Parker - The Dinner Party

Table of Contents

R. J. Parkers creative career began as a TV script writer, editor and producer. It was this background that fed into a series of cinematic, high-concept thrillers that grabs the reader from the very first page and doesnt release them until the last. R. J. Parker now lives in Salisbury.

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First of all, big thanks to you, the reader, for selecting this story and allowing my dinner party characters to live in your head. I hope they were worthwhile guests. Without your imagination books are redundant.

I couldnt write without my faithful support base, namely my patiently wonderful and wonderfully patient wife, Anne-Marie, and my Mum and Dad, who are all experts when it comes to creating a loving atmosphere around a dining table.

At big debt of gratitude goes to Finn Cotton, my astute editor at HarperCollins, who enthusiastically seized on this idea and ran with it. I appreciate the insightful notes along the way and those too of Janette Currie, my copy editor.

A very special thank you to author, Noelle Holten, who has consistently championed my work and was instrumental in getting this picked up. Hope you still have time to read my stories as well as creating your own!

And, as ever, I cant underestimate how grateful I am for the time spent by reviewers and bloggers who are such a vital cog in every authors career. Thanks for your generosity online but, moreover, for giving up your valuable time so other readers can enjoy the wealth of great writing out there. A special salute to Karen Cole, Jen Lucas, Nicki Richards, Donna Maguire, Zoe-lee Ofarrell, Nigel Adams, Suze-Clarke-Morris, Kaisha Jayneh, Berit and Vicci at Audio Killed The Bookmark, Katie Jones at The Book Cave, Amanda Oughton, Emma C. at Booking Good Read, Sean Talbot, Rachel Broughton, Alison Drew, Magdalena Johansson, Diane Hogg, Renita DSilva, Martha Cheeves, Joyce Juzwik, Amy Sullivan, Kelly Lacey, Norma Farrelly, Rebecca Pugh, Claire Knight, Chelsea Humphrey, Ellie Smith, Lorraine Rugman, Steve Robb, Emma Welton, Stephanie Rothwell, Cleo Bannister, Abby Fairbrother, Sarah Hardy, Meggy Roussel, Sheila Howes, Linda Strong, Maxine Groves, Joanne Robertson, Susan Hampson, Kate Moloney, Eva Merckx, Jules Mortimer, Mandy White, Malina Skrobosinski, James Atkins, Kaz Lewis, Fran Hagan, Stephen Edger, James Garcia Jr, Shell Baker, Mandie Griffiths, Jo Ford, Marilina Tzelepi and Scott Griffin.

Please swing by my website for all the latest: richard@richardjayparker.com or find me on Instagram (bemykiller), Twitter (@Bookwalter) and Facebook (RichardJayParkerFans).

Ted awoke and felt like hed been in a deep sleep. But as the bare leg he was clinging to slithered away from his sticky bloody fingers, the events that had left him sprawled on the kitchen floor crashed in. Hed blacked out for precious seconds and couldnt afford to again.

Let go! the owner of the leg spat.

He gripped the limb harder, dug his nails into their warm calf and skated forward on his front through the smeared blood on the granite tiles. If he relinquished the leg, he knew what would happen.

Their bodies thrashed around on the floor and noisily scattered metallic utensils. He tried to rise, but the object stuck in his back wouldnt allow him. It was a long stainless-steel prong, the type with a digital thermometer attached for testing the temperature of cooked meat. The acute pain along his spine severed his breath.

How deeply had it been planted in him? Was he paralyzed? He could still move his arms.

A scream.

It tugged his eyes open again. Consciousness was as slippery as his grasp on the leg, which jerked from under him as a bare foot caught him full in the face. The harsh impact deadened his hearing, warm blood filled his left nostril and darkness closed on his thoughts like a snare.

Wake up!

But his internal voice scarcely penetrated the barrier his brain was erecting against the assault.

Wake up.

No urgency in the muffled command now. He was withdrawing, leaving physical sensations far behind. Oblivion beckoned.

Ted!

His eyelids shot open. The return to the kitchen was as painful as the injuries to his body.

His hand was empty. Theyd got free. The consequences of that rushed into him as fast as the room.

Ted!

Ted!

Ted was halfway up the stairs when the doorbell went.

Thatll be Evie and Jakob! Juliette yelled from the bathroom.

The couple were always half an hour early. He and Juliette after nightmare train journeys home hadnt been in for longer than ten minutes. Ted descended the stairs and trotted up the hallway to the front door. Behind its frosted pane two figures stood in the dark. He switched on the outside light.

Do you want us to drive around the block? Evie apologized as soon as he opened up.

Ted could only see the middle of their faces in their scarves and hats. Come in before you freeze to the doorstep. He gestured them in and lightly kissed Evies cheek.

The traffic was surprisingly clear for a Friday night, Jakob mitigated. Hed lived in the UK since his mid-teens, but his Norwegian accent had never been watered down. He rubbed his palms as he entered.

Ive just lit the wood burner. Ted shook Jakobs freezing hand. You know where to hang your coats. He made his way back to the candlelit kitchen dining room at the rear of the house. Hed been looking forward to tonight all week. And had taken the coming Monday to Wednesday of next week off work to redecorate. He loved his career as an independent assessor, but he was looking forward to having zero foster care compliance forms to process for a whole five days. Alexa, play my dinner party music. He wondered if his guests would like his playlist. They all had strong opinions about music, so certain artists had to be avoided.

The device on the counter between the kitchen and the dining area glowed blue, but nothing happened. He could hear Evie remonstrating with Jakob that hed made them leave too early. Jakob hated being late as much as he did though. He waited for them to hang their coats on the banister then led them into the dining area. Were doing Negronis for those who arent driving. He indicated the bottles assembled on the counter.