Announcement of Murder: Murder Mysteries

By T M Goble

In the spellbinding English murder mystery, "Announcement of Murder," Laura is plunged into a world of despair when her friend's death occurs under suspicious and unsettling circumstances. As the shadows of doubt cast their pall over the tranquil existence she once knew, Laura grapples with a heavy conscience, haunted by her clandestine affair with her friend's husband.

The first ominous threat strikes, sending shivers down her spine, and soon, a series of enigmatic events unfold, each one seemingly designed to target her directly. Tensions among those in her circle intensify, as animosity festers and suspicion takes root.

While the police launch an investigation, their progress appears frustratingly slow, and Laura is left to wonder if justice will ever be served. If the mysteries shrouding these unsettling events are unravelled, she could potentially return to the life she once cherished—a life of tranquillity and peace.

In " Announcement of Murder," Laura's quest for answers weaves a complex tapestry of secrets and betrayal, where deception lurks behind every corner, and the truth remains tantalizingly out of reach. As the web of deceit tightens, she must navigate the treacherous terrain of her own past and confront the unsettling reality of those around her. Will she unveil the truth that could set her free, or will she become entangled in the ever-deepening deception that threatens to consume her world? Join Laura as she races against time to solve the mystery and unmask the sinister forces at play in " Announcement of Murder."

• Language: English
• Publisher: The Creative Peak
• Release date: Feb 18, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224436637

Book preview

Part One

01

I ease back the duvet and slide to the edge of the bed, place my feet on to the soft, thick, cream carpet and sit naked. Luke is sound asleep. Remaining motionless, my eyes scan my surroundings as this is the first time I have been here. The room is smart with its cream embossed wallpaper infused with a delicate green stripe which is complemented by cream furniture. On our arrival, I did not notice the details as we were in the throes of passion and my total focus was on the large king-sized bed where I wanted to fulfil the desire which coursed through my body.

A shaft of afternoon sunlight enters through the French Doors which open out onto a stylish balcony where potted plants and rattan furniture are arranged. Luke’s house is several levels above my expectations, as everything is lavish and well designed.

Keeping my movements controlled, I swivel round to check on Luke. He is still sound asleep. His tanned, handsome face shows just the hint of a small smile. My conscience nags at me as he is a married man. The added complication to our liaisons is that his partner happens to be my best friend. Such duplicity sits heavily on me. Heaving out a long silent sigh, I reflect on the passionate session I have just enjoyed. We have only been surreptitiously meeting for a few weeks and the previous times have always been in hastily arranged hotel rooms when we could only spend the afternoon together.

Today Luke had asked me to stay the night, as Katrina, his wife, is away, but in my nervousness, I opted for another afternoon session. When he wakes, he will try to persuade me to stay longer, but I am resolute I will not, as I cannot continue to incorporate so much deception into my life. It is imperative to accept that this has just been a brief but enjoyable fling.

A gentle snore breaks the silence as he shifts his position and turns his back. I have not the heart to sneak away without speaking to him, so I will dress first, which will show my intentions, and then if he is not awake, I will rouse him. The new blue dress I bought last week hangs precariously over the back of the bedroom chair near the dressing table, where it had been thrown in the furiousness of undressing.

My new black underwear lies strewn across the floor. Whatever induced me to buy new clothes for an affair that is doomed to failure I am unable to fathom. Moving carefully so as not to disturb Luke, I silently scoop up the skimpy black garments. Although I smile to myself about how much Luke admired my lacy underwear, it was soon removed by his deft, groping fingers to reveal my nakedness. The memory sends a shiver of pleasure through me. I swiftly suppress the recollection, as these afternoon sessions should not have happened in the first place.

Slipping on my knickers and bra, I push the stockings into my handbag and catch sight of my profile in the full-length mirror. I can’t complain as my figure has held its youthful shape even though I have just passed thirty, but I have no permanent man in my life and there has been no one for several years, although I cannot understand why? Focusing on moving quietly, I push the thoughts away. I will analyse them at a later date.

Sliding into my dress, I put on my shoes and check my handbag, so I am ready to leave. Peering at him as he sleeps, the handsome face, short black trimmed hair and the lithe, tanned figure coupled with his undoubted charm are the reason I succumbed to his advances. Part of me wants to strip off my clothes and return to bed for another session of passion. Sighing, I push such frivolous thoughts aside.

Since I cannot creep out without speaking to him, I drop on to the bed on the opposite side. The sudden movement wakes him, and he turns over, but his smile turns into a frown. ‘Are you leaving, Laura?’

‘Yes, Luke.’ I grimace and compose myself before continuing, ‘While it is difficult to tell you, as you are a delightful man, this is the last time we will meet. Such duplicity is too hard to handle.’

Shaking his head to remove the sleep, he reaches out his hand, but I resist and do not respond. It isn’t easy as I enjoy his company and the liaisons have been passionate and fulfilling.

