Murder by Medium

Chapter 7-Ill Gotten Gains

—-——Ill-Gotten Gains—-——

The door closed with a quiet click, Eva happily off with her 'closure' and Phaedra happily dividing the green weight in her pocket. Her first port of call was to text Rowan 'I've got a job for you if you need it-circus advertising' That was the code they'd agreed upon for Rowan to get paid with the séance money. Plus it wasn't as if it was untrue Rowan was skulking circus grounds and advertising her services... he was just also looking out for potential victims.

In his small cosy flat, Rowan's phone buzzed with what was to be a familiar notification. He'd been waiting for this. He quickly replied, "I'm in."

He met Phaedra at her usual spot, greenways park, opposite his flat- it was dirty and rundown and unkempt but on the one bench that wasn't graffitied or falling apart, Rowan was paid his share. £15 whole pounds, "and a little extra to satisfy both your landlord and Cillian" the 'and you to keep playing along' went unsaid. Her wise smile was enough to send him scrambling into the unassuming brown envelope, there must have been close to 2 grand inside! Before he could offer his thanks and argue it was simply too much- Phaedra was gone. Into the wind.

He knew he was playing a dangerous game, but the thrill of it now was addictive, and the money, of course, was the bonus he needed to survive. A weight was now lifted off his shoulders- Cillian wouldn't, couldn't bother him anymore and neither could his landlord! As long as he kept playing along. As he scoured the envelope once more, enjoying the fresh smell of money he noticed a small scrap of paper right at the back almost lost between his ill-gotten gains and the paper envelope it read 'Maggie's sister's not feeling very well :( '

It was a message, and Rowan had to deliver. Life would be great. As long as he kept playing along..

And for a while after, Life and business were good.