The Divorce Club by Jayde Scott Page B

comedian? Don't you
read the papers? You know they won't do a thing."
    "But they're professionals. I bet they won't
even let anyone cross the street to your house without raising
alert and sending in a special security team."
    "I doubt that," I say. "But they'll make sure
no one crosses the yellow tape on their crime scene once I'm
dead."
    His arm almost brushing mine, the shop
assistant inches even closer as though we're best chums and
chatting about some Hollywood star. "Do you have any idea who it
could be?"
    I'm beginning to think he's more interested
in the gossipy factor of the situation than in my safety. "The
postman's been ringing a few times too many." I smirk. "Actually,
I'm clueless, which makes this even harder because I've no idea
what he'll do next or when he'll strike."
    "Could be a 'she'." He holds up his hands.
"I'm just saying, don't shoot the messenger."
    My mouth drops open. I must admit I didn't
consider that alternative. "You've just helped me widen my suspect
options."
    "Check your Facebook account. That's where
stalkers usually strike first." He cocks his brows knowingly.
    Never been a fan of wasting my time on
Facebook, but I nod nonetheless and point at what looks like a huge
intercom on the wall. "Now, that's fancy."
    He winks. "Eye-catching, huh?"
    "Is that something I should get?"
    "Our MSX 2000 Pro? Good choice," he says. "It
works straight out of the box. Just attach the sucking cups to the
windows, plug it into the telephone socket, call your landline
provider to activate the line, and you're ready to go. In the case
of a break-in, the alarms will wake up the whole street and
automatically summon the police."
    Impressed, I turn over the box and feel the
color drain from my cheeks. This miraculous device costs a few
hundred. Asking Jamie to pop over's cheaper. And so is getting a
Rottweiler.
    "Bleed me dry. Do you have anything that's
not so costly ?" I ask.
    "Here's something more in your price range."
He doesn't even blink as he moves to the next box. "This is the MSX
2000 Basic . It doesn't call the police for you. You'll have
to get two though if you want to cover the windows upstairs."
    "Why would I do that?"
    He smiles at me as though I'm dense. "Some
intruders use ladders to climb walls."
    Now, he's making me even more paranoid. It
still costs two hundred, so I put the box back in its place. "Let's
assume he won't do that because he's afraid of heights or breaking
his back in the process, what else do you suggest I use to secure
the doors?"
    Shaking his head lightly, he reaches under
the counter and retrieves a metal wedge the size of my hand. "This
will block every door from inside. Just squeeze it underneath. It's
only a fiver."
    I'm intrigued. Could I find it cheaper on eBay ? "Only a fiver? Are you sure it works?"
    He's back in his element now. "Come on, I'll
show you." He places the wedge in front of the shop door and pulls
the handle. The door moves an inch or two, not more.
    "Let me try." I yank with all my might, but
the door doesn't budge. "I'll take it."
    He retrieves two boxes. "You might want two.
One for downstairs and one for the bedroom."
    "Make it three." I'm thinking of Sam's door,
although explaining the need for something like this might prove a
difficult task. Then again, what if she uses it to barricade
herself inside and smoke cigarettes or worse? The frightening
fiasco of a fire burning down the house pops into my head, making
me shudder. "No, wait! I only need two."
    "You might want these as well." He tosses a
few small parcels on the counter and opens one. "This is a window
alarm system. You attach the magnetic strip to the wall and the
tiny piece here to the window just half an inch away from each
other. If someone opens the window, it will trigger the alarm.
They're only three quid each."
    "That's a bargain." I can't resist a bargain
and am already counting all the windows I have. "Make it five."
    "I suggest you get the ones with the remote
control. They cost