Every Little Breath: A Tense Psychological Thriller Full of Twists

Casey was still in bed when Finn left to go to work on Wednesday morning. She had intended to go back to her own apartment after he had cooked her dinner, determined to put some boundaries between them, but he had weakened her resolve with a serious make-out session on his sofa, which had been a little distracting at first as Bert sat close by, watching them intently, his tongue hanging out, then when Casey had tried to leave, Finn had reminded her that as they were now fuck buddies they were technically supposed to fuck, all the while nibbling at that little spot on the back of her neck which made her legs turn to liquid, and she had given up on excuses as to why she couldn’t stay.

It bothered her how easily he was inserting himself into her life, the familiar smothering of claustrophobia starting to close in on her. She couldn’t be in a relationship with Finn. It wouldn’t work.

She glanced at her phone, saw it had just gone eight. Finn’s bed was so comfortable and she could easily roll over and go back to sleep for another half an hour, but Phoebe needed a walk, and Casey also had to speak with Justin and DC Walsh and let them know what she had decided to do about her show. Cover had already been arranged, but she had asked them to give her until this morning to decide whether she was comfortable going back on-air tonight.

After dressing and making Finn’s bed for him, she let herself out of his apartment, heading back upstairs. Last night, for the first time, she hadn’t put the cotton across the door and although she told herself it was unnecessary, she still glanced warily round her apartment after stepping inside.

Her phone pinged, making her jump, and she glanced at the message from Ricky, asking if she fancied any company. Like Casey, he worked remotely and they were often able to shuffle their working hours to meet up. Casey did need to finish the website she was designing first though. She fired him a quick message back asking if he fancied lunch.

He ended up bringing Zoe with him and the three of them sat outside on Casey’s balcony eating takeaway fish and chips as they enjoyed the afternoon sun, Phoebe lying under the table hoping for crumbs. It was a greedy lunchtime treat, but Casey figured they had burnt a few calories helping Ricky up the stairs, so they deserved it.

She hadn’t realised the lift was out of order when she had invited her friends over, which made it difficult for Ricky with his walking stick, and they had to help him negotiate the stairs shouldering the bulk of his weight.

Ricky had been a little bit sulky about that. Casey knew he found it difficult to give up control and he had been mortified that one of her neighbours might have seen him being half-carried up the stairs by his friends. He had sniped at them both until the food was put in front of him, then he slowly calmed down.

Her friends were full of questions about the latest murder and Casey answered them as evasively as she could, aware that Walsh wanted her to keep things under wraps. Instead she tried to steer the conversation on to lighter and safer topics, though Ricky soon put paid to that.

‘So how is Detective Dishy?’ he wanted to know after they had finished eating.

‘Dishy?’ Zoe was pulling a face ‘That’s a mum word.’

‘Exactly what I told him,’ Casey agreed, keen to change the subject. Zoe still had no idea about Finn and now wasn’t the right time to tell her.

Ricky rolled his eyes dramatically. ‘Whatever. You’re avoiding the question, Casey. How is your lovely downstairs neighbour? Have you slept with him yet?’

‘Slept with?’ Zoe was staring at Casey. ‘You’re seeing your neighbour?’

‘Well… yes and no.’

‘He’s a detective,’ Ricky helpfully chipped in. ‘Finn, isn’t it?’

‘Finn? As in Finn from years ago? He lives here, in this building?’ Zoe didn’t look happy.

Casey glowered at Ricky. He had just done that on purpose.

‘I only found out recently.’ Her cheeks were heated as she tried to dig her way out of the hole. ‘He lives downstairs. I never said anything because there was nothing to tell.’

‘So is it serious?’

‘No. You know I don’t do serious. It’s just a… it’s just a sex thing.’

‘I knew it.’ Ricky clapped his hands together.

Casey wanted to wipe the smug smile off his stupid face. Zoe was her closest friend and she felt bad about telling Ricky and not her.

Things weren’t quite the same after that. They finished eating, made small talk, but Casey could tell that Zoe was upset. Her friend had gone quiet, while Ricky was now monopolising the conversation, peppering it with sexual innuendos and talk about his own love life.

They left about an hour later, Zoe muttering something about needing to get home, and Casey joined them out in the hallway, aware they had to help Ricky with the stairs again.

Not that Ricky appreciated it, channelling his inner bitch as they negotiated the first set of stairs, complaining about how they weren’t supporting his weight properly and he could probably get downstairs better by sliding down on his bum. Casey still hadn’t forgiven him for earlier and her patience was wearing thin, so she wasn’t in the mood for the sly, smirking face of Rupert that was waiting for them on the first-floor landing.

He could have stepped forward to help, but no, he simply stood there looking thoroughly entertained as he watched them assist Ricky, who, realising Rupert had spotted them, was mortified, trying to shrug off Casey and Zoe, wanting to go the last couple of steps alone.

‘Give me my damn stick,’ he snapped bad-temperedly at Casey as they reached the landing and snatched it from her hand before she could pass it to him. He glared at Rupert.

‘Can we help you?’

‘Don’t mind me. I’m Casey’s neighbour. Rupert. Have you been in the wars?’

‘No,’ Ricky snapped again, turning his back on Rupert and leaning heavily on his walking stick as he made his way to the top of the next flight of steps.

Casey wasn’t a Rupert fan, but there was no need for Ricky to be so rude to her neighbour. She smiled apologetically at the man. ‘The lift is out of order. The stairs are a struggle with his walking stick,’ she explained, her tone low.

‘Can we go please?’

Casey exchanged a glance with Zoe. They both knew Ricky didn’t like them talking about his injury. ‘We should go.’ She smiled again at Rupert, didn’t wait for him to respond, turning to where Ricky was waiting.

‘He’s a bit weird,’ Zoe whispered across Ricky to Casey when they were part way down the stairs.

‘Seemed like a complete twat to me!’

‘Ricky!’ Casey tried to glance over her shoulder to see if Rupert was in earshot, but she couldn’t see him. ‘Yes, he’s a little strange, but he’s also my neighbour, so can you please try not to piss him off?’

‘Okay, tetchy!’

‘You can be a real dickhead sometimes.’

Ricky was still grumbling when they reached the bottom of the stairs and Casey handed him his walking stick, actually relieved her friends were going. She loved them both dearly, but today had been hard work and it would be the last time she trusted Ricky with a secret.

As she went to go back upstairs to her apartment she was relieved that Rupert was no longer loitering. She really wasn’t in the mood for another conversation with him and just hoped he hadn’t heard Ricky call him a twat. Although Rupert hadn’t struck her as overly confrontational, he was certainly strange and she was unsure how he would react.

Back up on the top floor landing, she fished for her keys, her eyes drawn to the part-open door at the other end of the short hallway.

She kept meaning to ask Finn if he knew who lived there. Rupert had never elaborated, only saying they were away, and telling her he had a key. Were the neighbours home or was it Rupert in their apartment again?

Curious, she approached the open doorway. If it was her neighbours she should just briefly say hi and introduce herself.

She didn’t hear voices and thought it would be rude to call out, so, even though the door was open, she decided to press the doorbell. It rang loudly.

After a moment she heard footsteps on the other side. As she readied her smile, the door slammed shut in her face, making her jump. She took an involuntary step back, her heart thumping.

What the hell?

It crossed her mind that perhaps she should ring the bell again. But no, whoever it was had definitely heard her. The bell had been loud enough.

She glanced at the peephole, her spider sense tingling. Was someone looking at her?

Unsettled and keen to get off the landing, she fumbled with her keys and hurried across the landing to her apartment, all the time wondering exactly who might be watching her.