Read The One You Fear for Free Online Page A

Juliet, and I’ve got us tickets for this evening.’
    ‘Cool, that’s great, my favourite play!’
    ‘I know,’ Dan smiled. ‘I do listen to what you say, you know. Well, most of the time, anyway.’
    ‘Thanks, it’s going to be great.’ Emma had played Juliet in her school play, many years ago. The fact that it was such an enjoyable experience was one of the reasons she had decided to go into acting, so the play held a special place in her heart.
     
     
    ***
     
     
    The Minack Theatre was, according to the Sat Nav, about half an hour’s drive around the coast from their apartment. But, underestimating the time it would take to negotiate the unfamiliar, twisting Cornish roads, and the steep narrow lanes, they arrived later than planned, just ten minutes before the performance was due to begin. The cliff-top car park was already virtually full, and they were lucky to squeeze into a small space between two poorly parked cars. They’d already eaten at a wonderful, highly recommended burger restaurant in St. Ives, so at least they didn’t have to worry about food.
    ‘Amazing view,’ Emma said, as they queued to enter the theatre. Off towards the left were magnificent sheer-face cliffs that dropped down towards a long, sandy beach. The light was fading, casting shadows across the cliff-face, which made the sight even more spectacular.
    Dan looked across towards the cliffs. ‘From what I’ve read, I think it’s even better from inside the theatre itself.’
    He was right. The theatre, and the view it afforded, was amazing. Nestling into the partly excavated cliff, the theatre made the most of what nature offered. There were no chairs; instead the audience perched on stone terracing in an amphitheatre design, interspersed with beautiful floral displays. In front of them the sea spread out like a huge canvas, framing the small stage at the edge of the cliff-side in darkening blue.
    Most of the audience had already taken their seats, and there weren’t any spaces below halfway to the front. Emma took her seat alongside Dan towards the back of the amphitheatre, on the left-hand side, squeezing in between two other couples. She looked across at the view. ‘Wow. It would be so amazing to perform here. And it would make a fantastic wedding venue too.’
    ‘Seriously, you’d like to get married here?’
    ‘Yeah, why not – can you imagine how spectacular the wedding photos would be, with that backdrop?’
    A few minutes later the final call went out, and the play began. As night descended, the atmosphere grew to even greater levels. It was certainly the most stunning arena Emma had ever seen. She thought again about the idea of moving down to Cornwall. Maybe it wasn’t such a crazy notion after all – the way she felt at that moment, she could happily work on this stage for the rest of her days. Who needed the West End when you could perform in such an amazing natural setting?
     
    It was just after the interval that Emma noticed the man looking back up towards where they were sitting. It was impossible to see his face properly, because he was some way down the terracing, and it was just too dark. But without doubt, every so often, he would turn around and look towards where Emma and Dan were. The first few times she had noticed him, he seemed to be scanning the audience. But later, he appeared to have found what he was searching for, for his eyes stayed fixed in their direction. Of course he wasn’t looking at her, she knew that really, but it certainly seemed like it. She found her attention drifting away from the play as she began to check periodically to see what the man was doing. Mostly he was facing forward, towards the stage, but sometimes he was looking back. It was beginning to freak her out. She didn’t want to speak during the performance – it was a pet hate of all actors – so she resisted saying anything to Dan, who seemed engrossed in the play. Instead she pulled her jacket tightly around her,