Pursued

Kevin’s fingers flew over the keys, just like a maestro belting out on his piano to the delight of his listeners. Well, it appeared exactly so, except his piano was a computer and his tunes the clackety clack of his keyboard. Oliver had left immediately after the girl and told him to contact him as soon as he had the information that he wanted. And Kevin was almost there, in fact, he would have it in a few seconds, ‘Oh, my God!’ he whistled under his breath.   

“I was dealing with a particularly annoying customer two days ago,” she began breathlessly, gaunt with fear. “And I felt bad for the man waiting behind. I tried to make his coffee special. Well, I do latte art, so I made a smiley on it. He didn’t show very many signs of appreciation, which I am used to. But when I went to clear his table I saw he had left a note there with his name and address on it, asking me to meet him that night at 9. That evening when I was walking out of the café after my shift, I saw him standing there. He didn’t utter a word, just started following me.

“I was scared. The street was empty. Suddenly I heard a cab rattling towards me; I waved wildly at it and scrambled into it as soon as it stopped. When I turned around, I could see him just standing there. Later that night, when I went to close the window, I saw him. He was standing under the street light on the other side of the road. I was terrified. I didn’t know what to do. I double checked all my windows and doors to ensure that they were locked. I couldn’t sleep. When at around 6 o’clock I finally gave up trying to rest, I looked out again and he was gone. That’s when I rushed here,” the girl ended on a stifled note of desperation.

Detective Oliver James asked her to give him the piece of paper that had the name and address and then put her in a cab that would take her parents’ house. Once they had brought him in, she would have to come back to identify her stalker. They reached his building and went in. When no one opened the door despite persistent knocking, Oliver motioned to the others to break it down. As the constables put their weight against the door, his mobile began to ring. It was Kevin, “Oliver, you won’t believe what I have found.” The banging was very loud. “Kevin, I can’t hear you, we are trying to break open the door.” The wood groaned, splintered and finally gave way. But when the squad broke through, the room was... empty. Not just empty, it was bare. No signs at all that someone lived there, had ever lived there. “No, that’s what I am saying,” Kevin’s voice echoed down wire. “There is no one there. No one with this name exists.”