THE MAN WHO NEVER KNOCKED

Chapter Two

I barely slept that night Every time I closed my eyes I saw the photograph in Daniel’s hands. His expression kept returning to my mind, along with the strange question about a woman named Claire Hayes Who was she? And why had he asked me about her By seven the following morning, I had convinced myself that I was being ridiculous. Perhaps Daniel had mistaken me for someone else Perhaps there was a reasonable explanation for everything I desperately wanted to believe that I dragged myself out of bed tied my hair into a loose bun and walked into the kitchen My newapartment still smelled of fresh paint and cardboard boxes. Half my belongings remained unpacked and I had yet to find a decent place for my collection of books. At least the coffee machine was working i poured myself a cup and checked my phone. Three missed calls from Olivia I sighed.That woman will never let me breathe I called her back. Finally she exclaimed. I thought you had disappeared Good morning to you too Don’t good-morning me. Have you eaten Olivia it’s seven in the morning Exactly Breakfast is important I laughed, leaning against the kitchen counter We spoke for a few minutes about the apartment my new neighbourhood and her plans to visit during the weekend.I almost told her about Daniel Almost But something stopped me After ending the call, I grabbed my handbag and headed outside The moment I opened my door, I stopped Daniel was standing beside his apartment, dressed in a charcoal-grey suit. He was looking at his phone, apparently unaware of my presence Or perhaps he was pretending. Unfortunately, he looked up. Good morning, Amara i stared at him. Do you always remember people’s names after meeting them onceOnly the important ones I rolled my eyes That’s an interesting way to start a conversation. He slipped his phone into his pocket. Did you sleep well Would have slept better without strange men appearing outside my door at midnight A small smile crossed his face I’ll try to be less strange next time Please don’t try. Just stay away from my doorHe nodded, almost amused i stepped into the hallway and locked my apartment. As I turned towards the elevator, I noticed him watching me What I asked. Nothing. Then stop looking at me he looked away For some reason, that irritated me even more. The coffee shop was unusually busy that morning i worked part-time at a small bookstore café called The Paper Lantern, a cosy place tucked between two office buildings. It wasn’t particularly glamorous, but I loved the smell of old books and freshly brewed coffee. By noon the morning rush had finally settled. I was arranging a few novels on the display shelf when my colleague Sophie approached me Someone is asking for you I looked up Who She smiled mischievously A very handsome someoneI frowned Sophie, I’m working Well your handsome visitor doesn’t seem to mind I followed her gaze towards the counter And there he was Danie He stood near the window, one hand resting inside his trouser pocket while the other held a black coffee i  closed my eyes briefly You have got to be kidding me Do  you know him Sophie whispered Unfortunately She laughed

I walked towards him Are you following me Daniel looked at me Good afternoon to you too What are you doing here Buying coffee There’s a coffee shop downstairs in your building Noth as good as this one I fold  my arms Right ‏He glanced at the name tag on my shirt Amara Bennett. The name suits you Do you practise saying strange things or does it come naturally Thistime he laughed It was brief but genuine And annoyingly it made him look even more attractive I hated that I noticed One black coffee he said placing his cup on the counter. And a book Which book He looked towards the shelves Something about starting over I blinked That’s quite specific Do you have a recommendation I considered him for a moment then picked up a novel and placed it on the counter Try this one He examined the cover Have you read it Twice And I shrugged It reminds you that sometimes the hardest thing isn’t leaving the past behind. It’s accepting that you cannot change it For a moment his expression shifted. Something dark passed through his eyes, then disappeared I’ll take it He paid and collected his coffee Before leaving, he turned towards me Thank you Amara You’re welcome He walked towards the door Just before stepping outside he stopped One more thing i looked up Yes Don’t trust everyone who claims to know your past My smile disappeared What is that supposed to mean But he was already walking away By the time I returned to The Ivory Residence that evening I was exhausted I had spent the entire afternoon thinking about Daniel’s warning. It was becoming increasingly difficult to convince myself that our encounters were coincidences i stepped out of the elevator and reached for my apartment keys Something white lay on the floor in front of my door An envelope My name was written across it in neat handwriting I glanced down the hallway. It was i picked it up and opened it carefully Inside was a single photograph My breath caught It was the same photograph Daniel had shown me the previous night, except this time, there was something written on the back.

Three words ASK HIM ABOUT CLAIRE I stared at the message Then I heard a door opening behind me I turned Daniel stood in his doorway. His eyes moved from my face to the photograph in my hand For the first time since I had met him he looked genuinely frightened Where did you get that he asked I held it up Funny I was about to ask you the same question He stepped into the hallway Amara, listen to me carefully I took a step backward No I think you’ve done enough listening for both of us Please Who is Claire He said nothing I felt my patience disappearingWho is she, Danie His jaw tightened Then he looked directly into my eyes She’s the reason I moved here i swallowed Why He glanced towards the envelope Because three years ago, Claire disappeared I stared at him And what does that have to do with me His silence lasted longer than it should have Then he said something that made my entire body go cold Because the last person she spoke to before she disappeared was you i couldn’t breathe That was impossible i had never met anyone named Claire Hayes. At least I didn’t think I had Daniel reached towards me but I stepped away Don’t touch me. He stopped immediately I looked at the photograph again desperately searching my memory for something familiar Nothing Absolutely nothing Then my phone vibrated An unknown number One new messageStop asking Daniel questions You have no idea what happened three years ago And if you want to stay safe, forget Claire ever existed I looked up at Daniel He was watching meNeither of us spoke For the first time I understood that whatever had brought Daniel Hayes into my life was much bigger than a strange neighbour with a photograph And somehow, I had become part of it