Episode 3.

The noon sun beat down upon the softly moan grass as Ben carried the flowers toward their sad destination. As the headstone came into view, he slowed down.

With fallen eyes, he knelt and placed them into the empty brazier.

“Happy birthday Shirley.”

He gazed upon the bleak stone, remembering the happy times before her premature death. A death that no one could explain.

He rose slowly as a whisper reached his ears.

“Help me Ben.”

He whirled around but no one was there of course.

“Who was that?”

The voice came again.

“Help me Ben. I was murdered.”

The reporter for the paper felt his warm blood run cold as he recognised his sweetheart’s voice at last.

“Shirley?”

“Of course it’s me. The proof lies within my things. Don’t let me down darling. My loving puppy.”

Ben felt his heart twinge at his pet name. A name only she had known. After all, Shirley had given it to him.

When he reached his apartment on Sudock Avenue, he walked into the rear room where a box of her things lay undisturbed. As he knelt to open it, a soft breeze ruffled his hair.

“I wonder what lies within?”

He opened the lid slowly and gazed at the contents. A bra, a thong, and a diary that he had never read.

“I wonder if the clue lies in here?”

As he pulled it out, the cool breeze came again.

Ben closed the lid and returned to the warm lounge before pouring out a stiff whisky. As he gulped it down, his shaking fingers opened the diary of his long lost love.

Sat-July 6th-Gone to Derek’s.

He thought back to that particular date in time. Derek had been an old friend of his before they had fallen out.

Sunday-July 8th-Call from Andrew. Must return call.

He knew who Andrew was of course. Shirley’s doctor.

Monday-July 9th-Shopping trip.

He nearly teared up when he read that last entry. Her cold corpse had been found in that mall parking lot. Sudden death had been recorded at the inquest.

“Not much to go on I see. I’ll check the doctor first.”

He knew where the mobile was hidden and reached under the cushion to retrieve it. He checked her phonebook and spotted the relevant number.

“Hi there. I’m Ben. My late girlfriend Shelley left a note about seeing you on July 8th of last year.”

He listened to the cold but professional reply.

“I know about patient confidence sir. I’m a ruddy reporter. I need to see you about this.”

When the reply came, he glanced at his watch.

“Three will be lovely sir. See you then.”

He disconnected and began to ready himself for the expected meeting.

The waiting room was pretty packed and the doctor kept him on ice for another hour. As he at last sat before this Dutchman, he tried to smile.

“How can I possibly help you sir?”

“You signed the death certificate as I remember.”

“As she was my patient that is only to be expected.”

“There was nothing unusual about the circumstances?”

“Only in that the death was unexpected. Toxicology picked up nothing as you well know.”

Ben remembered that grim day only too well.

“Look Andrew. Her diary makes clear that you phoned her. Can you at least tell me why?”

The medic looked at him closely before coughing.

“She wanted some advice on getting pregnant. She had left a note with my receptionist about it.”

The news came as a complete shock to Ben. He had wanted kids but not just yet. The doctor must have seen his face turn ashen for he said, “You did not know?”

“No I did not sir. It seems that I wasted your time.”

“You did not. Just answer me this. Why bring this up now?”

Ben nearly blurted out the reason, but his mind stopped it just in the nick of time.

“I was eh, checking her things and came across the diary.”

The Dutchman smiled happily.

“Then that explains it.”

When Ben left the practice, he sat in his car thinking about Kevin.

“I wonder if he still lives on Nevis Road.”

He gunned the engine and headed toward the town centre, and the home of his old friend.

When he arrived at the quaint old cottage, he knocked politely. Soon after, a short bloke with pink hair answered sleepily.

“I don’t need any bible basher’s thanks.”

“It’s Ben you fool.”

The door was thrown open, and his old friend beamed.

“How long has it been now?”

Ben knew the answer to that one.

“Three years mate. Can I come inside for a moment?”

Kevin stepped aside and the reporter entered a rather untidy living area. Magazines were scattered across the floor and cat hair seemed to hang from everywhere.

“Mind the mess eh?”

Ben smiled as he found himself a clear chair. Sitting down he noted that the magazines were all about alien abduction.

“You still into that subject?”

Kevin coloured up as he plopped down upon the sofa.

“It was abduction that triggered our argument mate. Of course I’m still into it.”

“I’m not here to argue.”

“Then may I ask why you have come?”

“It’s about Shirley. She left a note in her diary about you.”

“Did she indeed? That was shortly before her death.”

“You remember it then?”

“Of course I do. One of her friends had told her that she was an
abduction victim.”

“So she came here to gauge an opinion?”

Kevin nodded.

“After listening to the account I came to the conclusion that her friend was winding her up.”

Ben thought this through.

“What was the giveaway?”

Kevin smiled and said, “Aliens do not go around bonking people.”

“Oh I see. Can you remember who the friend was?”

“Frenier I think. She lives on Muscle Street.”

“By the cinema?”

“That’s the place. Before she left, she told me that her friend was about to feel her fury.”

“That’s understandable,” Ben said. “She hated being made a fool of.”

They parted on good terms, and the reporter made his merry way toward Frenier.

When he entered Muscle Street, passing the old cinema, he spotted the line of homes where the woman lived. He mentally thanked his old friend for giving him the house number, as he stepped onto the cold pavement.

Each one of these buildings was single storey with quaint but rather garish yellow doors.

“Reminds me of a doll house,” he muttered as he knocked thrice.

“Who is it?”

“It’s Ben. Eh, Shirley’s partner.”

The door opened, and an obese lady with drooping mammary glands gazed at him.

“What do you want exactly?”

He saw the thin nightdress that barely hid her modesty, but the red lined eyes really concerned him.

“Had a bad night?”

“More than ever. What’s this about?”

“I understand that you saw Shirley shortly before she passed on.”

The woman who was ten years older stepped back.

“You better come inside then.”

The living space was quite modest and the fluffy carpet boasted images of cats.

“Please be seated.”

He sat upon a chair as she plonked down beside him.

“She must have been livid when she turned up.”

Frenier nodded as if it had happened yesterday.

“She certainly was. She accused me of lying to her.”

“So you were the supposed abduction victim?”

“Still am. I have not had a proper night’s sleep in months.”

“Perhaps they are simply nightmares or sleep paralysis.”

Frenier shook her head.

“I considered that you know.”

“Why did you reject them?” Ben asked.

“One thing changed my mind. An abduction happened when I was wide awake.”

“Oh I see. So little green men turned up and took you away did they?”

She sneered at the doubtful reporter.

“You have simply no idea what they put me through.”

“Bonking isn’t it?”

She stared at him in shock.

“She told you?”

“A friend of hers did a short time ago.”

“That must be Kevin then.”

“It certainly is.”

“Look Ben...I don’t need you or anyone else to believe me.”

“Did Shirley seem okay when she left?”

The woman suddenly became evasive.

“Why do you ask?”

“I’m trying to find out if she was murdered.”

Her face turned ashen at this surprising suggestion.

“That I had something to do with it? She was found in the parking lot.”

“I know that already,” he said quietly. “There is a connection but I don’t know what.”

“Perhaps you should leave now,” she replied glancing at the wall clock.

He saw the nervous look and the time.

“Now why should I do that?”

Frenier was just about to reply when a loud fizzing noise swept over the room. As the wall clock shook, the woman turned wild.

“You have to go right now!”

She grabbed his arm and managed to haul him up, before they both faded from view.

Seconds later, two smoking piles of ash appeared where two people had once stood.
TBC...

getting Very interesting, :) :)

Ta my dear...