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I inhale again, exhale slowly, and look at the clock on the microwave. It’s 12.25am and I feel exhausted, wobbly from the adrenaline that’s just surged through my body. I get myself a glass of water and sit down, but the thoughts are still racing through my mind.
Pete was definitely away on the nights of Jane and David’s murders. With Megan, or so he said. But what about New Year’s Eve? He was in Dublin on New Year’s Eve, visiting his mother, wasn’t he? He wasn’t in Oxford, murdering Lisa Turner. But how do I know he was in Dublin, really? Have I ever seen any photos, any evidence?
I can’t remember, and I can feel a tight little knot of fear forming again, low in my belly.
He’d visited Jane’s casino a few weeks before she died. And both he and Megan are runners …
‘No! No, stop it!’
I shout the words then stand up, take a few steps towards the door, and stop, breathing heavily.
This is ludicrous. All this stuff is just coincidence. Pete and Megan were dating; it stands to reason they’re going to spend lots of nights together. And what possible reason would either of them have for killing all of those people, or for wanting to kill me? Pete just stepped in to stop her attacking me, for goodness’ sake …
‘Stop it. Juststop. It’s not them; it’s not,’ I say out loud. ‘Pete’s myfriend. More than a friend now, maybe. Stop this. Thinkproperly.’
Suddenly, I’m a little calmer.
It’s just stress, messing with my head, I know it is. The pressure of all this, it’s bound to have an effect. I can’t let it do this to me. I won’t.Just make some coffee, come on …
Then from upstairs, I hear the lounge door open, and moments later, the click of Pete’s bedroom door as it opens and then closes again.
Why have they gone into his room?
I feel a fresh ripple of panic. For a few seconds, I stand stock still, listening, but all I can hear is a soft murmur, two voices in conversation, and I take another deep breath, willing the panic away.
It’s OK. Everything’s OK. They just want somewhere private to chat,I think.Stop bloody over-reacting. He’ll talk to her, we’ll get her a cab, and then it’ll be just us again. Everything’s fine. You’re going to have a heart attack if you carry on like this.
I listen for a few more seconds, then turn and walk back to the coffee machine.
