Inspirational

“That was a very nice service, and look. The rain held off”
“Indeed”
“I thought the vicar said the most charitable things and the eulogies were very moving. You know I never knew he was so popular.”
“Yes me neither”
“Nice headstone, classically understated. What is that, marble ?”
“Granite I think”
The sky was a bland overcast of steel blue streaked with grey, only the occasional tear gave a teasing glimpse of blue skies denied. A slackly gusting wind held an edge of bitterness which promised harsh weather to come. Two men turned from the graveside and walked solemnly down the arrow straight white grave path. Both wore almost identical black overcoats, one high street, the other Saville Row.
“So, are you going to keep me guessing ? “
“Excuse me ?”
“Are you going to keep me guessing or are you going to tell me how you did it?”
“Did what?”
The pace had quickened as a sign indicating the visitors’ car park came into view.
Reaching the intersection of gravel walkways latticed between row upon row of pristine headstones they stopped.
“Now you know damn well what, how did you manage it ?” “How did you kill him?”
The two stood eye to eye, each breath slow and measured, each studying the other for the slightest hint of deception or intent, thirty seconds, forty. Total silence blanketed the cemetery. They were alone.
“Ever read David Eddings ?”
“What?”
“David Eddings, author, writer ?“
“Never heard of him”
“You should give him a try, great characterisation, full of humour, warmth, strength, love, all set against an epic landscape of myth, magic, gods and men.”
“Ok, ok and your point is ?”
“Oh and I missed out something, intrigue and murder”
They resumed their walk towards the visitors’ car park. By chance both had arrived at the same time and so had parked side by side.
“Reading can be a great source of inspiration”
“What ?”
“That’s my point. I got the inspiration from Sadi”
“Who ?, Look what the hell you talking about ?!”
“Sadi was a character in a David Eddings novel”
“I know eventually you’ll get to the point so I’ll wait, but my patience is not ever lasting”
Fishing in his pocket he pulled out a pair of leather gloves and a packet of boiled sweets. Brushing past his companion as they slowly made their way towards the parking area so that he walked just half a pace ahead.
“Sadi was a very complicated man. Amongst his many talents, he was an accomplished poisoner”
“You poisoned him, you sneaky little bugger you, but how?”
“Well, there was this one situation where someone had to be removed in order for the hero to pursue his quest.”
“And ?”
Pulling on one glove he transferred the bag of sweets to his gloved hand
“And, much like our dear lamented friend, no one could get close to him, all his food was prepared by his own staff, completely loyal to him, almost family really, and he had so many people watching his back a direct approach would be nothing less than suicide.”
“Sweet ?”
He offered the bag in his newly gloved hand as he attempted to pull on the other glove. His companion was about to reach into the bag when he recoiled in alarm.
“You sneaky little…. you wouldn’t !”
“Of course not, look the sweets are perfectly fine”
Giving up on the struggle to pull on the leather glove single handed he bit down on the index finger and yanked it off. With his now un-gloved hand he reached into the bag and pulled out an innocent looking boiled sweet. Gripping one end of the shiny gold foil in his teeth he pulled and twisted releasing the toffee skinning it straight into his mouth. His companion had watched and was clearly not convinced.
“Look, if you feel that way about it, here take my gloves”
Transferring the sweets into the un-gloved hand he again bit down on the index finger of the glove and yanked it off. Passing them to his companion he waited until he’d pulled both on before handing him the bag.
As his companion skinned a sweet into his mouth they approached two parked cars.
“So anyways, as I was saying. Sadi had a problem. He needed to remove this guy but couldn’t get close enough to employ the usual methods. So he got creative.”
“How so ?”
“He poisoned everything except the food and drink, his cutlery, his plates, his drinking cup. But the smart thing was that each item was poisoned with only minute traces. Not enough to kill you on their own. But collectively, the accumulation of dose built up until it was fatal.”
“So if you were trying to poison me, you wouldn’t have poisoned the sweets on their own. You’d have laced the sweets, the bag inside and out and the wrappers”
“No No, too obvious, too pedestrian.”
“ So you’re not trying to kill me then ?”
“Why do you think I’d be trying to kill you ?”
