The Camera Man Read online

  She pulls on my hand again, and this time I have no choice but to get to my feet. I'm still not remotely ready to go back to my apartment, but sometimes Chrissie can be a force of nature and I've never had much luck standing up to her in the past. Even now, as I try to think of some way to make her see my point of view, she's starting to lead me back into the house, and I know she's going to want to pack up the things in my room.

  “Hey Mrs. Cassidy,” she says as we pass Mum, “I'm taking Jess back to her apartment today.”

  Mum looks startled. “You are?”

  “Of course. Her ordeal is over now.”

  “I'm still not sure,” I tell Mum as I'm led past her. “Just give me a few minutes.”

  “If you wait, you'll change your mind,” Chrissie announces.

  “I haven't made up my mind in the first place,” I point out, but we're already in the hallway and now she's leading me up the stairs. “Chrissie, please, can't I just take a little longer to get my head sorted? It's been less than twenty-four hours since I was almost killed!”

  “Exactly. How long do you want to spend sitting around, thinking about everything that could have happened?”

  “But I -”

  “I'm doing this because I'm your friend,” she continues as she leads me all the way up to the landing. “There's no point sitting on your ass, thinking about all the bad things that've happened. You clearly had a tough time while I was out of the picture, Jess, but you can thank your lucky stars that I'm back now.”

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?” Mum calls up after us.

  “It's the best idea in the world,” Chrissie says firmly, already marching me straight into my room. Letting go of my hand, she quickly grabs my suitcase and sets it on the bed, before pulling it open and heading to the chest of drawers. “Trust me, Jess,” she adds with a faint smile. “This is the best thing that's ever going to happen to you.”

  Chapter Forty

  “Just chill,” Chrissie says as we stand in the elevator and wait to reach my floor. “I'll be there in thirty minutes, and then we can chillax the whole evening through.”

  “Sure,” I reply, even though I was kind of hoping for a little time alone. “I understand if you're busy, though.”

  “As if!”

  She nudges my arm.

  “We're gonna have a proper girls' night,” she continues. “How long has it been since we really hung out? I've missed you!”

  “I missed you too.”

  “And look what happened last time I left you alone,” she adds with a laugh. “You went crazy again and damn near ended up being murdered by some pervy photographer.”

  To be honest, although I appreciate Chrissie's attention, I really wouldn't mind one night to just hang out by myself. As I take a deep breath and look up at the CCTV camera in the elevator, I try to think of some way to gently get out of this evening's company without sounding ungrateful. I'm exhausted, and when I look down at my suitcase I can't help wishing that I'd been able to spend just a day or two longer at home with my parents.

  Then again, maybe Chrissie's right.

  Maybe I need some tough love.

  Suddenly the elevator comes to a halt. I reach down and pick up my suitcase, just as the door slides open. Stepping out into the corridor, I'm about to start rooting in my pocket for my key, when I spot a familiar figure over by the door to my apartment.

  “Hey,” I say cautiously. “What are you doing here?”

  “Can we talk?” Julio replies, and it's clear that something's troubling him. “I just -”

  “Jess can't talk to anyone right now,” Chrissie says, sounding a little defensive. “She's been through a terrible ordeal and she needs some time to herself.”

  “It's important,” Julio continues, stepping toward me. “I've been trying to contact you for a while, but I could never get through. I need -”

  “Hey, buddy,” Chrissie says firmly, slipping past me and placing a hand against Julio's chest, “did nobody ever tell you that it's rude to force yourself on a lady?”

  “I just want to talk to her!”

  “It's okay,” I stammer, “Chrissie, I know him.”

  “That's not the point,” she continues, keeping herself in the way so that Julio can't reach me. “I don't know who you are, pal, but my friend has been through hell lately. The last thing she needs is another random jerk insisting that he knows what's best for her. My advice to you would be to leave before I end up calling the cops, because I promise you they won't take kindly to this harassment.”

  “I'm not harassing anyone!” he replies, before trying again to get past her and reach me. “It's about that night in the office building. Listen, some strange things have been happening over there lately and I think they're linked to whatever's been going on with you.”

  “That's enough,” Chrissie says with a sigh.

  “And you were there,” he adds, turning to her. “The other night. Somebody broke in, I only got a glimpse but -”

  “Okay, you're out of here!” she hisses, grabbing his arm and pulling him away from me. Before he can even resist, she's managed to shove him into the elevator, and then she presses the button for the ground floor and steps back. Crossing her arms, she waits for the door to slide shut. “Don't make this any harder than it is already,” she says firmly, clearly trying to block his exit. “Jess has had enough of crazy men, and I will do whatever it takes to keep my friend safe!”

  “But -”

  “Whatever it takes!”

  At that moment, the door slides shut, hiding Julio's startled face. A moment later, the mechanism begins to whir as the chamber descends.

  “Can you believe that guy?” Chrissie says, turning to me. “What's wrong with some people? It's like he thought he could push his way right into your life without even being invited!”

