Michael Wood - The Hangman’s Hold

‘What was she like?’

‘She was lovely. Very warm, welcoming, easy to talk to. She genuinely seemed interested.’

‘That’s brilliant. I love Michelle Obama,’ Adele said. ‘I’ve never met anyone famous. Well, no one alive anyway,’ she said, thinking back to a former soap star she once had on her pathology table.

‘No one alive? What are you, pathologist to the stars?’

‘Something like that.’ She smiled.

‘I bet you have a few stories to tell.’

‘Plenty. And not a single one of them appropriate over dinner,’ she said as the waitress arrived with their first course.

He looked over again at the woman. This time, she gave a hint of a smile and nodded her head at him. It was a knowing smile and he didn’t like it. Then, the penny dropped. Of course, she’d trimmed his hair this morning. Crisis averted.

‘Is this the first time you’ve used a dating website?’ Brian asked once the coffee had arrived at the end of their meal.

‘Yes. I was extremely nervous about it, if I’m honest. I’m not used to putting my life on a website like that. It was strange. We put so much of ourselves on the Internet, don’t we? I dread to think what will come up if I ever google myself.’ She smiled.

Brian googled himself on an almost daily basis. His life was laid bare for everyone to pore over. Fortunately, there wasn’t a recent photograph of him. Besides, who would be looking for him in Sheffield?

‘I know what you mean. Finding seventy-five words to describe yourself is harder than you expect. And I was suddenly very self-conscious about my height,’ he laughed.

‘I had a half-hour debate with my son over my eyes. I think they’re blue; he thinks they’re green.’

Brian leaned forward. ‘They’re definitely blue. A lovely warm blue.’

Adele blushed.

‘So.’ Brian sat back, obviously uncomfortable. ‘Why decide to do it now?’

‘Well, Chris doesn’t need looking after anymore. I’ve got my life back. Unfortunately, the world has changed since I last went on a date. This seems to be the way of doing things now. What about you? Wasn’t there anyone in America?’

‘No. Well, there were a few dates, but never anything long-lasting.’

‘Would you have stayed out there if there had been?’

‘I’m not sure. The longer I was there the more I missed England.’ He paused, ‘I’ve really enjoyed this evening, Adele. You’ve made me laugh for the first time in ages.’

Adele blushed as she smiled. ‘That’s kind of you to say, thank you.’

‘Would you like to meet up again?’

‘Yes. I’d like that.’

The bill arrived, and they agreed to pay half each without any argument. When they left, the temperature had dropped, and Adele shivered. Brian helped her with her coat and they made eye contact. He leaned in and kissed her on the lips. It lingered for a few seconds before Adele pulled away.

‘Sorry,’ he said.

‘No … I just …’

‘That’s OK. I understand. Take things slowly.’

‘Exactly. You don’t mind?’

‘No. Of course not. May I walk you to your car?’

‘I’m getting a taxi home.’

‘I’ll walk you to the taxi rank then.’

They shared another brief kiss at the taxi, and Brian closed the door once Adele was safely inside. As it pulled away from the kerb she turned back and waved. Brian waited until the taxi had turned the corner before he headed for the car park. He took out his mobile and opened up the photos app. He scrolled through the pictures he had taken of Adele standing outside the City Hall before they’d met. She smiled at a passer-by. She looked at her watch. She looked left and right, then left again. She paced. She checked the time once more. There was a reason he was a few minutes late. He couldn’t take his eyes off her.

Adele sat back in the taxi and found she had a silly smile on her face. She had just had the best date of her life. Brian was charming, funny, intelligent, and he didn’t seem to mind that she’d turned away from the kiss when his tongue started to intrude. She took her phone out of her bag and began sending a message.

On my way home. Great night. Brian was lovely.

The reply from her best friend, Matilda Darke, was almost instant.

Is he going home with you?

No he isn’t. I’m not that kind of woman.

You used to be, lol.

I’ve grown up a lot since then.

Will you be seeing him again?

Yes. I liked him a lot.

Any tongue action?

My lips are sealed.

Spoil sport.

We kissed. Twice. No tongue.

Hot! I hope he wore protection, lol.

‘I can’t park on your road, I’m afraid,’ the taxi driver said, interrupting Adele’s text conversation.

‘Sorry?’

‘There’s traffic on both sides and if this sodding Audi behind me gets any closer he’ll be performing a colonoscopy.’

Adele looked out of the back window but could see nothing but the bright headlights. ‘That’s fine. Park around the corner. I can walk.’

The taxi turned left and pulled up in front of a shop. The Audi shot round and drove down the road at speed.

‘Sorry about that, love. Some people shouldn’t be allowed on the road.’

‘Tell me about it,’ she agreed. Most of the people who came into her lab were the result of car-related deaths.

Adele paid the fare and tipped the driver. She turned her back to the taxi, buttoned her coat up to the neck against the stiff March breeze and headed for home.

Traffic wasn’t usually so bad on her street. There were cars parked bumper-to-bumper on both sides. Somebody must be having a party.

As she walked down the poorly lit road she checked her phone, the brightness lighting up her face. It was just after eleven o’clock, not too late then.

It was a quiet night, and a cold one. The stars were shining in their billions as Adele looked to the pitch-black sky. There wasn’t a cloud visible. She shivered and pulled the collar up on her designer coat. A dog barked somewhere. Its resounding call set off a chain – a cat meowed, another dog barked, an owl hooted.

Adele stopped dead in her tracks and looked about her. She couldn’t make up her mind if she had heard something or if it was her imagination. The loud clacking from her shoes echoed as she took long strides to the safety of her house. For some reason, she wanted to get home, quickly, and lock the door behind her.

As Adele reached her front door the security light came on. She realized her house keys were buried somewhere in her handbag. She grabbed for the keys and struggled to find the Yale to unlock the door. Her fingers were cold and shaking. She pushed it open and almost fell into the house, slamming it closed behind her. She put the safety chain on, locked the top and bottom bolts and came to rest with her back against the solid wood.

‘Chris?’ she called out to the dark, silent house. ‘Chris, are you home?’

She kicked off her expensive but painful shoes and sighed with relief. She headed for the kitchen when a dull thud from the living room caused her to stop in her tracks. There was someone in her house. If Chris was home, he would have made himself known by now.

She turned and studied the door. Her eyes were locked on the handle, as if waiting for it to be pushed down from the other side. She grabbed it, slowly depressed it, and opened the door carefully.

Adele opened it wide enough to put her arm through and flick on the living room light. The yellow glow made her squint. She listened intently but couldn’t hear anything from the other side of the door. She pushed it fully open and froze in horror.

‘Who the bloody hell are you?’ she asked.