Коллекционер

           Thenoneday(Ididn’twantthevantogettoofamiliar)asIwasgettingofftheUndergroundatWarrenStreet,Isawher.Shewasgettingoffatraincomingfromthenorthontheotherplatform.Itwaseasy.Ifollowedheroutofthestation,andsawhergoofftowardstheCollege.ThenextdaysIwatchedthetubestation.Perhapsshedidn’talwaysusethetubetogohome,Ididn’tseeherfortwodays,butthenthethirddayIsawhercrosstheroadandgointothestation.That’showIfoundoutwhereshecamefrom.ItwasHampstead.Ididthesamethingthere.IwaitedforhertocomeoutthenextdayandshedidandIfollowedherabouttenminutesthroughalotoflittlestreetstowhereshelived.Iwalkedonpastthehouseshewentintoandfoundoutthenumberandthenattheendoftheroadthenameofit.

           Itwasagoodday’swork.

           IbookedoutoftheCremornethreedaysbefore,andeverynightImovedintoanewhotelandbookedoutthenextmorningsothatIcouldn’tbetraced.InthevanIhadthebedreadyandthestrapsandscarves.Iwasgoingtousechloroform,Iuseditonceinthekilling-bottle.AchapinPublicAnalysisletmehaveit.Itdoesn’tgoweakbutjusttomakesureIdecidedtomixinabitofcarbontetrachloride,whattheycallCTCandyoucanbuyanywhere.

           IdroveroundtheHampsteaddistrictandlearnttheAtoZforthatpartoffandhowtogetquicklyawaydowntoFosters.Everythingwasready.SonowIcouldwatchandwhenIsawthechance,doit.Iwasreallypeculiarthosedays,Ithoughtofeverything,justlikeI’dbeendoingitallmylife.LikeI’dbeenasecretagentoradetective.