Murder in 1975 (Gay - Romantic Thriller)

Chapter Three

Chapter Three 

The man opened the door quietly. Good, she had left it unlocked for him. He walked confidently along the narrow hallway and was just about to call "Hullo" when he heard voices: Toni's and the deeper tones of a male voice. They were coming from a room at the top of the stairs. The little bitch! If she was two-timing him ... Stealthily he mounted the staircase, careful to place his feet as near to the wall as possible to prevent the boards from creaking. The red floral carpet was worn but it muffled any sound. He could see the room now, the door was open and the light cast a pool of yellow into the passage, highlighting the cracks in the white plaster on the opposite wall. He crept up to the doorway and stood listening. The man was speaking now, his voice sounding annoyed. 

"What's going on Toni? Did you get me over here for nothing?" 

The man outside released his breath slowly. So that was her game was it? She teased men and dropped them. Well, he would have to teach her a lesson, but first he had to get rid of that man. Where exactly was he? He squatted down and peered carefully into the room. The stranger was standing with his back to him, facing Toni who would have been able to see him if her eyes hadn't been on the floor. She was obviously feeling guilty about something. Behind both of them stood a single bed with a pale blue bedspread. The walls were white like the rest of the house, but Toni had livened them up with some huge posters of pop stars. He could see the end of a small white dressing table but the wardrobe must be against the wall behind the door. 

He stood up quietly. Speed and surprise! He braced himself then in two steps was into the room, his hands reaching for the man's throat, his thumbs pressing into the carotid nerve. Taken completely unaware, the other man had no chance to fight back but slumped unconscious to the floor. He looked up and saw Toni staring at him, wide-eyed, her hand against her mouth. 

"No need to worry," he reassured her, "He'll come round in about half an hour or so. Now how about giving me some of what you promised?"  

He came towards her and she backed against the wall, shaking her head in terrified disbelief. She opened her mouth and gave a faint scream; she couldn't get her muscles to work properly. In a flash he was in front of her his hand pressing hard over her mouth. 

"Now that was a silly thing to do. Come on, you said I could sleep with you and I will." 

With a powerful jerk of his shoulders, he flung her onto the bed. Toni tried to scream again but this time he was too quick for her and pushed a pillow over her face. He held it there until her struggles quietened then he pulled up her dress. By the time he had finished she was dead. He stared at her in horror, trying to convince himself that she had deserved it, but terrified no-one would believe him and he'd go to jail. 

He backed slowly out of the room and kicked against the man on the floor. He'd forgotten about him! There must be some way he could shift the blame. He looked at him for inspiration and caught sight of a cufflink on his shirt sleeve. That should do it, if that was found under the body he'd have a hard time explaining it away. He knelt down and clumsily removed the cufflink, then thrust it under Toni's body. Fear overtook him again and he raced out of the room and down the stairs. The back door, he mustn't go out the front door into the street. His fingers slipped on the door handle and he reached into his pocket for a handkerchief to wipe the nervous sweat off of them. Fingerprints! He'd forgotten about that. Hastily he wrapped his hand in the piece of cotton and wiped the handle. Still with the handkerchief on his hand he shut the door softly behind him and strode off down the alley at the back of the shop, trying hard not to run. 

The man on the floor blinked his eyes. Where was he? On the floor of some room obviously. He looked vaguely around and saw the dressing table, a bedroom apparently. Gradually he remembered where he was, Toni's room, but what was he doing on the floor? He glanced at his watch as he hauled himself to his feet. Five to nine! Where had the last twenty minutes gone? He shook his head to clear it. Then he saw the body and his heart stopped beating. She was obviously dead, sprawled on her back, eyes shut, and mouth screwed open, clothes awry. He was alone in a room with a murdered, probably raped girl, and twenty minutes he couldn't account for. He panicked and stumbled out of the room, he had to get out. Unthinkingly he went through the front door and was twenty yards down the street before he was able to pull himself together and walk casually.