Anna: -Again-

By Rene Bird

Anna is twenty-two years of age and is getting desperate. She feels there is pressure from her friends to find a husband and live the “happy family” dream. The majority of her friends are either engaged or married, and the circle she moves in talks relentlessly about the future they have planned. She is attractive and intelligent, but finding the right partner proves to be very disappointing and challenging. She knows the man for her is out there somewhere—she just has to find him. When she does find him, she goes to the darkest depths to keep him.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris AU
• Release date: Mar 28, 2019
• ISBN: 9781796001303

Rene Bird

After a career as a Private Secretary and Personal Assistant, Rene decided to use the talents she was blessed with for her own purpose. Rene lives at the seaside on the outer reaches of Melbourne, Australia. She is an avid reader herself and has always found time the time to read, not only as a relaxing tool but also to open her mind. She graduated from college and then traveled before settling down and marrying. Her two daughters and their four children keep her busy. At 55 years of age Rene has found writing a great past time and stimulates her thinking.

Book preview

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Anna opened her eyes when she heard the door closing. In her half sleep she imagined herself in her apartment four years before as the closing of the door was the departure of a man she had spent the night with. The closing door then made a shushing sound as it skimmed over the soft woolen carpet, this time the door made a metallic clang.

That was the beginning of what now was destined to be the end if she let it be. Lying there quietly in a bunk bed affair with four very solid close walls and just a toilet and wash basin in the room, she let her mind traverse the journey she had taken since that morning in her apartment.

Her parents had been killed in a car accident and as she had no siblings, she was responsible for her parent’s burials and the eventual sale of their large property. Although as sole heir she had inherited quite a sizeable estate, she was emotionally grasping for someone to share a relationship with similar to the relationship her mother and father had shared.

With little pangs of urgency from her bladder, she sat on the toilet and let her body relieve itself. Flushing the toilet and washing her hands, she looked at the bunk bed and slowly crept inside the grey blankets again, welcoming being able to lose herself in her thoughts.

There had been a string of boyfriends and overnighters –

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She had given them her all and each one of them had rejected her. Anna had then made up her mind she would go about securing a partner differently. She would be the one in control.

First there was Adam, she had suffered through many episodes at the gym, cooked him meals and followed his every lead – only to be dumped three months into the relationship.

Second came Tom. A literary buff and self-appointed academic. Completely ensconced in his own righteous way of thinking. She had dressed down to please him and did not make the most of her good looks. Attract him she did, only to be told, in a crowded library no less, that he felt she would be a hindrance to his life rather than an asset.

Third was James. James was her best friend Melanie’s boyfriend. After a flirtatious Christmas party James finished up at her apartment leaving Melanie to stay at the party by herself. This relationship cost her a very dear friend and James disappeared on a trip to Melbourne and never to be seen or heard from again.

Fourth guy was Toby. And wasn’t he the one? Anna really fell in love with Toby but was gob-smacked when she opened her apartment door one day to be confronted by Toby’s wife and children. Even now, curled up on the

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bunk bed, she remembered those feelings of rejection and her desire to put an end to her suffering.

Taking all those anti-depressant pills was not the brightest idea she had ever had, but at the time of taking them she could see no future for herself or any happiness.

Of course all they did was knock her out for a couple of days and then she had the unenviable job of cleaning up after herself with the mess she had made on the carpet.

Lifting her head, Anna saw the rays of sunshine coming through the glass-brick window. Her reverie then lightened recalling the fun time she had on her holiday in Europe. She even smiled inwardly at the pranks she had got up to while acting out revenge on unsuspecting lovers.

Meeting Rick in London was so easy. She saw through him immediately but carried him along for the ride to Ireland. He was good company to be with and did all he could to please her, at her financial expense of course. Saying goodbye to him at the airport in Belfast still made her chuckle.

Andre in Paris was another buzz. Paris with Andre was fabulous. She could not have wished for a better companion and then touring France’s vineyards and cobblestone paved villages from their villa in

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Bordeaux was a knockout. Andre was such a sweetie, but just a little too much even for her to handle.

Italy and Tony. Beautiful Venice could not have been better, although she must admit she didn’t see much during the week in his apartment. Starlit skies and bright sunny days alfresco with Tony made Venice unforgettable.

Michael in Hong Kong was her last fling. Michael had cost her a small fortune but he was well worth it. Anyway, when all said and done the bank took the brunt of those expenses. The bank even covered the cost of the Rado watch he had bought for her on her credit card. The watch was similar to the old fashioned fob watches, with an extra backing plate where it could be opened up to see the workings of the watch, but an excellent hiding place for very small items.

Anna had used this secret location for credit card pin numbers. She had written them down on tiny pieces of paper and placed them in there. She had also placed in that same spot ten heart tablets. When she met Andrew and decided she would go to any length to get him she initiated his wife Michelle’s death. When her parents had travelled over from New Zealand for her funeral, they had spent one day at Andrew’s and Michelle’s home. Michelle’s father had a dicky heart and had to take two

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stabilizing tablets a day. One in the morning and one in the evening.

