THE PERFECT CRIME

Chapter 5

MY HOUSE WAS in the suburbs. I chose it after I couldn’t stand the noise from the city. My real estate agent, Madeline whom I kept in contact with helped me tremendously in acquiring the house. The previous owners were an older couple who had grown bored of staying in the city and decided to move to the countryside.

I’d fallen in love with the house. It had this old-fashioned charm that had stoked my interest upon first sight. I still knew buying the house was the right call. Apart from it being in an idyllic neighborhood, it was close to the clinic, which meant I could leave home late and still be on time for work.

Slowly I pulled up into the drive and cut the engine, the headlights illuminating the portico. I unfastened the seatbelt, stepped out, and locked it. With a quick sweep of the neighborhood, I walked toward the front door. A cold wind wafted across the porch. I clasped my coat to my body and hurried to the door, dipping my hands into my bag for the keys.

As I twisted the key in the lock, someone called my name. “Anne!”

The lock squealed. I turned around and saw my neighbor from across the street walking her dog. She halted by the embankment, pulling the leash around Tinny’s neck.

“Hey, Lana. How are you?”

“I’m fine. Yourself?”

“Good.”

“Tinny’s having a hard time sleeping, so we decided to take a stroll.” She crouched down and scooped the dog into her arms, stroking the fur.

I smiled. “I’d have joined you if I weren’t so worn out.”

“It’s fine. Maybe you can join us tomorrow. It’s a Saturday.”

“Sounds great. I will see you later. Goodnight,” I said.

“Goodnight, Anne.”

I faced the door and gave it a push, stepping inside when it slid open. The room was pitch-black. I flicked the switch on the wall. The overhead light in the foyer came on, shoving the darkness away. My eyes immediately landed on the red roses in the vase Bellamy had brought the day before. A smile lingered on my face as I dropped the keys on the table and slipped out of my cashmere overcoat.

My conversation with Sherry in the café echoed in my head. There’s this sparkle in your eyes whenever you talk about Bellamy.

She was absolutely right. That was something I could never hide from anybody. Now I looked forward to a marriage proposal, but I wouldn’t jitter about it. Bellamy struck me as a serious guy. He’d make a great husband. Usually, you knew if your current relationship would turn into something big, but with Bellamy, I had no idea.

I enjoyed his company. He was fun to hang out with and he cracked silly jokes that left me laughing for a long time. I was sure he enjoyed my company too. But was he interested in taking our relationship to the next level?

The question hung in my head as I passed across the spacious living room, peeling off my stilettos. I left them by a pillar and dropped my coat on the couch. Walking into the kitchen barefooted, I turned on the light and used the sink.

I brought out the Chardonnay from the state-of-the-art refrigerator, grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it up. I took a sip. The chill ran down my spine, invigorating my tired body. I remembered how much I needed this. I finished the glass and poured another round which I carried with me to the bedroom.

My bedroom was ridiculously big for me, so I turned a portion of it into a small study. I used it to read files at night when I was too lazy to use the study downstairs. Since tomorrow was a Saturday, I wouldn’t be doing any reading tonight. I neared the nightstand and settled the glass on top. Sighing, I unbuttoned my blouse, pulling my phone from the slacks. I stared at the screen. No new messages. I set an alarm that would wake me from my bathroom meditation where I soaked myself in the bathtub and freed my mind. It lasted for thirty minutes and the truth was, it helped my mind. Unzipping the slacks, I let it fall on the floor and stepped inside the bathroom.