Genre: Thriller/horror
Cassiopeia watched from her boat as the police finalised their investigation, turning the ring and leaving the red stone on top. Cold seeped through her jacket making it feel wet. Finally giving up she made her way inside.
‘Damm criminals. Who would hurt such a lovely, young girl?’ Bashing cups around, she made coffee and warmed soup, her anger grew. It must have been a boyfriend and was most certainly a man. Cass’s thoughts moved to her ex-husband Brody, and rage burned hot through her veins. He had screwed around, of course. He now lived with the bitch, in sin Cass believed because she refused to sign the divorce papers. She wasn’t to blame he had messed around.
Pouring a shot of whisky into her coffee, she sipped it slowly. Her soup cooled and the police left the area. Yellow police tape waved to passers-by that this was where Patsy was found.
Cass woke early to fingers of light poking under her curtains. She remembered Patsy and the anger and hate burned in her stomach. Dressing she decided to pay her ex a visit. Why should she be the only one unhappy today?
Cass ignored the bus drivers friendly greeting and the friendly faces. In fact she was so caught up in her own thoughts that she never even noticed them. The 20 minutes it took to get to the outskirts of town did nothing to dampen her feelings. The bus stop was just past their sweet home and Cass shot daggers and stared.
The cold wind pulled at her coat as she marched back and banged on the door. The smile on Tina, Brody’s girlfriend face dropped when she saw Cass.
‘Oh hi Cass. How are you?’
‘Like you care’ Cass muttered under her breath.
‘Sorry?’
‘Is Brody here?’
‘No he’s gone off to the market, shouldn’t be long…’ Tina regretted saying that, now she would have to invite Cass in to wait for him. With a resigned sigh she stepped aside.
‘Tea?’ Cass nodded, looking around at the bright and cheerful home as anger filled her to the brim. When they were together they lived on that bloody leaky, freezing boat and look at this now. It was heaven. Resentment added to her anger and she followed Tina into the kitchen. It gleamed in the early sun and freshly baked pie stood cooling on the counter.
Cass felt her rage spill over and she picked up the pie and threw it into Tina’s face, just as she turned. Her scream cut through the air scaring Cass whose anger was replaced instantly by fear. The steaming hot pie blistered Tina’s face and she continued to scream. Picking up a heavy fruit bowl, Cass hit her over the head, just to stop her from screaming. Pink pie juice and blood mixed, drawing a line along the tiles.
Cass ran. Hopping onto a bus home, two stops down from the house to avoid being associated with Tina’s murder, she skulked to the back seat and sat with her head in her hands. As they passed the house she saw Brody, laden with bags and a bunch of peonies heading up the path. Fear beat in her chest matched only by the anger still coursing through her veins. An ugly look filled her face as she took a smidgeon of pleasure at the horror that awaited Brody.
Shaking she poured herself a whisky and turned on the news. Nothing. It’s too soon she supposed and Brody is so bloody stupid maybe he wont call the cops. Nah. He would have to, his girlfriend was dead. Sipping her whisky, she waited.
The 3h30 news finally broke the story, Cass stood, her shoulders tightly bunched and the ugly look set on her face.
‘A local woman was attacked in her home this morning. Tina Bennet was home on Rover Drive when an unknown assailant – Cass laughed – attacked her throwing a hot pie into her face. They then hit her over the head with a fruit bowl, which resulted in a gash to her head.
Tina is currently under observation in Union General Hospital but is stable and talking to the police.’
Cass dropped her glass.
“She’s not dead? I killed her! You bitch!’ Cass screamed pulling at her hair and punching herself repeatedly in the face. Curling into the foetal position on the floor, she lay there until she heard the sirens.
Three years later Cass died in prison from poorly treated pneumonia.
