The One You Love (39 page)

She could understand that.

‘It’s Lizzy, isn’t it?’ the man said.

Lizzy stiffened. ‘How do you…’

‘It’s okay,’ he interrupted. ‘Don’t be alarmed. I know it looks weird, but I only want a quick chat. I thought the bus ride would be the perfect opportunity.’

Now Lizzy was angry. She recognised the voice. ‘Adrian Spencer. It’s you, isn’t it?’

‘Yes,’ he said, proffering a hand. ‘Adrian Spencer, London Daily Post.’

Lizzy wanted to push past him and sit somewhere else. For the past three weeks, this guy had been calling her, asking for an interview. He was writing a feature article about the events surrounding Dan’s kidnap. Lizzy, like Emma and the others, had refused his increasingly persistent advances. ‘You’ve got some nerve.’

He shrugged. ‘You have to, in my job.’

‘Well, it’s not a job I’d want to do, harassing people who have been through terrible events and are just trying to get on with their lives.’

‘Steady on,’ he said. ‘Harassment is a bit strong a word.’

‘You think so? Well, where I come from, what you’ve been doing – calling me, Emma, Will, Dan, Richard, Edward, numerous times, not taking no for an answer, and now pestering me on my way to work – is definitely harassment. And if you don’t stop it, I
will
call the police, you understand?’

‘Okay, I appreciate that you could see it in that way, but I just want to get the story straight. I’ll be writing the article whether I speak to you or not, so surely it’s better for you to get your side of the story straight. You wouldn’t want to be misrepresented, would you?’

Lizzy bristled. ‘Don’t threaten me.’

He laughed that off. ‘Now, come on, I’m not threatening anyone. It’s just a fact. My editor wants to run this story, the readers want to read about it, so it is going to happen. How it happens is up to you, in many ways.’

‘Okay,’ Lizzy said, ‘I’ll give you a quote.’

‘Great, let me just get my recorder.’ He delved into his pocket and brought out the digital recording device, pressing the record button as he held it between them. ‘Feel free to go ahead.’

‘Get lost!’

Adrian Spencer’s face creased and he lowered the device. ‘I can see that now isn’t a good time.’

‘Let me get this straight,’ Lizzy said. ‘It will never be a good time. You won’t get anything from me.’

‘Not even for a fee?’

Lizzy laughed. ‘You must be desperate, if you’re starting to offer money. The answer’s no, not for any amount. You understand?’

‘I still don’t see why you’re so hostile about this.’

She shook her head. This man just didn’t get it. ‘Because, as I’ve explained to you several times over the phone, what happened to us isn’t entertainment. We’re all still coming to terms with what happened, it’s extremely difficult and stressful, and we don’t want our lives served up in your crappy little newspaper just to satisfy people’s curiosity.’

‘Can I quote you on that?’

‘Screw you. Now, please, move.’ They were still some way from her stop, but she decided it was time to leave. She would gladly walk the extra minutes to get away from this creep.

He stood up to let her pass, but as she disembarked he followed her off the bus.

‘Leave me alone,’ she shouted, as the bus pulled away. ‘Don’t you understand English?’

‘Sure, I’ll leave you alone,’ he said. ‘But there’s one last thing before I go.’

‘I don’t want to hear it.’ Lizzy started walking away.

‘I think you do,’ he shouted after her. ‘I know about the secret. I know all about what Peter Myers told you.’

Lizzy stopped and turned around.

***

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