As the policeman pulled back the sheet, she knew immediately who was to blame. She stared at the pale, battered and bruised body of Maisie Porter, laid out on the table in front of her. 17-year-old Maisie, who only 6 days ago was full of life, laughter and love. How could he have done this to her? Why did he do this to her? She knew it was his handy work, she had protected him the last time… but could she really protect him for this?
‘Yes, that is Maisie’, her eyes began to fill and her thoughts came thick and fast. How is she supposed to tell her best friend that the body they dragged from the river was in fact her daughter. How could she look her in the eye and say that, knowing it was her own son who put her there.
Her 19-year-old son. Her ‘golden boy.’ Her ‘Miracle baby.’ A cold hearted killer.
He was just 13 when he claimed his first victim. A young, seemingly innocent boy with his entire life ahead of him. A vicious and brutal act, which happened too fast for her to stop.
She told him not to worry, she told him she loved him… she told him what story he had to tell the police. She prayed it was a one off. Put it down to a surge in hormones and pent up anger at his father… but here we are, 6-years later, another body, the same callous killer.
‘Miss Sheath? Miss Sheath, are you okay?’
She snapped back to reality and realised she was still staring at Maisie with tears in her eyes.
She gulped down the lump in her throat and nodded as she slowly replaced the sheet over Maisie’s, once very beautiful, face.
‘Do you need anything Miss Sheath? I could call someone for you if you need?’
‘No, no. I need to speak with Marlene, I need to tell her that it is a positive identification… that her daughter is dead.’
‘We can do that Miss, why don’t you let us take you home?’
‘No, her parents should hear the news from someone they know and trust.’
She turned to leave the room, pausing for a moment to steady herself.
‘If you insist Miss; but from a professional stand, I must come with you.’
The drive back to her neighbourhood was slow and painful. She thinks the policeman was talking to her for the majority of the journey but she does not recall responding at any point. The whole thing was a blur.
As they pulled up outside the Porters house, just two doors down from her own, she spotted Liam peaking through the dining room window at them. She felt a shiver down her spine as she glared back at her son.
They slowly walked up the path towards Marlene’s door and she braced herself for what she was sure would be one of the worst moments of her life.
This is just an extract from a short story that I am working on. I am not sure if this will be something that I finish and publish… but we will see!
I hope you enjoyed it!
