This is the thirty-fourth part of a fiction serial, in 697 words.
Of course, I wasn’t the next of kin, so had to ring Livvy’s mum soon after getting the news. I had declined to see her, laid out with her head in bandages.
“Dead? What do you mean, dead? Does this mean I have to go to Nottingham? I can tell you now that’s not going to happen, Danny. Get off the phone, and let me ring my husband”.
They gave me her personal possessions. As she had been in bed at the time it happened, that amounted to a gold chain, small gold earrings, and a cheap ring she used to wear on her right hand second finger.
I ordered a taxi from reception to take me home. They queried the distance, and asked if I knew how much it would cost. I just nodded at the woman on reception.
Livvy’s dad must have come home and sorted things, because a week later her mum rang me and gave me the details of the funeral the following week. “She would have wanted you to come, I expect”. That was all she had to say to me.
They cried crocodile tears at the crematorium, for a daughter they never really gave a shit about. After the service, her dad just nodded at me, and I didn’t get invited back to the house for buffet and drinks.
Not that I would have gone anyway.
They became next on my list. Not real parents at all, as far as I could tell. In truth, I think they were relieved that she was dead, and that her death removed all future responsibility from them. Maybe Livvy was unplanned, an accident? Whatever the reason, she deserved better, so those bastards had to die for their negligence.
That began a period of frustration for me. Her mum phoned me just the once, to tell me to give all her clothes to charity shops, or just throw them out in the rubbish. That was all they thought of Olivia, their only child? I was beginning to wonder if she had been adopted.
A house fire was my first choice. Late at night, a firece blaze. No survivors.
The problem was, they had state of the art CCTV. Cameras everywhere, and in colour, when nobody had colour CCTV. They also had a bank of fire alarms, Livvy had mentioned that. Then there was the killer reason not to do it.
My personal connection, and the obvious animosity between us.
There was no other option but to let it go. I satisfied myself that I would get them another time. Maybe at the holiday home in Suffolk, or when their guard was down in a year or so. But that wasn’t to be.
The only way I could kill that heartless pair was to implicate myself in some way. And I couldn’t afford to do that.
So I walked away from them, and my enjoyable life with Livvy.
Reluctantly, but it had to be done to stay safe.
For a good few years, I did my job, moved up the pecking order, and was well thought of. I got rid of Brian’s Fiesta, and bought myself something younger and trendier.
But not too flash.
There were no girlfriends either. I had cried over the loss of one, and that was never going to happen again. Better no girlfriend, than one who actually got to me.
My boss was in clover. I had become indispensable, and could easily have run the whole company if he wasn’t there. I had interest from women of course. I had spent my life attracting interest from women, and men. The boss gave me a pay rise, and moved me up the chain of command. It wasn’t too long before he relied on me completely, even paying me extra not to take all my leave entitlement.
A few years went by, and they were all defined by working hard, earning more money, and living for the job.
Then we had a company night out at a disco bar in town. I had a few too many drinks, and my eyes started to wander around the nightclub.
That’s when I spotted Eve.
Awe, so we circle back to Eve, I’m curious as to how this ends? I’m playing catch-up today, so I assume I’ll know soon! hugs, C
LikeLiked by 1 person
It concludes tomorrow, Cheryl.
(Thanks for remembering Eve)
Best wishes, Pete. x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Eve should have run in the opposite direction, lol.
LikeLiked by 1 person
She was quite shallow, and only attracted by his looks.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Terrific chapter, Pete… I love how Danny made the smart decision to let it go – nice!
LikeLiked by 1 person
He may be a stone killer, but he knows when to back away. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike
Oh, with Eve this could become very mysterious. Are you changing to a story of retribution, Pete? 😉 xx Michael
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is full circle, to when he meets Eve. He killed her in part one, if you remember that far back. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh yes, and his remembrance will be the last in freedom. 😉 xx Michael
LikeLiked by 1 person
Reblogged this on NEW BLOG HERE >> https:/BOOKS.ESLARN-NET.DE.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m not surprised at Livvy’s parents. They’re mean and could care less about Livvy. I didn’t expect Danny to want to kill them, and I was also surprised he put this idea on the back burner. I can’t wait to find out who he bumped into at the pub. Well done, Pete.
LikeLiked by 2 people
It is Eve, Jennie. The woman he married, and then killed in Part One. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh, yes!! I’d forgotten her name. Thank you, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well the series is about to end a good story pete
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, just a couple more episodes to go now.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike
You’ve got me wondering how you plan to wrap this up. I haven’t missed an episode this time.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You will soon see how it wraps up, Pete. Not long to go now.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Danny does have a heart then and self-control he really doesn’t plan on being caught…Will Eve be his downfall? Tweeted for you, Pete…Have a great weekend 🙂 x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Always a possibility, Carol. He killed her in part one and got away with it though. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete. x
LikeLiked by 1 person
It could still come back and bite him…one never knows with you, Pete…x
LikeLiked by 1 person
Read the next part. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete. x
LikeLiked by 1 person
back off Adam, leave eve alone.
LikeLiked by 1 person
He already killed her in part one, Beth. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
))
LikeLiked by 1 person
So, perhaps not many more heads to roll
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not many at all, Sue.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good
LikeLiked by 1 person
We are coming full circle?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, as I usually do, when I write a ‘flashback’ serial. Close to the end now.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would still like to see Livvy’s nasty parents get theirs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sometimes in life, the bad people get away with things. Take Trump for example…
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I would like to see him and his bunch of cronies get it too!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Addendum:
(1) “The problem was, they had state of the art CCTV. The images weren’t classical, baroque, impressionist, cubist, abstract, or pop.”
(2) I’m too chicken to demand an answer, but I’m wondering whether Danny moved up the pecking order or the chain of command…
(3) Danny spotted Eve at the disco on a Saturday night. She was feverishly dancing to the music of the Bee Gees.
LikeLiked by 1 person
She was banking on ‘Staying Alive’ then? That didn’t work, as Danny killed her. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
(1(1) Overheard:
Livvy’s Mum: “Dead? What do you mean, dead?”
Danny: “She’s not alive anymore.”
Livvy’s Mum: “Not alive anymore? What do you mean, not alive anymore?”
Danny: “She’s dead.”
Livvy’s Mum: “Dead? What do you mean, dead?”
(2) “They cried crocodile tears at the crematorium.” Those tears only lowered the temperature in the furnace from 1800° F to 1745° F. Had the tears been sincere, the temperature would have been lowered an extra 100° F.
(3) You couldn’t let Livvy live?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had no idea what the furnace temperature was for cremation. Thanks for that information, David. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ah, we are back to Eve, although something tells me Danny has a few more to kill before he gets to his wife? 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Seems to me that you are ‘kill-hungry’, Eduardo. This is near the end of the serial of course. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person