Want You Dead Read Online Free PDF

she said.
    ‘You’ll get the hang of it. But you’ll need to retake those. How many viewings do you have today, Red?’
    ‘Twelve so far,’ she said. ‘I’m working on some more.’
    He nodded. The daily target was fifteen viewings for each negotiator. ‘Okay,’ he said, and moved on.
    The large open-plan office was themed in white, and partially screened off from the front of the premises by a low wall. A giant clock was fixed above them as if there as a reminder never to waste time, and on one wall was a gridded whiteboard captioned, with a thick blue marker pen, COUNTDOWN £164,000 to go! It was the target remaining for commission for this branch of the estate agency chain to try to achieve before the year-end. Running down the left was a list of properties, starting from £165,000 and rising to £3,500,000, with the number of viewings to date listed alongside.
    The negotiators all adhered to a strict dress code – the men in suits and ties and pale shirts, the women in conservative clothes and shoes that were suitable for endless climbing up and down staircases. It was early still; they’d just had their morning meeting and now everyone was settling down to the business of the day. The place smelled of a combination of coffee and a whole range of colognes, aftershaves, eaux de toilette and perfumes. Outside, the rush hour was just winding down. It was 9.30 a.m.
    There was a team of nine altogether in this branch, and the firm was doing well, but Red was a relatively new kid on the block, having spent the last twelve years doing a variety of secretarial jobs before finding her niche, and she was still learning. Through the window, if she sat up straight, Red could just about see out onto the wide, busy shopping precinct of Church Road in Hove and the Tesco superstore across the road.
    She yawned. Her eyes felt raw from an almost sleepless night waiting for the phone to ring. Or a knock on the door. She was in denial, she knew, about having been stood up by Karl. Dumped. But it was totally out of character, or so she thought.
    She really had thought that Karl was different. Unlike dickhead Dominic, then Bryce, who had been totally possessive about her to the point of obsession, Karl seemed so gentle and normal. He always asked her how her day had been, what she had done, and seemed to really like hearing about the properties she had shown to clients. Bryce had only ever been interested in telling her about his day, and sometimes trying out a new magic trick that he was working on. Then flying into a temper and lashing out at her at the slightest thing.
    Men were shits, shits, total shits.
    She had actually allowed herself to think that she and Karl might have a future. He was the first man she had met whom she could imagine having a child with. From the way he talked about his children he seemed to be a wonderful father. At least that’s what she had thought up until only yesterday.
    But not after being stood up.
    She read through the details of the property, then added in the word that her boss had suggested. Charming bijou terraced cottage.
    She felt a pang in her heart. In spite of her anger and disappointment, she was missing Karl, dammit. She pinged him a text.
    What happened? I waited all night. R u ok?
    Then, for good measure, she sent him an email as well.
    Karl, I’m really worried. Are you okay? If you’ve dumped me, at least let me know.
    Ten minutes later she dialled his number, and again it went straight to voicemail. She left yet another message. ‘Karl, it’s Red, please call me.’
    Then she froze.
    Bryce was standing outside, in a hoodie, staring in. Staring at her.
    An instant later, he was gone.
    She dashed from her desk, ran to the front door, and out onto the pavement. A bus roared past, followed by a delivery lorry. She looked up and down, saw other shoppers, but no sign of Bryce. He had a distinctive swagger of a walk, like he owned the pavement, which always made it easy for her to