‘Why, we get on so well and we are discreet, and both enjoy it, don’t we?’

I screw my eyes closed as I must stay strong, but the tension is gripping me now. It must end, but I am close to tears.

‘Yes, Luke, I cannot deny it, but the guilt and deception is overwhelming me as Katrina is my good friend.’

‘Yes, I know, but my wife is not loyal to me. She is away leading another holiday and I suspect she will pick a man who she fancies and have fun.’

‘You don’t know that for certain, Luke.’

He curls his lip, which is an unusual gesture for him. ‘She was engaged to be married in England when I first met her as the courier on one of my summer holidays. By the second night, we were in bed together, but she never broke her engagement for another three months. It was only when I proposed and she agreed to marry me she dumped her fiancé.’

Drawing in a deep breath, I knew they had met on a holiday organised by Katrina, but I had not fully appreciated the circumstances.

‘It makes no difference, Luke. Katrina is my friend, and I cannot cope with the betrayal of having sex with her husband behind her back.’

Luke looks down and fiddles with the edge of the pillow. ‘Katrina and I had three good years together, but since we moved our business to River Mill, our marriage has spiralled downhill.’

The implication that their marriage is shaky comes as a surprise, as they are always laughing and seem devoted to each other. Frowning, I hesitate before replying, ‘Fun Holidays is a successful business which keeps you both busy, so perhaps the stresses and strains of running a high-powered enterprise are taking its toll.’

Shaking his head, he groans and his features settle into an anguished grimace. ‘No, it is far more than that. These days, she rarely sleeps with me and prefers the spare room.’

This extra information about his marriage is unsettling. Before answering, I hesitate as the temptation to continue the affair surfaces, but determination grips me just in time and I heave out a long sigh. ‘I don’t want to interfere in your marriage any more than I have done over the past few weeks, but you could take the initiative and see if you can rebuild it.’ This conversation is proceeding in a direction that I do not want, so I must end it. Standing, I grip my handbag and step away from the bed.

Pushing the bedclothes aside, he heaves himself from the bed and envelops me in a tight hug. Then, resting his hand on the back of my head, he draws me towards him and with a soft sigh kisses me on the lips. His mouth is warm and demanding. A wild swirl of passion makes my whole body throb with desire. I allow the kiss to continue for a few seconds as his lips move over mine with savage intensity. Then reluctantly, I step away. Swallowing hard, I hold my breath to regain control of my emotions, but he catches my hands. I must remain strong. With an expression of tenderness and longing, he stares into my eyes, ‘If I leave Katrina, will you have me?’

The words startle me and I gulp as I did not expect that sentiment from him. While at any other time, if I had been made the offer by such a charming guy, I would have readily accepted, but he is not the way forward for me. While my body yearns to be with him, my determination to end the affair remains resolute. ‘Be sensible, Luke, as you are married to Katrina, and she is a good friend to me. I do not intend to provide you with any further encouragement to entice you away from her and your marriage. Stick with her. When she returns from her holiday, I just hope that my conscience will allow me to remain her friend.’

Once again, he tries to embrace me, but I push him away.

‘No, Luke, it’s over. Goodbye.’

I step around him as he stands naked in the middle of the room. He does not stop me. Tears stream down my face as I walk down the stairs and out the front door, but I will have to cope with the emotion and anxiety as I have brought it on myself. Avoiding him is going to be difficult, as we both run our businesses from the same building.

Part Two - Three Months Later

02

Tears trickle down my cheeks as they have done throughout the solemn and moving service. I dab at them with a tissue as my gaze remains resolutely fixed on the coffin laying on the catafalque. Katrina was the same age as me but was always full of fun. Now she is cold and dead. It is terrifying. My guilt is manifest as I betrayed my friend by having an affair with her husband.

The droning address by the Vicar has passed me by. He reflects on the virtues of a woman he did not know. His words seem empty and do not capture the spirit and the vivacity of the woman I knew.

My eyes leave the coffin and scan the congregation. The centuries old church has sunshine flowing through the stained-glass windows which catch the swirls of dust driven into the air by the crowd of people. Everyone is sombre. Now that the vicar has finished speaking, the silence envelops me and a chill ripples through me. My thoughts return to my betrayal. It haunts me that I succumbed to such deception. Somehow, the friendship I had enjoyed with Katrina was never the same, probably because every time we met, I was consumed with guilt.

Katrina and I had become friends over the past year when I opened my business in the same building as their successful holiday company. I will never forgive myself for deceiving her.

Before Luke appeared on to the scene, my relationship with Katrina teetered at times, as we fell out about trivial issues when we were drunk. She hated football, but I like the game. We would shout and argue but, in the end, we would be united friends. Then Luke became a focus in my life.

When Katrina returned from one of her many holiday trips after I had dropped the affair with Luke, I could not force myself to meet her as my conscience weighed heavily. She thought I was ill as I wouldn’t go out for an impromptu drink after work as we had always done.

