was starting to get on his nerves.
We were both privately hoping that he was going to lead us to Audrey, but a few moments later he pulled in to the Co-op’s car park. Sam drove straight past, up to the roundabout and back again.
By the time we drove in, Colin had parked and was walking towards the supermarket. He was carrying a reusable Co-op carrier bag.
Sam reversed into a space in the row behind the Fiesta and cut the engine. I undid my seatbelt.
‘Where are you going?’ he asked. ‘We can just wait for him to come back…’
‘No,’ I said. ‘I’m going to talk to him.’
‘What?’ Sam said. It was the closest I’d ever come to hearing him shout.
I was rooting through my handbag for my mobile phone, just a cheap Pay As You Go one that Irene had given me – an old one of hers, I think – because the one Colin had taken from me was still in some evidence bag somewhere. I had considered buying a nice new one, but now I was glad I hadn’t – this would be ideal. It was small and lightweight. I found it at the bottom of the bag and to Sam’s surprise I undid the top three buttons of my shirt and pushed the phone inside my bra.
‘What the fuck?’
‘Look,’ I said. ‘I’m going to sit outside the Co-op, and when he comes out he might recognise me. You know? He might want to – have another try.’
‘Are you actually fucking mad?’ Sam’s eyes were wide. I’d never heard him swear once, never mind twice. ‘He was trying to kill you, Annabel. And you want to let him have another go?’
‘Not really, no. But things are different now, aren’t they? I know who he is, what he is. I’m not vulnerable now. I know what I’m doing. But he doesn’t know that, does he? That gives me an advantage.’
Sam was frowning now.
‘You are mad. Seriously. What the hell are you thinking? And in any case, surely your lot will have him under surveillance or something?’
‘They’re all deployed to other jobs. I asked someone. Look, we don’t have much time,’ I said, ‘he might only have gone in to buy a paper. I don’t even know if this will work – he might not see me, he might avoid me. But if he has got Audrey, it’s not at her house or his house, is it? So where is she? He might take me to the same place, wherever it is.’
I opened the car door and Sam went to grab my arm, missed, and got out his side instead. It was raining, a dull soft drizzle that made everything look out of focus. The clouds overhead were dark grey, the wind picking up and cold.
‘Wait. Just wait a second,’ he said, standing in my way. ‘What if I can’t follow you? What if we get separated?’
‘I’ve got my phone. You hold on to my bag. I don’t think he’ll search me, or anything. If he does take me somewhere, it won’t be far. Get hold of DI Frost and tell him. When I get a chance, I’ll send texts, so they should be able to find me.’
‘And what if they can’t find you? What if you can’t get a signal? What if he kills you straight away? Annabel, this is insane…’
‘He won’t kill me,’ I said, cheerfully, setting off across the car park, through the puddles, in the direction that Colin had taken. And I was a little bit mad, I thought to myself. But Sam knew that all along, didn’t he?
I glanced back at him. He was following me, jogging to catch up.
‘Annabel,’ he said, breathless, ‘just hold on a sec. Stop.’
I stopped. We were on the ramp leading up to the arcade of shops, the entrance to the Co-op around the corner. I had already spotted a bench outside where I could sit and wait.
‘I’m going to look in the Co-op and just make sure he’s in there,’ he said. ‘After that I’ll come out and wait in one of the other shops where I can see you. Just in case he takes you somewhere on foot. Alright?’
‘Yes,’ I said, surprised at the wave of relief. ‘Thanks. Don’t…’
‘What?’
‘Just don’t interfere.’
I left him then and plonked myself down on the bench. It was tempting to watch Sam to see where he went, but now I was in full view of the Co-op and if – just if – Colin