Fast Fiction: In The Night
…The woman went to sleep and when she awoke she tried to remember who had been in bed with her. Getting up, she saw the man in the dim light - plump, naked and dead…
Who is the man? And who is the woman? Richard Mallinson tells a shocking tale.
Somehow the woman managed to push the man off her. He rolled out of the bed and must have hurt himself because he cried out and stayed down.
The woman went to sleep and when she awoke she tried to remember who had been in bed with her. Getting up, she saw the man in the dim light - plump, naked and dead.
The first thing she did was to cover him with a sheet. Then she washed and dressed and took the money she'd earned, plus a bit extra.
She went down the stairs and out onto the pavement. She walked until she found a taxi. Half an hour later she was back at her own place, where she took off her blond wig.
She was angry with herself. She shouldn't have drunk so much and agreed to be hired for the night. Until then, two hours had been the limit.
But there was no need to panic. She was sure that no-one had seen her go into that rented room with the man or leave without him.
*
Later she went out and it was only when she saw the front page of the Standard that she learned the true identity of the man.
It came as a surprise to her.
But, then, she reflected, it would have come as a surprise to him if he'd known who she was in real life.
*
As she returned a voice said, 'Ms Angela Bosworth QC? I'm ... and this is ... we would like a few words with you if we may ... do you mind if we come in . .. you won't mind if we look around, will you ... no, we haven't got a warrant but we could if . . . thank you, it's quicker this way . . . could you tell us where you were last night and who you were with .. . you've heard the news, haven't you . . . about our boss, the assistant commissioner. . . murder perhaps ... we have reason to believe .. . what's this, a blond wig ... well, well... not the kind you wear in court, eh?'