How do I cope with the guilt of betraying my friend now she is dead?

The vicar’s voice breaks through the turmoil of my thoughts. ‘The congregation may pass the catafalque to pay their personal respects and then there will be a private cremation.’

Nights out with Katrina were unbelievable and I, much to my regret, became swept up into the atmosphere. Rarely did we meet in the evening, but she would appear in the doorway to my office at the end of the afternoon, with the broad smile and the mischievous sparkle in her eyes that I loved. Leaning on the doorpost in a relaxed manner, she would just utter one word. ‘Drinkies.’

Going for a long drinking session with Katrina was always difficult as I had eaten little during the day, at most a token sandwich, but more likely Ryvita and cream cheese, so the alcohol went straight to my head. Her slim figure with big breasts combined with long blonde hair captured men’s attention. The short skirts and often low-cut tops added to her allure from the opposite sex.

The woman, who live life to the full, is dead. And I betrayed her. She will never repeat, ‘Drinkies.’ Sadness and guilt consume me as the tears continue to stream across my cheeks.

We could never have a quiet girl’s drink together as her eyes wandered until she found a man in the bar who took her fancy.

I shake my head and mop the tears again. Now is not the time to think of Katrina’s shortcomings.

The congregation rise for the end of the ceremony. Luke, who I had rarely spoken to since the affair ended, trudges to the coffin. Pausing for a brief moment, he then bends forward and kisses it. Holding the kiss for many seconds, I cannot envisage what is passing through his mind. After weeks of uncertainty and lengthy police attendance at River Mill where we all work, he has been given the tentative conclusion that Katrina’s death was accidental. The police have not revealed the cause of the long investigation, which brought anxiety to the businesses in River Mill.

I join the queue to pass the catafalque. The slow movement is expected, as each mourner will want a few seconds to remember poor Katrina. What will I think? With no religion, such dedication is difficult, but there is an all-enveloping atmosphere of the spiritual, although it defeats me to grasp it in the sense that others manage.

Waiting, my mind struggles for the words to form in my mind. Are there any that are appropriate for a thirty-year-old friend that I only met twelve months ago, and then betrayed by having an affair with her husband? But Katrina’s vivacity and excitement at life shone through. What if she had discovered my passionate relationship with Luke? I do not know as she could be volatile at times but was also able to accept people’s imperfections even if they impacted on her.

My mind is blank. I cannot pray as I do not know how. The coffin is oak. Traditional, but the wood is meaningless. Putting my hand on the surface, it feels cold but strong. A strange emotion fills me, making me tremble, but no words surface. My friend is in the box. It is too distressing, but I will not breakdown with emotion. The cold of the coffin penetrates me, and I continue to shiver, but the tears have stopped. With a last look at the coffin, I’m so sorry I let you down. I move on. Luke and Katrina’s parents leave the church. But I stare down at the flagstone floor as I cannot bear to think of him and me together in bed while his wife lies cold and dead in a box.

What words can soothe a man who has lost a beautiful wife? They escape me. Her parents thank me for coming. I shake their hands and dip my head. The movement of the queue is slow. I reach Luke. His eyes are glazed, and he only perfunctorily responds to people. No words seem to percolate. I hug him without speaking and move on.

The fresh air outside of the claustrophobic church gives me a sense of a new beginning, which is ridiculous, as I have been in there for less than an hour. It is the first funeral where I have been a friend with the person who died. The Vicar has invited us to visit the Garden of Remembrance where the floral tributes have been laid out. It seems appropriate, so I follow the other mourners.

As I view my paltry contribution of a small display of mixed flowers, a large, elaborate pink and white wreath grabs my attention. Bending down, I peer at the label. That is strange. It is from Jane and Malcolm, the insurance agents in the office next to mine, on the first floor of the mill. They generally stay apart from the rest of the businesses in the building and while they are always polite, it never ventures towards friendliness.

Glancing around the congregation that has assembled outside of the church to chat and to view the floral displays, I do not glimpse Jane and Malcolm. Their presence would have been a surprise. Katrina told me months ago that she and Jane had a furious row and had not spoken since, but she did not elaborate on the disagreement.

‘It is an impressive floral display.’ The words are whispered close to my ear.

I turn and embrace Michelle. The black ensemble suits her more than the bright red uniform she wears in the Estate Agents where she works. The contact and words are enough to trigger my tears again. Michelle has been crying, but her face shows a determined resolution to control her emotions.

As my thoughts are in a jumble and no appropriate words form, I make an obvious statement. ‘Jason, Jane and Malcolm are not here.’

With a small nod, she moves closer. ‘I did not expect Jane and Malcolm to attend, as Katrina and Jane crossed swords too many times.’ Keeping her voice low, she continues, ‘But I am surprised about Jason as he liked Katrina and I thought he would make the effort as he is a good guy.’

Michelle readily passes on gossip, but in the current setting, I do not want to listen. The bereaved parents and Luke make their way along the