The afternoon was sultry; a hot wind was chasing a yacht across the golden waves of the sunset bay. A furtive figure, dressed in black despite the heat, slipped from the shadows cast by the stairwell. Large well manicured hands fumbled with a lock-pick at the door to apartment number 9. The lock gave a loud click and the figure felt his breath catch as the door swung open silently.
Replacing the lock-pick he drew out a .357 Magnum revolver. Quietly, he manoeuvred through the apartment. As he passed the various rooms he noticed that some of the furnishings now seemed to display that definitive ‘woman’s touch’ quality about them.
As he passed through the living area of the apartment he began to notice things that would have been obvious to a blind person. “What bachelor would have pastel coloured drapes, a vase of fresh flowers on the table and a rocking chair with a chintz covered cushion on it?”
Following the sounds of low moaning voices, he navigated through the apartment finally entering the bedroom. Standing just inside the door he watched two people entwined in a passionate embrace. They were so engrossed in their lustful heavings that they did not notice him. He looked at her with loathing and wondered, “What’s so wrong with me that she prefers him?” Raising the pistol he fired two shots, killing both instantly.
Retreating “Yeah, I’m older now, so what? What did she see in him?” In his mind his reflection showed a man still fit, healthy and in the prime of his life. With a shiver of realisation he felt his gut twist inside out as he also saw the face of a killer.
The blank emotional state slammed back down over his heart and mind. Not at all concerned with the bloodied scene he left in the bedroom, he paused in the lounge room where he called the local police station. Without giving his name, he reported hearing two shots fired in the vicinity of Bayview Apartments, Tank Street, possibly apartment 9. He hung up the phone, went out onto the balcony, found a chair, sat and waited.
***