Michelle’s father had left his tablets on the kitchen bench where Anna had found them the next morning. For some reason or other she had taken a sleeve of tablets out of the box before returning the box to Michelle’s dad.

Slipping the sleeve of tablets into her jean’s pocket she waited until the kitchen was free of occupants and then transferred the little pills into the back of her watch. One never knows when or if they could be put to good use.

Marley, Andrew’s dog, made it quite clear she did not trust Anna – with very good reason - was always a good candidate anyway.

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Without a knock the door opened and two women came into Anna’s room. One woman, who was dressed in dark grey, balanced a meal tray on the wash basin and then stood back while the other woman, dressed in white, reached out for Anna’s arm and proceeded to take her blood pressure.

Not a word was forthcoming from either women until they turned to exist the room. The woman in white said Anna would be woken up the next morning at 7.00am, she would then be taken to have a shower and clean underwear and an orange one piece overall would be supplied.

After a supervised shower she would be taken back to her room where a tray with toast and tea would be waiting. After her breakfast she will then be taken for an interview with the Warden.

It had been such a long time since Anna had used her voice, the words thank you came out in a squeak. She was surprised to see the two women and tried to recall her last few days.

Reaching out to take the tray off the wash basin, the food on the plate in front of her was most unappealing. Small cubes of what looked like ham and cheese along with two small slices of bread. Desert consisted of peaches set

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in a red jelly – also cut up into cubes. No utensils on the tray gave Anna a very mindful indication that she was not to be trusted. Fingering the cubes she ate the ham, cheese and bread, tipping the jelly substance into the toilet pan. Following the jelly was the contents of a cardboard cup with what looked like milky tea. Ugh!

Although her room had sun streaming in through the window above the bunk bend there was still a chill in the air. Anna felt a coldness through the one piece cotton garment she was wearing so she lay down on the bed again and covered herself with the blankets. Curling herself into a comfortable position she went back to her reverie of the circumstances which landed her in her current situation.

Meeting Andrew by sheer chance when she was searching for accommodation in an elite suburban area, she wanted him so much she went to great lengths to get him. Her planning could not be faltered, she had done all the research necessary to rid Andrew of his pathetic wife Michelle.

Her plan had worked beautifully and within a few months Michelle was confined to bed and Anna had taken over running the household, Andrew and daughter Cherie. One little mistake, that is all she had made. One tiny little mistake. She should have realized the scabs on

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Michelle’s back were old dead skin but still contained evidence of botanical poisoning by Oleander leaves.

Of course it was all the doctor’s fault. If Michelle’s lazy doctor had been on duty, as he should have been in Anna’s opinion, no one would have known. The locum doctor was far more thorough and subsequent pathology results rang alarm bells for the police to intervene.

On the morning she was arrested she had driven Cherie to school, picked up Andrew’s dry-cleaning and laundry and met Andrew back at the house. They had a coffee together and then proceeded to pack their cases for an extended overseas holiday. Anna had helped Cherie pack her case the previous day and had suggested Cherie attend school that day as their flight was not until 10.00pm and the day would go much quicker for Cherie if she was at school.

Anna had been busy for days prior to their scheduled flight time. She had arranged for the mail to be withheld at the post office, electricity and gas bills to be direct debited and their mobile phones to make and receive overseas calls. Marley, the family dog, who still moped about not responding to Anna’s attempts at half-hearted kindness, was to be picked up by the boarding kennel van at 4.30pm which allowed Cherie to say goodbye to the dog after she had returned from school.

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All had been in readiness. All was going beautifully until the police cars arrived and spoiled everything. She had been so confident the diary concealed in one of her medical books would never be discovered. Well, that was silly mistake number two. Four policemen and torn her apartment above the garage apart looking for evidence and they found it very quickly. Within a few minutes she had been handcuffed and ushered into the back of a police car.

From there it was all down hill. With such incriminating evidence against her she was not given an opportunity to confer with a lawyer. She was charged with premeditated murder, finger printed, photo mug shot taken and searched. She was sure she was being treated not in accordance with protocol but she had been so overwhelmed by the fact she was actually being arrested and she had been caught at what she thought was the perfect murder, she was at a loss to stand up for her rights.

Maybe one day had passed, or even two, she can’t remember all that well, before she was allowed to telephone and request a lawyer. Standing in a small booth with a phone book in front of her and a guard at her back, Anna selected a law firm purely because their advertisement and printing stood out in bold letters, assuring their clients the right to a an excellent defense.

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A Mr. Lionel Adams spoke with Anna and an arrangement was made for him to visit and take down her statement. He would then, on her behalf, secure the best possible QC who would assist in her defense. Bail would not be an option for her and after a subsequent pre-trial hearing she would be escorted out of the holding cell area into the main prison.

Anna found it difficult to recollect the pre-trial or even the trial itself. Day followed day, in court, out of court, transport to