Page 46 of Be More Octopus

Em put her hand on his arm to get him to chill out. 'You can relax now. No one's followed us since we got in the taxi by the cinema.'

He took no notice. 'Stay here. I want to check everything's alright in the flat.'

He ran up the stairs two at a time. Em looked up the stairwell and watched him throw open the door to the flat as if he were expecting to surprise the stalker in the hallway.

'Looks ok.' He shouted down to Em. She followed him upstairs, shut the flat door behind her and walked into the living room. Jack was by the window, looking down at the street.

'No sign of him outside.' He pulled the curtains across the windows. 'I just want to check the bedrooms.'

It all felt over the top, like something from a spy film rather than real life. Em got a couple of wine glasses out of the kitchen cupboard. The Pinot Grigio might help relieve the tension.

'Everything alright?' She asked as he walked back into the living room.

Jack nodded. He sat down on the sofa and put his head in his hands.

'Jack, have you any idea who this man is?' Em put his glass of wine on the coffee table and sat beside him.

'No. That's why it's so unsettling. I don't understand why he's interested in me.'

'Perhaps he fancies you?' She gave him a nudge and a wink to try to break the tension.

'It's not funny,' Jack's expression clouded over. 'The last five years, I've lurched from one nightmare to another. I thought that was going to be over now.' He looked like he was on the verge of tears.

'Oh, Jack. I'm so sorry. I was only trying to lighten the atmosphere.' She stroked his back. 'Could it be something to do with Isabella?'

'Possibly.' He picked up the glass and swirled the wine around but he didn't drink any. 'I don't understand what, though. And why would she get someone to break into my flat?'

Em sat back and took a sip of her wine. Why would she do that? 'Are you sure nothing was taken? There was nothing there that could've been useful to her?'

'No, nothing. Just a load of books, my clothes, a few model ships - she hated those, and some old photos from the pre-Isabella days. It's all my stuff, not Isabella's. I've let her keep everything else.'

'We're just speculating, aren't we? There's nothing else we can do this evening.'

'No, you're right.' He was still nervous, though, drumming his fingers on the wine glass now. 'I'm just worried about what might happen next.'

'We're safe here tonight. You've checked there's no one else in the flat.'

'Someone could still get in.'

'How? We're on the second floor. I've bolted the front door.'

'Easy enough to climb up the balconies, break a window pane and open the window.'

'Only if you're as fit as James Bond. Our stalker looks like he'd get out of breath climbing a flight of stairs.'

'I'm still worried. If he's broken into my flat before, why wouldn't he try it here?'

'If it was him who broke in - and we don't know it was - he did that while you were out. Would you be happier if we went to a hotel?'

'No, that seems extreme. You're right. We're fine here. But you've got the bedroom with the balcony, so perhaps I should sleep in there tonight? Can you manage with the sheep in my room?'

Em's hope that Jack would spend the night in her bed was about to come true, but not in the way she'd envisaged.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Em used the expensive bath foam she'd bought yesterday to fill the large bath in the main bedroom with citrus-scented bubbles. She lay back on the bath pillow and glanced across at the clock on the bedside table. 3.30 pm. Jack would be finishing his last lecture in half an hour. Her ankle was aching from walking to the Royal Academy and back this morning. Another 15 minutes or so of chilling out would help.

The water was starting to cool. She turned on the hot tap, enjoying the feeling of warmth that spread through the bath. But it wasn't just the warm water that was making her glow. She was remembering snuggling up to Jack in the cinema. If only that man hadn't followed them, she was sure the evening would have ended more romantically.