The man had been sitting and waiting for a long time.
From across the road, the flat seemed to glow gently in the dark, with gold shapes of light showing through the curtains. He had been told Rachel would go out, that she often did.
But tonight, she did not.
Her shape moved behind the blinds now and then, a small dark figure moving slowly and carefully.
He looked at his watch. It was a cheap one, with a scratched face, and it ticked too loudly. It was after twelve. The message from Laura had come thirty minutes ago, and it was cold and bossy.
Do it tonight.
He had thought about saying no. Breaking in while the person was asleep was one thing.
Breaking in while she was still awake, moving around with her child inside, was something else. But then he had thought about the amount, the money Laura had whispered in his ear that first night, and he quickly made his choice.
