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“Hello?”
Noah turned down a narrow alley and cut the engine, his eyes roving Max’s face with urgency. She toyed with her necklace but for once, it didn’t offer any consolation.
“Speaker,” he mouthed, gesturing the phone. She nodded, but her fingers didn’t work properly – they were too unsteady – so it was Noah who eventually took the phone from her and pressed the button, leaning closer to her so he could hear whatever was said. But it was just more breathing.
He nodded, encouraging Max to say something else. “Who is this?”
Despite the fear that was plaguing her, it was a steady voice that emerged.
“Ma-ax.” The sing-song voice sent her nerves haywire. It was so unhinged sounding, so taunting, but there was also something electronic about it, as though a vocal synthesizer had been used. “Someone’s been a bad girl, Ma-ax.”
She dug her fingernails into her palms, huge eyes firing to Noah’s face.
“Who are you?”
“I like that dress on you, Ma-ax. Silver’s your colour.”
She stiffened, staring at Noah then whipping her head around, looking through all of the windows. A gruff laugh emerged.
“But I don’t like seeing you with him. He’s not right for you, Ma-ax.” More heavy breathing. Her eyes filled with tears.
“Go to hell,” she muttered, anger surging through her. But Noah shook his head, indicating with his finger that she should keep the conversation going.
She bit down on her lip, trying to steady her nerves.
“How do you know what I’m wearing?”
“How do you think? I was there.”
“I don’t believe you.” But she was afraid that he was telling the truth, that she’d just been in the room with the man who was stalking her. She inched closer to Noah instinctively.
“I like it when you wear your hair in a bun, like last Tuesday. It looks pretty.”
She squeezed her eyes shut, a wave of nausea rolling through her.
“When did you see me last Tuesday?”
“At work, Ma-ax.”
Goosebumps covered her arms. “Were you in my office?”
The laugh was psychotic. She was shaking all over.
“I’ll tell you soon. Sleep tight.”
The line went dead.
“OhmyGod.” She stared at Noah, her body quivering. “He sounds –,”
“Nothing like that,” Noah said firmly, reaching out and taking the phone from Max’s shaking fingers. He loaded up an app on her phone, so she frowned.
“What is that?”
“A tracker. I embedded it on the first day we met. Just in case.”
“A tracker? On my phone?” Even with chattering teeth she was able to recognize how smart that had been.
“Stalkers often escalate their behaviour. A call or picture text seemed likely. I wanted to be able to trace any contact.”
