THE FLAT-SHARE MURDERER
a suspense thriller by
Skye Rivers
Part one of two parts
MOVING IN
The front door of the apartment slowly opened as a body eased its way in backwards. Eventually, the door fully opened, Suzanne, looking quite elegant dressed in jeans and Raglan jumper, was able to get in past the door and turn around. Her arms were filled with a large cardboard box.
"Lorraine" she almost sang the call, "where do you want your vases?"
Lorraine popped out of the bathroom and with a quick look around the apartment said "I think it will do if you put the box down over there, near the cabinet." In spite of being frantically busy and dressed in a one‑piece overall, Lorraine was the epitome of natural feminine attractiveness. Her long, medium‑blonde, wavy hair was just a little short of shoulder‑length, but it beautifully set off her full, but well proportioned, figure. She stood five feet eight inches tall with long legs that made her appear much taller.
"Thank you again, Suzanne, for taking so much care of those vases and things for me" Lorraine said. "I didn't want to risk bringing them in the car with all the other things."
"That's all right, Lorry, darling" Suzanne replied.
"I didn't realise I had so much stuff at my bed‑sit" Lorraine remarked, hardly giving Suzanne time to get another word in. "Just as well it was only semi-furnished. Two car loads each evening. I know the BMW doesn't carry that much, but it seemed to be endless, yet it's all disappeared in this flat."
"You'll probably have something bigger than a 325i when you next move" Suzanne commented lightheartedly, "and probably, by that time, you will have lots more to move." She shrugged her shoulders. "You can't win! You'll soon fill this flat up. Soon be complaining about lack of room, I bet. Talking of room" she went on, "where shall I put these vases?" She lifted them carefully from the cardboard box she had carried in. "I'll unpack them"
"Just inside the cabinet will do" Lorraine replied, "I'll sort them out later. How about a cup of tea by the way. I've almost finished what I want to do for this evening. The rest can be done over the weekend."
"I'll make it, darling" Suzanne sang as she responded to the invitation to a cup of tea. "I'll find what I want in the kitchen."
With a nice cup of tea each they both sat down, Lorraine almost slumping down, in armchairs to enjoy the cuppa and some small talk. It had been a hectic week for Lorraine. The final stages of the purchase of the apartment had gone through and, on the Thursday evening and this, the Friday evening, she had been bringing across all her worldly possessions from her old rented apartment. The new apartment was quite large, all on one floor, comprising a large sitting room, a small study, a kitchen, bathroom and two sizeable bedrooms. More room than she needed, a point she mentioned to Suzanne.
"You should take in a flat‑sharer, darling" Suzanne suggested. "You have enough room here. Why don't you run an ad in The Times for a flatmate. Never know who you might end up with, darling" Suzanne said, giving Lorraine a knowing nod and a look out of the corner of her eye.
Lorraine laughed but agreed with Suzanne's suggestion. "Yes, rather a good idea, actually" she replied. "Perhaps I'll do it on Monday. Get something drafted over the weekend and ask Gavin for his advice on the ‘politically correct’ wording. Don't want to mislead anyone, do we?"
"Good idea" Suzanne said. "Gavin will help you I'm sure. Do you want me to have a word with him for you?"
"No, that's all right" Lorraine answered, "as a matter of fact I'm working with him on Monday. We are putting together a pitch for the launch of a new Ford car, the Caromas. Their latest, as yet unrevealed, model" she added, pretending to reveal some secret information.