King of Shadow

By Phoebe Evans

Clambering back away from her son, Louise started crying hysterically, closing her eyes hiding them again with her hands, images now formed of Stuart in the bath tub, the red water, the smell of the bleach, herself now in the same water, the Ambulance lights and siren deafening her……..

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Dec 10, 2020
• ISBN: 9781665583275

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Copyright © 2021 Phoebe Evans. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 12/10/2020

ISBN: 978-1-6655-8328-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-6655-8327-5 (e)

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

CONTENTS

Opening

1   How it began

2   Day 1

3   Monday

4   Getting to know one another

5   Stuart

6   Plotting

7   The Final Time

8   An unfortunate event

9   Falling Apart

10   Louise

11   George

Finale

In

dedication to ‘Roxanne’. Without you, I wouldn’t

have made it through these last 18 months.

OPENING

The wind was rushing through the car, both windows open wide and the smell of the M1 permeating through every cloth and fibre. Her hair now down and unkept, thrashed around her face and neck like the hurricane of thoughts going through her mind. There was music playing very loud and although she knew the familiar tune, she didn’t hear the words only felt the vibration of the beat, seemingly in rhythm with her own heartbeat. The adrenaline was still running through her system; her skin still damp with beads of sweat from what had gone on before, now turned cold by the evening air.

‘Shit! Was that my junction?’ quickly glancing over her left shoulder, she realised Junction 16 was now rapidly disappearing away in her rear-view mirror. She would have to back up on herself causing an additional 12 unnecessary miles to her journey.

Pulling up onto the drive, she composed herself and tried to straighten her now dishevelled hair.

‘Hiya, how was work?’ he leans in to give her a kiss. He hadn’t shaved for at least a week and was that the same sweater from yesterday? Pretending to find something in her handbag, she avoids the contact.

‘Yeah, pretty uneventful. The Motorway was a nightmare.’ She replied seemingly bored with the question. ‘I’m going for a shower’.

Just as she’s climbing the stairs, a little voice comes from the kitchen.

‘Mummy, I’m ready for trick or treating now’.

‘FUCK!’ she screams to herself ‘OK little man, I’ll be right there’ she replies.

Looking at herself in the mirror, a slight smile creeps onto her lips and she thinks ‘I’ll go as a zombie this year; got the hair for it!’

1

HOW IT BEGAN

‘Anyone having a machine coffee’ Louise asked the office. There was only 6 of them all squeezed into a H shape desk model, and although the coffee tasted like crap, she couldn’t be bothered to make them all a fresh cup. It was a resounding ‘yes’.

‘I’m just going to pop outside for a smoke if anyone wants to join me?’ Hoping that no one would, she needed a bit of me time. The bruising around her throat had started to fade, covered up for almost a week with roll neck tops of assorted colours, but the weather had started to warm up, and there would be no more excuses left to why she was dressed like a Mormon virgin.

Taking the spiral stairs, she passed the receptionist, Sarah, who gabbled some new gossip she’d heard on the grapevine, spoke of mundane topics like the weather and what she was doing at the weekend, then made an excuse to why she needed to leave her post at that very moment in time. ‘Things to do, people to see’ she proclaimed as she darted up the stairs.

‘OK, fuck you, bye’ Louise thought to herself as she heard the clip clop of heels reach the first-floor landing, then the click of the security door at the top, confirming Sarah was now long gone. Louise wasn’t comfortable with office gossip, although she did sometimes enjoy Sarah’s take on things. She always had an opinion, whether you wanted to hear it or not. Today was not that day.

Lighting her cigarette, away from the usual crowd, Louise felt her phone vibrate. ‘Please Louise, we need to talk about this’ Another begging message from her husband, Stuart.

‘I can’t do this now, I’m at work’ she quickly replied. The oh too familiar surge of anxiety crept over her, starting in her stomach like a vice, then releasing to cause her whole body to go cold and clammy. Louise finished her cigarette in record time, trying to control the bile that would inevitably force its way up if she let her guard down and made her way to the side security door. She had just grabbed her pass, when a glint of sunlight hit the corner of her eye. Turning to face the direction of the intruding light, she first noticed the personalised licence plate, then the colour, and finally up to the badge. Something moved her towards the car, like auto pilot, and she had an overwhelming desire to touch it. As she pulled her thoughts together, George hopped out of his shiny new Porsche Macan with a beaming smile.

‘Like the new wheels?’ he gloated, looking down adoringly at his new purchase.

‘Sure, if you want to show the world that you’re lacking grandeur in other areas’ She smirked at her response, then walked away. ‘Such a nice car’ she thought to herself, dodging Sarah on the way back to make the coffee.