  ***

  “Just like the good old days, huh?” Chrissie mutters as she sets a bowl of pasta on the table in front of me. “Remember when I used to cook in that shared house we had? Well, let me tell you, my cooking skills have not improved!”

  “It looks great,” I reply, even though I have absolutely no appetite whatsoever. “Thank you.”

  “Let me just grab mine,” she adds, heading back over to the kitchen area. “Doesn't this feel good, Jess? You and me, back together again. I've missed you.”

  “I missed you too,” I whisper, staring down at the food for a moment longer before looking out across the apartment.

  I have to admit, it's weird to be back. Six months have passed since the day I packed for the wedding and went out the front door, and a lot has happened in that time. To be honest, I never really expected to come back here at all, even though my tenancy agreement has another eighteen months to run. I thought this place was part of my old life, and that I'd leave it all behind. Even now, as I turn and look out the window, and as I see the office tower opposite, I can't shake the feeling that somehow I don't belong here anymore.

  The office tower's windows stare back at me. There are so many of them, each dark and rectangular. Now that the sun is setting, the earlier warm glow has faded and it's almost as if I'm staring at scores of identical, rigid eyes. For a few seconds, I can't quite find the strength to look away, but finally I turn to my food again.

  And then I hear a faint bump nearby.

  I look over at the doorway, and a shudder passes through my chest as I see that Chrissie is holding a camera in front of her face.

  “What are you doing?” I stammer.

  She laughs, and I hear a click, followed by a whirring sound, and then she lowers the camera.

  “I just wanted to get a shot of you,” she explains. “You looked so helpless and alone over there, it was like you were some kind of confused little puppy.”

  “Why did you take a photo?” I ask.

  “I told you, just to capture the moment.”

  She sets the camera on the table in front of me, before heading around and taking her seat. Not only does she
have a bowl of pasta; she's also brought through a glass of wine.

  “Why?” she continues. “What's the big deal?”

  Unable to stop myself, I reach out and turn the camera around, until the lens is pointing away from me.

  “Are okay?” Chrissie asks.

  “I'm fine.”

  “Because you're acting really weird right now,” she continues. “Come on, loosen up. Are you sure you don't want a glass of wine?”

  I shake my head, but I can't help looking at the camera again. In all honesty, I don't remember the last time Chrissie took a photo of me.

  “I was thinking I'd stay over tonight,” she says after a moment. “Just to kind of settle you in.”

  “You really don't have to do that,” I reply, unable to keep the tension from my voice.

  “Come on, relax,” she continues. “It's no bother, and it means I can drink without worrying about driving. Besides, don't you think it'll be fun?”

  “I just think -”

  “Yeah, of course it will be!” She takes a sip of wine before getting stuck into her food. “Girls' night in, huh?”

  I want to tell her that I'm happy on my own, but at the last moment my gaze is drawn back to the camera. While the lens is aimed away from me, I can't help feeling a little creeped out by the fact that – after everything that has happened – Chrissie was watching me from the doorway. Then again, I guess there's a real danger that I'm becoming paranoid, so I quickly remind myself that I'm often wrong about these things. I'll just have to accept that Chrissie is here, and try to be grateful that I have such a good friend.

  So long as she doesn't keep pointing cameras at me, I'll be fine.

  Chapter Forty-One

  “No, don't!”

  Sitting up suddenly, I find that I'm safely in my bed. I look around the dark room, but there's no sign of anyone else, and already the nightmare is fading. I think I was trapped in a dream, and Patrick Duggan was coming after me, but I quickly force myself to remember that it was just a dream. Still, my heart is pounding and I'm covered in sweat, and when I look at my phone I find that it's only 1:48am.

  I've only been in bed for half an hour.

  After climbing out and heading to the door, I stop for a moment and listen to the sound of the apartment. Chrissie said she was going to stay up for a little while, but there's no sign of her now and I guess she's finally crashed on my sofa. Still, I hesitate for a few more seconds before stepping out into the hallway and looking through toward the front room. Sure enough, Chrissie is on the sofa, on her side and seemingly fast asleep. The lights are all off, and dirty bowls and glasses have been left on the dining table, but at least the apartment is peaceful.

  I turn to head back to my room, but at the last moment I spot something moving beyond the window.

  Looking over toward the empty office block, I'm startled to see that there's a figure standing in the only lit window. He's waving at me frantically, and I realize after a few more seconds that it must be Julio.

  ***

  “What are you doing?” I ask, zipping my coat shut as I step out of the front door and into the cold, windy night air. “Are you crazy?”

  “I was trying to get your attention,” he replies, hurrying toward me. “I tried earlier, but that friend of yours was always getting in the way. I know it was desperate, but I couldn't think of any other way, so I waited in the hope that you'd come back to your window and see me.”

  “I shouldn't be out here,” I tell him, shivering as another gust of wind blows across the forecourt. “What exactly do you want?”

  “Your friend wouldn't let me talk to you earlier,” he continues, “but this is really important. Jess, I was completely wrong before. When I said nobody had ever been able to get into the empty office block, I was missing some very obvious signs.”

  “You think someone has been in there?”

