HUES OF A MURDER

Chapter 1: Roses are red

One day before...

"Roses danced in the breeze

Surrounded by bumble bees."

"Argh!" Rose Redfern or Red as she was called by everyone due to her luscious red hair, stared at the lines she wrote and chewed the tip of her red pencil. She looked out of her bedroom window and sighed. She felt depressed. Her lips curled downwards and her fingers kept twirling her curls.

Even staring at her favourite rose which climbed over her windows didn't improve her mood. Nor did the little bumblebee lurking around the flowers hanging over the windows. Maple trees in the garden beyond the windows were clothed in various hues from fiery red to sunshine yellow.

She was bored. There was nothing for her to do. No one to talk to. Her parents were busy. Her brother was busy. Her best friend and partner in crime, Scarlett, was busy. Even, Poppy, her orange tabby, was busy snoozing, sprawling over her fluffy cat bed. She glared at Poppy. "Poppy," she called out. And of course, Poppy neglected her. She didn't even bat her eyes. Rose harrumphed and bit her lower lip. She should have gotten a puppy.

It was like school vacations. She would be shut in the house while the world around her bustled. And now, she had been stuck at home for two months.

After graduation, she had worked in a publishing house as an intern. She had hoped they would offer a job but they didn't. She had sent applications to other publishing houses but it was in vain. Due to her shyness and introvert nature, she had messed up her interviews. After a month alone in the city, she came back home at the behest of her parents.

Her parents worked every day even on Sundays. Her father, Adam Redfern, and his friend, Rory Russel, owned a workshop in the town while her mother, Roisin Redfern owned a cute little bookshop.

She loved going to the bookshop with her mother. But she couldn't spend an entire day at that dingy bookshop. She did that when she was younger. She would sit in the back corner of the beautiful bookshop on a tall chair and would read books all day. But now she was no longer a child.

Her mother had offered her work in the bookshop. But she had declined because she knew she would be bored to death there. There was nothing to do there except dusting old books or reading. Also, she didn't want to be the cliched bookshop owner. Everyone simply assumed she would work in the bookshop because she was an introvert.

She had been bullied a lot in school for being shy and an introvert. She had been the official nerd in the school. Not to mention, the one with the least number of friends. Well, one friend.

Her brother, Rusty, on the other hand, was very popular. Even Scarlett, her only friend, was popular.

Thinking of Scarlett made her sad. Only if Scarlett was here! Scarlett was visiting her grandma as she did every summer. She had asked Rose to go with her. But Rose declined saying some lame excuse.

The truth was that though she loved Nana Carmine, she had always felt intimidated by her. She had no interest in gardening or baking or sewing like Nana Carmine or Scarlett. She loved getting lost in a fantasy or mystery. Nana Carmine wouldn't understand that. Nor did Scarlett. Also, she felt a little jealous of Scarlett's and her Nana's relationship. Rose didn't have grandparents.

Rose wondered if Scarlett would return that night from her Nana's. If she wouldn't, how would Rose go to the party? Oh, the party! Rose had completely forgotten about it.

The youngsters of Maplewood always celebrated Halloween by throwing a grand party. The party was usually themed and held at selected spot and needed paid invitations.