Rachel’s mother reminds her to keep the door key gripped in her hand, in between her knuckles, before she heads out the door for her evening run. Rachel reassures her mother that she is fine.

He thinks about what she will be wearing. Hopefully those tight light-coloured leggings and that sheer white top where he can see her sports bra underneath. She wore it last Tuesday. He pulls on his coat, heads out the back door and makes his way towards the riverbank.

Rachel loves the solitude of her runs. Running along the banks of the river, watching the sun as it lowers its intensity for a day that is nearly done, enjoying the unspoken exchange with her fellow runners as they enjoy the same.

He recognises her coming in the distance along her usual route. What is she wearing? Looks like a red hoodie. As she’s approaching, he notices something fall from the pocket. She clearly hasn’t noticed as she paces past him. It’s her phone. He picks it up and hits the home button. The screen saver is a photo of her and her boyfriend Eddie. He needs to make a decision. “Rachel”, he shouts after her.

Is someone calling her? She takes a quick glance back and stops when she realises that the guy, she has just past, is holding up what looks like her phone. Checking her pocket and realising that hers is missing, she jogs back towards him. “Thanks for that, must have slipped out. How do you know my name?”

Think man, think. “I just saw a name pop up on your home screen, so I said I’d try that.” He sees the doubt cross her furrowed brows, so he makes his escape before she queries him further. He continues his way leaving Rachel completely dumbfounded by the lie.

Rachel secures her phone in the pocket and sets off at a gently pace. She takes a quick glance back. He’s stopped along the path, his body turned towards the water, but his head turned in her direction. He’s looking at her. She turns back on track and picks up the pace.

At her new increased pace, she should be at her house in less than 20 minutes. He watches the red hood bounces with the long strides she takes.

…

“Nan, you really should have just called me at school. I would have gotten the caretaker to help fix the leak. It would have saved us clearing up this mess.” Rachel takes a towel and squeezes the excess water into the bucket that has been placed under the drip from the ceiling. “Oh love, I didn’t want to be bothering you at work and sure by luck had it, I bumped into a plumber when I called into O’Leary’s. He’s upstairs sorting it out now.” And Rachel sees the relief in her Nan, knowing that she could handle the bathroom leak fiasco without having to bother her. Rachel makes a mental note to thank the plumber when she’s finishing clearing up the water.

There’s someone running up the stairs. Too fast and sprightly to be the old woman. It must be her. When she comes to the frame of the door, she stops short. He flashes his best smile at her from his grouched position down by the shower tray. “Hello again.”

Rachel’s feels herself stiffen. It’s the stranger who knows her name. He’s smiling with an air of familiarity like two friends bumping into each other on the street. He’s not her friend though and she doesn’t feel a warmth in his smile. All she can see are his teeth, stained and overcrowded in his mouth. “You’re the plumber?” 

“The old woman is your granny? Small world. I am just finishing up here and I’ll be out of your way soon. You’ll want to get your run in before it gets dark, I’m sure. The evenings are closing in”.

Rachel’s holds her breath at the sight of the hammer he’s putting back into his toolbox when he turns to eye her from bottom to top. Examining what’s she wearing. Rachel pulls her cardigan across her chest and makes her excuses to leave. She waits in the sitting room as her grandmother settles the bill.

“Don’t hesitate to give me a call now if it starts to leak again Mrs. Nolan.” As the old woman is rooting around in her purse, he scans the hall to see if he can see her again, but there’s no sign. The ungrateful little bitch didn’t even come out to thank him. He picks up his toolbox and heads towards the door.

Rachel waits, holding herself still, waiting for the sound of the front door to close behind him but curses when her phone rings loudly. It’s Eddie. Under hushed tones she gives him a quick update on her plans for the evening and jumps when she hears the front door bang to a close. What took him so long? Was he eavesdropping to her conversation? She moves to the curtain, and watches from behind it, as he pulls out of the driveway at speed.

…

He checks his watch again. She should have passed this way already. It’s after 5:10. His hand fingers the wire in his pocket. She has never left it this late for her run. What is she playing at?

…

“Where are you, Eddie? Come on, you said you’d be here five minutes ago. Hurry up.” Rachel hangs up. She needs to warm up. Damn Eddie for taking so long. She sets off at a gentle pace, keys poised and her alertness on full level. She won’t go far. When she takes off, she can hear her mother’s advice ring loudly in her ears. It’s drowning out all her senses. She can’t do it and stops running, and instead makes her way back to their meeting point.

He moves further down the canal along the back of the hedging, back towards the town side. That’s when he finally sees her. He grouches low.

Eight minutes late. She is going to kill him. Rachel checks her phone when she notices a shadow emerge at her side and footsteps quietly crunch under the pebbles. Rachel swings herself around and with all her adrenaline filled strength, she grabs the attacker by the hair and plunges the key deep into his neck. Blood spills, he slumps, his heaviness dragging her down with him. He’s choking. Rachel screams out when she sees that it is Eddie.

No one has heard her screams. He tightens his grip on the wire and runs.

Someone is running. “Help is coming Eddie, help is here, stay with me Eddie, please please…”, and Rachel turns just as the wire wraps her neck.