  “I know it!”

  “None of this has anything to do with me,” I reply with a sigh. “I guess you don't know, but I've been through a lot lately. Please, leave me out of this.”

  I turn to walk away, but suddenly he grabs my arm.

  “It's the cameras,” he says firmly.

  I glance back at him.

  “What about them?” I ask cautiously.

  “Someone has rewired the old security system in the building,” he continues. “The cameras are moving again, as if someone wants to be able to operate them. But the weirdest part is, they're not actually hooked up to anything, so no-one can be watching through them. It's almost like...”

  “Like what?” I ask, feeling a shudder pass through my chest.

  “It's almost like they've got a life of their own.”

  “That's not possible,” I point out. “You're just getting spooked by something that doesn't actually matter.”

  “That's what I kept telling myself,” he continues, “but then I noticed something even weirder. It's not all the cameras that have come to life, it's only the ones on this side of the building.” He hesitates, before turning to look up at the office tower's dark facade. “And they're all aimed through the windows,” he adds, “toward the same spot.”

  Just as I'm about to ask what spot he's talking about, I realize there's only one possible answer. I look up at the building, and then I look up at my apartment block. My window is high up there, with no lights on at the moment.

  “Jess,” Julio says after a moment, “those cameras are watching you.”

  “That's absurd,” I point out, turning to him.

  “I know, but it's true.”

  “You said it yourself,” I continue, “they're not even hooked up to anything.”

  “They're not.”

  “So nobody's watching a video feed from them.”

  “Definitely not. I'd have found the signal.”

  “And nobody's recording what they see.”

  He shakes his head.

  “So there's literally no point in having them aimed at anything,” I continue. “Who's going to see what they see?”

  “I know it sounds nuts,” he replies, “and I don't blame you for having a hard time believing all of this. But the other night, I spotted someone sneaking about in the building. I tried to catch them, but they ran.”

  “So you had an intruder. So what?”

  “I got a glimpse of this intruder as she got away,” he adds. “Jess, I don't mean to scare you, but it was your friend. It was the woman you were with earlier tonight.”

  “Chrissie?”

  “I don't know her name, but I think she's trespassed in the building a couple of times over the past few days. Maybe even before that.”

  “I think there must have been some kind of mistake,” I tell him. “I know Chrissie, and she's not the kind of person who'd ever do anything like that.”

  “Maybe you don't know her as well as you thought.”

  Another gust of wind blows across the forecourt, and for a moment I can't help thinking that this entire situation is insane. I'm outside at two in the morning, talking to a man I barely know, and he's trying to convince me that one of my best friends in the whole world has been breaking into an abandoned office building. I guess Julio doesn't realize, but some of the things he's saying are feeding directly into my fears. I have to stay strong and keep from letting paranoia run rampant.

  “I should go inside,” I tell him. “It's late and -”

  “Something isn't right here,” he says, interrupting me. “Why has your friend been going in and out of your apartment, while you've been gone?”

  “Of course she hasn't,” I reply.

  “I've seen her.”

  “You must be mistaken.”

  “Something's going on with the cameras,” he continues, “and I'm going to find out what. Maybe you don't want to admit to any of this yet, but eventually you'll see that I'm right.” He jabs one of his thumbs against his chest. “Nobody sneaks past me and gets into a building I'm supposed to be watching! Nobody! This is a matter of great p
ersonal pride, and I promise you that I'll get to the bottom of whatever's going on.”

  “Please -”

  “And if you're involved,” he adds, starting to sound angry now, “then I'd strongly advise you to step back. Because I will make sure that charges are pressed against anyone who has committed a criminal act.”

  “I'm going back inside,” I tell him, holding my hands up. “I can't deal with this right now, but I wish you luck. If somebody's been messing with your building, I'm sure you'll catch them, but it's not me and it's not my friend.”

  With that, I turn and head inside, and thankfully he doesn't come after me. I'm already starting to think that it was dumb of me to come and talk to him in the middle of the night, but once I'm in the lobby I lean back against a wall and try to get my thoughts together. Some of the things Julio mentioned seemed to cut a little too close to the bone, but I just have to focus on my recovery. Julio's theories are a coincidence, and nothing more. Chrissie told me this is the start of the rest of my life, and I think she's right.

  I should listen to Chrissie more.

  And then two minutes later, as I sneak back into the apartment, I realize I can hear her whispering to herself in the front room.

  Chapter Forty-Two

  I can't quite make out what she's saying.

  As I reach the door that leads through from the hallway, I peer into the next room and see that Chrissie's no longer on the sofa. I can hear her voice whispering frantically, so I lean a little further around the corner until finally I spot her in the far corner, down on her haunches and facing the corner. The lights are all off, but a patch of moonlight has fallen across her rounded back and she seems to be shivering slightly.

  I wait for a couple of minutes, trying to pick out a few words, but her voice is too low.

  Finally, even though I know she'll probably hear me, I creep into the room and head over to the sofa.

  “Does it count when she's sleeping?” I hear her whisper, followed by a pause.

  A long pause.