Now
The locksmith picked a bronze key with metallic spots on its sides, from a ring of thousand keys and inserted it into the door lock. The inspector standing behind him coughed, the constable behind the inspector scratched his buttocks, and the three people in plain clothes looked on.
The locksmith jiggled the key inside the lock and pressed the latch downwards. The door gave way. Immediately the six human beings put their hands on their nose.
“That’s the stink we told you about on the phone”, said the man in a smart off white shirt and grey trousers. The inspector looked at the man through his dark Raybans and waved at the locksmith. The locksmith got his clue and left.
With handkerchiefs on their nose the five people entered the flat. The constable immediately started looking around.
From the leather couch near the wall, to the carpet on the floor, to the huge TV on the wall, to the curtains on the French windows everything looked expensive.
‘It must feel like heaven to live like this, except for the stink’, thought the inspector.
“Sir, I have found something”, they heard the constable calling out from the bedroom.
The constable was sitting on his haunches looking under the bed when they entered. The inspector bent down and took a look.
“Detective”, the inspector gestured towards the man in dirty blue jeans and grey t-shirt.
The man whipped out a pair of white rubber gloves from his pocket and got down on his knees. The naked body was concealed in the darkness below the bed. A thin steel wire was wrapped around its neck. A thin line of maroon blood had flown from the wound and had clotted on the floor. After feeling the neck of the body the detective looked up at the inspector.
“How long”, asked the inspector.
“Three days. At least”, said the detective.
Three Days Back.
Under the golden streetlight behind the silvery smoke her slender figure was visible. The flawless skin on her shoulder showed through her sleeveless dress. The flowers on her short white dress fluttered in the night wind showing off her glistening long legs. She bent down and picked up her hand bag from the ground and slung it around her shoulder.
‘It’s almost time’, she thought checking her silver wrist watch.
She turned her head. A pair of bright lights appeared at the end of the road. She heard the sea roaring behind her. She noticed the four ring insignia on the grill of the SUV first. As the car drew closer she read the number plate. That’s the number her sister had told her while she lay wreathing in pain on the healing platform.
She stretched her hand, the wrist watch shimmered. The car came to halt near her and the dark window glass slowly slid towards the earth.
“I am unable to get a cab can you please help me” she said popping her head inside the car.
“Yeah sure”, said the man with a smile. She opened the door and slid into the black leather seat beside him.
From the side of her eyes she saw him looking at her body.
“Where do you have to go”, he asked.
“Well I am very hungry right now”, she said looking into his black eyes. She noticed he had thick black hair on his head, a thick moustache and fair skin, exactly like her sister had told her.
“It’s almost one, I don’t think any restaurant would be open”, he said. “I am going to my place it’s just around the corner, if you want I can fix something for you. I am good cook”.
“That would be great” she said. “I hope it is not much of a trouble for you”, she added quickly with an apologetic look.
“Not at all, the pleasure is mine”, he said looking into her eyes. “Have I seen you somewhere”, he asked her.
“No but I have definitely heard that line before”, she laughed. He laughed too.
“By the way I am DK”, he said.
“I am Argeni”, she said.
“That’s an unusual name. You are not from around here are you”, he said.
“No”, she shook her head smiling.
He took a right turn and passed through the gate of a tall building. The watchman came running to the car and saluted him. DK opened the door, got out and threw the keys at the watchman. He then opened the door for Argeni. Inside the lift DK pressed the button numbered 16. In a few seconds the doors opened. DK walked towards a brown door, slid a key into the lock and opened it.
“You have a beautiful house”, Argeni remarked as DK disappeared into the kitchen.
“Can I help”, she asked as she followed him in to the kitchen and saw him pouring some red wine into one of the two wine glasses.
“Sure, can you please chop some bell peppers for me”, said DK handing her a glass.
“Thanks. Sure”, she said, took off her hand bag from her shoulder and kept it on the kitchen counter.
She took a sip from the glass, picked up a knife and started chopping a bell pepper. She felt DK’s hand sliding slowly around her waist, and his moustache on the nape of her neck. As the musk fragrance from his body filled her senses, her eyes started to turn grey and she rolled her head on his shoulder with a soft purr.
Next Morning.
Argeni woke up with a start. The whole bedroom was filled with sunlight. Her body ached. She threw the covers back and jumped out of the bed. She bent down and picked up her floral dress and slid it over her head. She checked her silvery hair in the mirror and looked around the room for her hand bag.
Then she remembered she had left the handbag on the kitchen counter last night. She went into the kitchen and picked up the bag from the counter.
She was ready to leave.
She bent down to place the handbag on the floor. From the kitchen door she could see halfway into the bedroom. Below the bed she could see thin line of maroon fluid.
She straightened herself, keeping her eyes on the maroon line and put her left leg inside the bag. The kitchen was instantly filled with a blinding flash which left nothing but a cloud of silvery smoke behind.
