Page 30 of Her Last Walk Home

‘A what?’

Jess wasn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer, but Shannon loved her. She was one of the few friends who had stood by her when she’d gone through all that shit last year. She sipped her Coors Light and dampened down the urge for a hit of something stronger. No, that had broken her family before. She couldn’t go there again.

‘Which of us is he staring at?’ She forced jollity into her tone.

‘Don’t know. He’s kind of all right, if you ask me.’

‘Ididn’task you, and stop staring. You’re encouraging him.’

‘Get down off your high horse, Shannon, and?—’

‘Horse. What? Where?’

‘You’re so mean.’ Jess stared into her near-empty pint glass. ‘Another?’

‘Why not? When we’re out, we’re out.’

He thought the young one behind the bar was kind of cute, but she seemed to have her shit together. Anyhow, she didn’t fall into the prostitute category, nor was she on the list. The two sitting over in the nook were a different story. One pure blonde and pretty as hell. The other a little darker and made up like a kid at Halloween. The target. He got out his phone and tapped into the site just to be sure he was right.

There she was, looking like an A-list film star. Shannie. What sort of a name was that? He tapped into her profile. Twenty-five. Or was her age as fake as her name? Didn’t matter. She was on the list, so that was good enough for him. He was glad he’d picked Fallon’s to check out first. Saved him bar-crawling, looking for her.

He called over the young one who was serving and ordered another Heineken Zero to keep his vigil going. The night might be worth it after all. Then he remembered he’d been told to watch for longer. How much longer? That, he had not been told.

‘That guy at the bar sent these over,’ Chloe said as she placed the drinks on the table in front of the two women.

‘Another cliché,’ Shannon said.

Jess handed Chloe their empties. ‘Tell him thanks a million.’

‘He asked if he can join you.’ Chloe looked dubious.

‘Sure.’ Jess shrugged.

‘No way,’ Shannon said.

‘Personally, I’d decline,’ Chloe said, but still she waited.

‘It’d be a laugh.’ Jess nudged her friend. ‘Go on.’

Shannon leaned forward. ‘Tell him thanks for the drinks, Chloe, but we’re on a girls’ night out.’

Chloe winked and went back to the bar.

‘Spoilsport,’ Jess said.

‘Don’t forget a girl our age was murdered in town last night. That lad up there could have killed her.’

Jess feigned shock. ‘Did you ever think of writing a crime novel? You’ve a great imagination.’

‘Shut up. I don’t like being picked up by strange men.’

‘But you can go out with a stranger from the agency?’

‘They’re vetted. He’s not. He could be… the Yorkshire Ripper for all we know.’

‘Isn’t the Ripper in jail or dead or something?’

‘You know right well what I mean.’ Shannon shoved her phone into her bag. ‘Let’s go somewhere else. I’m not comfortable with him buying us drinks when we don’t even know him.’

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