Murder-De-Sac

by Jim Bennett

  She had only been inside for a few moments when there was a furious knock on the door. It was quite impressive really, she thought to herself. Mrs McGrath had only been home for a few minutes, how could she have already whipped herself up into a frenzy and about what? Again, she went through the inner turmoil of deciding whether she could get away with pretending she wasn’t in when a man’s voice called ‘Julie, are you there?’

  She opened the door and was amazed to see Mike standing there.

  ‘Jesus, are you alright?' His eyes fell to the bloody top in the bag that she was holding by her side.

  ‘Mike, I’m fine. What’s wrong?’

  ‘When you didn’t show up for work this morning, I got worried. The old boy hadn’t told me not to come in like he has been doing for the last week, so I thought I better. Only it was all locked up when I got there'. He was short of breath, like he had run part of the way to the house. ‘Fair enough, I thought, he’s probably remembered to call Julie but forgot me, not the end of the world. Only then I got it into my head that he might not have done, and you could be lying dead on the kitchen floor for all I know. What with your son being away and your… well, you living by yourself, I thought bloody hell, I better give her a call'.

  ‘Mike', Julie said, trying to interrupt to no avail.

  ‘Only then you weren’t answering the phone', he continued. ‘First time I tried, it didn’t phase me, thought you were probably at the shops or something. Only then when I couldn’t get you after the third attempt, I really started to worry'.

  ‘Mike…’

  ‘So I thought I’d come and check, didn’t think there was any harm in that. Besides, with us being, you know, spending time together, I didn’t think you’d mind, even if there wasn’t anything wrong. And then I find you with a bag of bloody clothes wearing whatever that is that you’re wearing and I think Christ, what's been going on here'.

  ‘Why don’t you come in for a cup of tea', Julie said. ‘And I can tell you all about it?’

  His eyes returned to her bag of bloody clothes. ‘Are you sure you don’t need to go to a hospital or anything?'

  ‘I just came from the hospital'. Mike’s eyes bulged in alarm, so Julie interjected ‘I’m fine, I promise'.

  ‘Should you be drinking tea? If you’re injured I mean'.

  ‘It’s not crack cocaine, Mike. I think I can survive one cup'.

  He still didn’t look sure, but said ‘alright then, as long as you feel up to it'.

  Julie wasn’t sure that she did, but she let him in anyway.