Lisa Stone - Stalker

Paul nodded disinterestedly as he checked his phone. He’d heard similar before from Derek. Derek turned slightly towards him in his seat and Paul knew what was coming next: a description of the job they were about to do. Derek often repeated himself as if no one else grasped anything first time, which Paul supposed came from living with his mother who was old.

‘So we’re going to install two cameras today – one at the end of that alley over there that runs alongside the nightclub.’ He pointed.

‘Where Kev was stabbed,’ Paul said.

‘Yes. And the second camera at the rear of the premises. It’s straightforward. They’ve also asked me to check if any additional cameras are needed inside, but I think they’re well covered. Ready then, lad? Phone off or on silent. I know it’s not a private home but the same rules apply.’

‘Of course,’ Paul said amicably, switching his phone to silent and sliding it into the pocket of his jeans. ‘Are you leaving the van here? It’s on a yellow line.’

‘I know,’ Derek said, irritated, ‘but there aren’t any parking bays free and we’re trade so I can leave it here while we unload.’

‘The last time you did that you got ticketed,’ Paul reminded him with a smirk.

‘And if you remember it was rescinded on appeal. They need to train their traffic wardens better.’ His hand was on the door ready to get out when his phone vibrated with an incoming call. He checked to see who the caller was and pressed to accept the call. ‘I won’t be a minute, lad,’ he said to Paul. Then, ‘Good morning, Mr Williams.’

‘Is that Derek Flint?’

‘Yes. How are you and Mrs Williams?’

‘Well, thank you. I’m sorry to trouble you but my wife and I both received email alerts to our phones yesterday evening about a breach of security.’

‘Yes, I know.’

‘You do?’

‘A copy of any alert comes to me. I saw it this morning.’

‘OK. So do you know why it was sent? We’ve been through the tape twice but can’t see any reason. We were out at the time and the message gave us quite a shock. We went straight home.’

‘There was no need to do that,’ Derek said. ‘The advantage of being able to access your cameras online is that you can check all is well from a distance without the need to dash home. I’m sorry, I should have made that clear.’

There was a short silence. ‘Our babysitter was here looking after the children so we thought it best to return. But we’re puzzled as to what could have tripped the system.’

‘I see.’ Derek pondered. So he wasn’t going to share what he’d seen when he’d logged in. ‘Mr Williams, I remember you said you trusted your babysitter implicitly but to be honest the most likely cause for the email alert was that the system was interfered with, assuming your house wasn’t broken into. Do you think your sitter might have tried to turn off one of the cameras without the correct password?’

‘She says she didn’t touch anything.’

‘In that case the internal camera could have been triggered. It has an in-built motion detector. If there was a lot of movement in the living room, for example, by someone dancing or jumping maybe, it could have triggered the alert.’

‘Oh. Yes, that could have been it.’

‘These cameras are very sensitive; they’re meant to be. But if it happens again give me a call and I’ll come and check. I can adjust it if necessary, although given what happened to you before you had the cameras I would think you want everything working as it should be.’

‘Yes, of course. Well, thank you. I’ll tell my wife.’

‘You’re welcome. Was there anything else?’

‘No, that’s it. Goodbye then.’

‘Goodbye, Mr Williams.’ Derek returned the phone to his jacket pocket as Paul looked at him questioningly. ‘Nothing for you to worry about, lad. Now come on, out you get, there’s work to be done.’

‘They haven’t caught the geezer who stabbed Kev the bouncer,’ Paul said half an hour later as Derek came down from the ladder they’d propped against the side of the club.

‘Apparently not.’

‘I read in the paper they are still appealing for witnesses which means they haven’t a clue,’ Paul said.

‘It would have been a different matter if they’d had one of these installed in the alley,’ Derek said, taking the new camera from its box. He’d marked the position where the camera had to be and now passed it to Paul. ‘You know what to do. So no more talking. Concentrate on the job and remember you’re at the top of a ladder so don’t step back.’

Paul didn’t laugh. It wasn’t as ludicrous as it sounded. It was easy to forget you were at the top of a ladder when you were concentrating hard. He’d forgotten once and had taken his foot off the ladder and been about to step back when Derek had shouted. The ladder would have toppled for sure had Derek not been holding it. A lesson well learnt and not the only one, although Derek didn’t know about those.

With the drill in one hand and everything else he needed in the tool belt around his waist, Paul went up the ladder. All that could be heard for some moments was the sound of the powerful cordless electric drill boring into the brick; red brick dust plumed out before dispersing into the air. Holes drilled, Paul screwed the mount into place and then returned down the ladder for the camera.

‘Don’t drop it,’ Derek said passing it to him, ‘or you’ll owe me for sure.’

Paul gave a tight smile at his not-funny joke and carefully carried the camera up the ladder. As he worked overhead Derek allowed his gaze to wander down the alleyway. It was light enough now to see to the end but come night it would be pitch-black, and there were plenty of places for a would-be attacker to hide in wait for their victim. He doubted the attacker would ever be caught unless he was known to the victim.

The new camera in place, Paul came down the ladder.

‘Now round the back of the club,’ Derek said.

A very basic six-foot wooden gate secured by a single bolt was all that separated the alleyway from the rear of the club. It was possible Kevin’s attacker had come through here and been hiding behind the club and not in the alleyway at all, Derek thought, and wondered if the police had considered it. Not that it was likely to add much to their enquiry as there hadn’t been a camera here either. The club owner’s original reason for installing CCTV had been to identify clubbers causing trouble inside and on their way out.

By three o’clock the two new cameras had been wired into the system and Derek and Paul were in the club’s office with the manager as he viewed them on his desktop monitor. Satisfied all was well and the manager was happy, Derek thanked him for his custom and, leaving his business card, said goodbye.

Once in the van they both spent a few moments checking their phones.

‘Three missed calls from Mr Osman and a voicemail message,’ Derek said out loud, concerned. ‘I wonder what he wants?’ He pressed to retrieve the voicemail message. As he listened his face paled. ‘Their shop’s been broken into again.’

‘The newsagents?’ Paul asked. Derek nodded. ‘But we’ve only just fitted the new camera.’

‘I know that, lad,’ Derek said tersely.

‘How did they get in?’

‘He didn’t say, but he’s upset and blaming me. We’re going there now.’

Unsettled, Derek returned his phone to his jacket pocket and pulled away from the club. Remembering the location of the Osman’s shop from his previous visit he made a series of left and right turns, using the back roads; his expression one of grim determination as he concentrated on the road ahead.

‘You know the area well,’ Paul remarked. ‘All these shortcuts.’