Stalker. Lisa Stone

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      Julie raised her eyebrows. Russ was supposed to be trying to lose a few pounds that had built up around his middle from too many business lunches.

      ‘There’s no harm in looking,’ he said with a smile. The waiter went to fetch the menu.

      ‘Have whatever you fancy,’ Julie said. ‘We don’t do this often. It was a lovely suggestion, coming here. Thank you. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed it.’

      ‘Good, I’m pleased.’ He reached across the table and took her hand. ‘I know I don’t say it often, but you do know I love you, don’t you?’

      ‘Yes, of course,’ she said, returning his smile, ‘although it’s nice to hear it. I love you too.’

      The waiter returned with the large leather-bound menu and set it in front of Russ, open at the dessert page.

      ‘I’ll give you a minute to decide,’ he said, leaving them to study it.

      Russ began reading out the list of delicious desserts: ‘Chocolate fudge cake, banoffee pie, raspberry trifle, apple pie, cheesecake. Hmm.’ Julie smiled. ‘And all served with whipped cream. Are you sure I can’t tempt you?’

      ‘No, I couldn’t possibly. You have one though.’

      Russ felt his phone in the top pocket of his shirt vibrate with an incoming text message, and took it out without taking his eyes from the menu. Then Julie’s phone in her handbag beside her chair also bleeped. He glanced up and putting the menu on the table swiped the screen on his phone. Julie took her phone from her bag. They always checked messages straightaway when they were out in case it was their babysitter with a concern about the children.

      ‘It’s an email from Home Security,’ Russ said. ‘Subject, camera warning.’

      ‘So is mine,’ Julie said, immediately concerned.

      He read out the message as Julie saw the same words on her phone: ‘This is an automated message to alert you to a possible breach of security in your surveillance system. Please log in and check your cameras now. If you have forgotten your password, click on the link below.’

      ‘Do you think there’s something wrong?’ she asked anxiously.

      ‘It could be a camera malfunctioning but we should check as the message says. You know our password?’

      She nodded and with mounting concern logged in.

      Silence as they both viewed the images coming from the cameras in their house, less defined on the small screens of their mobiles compared to the monitor on the wall at home.

      ‘Everything looks all right,’ Russ said enlarging the images one at a time as much as the screen size would allow.

      ‘But where’s Sophie?’ Julie said. ‘I can’t see her in the living room.’

      ‘Making a cup of tea?’ Russ offered. ‘Or in the bathroom, or checking on the children. Don’t worry. I’m sure everything is fine but we’ll phone her to make sure.’

      ‘I’ll phone her mobile,’ Julie said, bringing up her list of contacts. ‘The landline will wake Jack and Phoebe.’

      She pressed for Sophie’s number as Russ continued viewing the images being sent live from their cameras.

      ‘Come on, Sophie, pick up. Where are you?’ Julie said agitatedly as her mobile rang and rang.

      ‘I’ve just spotted her phone on the table in the living room,’ Russ said. ‘It’s probably on silent. Try the landline.’

      Julie cut the call to Sophie’s mobile and pressed their home number. It rang and rang. Panic kicked in. ‘Where the hell is she?’ Then finally it was answered with a quiet, ‘Hello?’

      ‘Sophie. It’s Julie. Is everything all right?’

      ‘Yes. Why?’

      ‘We had a message from the security firm saying there might be something wrong.’

      ‘No, everything is fine here, honestly.’

      ‘You took a long time to answer the phone.’

      ‘I’ve been upstairs checking on the children.’

      ‘Oh, OK. Thanks,’ she said, relieved. ‘And no one has called at the house?’

      ‘No.’

      Julie didn’t want to panic the girl by saying the email had mentioned a possible breach in security. She’d said everything was fine so it was very likely an insect had tripped the system as had happened in the past, but this time the CCTV had triggered an automated email. ‘We won’t be long. We’re just finishing off,’ Julie said.

      ‘OK. No worries. See you later.’

      She said goodbye and returned her phone to her bag. ‘She says everything is all right and she was checking on Jack and Phoebe. I guess it was an error?’

      ‘Maybe,’ Russ said hesitantly, still studying his phone and the image from the camera in their living room. On the floor beside their sofa he’d noticed two empty whisky glasses. Suddenly Sophie and a young man appeared in the living room, dishevelled and tucking in their clothes. He turned the phone to show Julie the screen.

      ‘Who’s that?’ she cried, her hand shooting to her mouth.

      ‘Boyfriend, I guess. She didn’t tell you he was coming?’

      ‘No, of course not!’

      Russ summoned the waiter for the bill as Julie threw on her jacket.

      ‘No dessert or coffee, Sir?’

      ‘No, thank you; just the bill.’

      Russ settled it quickly and they left, with him trying to reassure Julie that the children were safe, but that it made sense to go home straightaway. She didn’t need telling twice.

      Outside, the chill in the autumn air seemed even sharper now and Julie pulled her jacket closer. ‘You’re taking it very well, Russ, but I’m furious with her. I trusted her implicitly. Just wait till I see her!’

      ‘I’m sure Sophie wouldn’t have neglected the children,’ he said, unlocking the car. ‘She’s done what many teenagers do – acted irresponsibly.’ They got in. ‘And to be honest, Jules, if she’d asked us if she could have her boyfriend round we would probably have said yes.’

      ‘Would we?’ Julie snapped the buckle on her seatbelt into place. ‘You might have but I certainly wouldn’t. She’s fourteen, Russ. A minor. I dread to think what her parents will say. They’ll need to know.’

      ‘Let’s see what Sophie has to say first, shall we?’ He started the engine and pulled away. ‘Perhaps they’ve just been sitting there playing Scrabble.’

      ‘It didn’t look like Scrabble to me.’

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