SiGNALS

By Emma Coleman

SiGNALS (A suspense novelette from Greyhart Press)

DESIRE...

It starts with an innocent word misheard; a glance misinterpreted.

OBSESSION...

Jessica can't make the man go away. And when she tries, his humiliation ignites into anger.

REVENGE...!

SiGNALS is the debut novelette from Emma Coleman.

• Language: English
• Publisher: GreyhartPress
• Release date: Jul 20, 2011
• ISBN: 9781465905697

Emma Coleman

Emma lives in Northampton, England, with a pair of insane male ducks that she likes to pretend are parrots, wearing one on each shoulder. Her main interests are observing, writing, parading around with large ducks on her shoulders and drinking real ale — all at the same time. Her main wish in life is for Northampton Town Football Club to actually win sometimes. Fingers crossed. The End.

Book preview

10th August, Tuesday

I paid a visit to the pub again this evening. It had been a hot day and I needed a cold drink.

I arrived at around seven thirty, it was reasonably quiet and I had no trouble getting a drink fairly rapidly. I was hoping to be served by Jessica but she had other work to do in the back room. She has a quality about her that is lacking in most other girls.

I found myself thinking of her again today — I suppose that’s why I went there, to the pub. Unfortunately I only caught a glimpse of her.

Although I only met her a month ago, it feels as if we have a connection, a meeting of similar minds, even though we haven’t as yet had the opportunity to sit down and have a proper conversation. Despite this, I have a feeling we will click. In fact, the next time I pay her a visit, I think I’ll ask her out to dinner. Perhaps take her to that Italian restaurant.

But what if she says no? She won’t say no, of course she’ll say yes to coming out with me. She does like me, I can tell. It’s all in the eyes.

~ ~ ~

Have you seen anything of that weird man recently?

It’s funny you should ask because he was in again on Tuesday night. He was acting really strangely, more so than usual if that’s possible. He kept standing in different parts of the pub. First he stood at the bar, then he moved to lean against one of the pillars, decided he didn’t like it and sat down on the bench. He finished his whisky and disappeared. I was about to breathe a sigh of relief as I thought he’d gone but out the corner of my eye, I saw him, lurking in the furthest corner.

What was he doing all this time?

Nothing! Just standing and looking round the pub, like he was an estate agent surveying a property. It was creepy! But at least he wasn’t staring at me this time.

17th August, Tuesday

I visited Jessica again tonight. I was preparing myself to ask her out for dinner but for an inexplicable reason, I found that I was nervous.

She must think that I’m a fool.

For a moment I thought I could detect a slight sneer, but only a moment, and she was probably thinking of someone else anyway. But supposing she did think that I was a fool?

I was desperate to see her and knew she’d agree to come out with me, and yet that awful feeling! I stayed anyway but made it difficult for her to know where I was. I thought it would be a test — a test to see if she would notice if I’d gone. I watched her closely and every time I moved from one position to another, she scanned the customers to find me! I knew that she had noticed me and was upset at the idea of me leaving. She usually looks my way but never directly at me — it’s as if she’s aware of my presence but too shy to look me in the face. One