The Girl in Room 12 : A completely addictive and totally unputdownable psychological thriller by Kathryn Croft

Author:Kathryn Croft [Croft, Kathryn]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bookouture
Published: 2024-01-26T00:00:00+00:00

‘How’s Max doing?’ Cole asks when I make it to the shop.

‘He’s frustrated he can’t be at work, I think.’

‘Yes, I imagine he’s going out of his mind a bit.’

The envelope is in my bag now, and I’m desperate to open it. It might be nothing; I can’t pin my hopes on it, but either way I need to know. ‘I’ve got some accounting to do,’ I tell Cole. ‘Can you manage out here?’ It’s fairly busy in here this morning, and I wonder if we’ll manage without Katy.

‘No problem,’ Cole says.

‘You haven’t heard from Katy, have you? I sent her another message and she didn’t answer.’

‘No. I’m guessing she’s probably washing her hands of this place. It was never her thing, was it?’

Cole’s right. ‘I’ll have to advertise her job. I just didn’t want to do that without speaking to her.’

‘Somehow, I don’t think Katy will care,’ Cole says. ‘She’s always going on about how she’s a free spirit and all that.’ He rolls his eyes. ‘I don’t think any of us are really, if you think about it⁠—’

‘I’ll be in my office, then,’ I say, walking off before I get stuck listening to Cole philosophising.

In my office, I pull the envelope out and stare at it, running my hands across it. I’m about to rip it open when my phone rings.

It’s Sarah, and for a second my heart seems to stop. Has something happened?

‘Just thought you’d want me to check in,’ she says. ‘I’ve dropped the girls to school, and Max is in a right grump. I don’t know what’s going on with him.’

‘I’m sorry,’ I say. ‘You don’t have to stay. ‘Really. Go home. Relax. You never get the chance.’

‘Actually, he’s asked if I’ll drive him to work. He says he needs to see the place he was attacked.’

I sigh. ‘Max has got it in his head that the attack was deliberate. That someone specifically wanted to hurt him and it wasn’t just a random mugging.’

‘Oh. Why does he think that? Have the police told him that’s what they think?’

‘Apparently there was an attack similar to Max’s yesterday. In the CCTV footage it looked like the same man. Wearing a mask again. And it wasn’t far from where Max was attacked. But Max isn’t listening.’

‘So should I not take him?’

‘I can’t see it will do any harm. Maybe it might trigger a memory?’

‘Not sure it works like that, but you never know. Okay, I’ll check in later.’

‘Sarah?’

‘Yeah?’

I pause. I want to tell her to be careful, but then I’d have to explain everything. Including why I haven’t told her what’s been going on. But my mind can’t form the words. I’m sorry. ‘Thanks for doing all this.’

When we end the call, I pick up the envelope, slowly tearing it open. I remind myself it could be nothing important. But why would Alice tape it to the back of her wardrobe?

I pull out the contents of the envelope, and stare at what I’m holding.

Photos. Printed on normal printer paper, as if Alice has done it at home.

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