Deception Love & Murder

by K O'Hanlon

  The sound of footsteps on the fire escape prompted him to pull himself together.

  “Sorry, Sir. We need to remove the body now if you’re finished here.”

  “Yes. Go ahead. I’ll wait outside.”

  Three men carefully lifted Sam from the bath and laid him in a body bag with a big zip up the front from head to toe. They carried him out on a board down the outside stairs and into a black unmarked transit type van that was parked there.

  “Where will you take his body now?”

  “To the morgue. It’s quite a way from here and the road out of town is jammed solid with all the tourists leaving the area.”

  One of the men handed Mike a card with the contact details and address.

  “Thank you. Any idea how long it’ll be before we know the exact cause of death?”

  “With all the crime these days it’s hard to say. Best if you ring that number tomorrow because I doubt anything will happen today given the time it’ll take us to get there.”

  The three men got in the van and drove out of the car park. Mike watched as it disappeared down the road.

  Sam’s body arrived at the morgue about the same time as Luca Costa’s 4,000 mile flight was coming in to land at O’Hare International Airport, Chicago.

  The news had spread fast in the small town. Everyone was talking about it. James had seen it reported on the local television station but not much information had been released. All he knew was that Samuel Fairchild, brother of multimillionaire Michael Fairchild of Richards & Fairchild Construction Engineering had been found dead in his hotel room.

  It looked like James wasn’t the only person chasing him. He had to wonder how many other people Sam had pissed off. He had seen Sam arrive late from his window overlooking the entrance. His mission had been aborted because the lobby was empty apart from the manager who worked mostly from his little office at the back of reception.

  Spike was also glued to a small television set in his camper van. The picture was really bad and fuzzy but he recognised the fire escape that went up the outside of the hotel. It was a smart move wearing gloves or his prints would be all over it for no good reason.

  He had gone round the side after watching the lift stop at the 1st floor. A light being switched on had identified Sam’s room from the outside. But the door at the top of the fire escape was locked when he tried to get in.

  The roads in the area were busier than normal. It was a mass exodus of tourists, television crews, and science nerds. Toni was stuck in traffic for the best part of two hours all the way to the main road. Tapping her nails on the steering wheel she was bored and wanted to get home and pack some things. To kill time she called her mother to break the news.

  “Hi mum, it’s me.”

  “Antonia. How are you dear? I’ve not heard from you for a while.”

  “I’ve got something to tell you. I’m leaving Mike.”

  “Well that broke it to me gently. What happened?”

  “He doesn’t want me, it’s over.”

  “Oh Toni. What reason did he give?”

  “He didn’t give a reason. He’s still in love with Pauline, his old lover from university.”

  “Did he tell you that, dear?”

  “I saw the two of them together. It’s over. I’m on my way home now to pack my stuff. Is it ok if I stay at your place for a while?”

  “Of course it is. I’ll get your room ready. You can tell me all about it later.”

  “Ok, bye.”

  Toni finally reached the motorway. Now she could put her foot down and make up time. She flicked the radio on, skipped through a few channels then went back to the local station when she thought they mentioned the name of Fairchild. The news was all about the death of Samuel Fairchild. His body was found by hotel staff in the bath. Toni couldn’t take her eyes off the radio, she just stared at it wondering if she’d heard it right. She flicked through more channels hoping to get the whole story.

  James was heading back. Although his own mission had been a failure he was glad that Sam Fairchild had got what he deserved. Nobody had asked him for a statement so he wasn’t hanging around to be questioned by the police.

  He would be glad to get back to the cottage and see his best friend, Scamp. Life now would be more peaceful and relaxed. He wouldn’t need to be so secretive when he met new friends. His old job was probably still there if he wanted it.

  Once on the motorway he set the cruise control to 70, slipped a cd into the slot, and turned up the volume.

  A silver grey Mercedes sports car went past him at speed. He watched in horror as it clipped the central barrier before lifting up into the air. It spun several times before landing on its roof then slid with sparks flying back across the fast lane. He tried to swerve but clipped the broken wheel that stuck out from its side before his own car spun out of control. He ploughed headlong into the concrete support of the overhead footbridge before spinning backwards linking the two cars together one in front of the other, all perfectly choreographed to the sound of Ravel’s Bolero.

  James and Samantha could never be together in life, but here they were, James and this beautiful woman, together in death.

  Chapter Nineteen

  T he news of Toni’s death so close after Sam’s was more than Mike could cope with. He spiralled into a deep depression. Pauline was left to deal with everything in the office. He now had two funerals to arrange but he didn’t want to talk to anybody. His mobile was turned off and his landline at home had been ripped from its socket. He didn’t eat, but he drank heavily.

  Local police had been trying to contact him with updates of both his brother and his wife’s death. They tried his house but he kept the gates locked. If they wanted to see him they would have to climb the wall and knock his door down.

