side, which would make me feel happier. ‘I hope I haven’t freaked you out, I just – like to be safe.’
‘Not at all,’ I lie. ‘I was joking. Lawyers aren’t usually serial killers, are they?’
‘Not until now.’ He smiles slowly, and for a split second my heart misses a beat, until he starts laughing.
‘Okay, now you’re freaking me out,’ I gasp, tapping him on the arm in a light-hearted reprimand.
‘I’m sorry for teasing – you’re right to be concerned, Hannah. You don’t know me and we’re in this house alone and, hey, I could be… anyone,’ he says this in an over-the-top creepy way that makes me smile and roll my eyes.
‘Yeah? Well, it won’t be good for your business if you do anything weird,’ I laugh. ‘And all my friends know where I am,’ I add, just in case.
‘And my friends know where I am and who with.’ He laughs. ‘And some of them are policemen, so if you’ve got any murderous plans, Hannah Weston, think again.’
He pushes a glass of wine towards me, and I laugh, a little too hysterically, as I realise that my friends at work know I’m with him, but they don’t know his address, or even his surname. If I didn’t turn up at the office tomorrow, no one would check on me immediately, they might think I’m doing a home visit. They might not even realise I’m missing until mid-morning. Jas is always so busy, Harry wouldn’t even notice and Sameera’s too obsessed with her wedding to wonder if her colleague’s about to star in a real-life crime story. So, if Alex does turn out to be the next Ted Bundy, I’m probably done for. I take a large gulp of wine, slightly calmed by the warming red as it hits my throat.
He’s checking the oven, so I take another gulp and quickly text Jas his surname and address, explaining it’s purely precautionary, so she doesn’t think it’s a cry for help, then turn my phone on silent. I don’t want to appear rude, as if I’m having a text conversation with someone else while he cooks a romantic meal. There’s nothing to worry about; I just got myself in a state. I’m a bit on edge because of the roses and the note and the fact that Tom’s still at large. But maybe it’s more than that too. Maybe it’s the job. After being exposed to the very worst of human behaviour day after day, it’s bound to leave a mark. As Jas is always warning me, what we do can creep into your personal life and threaten to turn every situation into a crisis, when it really isn’t.
Alex opens the fridge to take out some salad vegetables, and I note there’s very little in there – which fits in more with my male stereotyping than his bay trees and blue crockery. He’s concentrating on what he’s doing, chopping a pepper, but he isn’t smiling any more. I hope I haven’t ruined the mood and made things awkward between us.
‘Sorry,’ I say.
‘Why?’ He looks up from the pepper.
‘For questioning your domestic security arrangements.’ I try to say this in a funny voice, but he doesn’t smile.
‘I told you, it’s okay. Now, more wine, or would you prefer a cup of tea?’ He’s standing by the kitchen island, a bottle of red in one hand, the other gesturing towards a rather stylish tea caddy.
‘Wine, if you don’t mind,’ I say, gesturing towards my half-empty glass as he lifts the bottle to top it up. I watch the blood-red liquid leave the bottle, and decide to take it easy on the alcohol. I’m sure everything’s fine, but I don’t want to make myself more vulnerable than I already am. Then again, he offered me tea as an alternative, which is vaguely comforting.
‘I can just as easily grind some Rohypnol into tea, so your choice?’ he says, as if he read my mind.
‘What?’
He looks at me with those smiling eyes and I know he’s teasing again.
‘Sorry, I’m not used to this… Someone cooking for me, being kind, and attentive – I’m looking for the downside. Do you have one?’
‘A downside? No. I’m actually quite perfect,’ he says, pouring himself a glass now.
‘Cheers… and thank you,’ I say.
‘What for?’
‘For being nice, for inviting me over – for not being pissed off because I got lost on the way here, then started quizzing you about locking your own front door.’
‘It’s a difficult place to find – and