Stalker by Hazel Edwards Read Free Book Online Page A

Here’s the key. You just do this.’ PR Face aimed, ‘Beep. Zap.’ A light flashed. Locks clicked open electronically. The car was available. ‘Okay. Here’s my business card. I have to rush.’
     
    ‘No worries,’ said Lily, accepting the zapper-key. ‘Thanks.’
     
    She zap-locked the car. ‘Wow!’ After playing with the Red Peril’s dashboard controls for a full half hour, Lily went inside to check her pigeon-hole, organise the music for Friday night and write up her hours. All the time, the thought of that red car sitting waiting was like an unwrapped birthday present.
     
    The gleaming Red Peril was parked in the corner where the PR woman left it. Lily fingered the zapper in her pocket. Then she aimed:
     
    ‘Pow!’
     
    Nothing happened. The car was still there. But no noise. The doors didn’t click open like they did for PR Face. No lights. No sound. No action.
     
    She couldn’t even open the door.
     
    Lily felt mega stupid. She’d had the car twenty minutes and couldn’t get into it. The brilliant red racer with just a few kilometres on the dial. And a door which wouldn’t open. What was it, with her and keys this week? She turned the zapper around. Maybe it worked like those remotes for TV. Dead batteries? Zap. Nothing. Upside down? Nothing. she tugged at the door which was so shiny she could see her face in the red panel.
     
    She stared wildly around the almost empty carpark. Nothing else for it. She’d have to ask Max, and he’d mention it forever. Temporarily, Lily thought about walking home. Leaving the sponsors’ car in the station park, and jogging home. No. She went back inside and rang security. Of course, Max was on duty, again.
     
    ‘Got a problem Girlie?’ Did security guards always speak like that, or just Max?
     
    ‘Lily’s the name, remember?’ she said. ‘Yes, I can’t get my… er the sponsor’s car started.’
     
    ‘Heard about this car. Bit of a trade-off, eh. Going the kickback route? I’ll be down in two secs.’
     
    And he was. He checked the zapper. And her code. ‘Bet they wouldn’t get the security guard to drive it. It wouldn’t look good enough in the photos. Head and shoulder or full length?’
     
    Lily shrugged. PR Face probably wanted all car and no large Lily, especially wearing un co-ordinated student gear. No way would Lily ever look like PR Face, even if she tried, sideways.
     
    ‘First time eh? Used to work at one of the commercial studios. They had all the presenters’ photos in the foyer. Don’t do that here do they? Gunna do it with you now you’re getting famous, eh?’
     
    ‘Doubt it.’ said Lily. ‘Can you open the door?’
     
    ‘Yes. Radio frequencies of car locks can be monitored and changed…’ explained Max ‘Whatever was your electronic lock, someone has deliberately changed. Now you are locked out of your own car.’
     
    ‘The sponsor’s car,’ added Lily. The feeling was the same. Being controlled by an electronic unknown. ‘But I’ve only had it about twenty five minutes. I just went inside to catch up on paperwork. Who could have altered the lock in that time?’
     
    ‘Someone did, unless you had the combination wrong to start,’ said Max, with one of those smirky smiles. ‘Hadn’t you better check?’
     
    She didn’t want to ‘owe’ him. Lily scrabbled for the business card. A quick call to the PR Face who’d left for the day. That was no use. And her mobile was off too.
     
    Max added ‘If you think someone is having a go at you, we can organise a mobile panic button for you. Has a limited range. Quite effective. We can monitor radio frequencies. Did that for some of the commercial presenters who were being stalked by nutters. But Management didn’t want us to talk about it.’
     
    But he was, thought Lily.
     
    And he was talking about HER life. Not just an electronics problem. A challenge for locks.
     
    ‘No thanks. I’ll manage. Just open it for me, now.’
     
    At last, they got it