  He knew Pauline would be going frantic but he didn’t want her to see him like this. He had to pull himself together, dump the booze and take a shower.

  His first venture outside the gates was to see Mrs Bellingham, Toni’s mother. He hadn’t spoken to her at all since the accident. No doubt she had been trying to contact him the same as everyone else.

  He pulled up outside her house and walked towards the door. It opened before he had time to ring the bell.

  “What do you want, Michael?”

  “I need to speak to you.”

  “So speak then go.”

  “Can I come in?”

  “No. I don’t want you in my house. I know all about you and I blame you for my daughter’s death.”

  “What? Why?”

  “She told me all about you and your lover. She was going to leave you.”

  “I don’t have a lover. What I have is an assistant who I’ve known for many years and she’s running my company single handed at the moment to stop it from going under.”

  “She saw you together!”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “You! With that other woman! She saw you!”

  “If you’re suggesting that anything happened between me and Pauline I can tell you that you’re wrong. I’ve never been unfaithful to my wife.”

  “Did you read the report?”

  “No not yet. I haven’t seen the report of my brother’s death either.”

  “Did you know she was pregnant?”

  Mike just stared at the woman. He was lost for words.

  “She was carrying your baby, Michael!”

  “No. That can’t be right.”

  “You not only killed your wife you also killed your child!”

  Mike wouldn’t listen to her rants and accusations anymore. He walked away, got into his car and drove to his office.

  Pauline was surprised when he walked in. She didn’t know what to say but she was glad to see him even if he did look awful.

  “You best fill me in on what’s been done here. I shouldn’t have left you to deal with all this.”

  “It’s ok, Mike. I’m coping with it. Take as long as you need.”

 
“Any chance of a coffee, my head is spinning?”

  “Sit down and I’ll get it for you. Then if you want to talk I’ll listen.”

  “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Pauline. I really don’t.”

  The sadness in his eyes made her want to cry. Once she controlled the lump in her throat she told him about the brown envelopes that were in his drawer.

  “The police have been trying to contact you but I guess you know that already. There are a couple of reports for you to read when you feel up to it.”

  “I’ll look through them in a minute when the coffee’s ready. I’ve put it off for long enough.”

  “Mike. Toni’s mother called yesterday. She said that she would take care of the funeral. She also said to tell you not to attend. I didn’t want to give you that last bit of news but you need to know what she said.”

  “I saw her today before I came here. She said I killed her daughter.”

  “Oh that’s hurtful and it doesn’t help anyone.”

  “I also killed my unborn baby that Toni was carrying.”

  “Oh, Mike. I’m so sorry. That’s a spiteful thing to say. I didn’t know Toni was pregnant.”

  “Neither did I. Now I need to find out who the father was.”

  “You think the baby wasn’t yours?”

  “I know it wasn’t mine. I can’t have children. Toni knew that before we got married. Her mother said she was going to leave me.” Mike picked up his coffee and went to his desk to find the reports.

  The first report he looked through was for his brother Sam. Mike scanned quickly over everything at the top that he already knew, name, date of birth, date of death, approximate time of death. Then came the part that was of greater interest.

  Cause of death was by electrocution. No water evident in lungs. Toxicology reported high level of alcohol and traces of cannabis.

  Mike could only assume that his brother had taken his own life. Whether accidentally or deliberately he didn’t know. Why else would he be in a bath full of water?

  Surely hard wired hairdryers in hotels would have a safety cut-out. Mike picked up his phone and dialled the hotel. “I need to speak to the manager, urgently.”

  “Speaking. How may I help you?”

  “Can you tell me if the hairdryers in your rooms have a safety cut-out?”

  “Yes they do. But if you’re referring to news of the suicide here recently involving our electrical equipment I’ll tell you that our electrician found evidence that the appliance had been tampered with by the guest.”

  “In what way?”

  “The circuit breaker had been removed.”

  “Is that easy for someone with limited knowledge to do?”

  “It’s not impossible.”

  “Ok, but how do you know it was the guest who tampered with it?”

  “There was no sign of forced entry and that whole floor was inspected less than two weeks ago.”

  “Ok, thanks.”

  “Could I take your …”

  Mike hung up.

  For now it looked like Sam had taken his own life but he couldn’t figure out why. He had everything going for him at the moment with his photography business doing so well. Rather than think of it as suicide Mike preferred to call it accidental. It would be easier to live with if not for the circuit breaker.

  The second envelope contained details of his wife’s accident. He didn’t want to read the list of injuries that led to her death, it was too horrific. He quickly scanned through the document until he found what he was looking for.

  She had been two months pregnant. And there was him feeling guilty because he was going to end their marriage when all the time she had been screwing around behind his back.

  Two possible candidates sprang to mind. She had been seeing a lot of them lately at work. As for her mother telling him to stay away from his wife’s funeral, he would ignore that spiteful bitch. Nothing was going to keep him from seeing the look on their faces when he announced that he wasn’t the father.

