Oblivious to Rachael’s stunned expression, John Hindmarsh started talking to her. Within a few minutes, it was clear the pair had much in common – they spent the evening in conversation like old friends. Despite Rachael’s original reservations, he was completely different now: witty, charming and laid-back. It was not long before Rachael was falling for him. When he asked her out at the end of the night, she did not hesitate.

Over the next few weeks, Rachael fell madly in love. John Hindmarsh was not like other men she had dated in the past – he was kind and gentle and very interesting. There was never a dull moment with him.

At 25, Hindmarsh was a man, not a boy. He was older, wiser and seemed in control of his life. Soon, Rachael worshipped him. ‘Why don’t I move in to your flat?’ John Hindmarsh suggested, less than a month after they first met. Deep down, Rachael knew it was too soon, but she still agreed. She trusted Hindmarsh. And above all, she was scared that if she refused, she would lose him.

Rachael had grown up being shunted from one foster family to another, and longed to feel loved. With John Hindmarsh, for the first time in her life, she saw the chance of stability and joy. She did not want to lose that.

But many of her friends were still not convinced by her new boyfriend, believing him to be trouble. ‘You don’t know him like I do,’ Rachael would smile back at the critics. She knew why her friends were weary. For years, John Hindmarsh had a dreadful reputation in Redcar, Cleveland, as a violent, drunken bully – even she’d believed the rumours at first. But over time, she saw a different side to his character emerge. This was a man who brought her flowers and showered her with compliments.

For the first few months of their relationship, it seemed like domestic bliss; John Hindmarsh cooked and cleaned the house, and even did the vacuuming.

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