The murder- a short story

"Did you murder her?” asked the lawyer as soon as I entered the lobby. He was a man looking in his early 30s and more importantly a great lawyer who could really help me.

"No. Do you think I did it?” I replied to him.

"Well you definitely don't look like a person who could kill anyone", he said.

"Shall I start my narration of what happened", asked I.

"I have come here precisely to hear it from you. You shall begin already", said him.

"This is how it all happened."

(Last Wednesday)................ "It was supposed to be the best day of my life. I went to my clinic in the morning as I would always go on a Wednesday morning. By the way my name is john Watson and I am a doctor. Now back to what happened. If I remember correctly I was on my way back to my apartment at almost 6 in the evening. I stopped at the florist for some roses and then at the Tiffany's for the special present. It was a ring, an engagement ring for her. Oh god I loved her so much."

"Loved whom?” the lawyer interrupted.

"Mary! I loved Mary so much. It had been two years we had been together and I planned to propose her that evening. I was excited as hell and also a little worried about how she would react. I was walking towards our apartment instead of taking the train as I was too anxious to reach too soon. The sun was just setting and its rays were reflecting off the buildings in which I was totally immersed thinking of Mary when suddenly I got a call from her.

"Where are you honey? It’s our anniversary, and you would love to see what I planned for the occasion.” she said.

"OH Mary, I love surprises and perhaps I would also give you one." I said. "And Mary could you please go to the royal club for me and get my parcel first."

And after promising her to come soon I just started to run towards the apartment despite being a patient of asthma."

"What can I say. Love can make you do crazy things", the lawyer murmured.

"Yes many a times', I continued. “Anyway I reached the apartment after about twenty more minutes of running and I climbed up the stairs in such a hurry that I almost bumped into Diana on the stairs and before you ask who she is, she lived the door opposite to ours. She was in some hurry of hers and didn't accept my apologies. I couldn't care less at that time and as I pulled the door of my apartment the door handle came right into my hand. I anyhow entered in and bolted the door and threw it at once and there she was. The only thing in the world I cared about, she was my girl, my cheerleader who was always right by my side when I needed her.

I just wanted to propose her at that very moment and I started speaking with a little stammering. “I love you so much, and honey I want to.....

(Interrupting)"What are you talking about John? Mary has gone out for some work and will be back soon.” Said our maid noticing my obvious nervousness. I was apparently so nervous that i could not recognise her in the darkness of the room and also I couldn't see her face.

She offered me the glass of water she already had in her hands and asked me to relax and then left the house. Oh boy I was in no mood to relax even a bit.

I played some romantic track on the audio system, grabbed a chair and tried to think over what I had to say to Mary when she comes back and I just got lost in my thoughts

(Silence)

"What happened then?” asked the lawyer

"I don't remember much but I was lying on the floor, feeling a bit dizzy. I got up in a hurry and looked around the house. I called Mary on her phone and it kept ringing. I got all scared and called up the police and our maid also had come back and then i think you know the rest."

The lawyer in a very harsh tone almost ordered me to continue when he said, "well I know what happened and also that perhaps you are lying but I need to hear what you have to say and you must oblige."

I, then continued to narrate what happened, "Well the cops arrived in a few minutes and then started to look for Mary. I would not have looked in the servant’s room at any time soon had they not thought of it. She was already dead by then. Her face smashed brutally and I could not even recognise her face. The detective then asked me to remain in the building.

After almost an hour of investigation I was supposedly a suspect and the detective wanted to arrest me. I knew he had all the reasons for it. I was at the apartment when it all happened. The door handle that was used to kill her had my fresh fingerprints on it. She was found in our servant's room.

But obviously I didn't kill her. I had no motive to do it. I told them what had happened and how I was unconscious the whole time.

They got my blood checked and the report says that I was drugged perhaps by the water. All of this shifted the detective's attention towards the maid and obviously I also think she has done it."

Suddenly a sharp voice from the side of the lobby entrance shouted, “Why are you lying John? the maid didn't kill her, you did."

"Who is she?” asked my lawyer.

I got up from my seat and in a low tone replied to his query," she is Mary, my girlfriend." And then I slapped her and took her by her hair and pushed her into the kitchen and locked the door.

She kept saying you killed her from the inside of the kitchen too.

I could not bear it anymore and yelled, “Yes I killed her. Yes I killed Diana, and I will kill you if you say another word now."

There was utter silence in the house after my warning to her.

The lawyer then breaking the silence," so you did kill her. Huh?"

"Yes! Why do you think I hired you? I want you to believe the story I tell you and prove it in the court and make the maid guilty.

The lawyer had some questions in his mind which was obvious.

"Let me tell you why I killed her before you draft your own theory. I had been having an affair with her for around seven months. When I told her that I was going to propose Mary for marriage, she threatened me by saying that she would tell everyone about our relationship. I could not afford to have my society status messed up like that. She had to die."

"But why did you call the police yourself and how come your blood sample had drugs in it?” asked the lawyer in an inquisitive tone.

"I had planned to dispose her body off somewhere very far. I had already asked Mary to go to the royal club for some work so that I had a clear field of work as she would not come back for two hours. As soon as I was about to take out the body I saw the maid coming towards the apartment. I knew that she would definitely find the body and I would have been caught red-handed. Instead I thought of a plan, and hid the body in her room, called up the police and then as if dumbstruck I started to tell the maid what I just told you had happened so that she would believe it. Little did she knew about Diana. And as for the drugs, i regularly take cocaine so i knew it would show in the blood test.

I added, “I hope you don't have any further questions and will make sure that this is considered as the truth in the court hearing if it is needed."

"I will be very happy to do so but I do have one more question." The lawyer said in a low tone." Why are you marrying this woman, Mary? You don't love her so why go into all that trouble to kill someone. Let her go if you want to."

I had already started smiling on this and justified my deed by saying," well my friend, there is a thing which is much better than love and that is money. She is the sole owner of an estate valued at about £1.3 billion and an annual income of £167 million. Why would I leave her?"

Still confused and bemused he said, “then why the hell is she not leaving you?"

"Ha-ha. Well my friend she really loves me and love can make you do crazy things.