  The next few days were manic for both Mike and Pauline. The phones didn’t stop ringing. Once word got round that he was back at work it seemed that everybody wanted to tell him how sorry they were to hear the news of his wife and brother. Coming so soon after his partner Ben’s death made it even more tragic.

  “Pauline, can you filter all my calls, or make a recorded message or something. I can’t get anything done with all these well-wishers holding me up.”

  “They’re just being nice, Mike.”

  “Some are just being a pain in the arse.”

  “Ok, I’ll cut the line with the scissors then you can help me with this new stuff.”

  “I’m surprised you haven’t cut it already.”

  “There are two new projects in the pipe. I need you to go over them with me when you get time. They need your approval and signature.”

  “Come to my place this evening, Pauline. We can relax and I’ll look over them with you without the phones constantly ringing.”

  “How about you come to my place and I’ll cook something. You look like you could do with some proper food.”

  “Ok, I can order something and have it delivered.”

  “I said proper food, Mike. I’ll cook it and you’ll have two options, either eat it or wear it.”

  “Well I’ll definitely read the small print on that offer before I accept.”

  He said it with a smile. His face still looked pale but it was good to see his sense of humour return.

  They left work an hour early carrying two large project files. “You go on ahead. I’ll get some wine and catch you up.”

  “Just one bottle, Mike.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  Pauline had left the slow cooker on all day and the welcome smell of food filled the house. Her hot pot dish had been his favourite when they were together at university.

  She didn’t really need his input on the two new projects, she was quite capable of doing them herself apart from needing his signature to finalise everything.

  There was another reason she had invited him round but that could wait until nearer the end of the evening.

  She opened the door as soon as his car pulled up outside. He walked in and was greeted by a smell that transported him back to happier times.

  “Oh my God that smells like heaven. A mere man has no defence against your cooking.”

  “Good, so I’ll cross wearing it off the list then?”

  Another smile from Mike, that’s twice today. “Here, stick those in the fridge for a while.” He handed her two bottles of wine.

  “Chablis Premier Cru and Prosecco. Nice!”

  “I thought a bottle each would do it.”

  “You can’t drive home if you drink a bottle.”

  “Let’s cross that bridge when we come to it. How long before we eat?”

  “About two minutes.”

  “Can’t you speed it up a bit I’m starving?”

  With dinner finished and the wine bottles open they started on the files. One project was small enough that the plans could be rolled out over the dining table with the salt and pepper pots holding the ends down. Mike checked over what she had suggested changing and had to agree that her plan would work better.

  “That’ll save us time and money. I think you’ve earned yourself another glass of Prosecco.”

  “Let’s keep our heads clear for this next one. I can see a few problems that could hold it up if we’re not careful, Mike.”

  Pauline had to spread the plans out over the carpet. They took up most of the floor space.

  After carefully studying the drawings and the layout they both agreed that several changes would need to be made or it could run way over budget.

  “I’ll ring them tomorrow after I’ve spoken to Frank. See what he thinks first. He knows the crew count better than me. Roll these up now, Pauline. Let’s chill out with another glass.”

  With the plans safely away and their glasses filled they both sa
t on the sofa. Mike sprawled out one end and Pauline sat with one leg tucked under herself at the other.

  “I arranged Sam’s funeral today it’s next Wednesday. I don’t know who to invite. He didn’t really have any friends so it’ll just be me unless you come along.”

  “I’ll go with you, you can’t go alone.”

  “Thanks.”

  “What about your wife’s funeral, have you heard anything?”

  “It’s this Friday. But I’m not invited, as you know.”

  “But you’re going anyway?”

  “Yes, she can’t stop me.”

  “Did you want me there with you?”

  “The wicked bitch hates you almost as much as she hates me.”

  “Then I’ll be there.”

  “You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. It could turn nasty.”

  “I’ll be there, Mike. She’ll have to go through me if she wants to hurt you.”

  Mike sat up, reached across and took hold of her hand. He lifted it to his mouth and kissed it. “You’re the only person that I totally trust. You’ve always been there when I’ve needed you most. I would do anything for you, Pauline. Absolutely anything.”

  “Would you marry me?”

  He really sat up then and looked at her, waiting for some sign that she was joking. “Are you being serious?”

  “I wouldn’t play with your emotions at a time like this, Mike.”

  “I’ll get us on a flight to Vegas and marry you tonight if you want me to.” He pulled her towards him but she stopped his kiss by putting her hand to his mouth.

  “What’s that for?”

  “Nothing’s changing until after Toni’s funeral, Mike. It’s for the best. I’ll not be accused of anything by the bitch and if she dare challenge me I can speak the truth.”

  “Why after all this time have you changed your mind now? I hope it’s not out of pity?”

  “Mike. When we were at university you once said you wanted seven kids.”

  “Well you know that won’t happen now. But I remember saying each one would be named a day of the week. I might have been three sheets to the wind when I said that.”