"Jack,
please tell me
what happened."
"Una,
stop this
begging
right now."
"But, Jack-"
"No 'buts',
Una!"
"Fine. Don't
tell me. Be
prepared to
wake up to
no breakfast
and a dusty
house tomorrow."
This seems to get
Jack's attention
and he turns around.
"Okay,
Una.
But, you must promise
me
that you won't
tell a soul."
Una
crosses her heart
and leans in close.
"I met
Van Roltz
and the
Dutch woman
in the local pub,
you know, the one
that has that amazing
light fixture?"
Una nods and ushers Jack
to continue.
"When I arrived,
they were arguing.
And the Dutch woman
threw a bottle at his head!"
Jack and Una both chuckle in unison
but, it is as if a ghost cast a
shadow
over their solemn faces.
"When he saw me,
Van Roltz I mean,
they immediately stopped.
And he ordered me to take them
both
to Clent Hills-"
"Jack, you imbecile!
You did it,
didn't you?"
"What could I do,
Una?
They were shooting daggers."
Una
shifts in her seat
as Jack continues.
"Their argument
escalated.
Una,
I got scared.
Eventually,
Van Roltz did
something terrible.
The next thing a heard
was the sound of a
person struggling for
breath."
Jack paused for a minute
as if he was choosing his next
words
very
carefully.
"He strangled the woman,
Una.
And I was there,
driving like an idiot
when there was a dead
woman
in my backseat."
"What happened after?"
"He insisted that I help
him
move her body into the woods
that were right there."
"Which woods?"
"Why does it matter?
I was an accessory to
murder,
Una!"
Una
looked at him,
l o n g
and
hard.
"It was
Hagley."
Una's
face softens and tells Jack
to continue his tale.
"Well, he blackmailed me.
So I helped him conceal the
body
in a hollow tree."
YOU ARE READING
The Mystery of Bella and the Wych Elm
Historical Fiction**IT'S A QUICK READ TRUST ME** Not everyone knows the story of Bella in the Wych Elm. She was found in Hagley Woods, in an old Wych Elm. Nobody knew who she was, or who killed her. Many rumors rose to try to explain who she was. Set in 1943 in 3 per...
