Strange Ideas: Blemish

Continuing the A to Z Challenge 2016

The trudge up the hill from the bus stop to the house took forever and, by the time Harrison made it to the cover of the porch, he was drenched. Memories of India soaked his brain with as much determination as the puddles soaked his shoes. A short wrestle with the key and he was inside, the air tropically warm compared to the autumn rain that had saturated him.

Shaking droplets from his hair onto the expensive runner in the hallway, he hurried through to the kitchen to set up. With practised efficiency, he laid out the contents of the file in neat piles of paperwork. His eye was drawn to the newspaper, crumpled and crushed at the bottom of his bag but, other than smoothing it out flat to dry on the counter, he ignored both it and his burning curiosity for now.

The Timmins, a middle-aged couple looking to upgrade, were punctual. Harrison greeted them with a welcoming smile and ushered them into the kitchen to begin the tour. Falling into the mindless sales patter distracted him from the turmoil in his head and he performed with as much charm as he would on any other day, even though this wasn't a day like any other. 

Twenty minutes later, he waved them off and closed the door behind them, letting his smile drop and his jaw relax. A glance at the clock told him he had ten minutes before the next viewing. Hurrying into the kitchen, pulled out the now dry newspaper and began to finally read.

DOUBLE SUICIDE TRAGEDY SHOCKS COMMUNITY

A community in West Sussex has been left reeling after the discovery of two bodies on Thursday morning, the result of an apparent double suicide.

The couple, named locally as James Cooper and India Cooper, were believed to have been found by Mr Cooper’s sister, Emma Yates, after she became concerned that her brother was not replying to her attempts to contact him on Wednesday evening. On entering the house, she discovered Mr and Mrs Cooper in the bedroom with severe gunshot injuries. Attempts by ambulance crew to resuscitate Mr Cooper were unsuccessful, and both were pronounced dead at the scene.

“They were a lovely couple,” said a neighbour. “We had no idea that anything like this would happen. They always seemed so happy and we often waved at each other when I saw them about. It’s just awful.”

Sussex police are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.

Harrison pushed the newspaper away, fighting the bile that rose in his throat. The photograph, blotchy and blemished from the rain, swam out of focus until he saw only the India he remembered, the way she had looked the last time they’d met. Had she really been so unhappy? He struggled to recall a tell-tale sign, a clue that he should have noticed, but there was none.

The doorbell cut into his thoughts and he jumped from his seat at the counter. Shoving the newspaper back into his bag, he blinked away the image of how her hair had curled where it touched her collar bone and straightened his shoulders. He pulled his lips up into another smile and opened the front door.

“Mr Keane- Mrs Keane. Please, do come in.”

The story continues on Monday with Corona.