Page 26 of The Twins

“Er…yes, my best friend, Amy.”

“And where does Amy live?”

“About a ten-minute walk away.”

“And it’s definitely not her.”

“No,” I snapped, sliding down the wall into a ball. “No, it’s some weirdo. A stalker. I’m being stalked.”

There, I’d said it. The word I’d been denying. The word I wouldn’t let rise to my consciousness because it was just too scary.

“The officers are just around the corner,” she said. “You’ll hear them very soon. I’ll tell them to call your name so you know it’s them.”

I closed my eyes, folding in on myself. Terror had frozen my limbs and spine. What did my stalker mean by ‘its time for us to be together’?

Did he want to murder me?

Rape me?

Kidnap me?

All fucking three?

I jumped at a loud banging on the door.

“Oh, thank the Lord.” I pushed to standing.

“Rebecca, it’s the police,” yelled a deep voice. “Can you open the door?”

“Rebecca, can you hear me?” A faint female voice.

I realized I’d let the phone slip to the floor. I grabbed it. “Yes, yes, they’re here.”

“Do you think you can open the front door or shall I have them bash it down?”

“No, no, I’ll open it.” I swallowed down the bitter taste of fear. “Yes, I’ll do it. It’s at the bottom of the stairs, and the bathroom is directly at the top. I can do it in under five seconds.”

“Okay, if you’re sure, and stay on the phone. I’ll hang up when I hear the officers’ voices.”

I flicked the lock, my vision blurred, adrenaline a wild drug racing through my system.

Pulling open the bathroom door, I half expected to see a monster, the devil, a crazed murderer, standing before me, but I didn’t linger on the images. I bolted down the stairs, my hand sliding down the rail, and flung open the front door.

I’d never been so pleased to see two tall uniformed men in all of my life.

“Are you hurt?” the big one with the dark eyes, slim moustache, and dark hair asked. He scanned me head to toe as though searching for blood.

“No.” I opened the door wide and gestured for them to step inside. “But someone has been here. I think I’m being stalked. And he’s broken into my home.”

He nodded, his mouth a sharp, straight line. “Mind if we take a scout around?”

“No, please, go ahead.”

I stayed by the front door, an escape route, and waited whilst one officer moved into the living area and one went upstairs. I didn’t live in a mansion, two bedrooms, one bathroom, and an open-plan living area and kitchen.

They were back at my side within minutes.

“No one here now,” the officer said. His badge read:Sergeant Mitch Cooper. “They’ve given you a fright, though, yeah?”