Stalker. Hazel Edwards

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СКАЧАТЬ while they’re away? Or is your brother there?’

      ‘No. They’ve got a house-sitter for the six months. And Ben’s got a live-in job, with Anita his girlfriend.’

      Within two days of Genevieve moving in, Lily realised they wouldn’t get on. Especially after the ‘house-warming riot’ when neighbours called the police. But she wasn’t going to tell her parents that it wasn’t working out. And since they weren’t around to see….

      ‘Think back,’ Jamie was serious now. ‘When did you last wear that green t-shirt?’

      ‘Tuesday week ago. Night club clothes are a bit more dressed up than everyday. So I wear that shirt a bit at night. Or in photos…. So I wear it for head and shoulder shots. Green’s my favourite colour… I even put that down in the fans’ questionnaire the other day….’

      ‘What questionnaire? I didn’t get one. Who’s been asking personal questions? What for?’ Jamie stopped doodling. ‘Stay here. I’ll just ring the station and check on something.’

      Jamie had one of those minds which remembered phone numbers, so he left his books and even his diary with her. The uni café was getting crowded, so she had to spread out to save Jamie’s seat. He was back a few minutes later. ‘No questionnaires sent to any other presenters last week. Just you. You’re it! Sounds sus. to me. As if someone is compiling data, like a dossier on you’

      ‘Why?’

      Jamie shrugged. ‘Dunno, yet.’

      This caffeine hit wasn’t enough. Lily felt tiredness overwhelm her. At the slightest sound, even the cat on the veranda, she’d wake, instantly. Then it was hard to get back to sleep. Her mind would go round and around, trying to remember someone she’d missed. Who could be doing this? Why? The word ‘why?’ started going around her brain.

      It was so PLANNED! That t-shirt could have been written on weeks before, and she hadn’t even known. It was a big shirt, so she still fit into it. What if the stalker had scribbled on one of her smaller t-shirts and she didn’t use that shirt because it no longer fit? A little smile crept around Lily’s lips. Wasted effort! A failed stalker? But unfortunately he wasn’t failing. He was succeeding in this invisible control. Invisible insults waiting to hit. Waves of panic engulfing her at odd times. Well, she wasn’t going to give in, and go off-air.

      ‘Maybe some of your other stuff is marked, and you haven’t seen it in the light yet?’ suggested Jamie.

      Maybe the smaller tops, thought Lily, but what she said was,

      ‘So? D’you reckon I should go back to the night club and try out all my clothes, one at a time? Like a stripper under the lights! Sort of strip for a graffiti check.’ Lily’s insides felt queasy. Maybe discussing this especially with Jamie, wasn’t such a good idea. He tended to take off and run with a problem, and then it became public because he just had to tell everybody about how good he was at solving things. She should have kept these hassles secret. But at first it had seemed almost like a compliment, to be enough of a ‘celeb’ to be stalked, like the truly famous. Someone thought enough of her, to follow every day.

      ‘Maybe it’s on things other than your clothes?’ suggested Jamie.

      ‘Like what?’ For a moment Lily pictured giant scribbles on her roof.

      ‘I don’t know. The Vomit or something.’

      Freaky the way Jamie kept adding things she hadn’t considered. Why would someone write on her car? The Vomit was noticeable already, especially when it broke down.

      If she ignored what was happening would it go away? Unlikely.

      Jamie continued ‘There’s a special pen. Fluoroscopy. They used it for security marking. Like putting your licence number of electrical goods. Can only be seen under ultra-violet light.’ Radio research was his first hobby before he trained as a panel operator. ‘I looked it up on the Internet. Then I tried the Stalkers’ Home Page. Learnt a lot from there.’

      ‘How you stalk or be stalked?’ Lily felt that everything was getting away from her. Like changing shapes, things were happening that involved her and she didn’t even know. ‘Are you going to e-mail me an example?’

      ‘Here’s a print-out. Read it yourself.’ Jamie pulled the roll out of his pocket and pushed the paper towards her.

      Lily put down her coffee and flattened the paper. A few splashes seeped through. At least it wasn’t fax paper. That station fax paper always had a dead fish smell. Why was she thinking about paper smells? So she wouldn’t think about HIM.

      Deep inside, the fear increased as Lily realised she’d been missing clues. It was all planned. Like a campaign where she was the target. She wasn’t losing her mind; it was just that so many things had been going wrong this week. Someone was using her fear to make her do things, to manipulate her, like a puppet. And she still didn’t know why.

      ‘You said ‘he’.’ Jamie spoke slowly. ‘How come you think it’s a male? And why only one? Could it be female? And a few of them?’

      Lily shrugged. ‘Just a hunch it’s a guy.’

      ‘Any proof? Like facts?’ Jamie loved collecting facts.

      Lily shook her head. ‘Not yet.’

      Jamie’s question was disturbing. Why had she assumed it was a male? And one male? Was she being sexist?

      ‘Harassing,’ said Jamie, scratching his head. ‘Sexual harassing, that’s what it’s called. According to the stats, 70% are male. Usually ex-lovers. Got many of them?’

      ‘None of your business.’ She wasn’t going to tell Jamie about old boyfriends since there were fewer than he’d expect. Since she’d been on radio regularly, she felt different, more confident, but there still wasn’t anyone special.

      ‘But, it’s not really harassing.’ She didn’t want to call it that and make it official. Like having to tell the police. No-one was trying to threaten her sexually. It was just as if someone was stopping her from living normally. The How to Drive LilyMad Campaign. Things she counted on, no longer happened. Ordinary stuff. Not being able to find her interview folder that she knew she’d left on the kitchen bench. Next morning, it wasn’t there. How could a green folder walk, unless someone was carrying it? Even the clock in her car was the wrong time. How could it jump two hours like that? An electronic fault? Or something else? Another week, she would have thought it was something to do with the daylight saving change-over. But not this week. And it was TWO hours difference, not one.

      ‘You’re officially a ‘stalkee, now,’ said Jamie. ‘Hi-profile jobs come with a price.’

      ‘You’re joking!’ Lily couldn’t stop a laugh. Jamie wanted to think public radio was high profile because he did it, and always considered panel operating more skilful than presenting. ‘I only got the graveyard shift because no-one else wanted it. And you know how hard it is to get another operator for your swot vac. Voluntary doesn’t mean mega bucks, as Genevieve keeps reminding me.’

      ‘But СКАЧАТЬ