“The contract put out by our dear departed friend back there, I mean it’s just not right that a man you’ve known since kindergarden orders your death over a simple debt. What the hell was all that about ?”
“Well it was 100,000”
“How the hell did you know that ?”
“He told me”
“When ?”
“The day after you hired me to kill him”
They had reached the parked cars and each man searched in his pockets for his key. The mood had changed, for one a sense of electric excitement charged the air around him. He sucked it in with each breath as it fuelled his charging pulse. For the other the air was chill and heavy, pulling it into his lungs took more and more of his strength, as he felt weaker as his heart seemed to labour. Unwilling to make the effort any more.
Finding his keys he leaned against the rear of the car, his hands sliding over the polished surface until he was slumped over unable to support the weight of his rapidly failing body. His friend rushed to support him, catching the collapsed man around the chest .
“Wooo, easy now, watch the paintwork, don’t want any tell tale scratches now do we?”
Cautiously he manoeuvred the man between the cars and propped him in a sitting position against the driver’s door. Crouching down beside him he looked into the half closed eyes. He was excited, exhilarated, breath came in shorts bursts, pulse raced, the tips of his fingers tingled as the blood coursed round his body. It was always like this, not for the kill, that was merely the final outcome of the planning, the preparation and the execution.
“Thank you”
He said to the seated man.
“I didn’t think I’d pull it off, or that I should even try. Not here and not so soon after our mutual friend. But the biggest question was should I tell you. Should I tell you how I was going to kill you whilst I was actually killing you?”
The eyes were losing focus, as the last echoes of strength ebbed away his chin sank slowly to his chest.
Carefully, almost gently reaching out he lifted the chin to once again look into the eyes.
“But in the end I had to, especially when you provided the perfect in, the opening which would undo you. Those sweets, those damn sweets. When we first met to discuss your proposal you sucked and chewed on the damn things non- stop, drove me nuts. Like a possessed chain smoker .”
A slightly amused look touched his face, mockingly he twisted the head from side to side imitating disagreement.
“Now don’t tell me someone told you to use those things as cigarette substitutes. Well you know what they say, those things will be the death of you, sweets that is not the smoking, at least not this time”
Crouching down he lowered his voice to a near whisper.
“Now before we go our separate ways – so to speak, I know you’re dying to hear how you died.”
An air of relaxed smugness and self congratulation had inflated his being. After all he had planned all this, even this very conversation, so why not enjoy?
“ It wasn’t the sweets, or the wrappers, or the bag.”
He paused for dramatic effect.
“The thing or things really that killed you, were. …..the gloves”
He moved slightly so he could again look into the fading eyes.
“I know, I know. I had them on so why aren’t I dead? Well that’s the genius of it. I only actually put on one glove. Do you remember, I never quite got the second one on. If I had of course I’d be dead right beside you. Like Sadi remember, the accumulation of doses is what kills, not a single dose. Of course I went for something a little more exotic. Derived from some snake venom. Separately they are mildly irritating but combined in the blood stream – deadly.”
Hi audience had left some time ago, this irritated him and he pushed the weight away from him. Bending down he picked up the discarded car keys.
“Sure you won’t mind will you, only this one’s a borrow and I’d rather not get interrupted on my way to the airport”
He kicked the dead over onto his back and taking out a single use camera he took a series of pictures. He placed the camera in a large padded envelope and sealed it.
“Proof of death if ever you saw one, digital media is fine but just how do you know who’s on the other end? Sometimes the old ways are the best”
Using hard brutal kicks he forced the bulk under the car he’d arrived in and climbed into his new ride.
As he left the parking area a figure dressed in black running pants and a dark grey hooded top stepped out of the trees surround the gravelled parking lot. Walking towards the single car he dragged out the hidden bulk and rolled it onto its back. Taking out a small digital camera he took a series of pictures.
“Proof of death indeed”
As he walked back towards the tree line he removed a mobile phone and dialled. Pulling a mountain bike from the trees he pressed the send key.
A mile away a huge explosion ripped through the south side of the cemetery.
“Sometimes the old ways are the best, David Eddings, might just check him out”
As he exited the parking area in the opposite direction from the blast he began to whistle one of his favourite tunes – “As Time Goes By”