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‘You heard that part?’
‘Yeah. I came in just as the argument got to the loser/imaginary girlfriend part, and you started shouting.’
‘And you’re saying it’s a real girlfriend?’
‘So I’m led to believe.’
‘Who?’ Mary said.
‘Tiffany Morse.’
‘Did he tell you?’
Ryan nodded. ‘He did.’
Mary smiled. ‘I remember her from pre-school. It’s weird, but they kind of had a connection even back then. I remember talking to Alana, her mom, about it. They were sitting together in the school yard one winter day, making a snowman.’
‘Well, apparently they’re dating now.’
‘Didn’t she date Forkie, a while back?’
Ryan shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’
‘Well, she’s lovely. I hope she doesn’t break his heart.’
‘Maybe he’ll break hers.’
Mary caught his eye. ‘I’m not sure that’s the way it goes at this age.’ She sat up. ‘Anyway, I’m going to the store.’
You see it all in the supermarket in a small town. Who’s buying junk food; who’s organic. Who’s buying expensive red wine for the guests and a bottle of cheap vodka for the back of the kitchen cupboard; who’s in the pharmacy aisle buying vitamins and who’s buying condoms or Plan B.
On this trip, though, Mary wasn’t paying much attention to other people. She was preoccupied with who might be watching her, who might be at the end of every aisle she went down, who might be timing their exit to match hers.
Would it be someone she knew? Carl, maybe? He would be easy to spot, but then so what if she saw him? He lived in Barrow and had as much right as she did to be in the supermarket. If it was someone new to her that would be much harder.
She paused by the milk and eggs, her stomach cramping. Was this how it was going to be from now on? Walking through the supermarket, peering round corners to see if she was being stalked?
She told herself no. It had to end; this was no way to live her life. But how? How could she end it?
She took a deep breath. Her cart was nearly full; it was time to leave. Nobody was following her. And if she wanted to be sure, she could always wait in the car for a few minutes, take a longer route home, see if any car took it with her.
She told herself no again. She was going to drive home the quickest way, the way she always did.
Because there was no reason not to.
Other than the notes. What about them? What about the threat?
She wanted to scream, to fill her head with noise to drown out the thoughts whirring and whirring without cease, the thoughts that wouldn’t go away, that wouldn’t leave her alone.
She pushed the cart towards the checkout, turning into the wine and beer aisle, and froze.
Sally’s supposed boyfriend Dylan was there, a bottle of coffee brandy in his hand.
That was bad enough, seeing as he was at least four years too young to buy it.
What was even more shocking was who he was with. She certainly looked twenty-one, her platinum blonde hair barely covering the tattoo that spread around her neck. She was tall, long legs bare beneath a short denim skirt.
A sister, maybe? But Mary was sure Sally had told her he was an only child, although he was hardly the most reliable person, so whatever he had told her was questionable at best.
