One Shots 'The nursery nurse'

A Death in the Nursery

It's time for a murder mystery.
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The last of the children had left the building, and the working day was drawing to a close.

They was still typing in the office, but Autumn was already on her way out, saying goodbye to Marjorie.

The Reception was already empty, Agatha had a short day today.

The lights went out in the classrooms. Winter had left with Autumn. Sorscha had also left. Carly was packing up the last of her things and left too.

The kitchen was still being cleaned, Chef was scrubbing the last pots clean. After she was finished, she went out through the back door.

Mia was already standing in the car park, waiting for Charlotte.

Eric was locking up the shed, he had sent Jodie home an hour ago. He just couldn't take it anymore with her. He went out through the garden door and past Mia.

The redhead was engrossed in her phone and didn't even notice the boy.

Charlotte was standing in the storage room, counting the goods. She was responsible for the order, and wanted to check if there was still enough for the following days.

Marjorie switched off her computer, too. It was time to go. She switched off the light in the office and walked down the corridor when she saw a light in the storage room.

"Don't you want to go home?"

Charlotte wheeled round." Marjorie, don't scare me like that! Yes, I'm going in a minute. I just want to count through everything again..."

" But not that much longer, Mia is already waiting outside, and I don't want to be held responsible for you working late," Marjorie reminded her.

"Yes, yes," said Charlotte, waving her hand and turning her attention back to the shelves in front of her.

Marjorie shook her head and made her way outside. She walked across the car park. Of course, Mia parked right next to her.

" Does my girlfriend have to work overtime again?" Mia asked without looking up from her phone.

"Hello to you too... no, she wanted to stay late," said Marjorie, annoyed.

" Of course." said the redhead dryly.
"It's just funny that whenever I want to pick her up, she..." she didn't get any further when a bang sounded from the nursery.

The two women looked at each other confused. What was that?

Marjorie could see into the garden from her position. She saw a hooded figure run out of the back door, climb over the fence, and then disappear into the darkness.

Mia must have noticed this too. She grabbed Marjorie and quickly pulled her towards the front door. The manager quickly unlocked the door, and Mia ran in.

Marjorie could barely keep up with her. Mia disappeared around the corner and Marjorie tried to run even faster.

She ran down the corridor to the storage room, stopping rooted to the spot in the doorway.

Mia was kneeling on the floor with Charlotte lying in front of her. The redhead desperately pressed both hands to her chest, trying to stop the blood somehow.

"Call an ambulance!" Mia shouted with tears in her eyes.

Now Marjorie stood in the car park and stared into space. The image are  still in front of her inner eye. All around her were emergency services and the authorities. The manager saw Mia, sitting a little away from her, against the wall on the ground. A policeman and a paramedic were kneeling in front of her.

"Miss Van Gould?" A police officer approached her.

" Yes..."

"My name is Jane Miller, Sergeant of Homicide department"

Marjorie thought her legs would give way.

"I'm sorry but your colleague... didn't make it..." the sergeant was interrupted by a loud scream from Mia. The policeman must have told her too.

Marjorie felt sick, she turned away and threw up.

Months passed, Charlotte is dead, the investigation was still ongoing. But without any clue.

Charlotte could at least be laid to rest,  after a few weeks. The funeral was hard. Mia had disappeared abroad immediately afterwards and had not yet returned.

Today was the reopening of the Nursery, Marjorie had called in sick. She couldn't and didn't want to set foot in these buildings right now.

There was a strange atmosphere among the work colleagues - nobody wanted to believe it. Carly needed several breaks throughout the day because it was just too much for her.

Winter felt like he was in a movie. Everything seemed so unreal to him, he still thought Charlotte would enter the room at any moment.

Sorscha snapped at everyone. Whether parents or colleagues. She was just so angry, that her friend was dead and the person responsible was still out there somewhere.

The first working day just dragged on. But now the evening, had finally arrived. Autumn was the last person left in the building. She urgently needed to process some paperwork that had been left behind.

What she didn't know was, that there were two other people in the building. One of them, who had realised in the car that she had forgotten something in the Nursery. The other person, however, was here to cover up any possible tracks.

Autumn left the office and headed for the exit. She stopped at the storage room, she hadn't entered it yet today.

She didn't want to, but Autumn thought she would find some kind of closure.

So she opened the door, the room looked different, no wonder. Eric and Jodie had tidied it up today. She stood in the centre of the room and squatted down.

Autumn touched the ground in front of her, so that was where Charlotte had been lying, where she had taken her last breath. A shiver ran down Autumn's spine. She let her gaze drift round the room when something caught her eye.

Tucked between two shelves in front of her, and barely visible, was something. She pulled it out. It was a slightly rounded piece of hard plastic in a green colour.

Autumn thought it looked familiar, but she couldn't tell, from where she recognised it. She held it in the palm of her hand and studied it closely.

What she didn't notice were the footsteps approaching her from behind.

Autumn's breath caught in her throat, when she felt the hard metal of the end of a gun pressed against the back of her head.

The person behind her pressed the gun firmly against her head. Autumn heard a click behind her, the gun was now unlocked.

Her heart raced, would she now share the same fate as Charlotte. But a hand appeared in the corner of her eye. The person made a movement, they wanted the piece in Autumn's hand.

Slowly, Autumn handed it to the stranger. However, she couldn't get a look at the person.

The gun pressed firmly against her head again. Autumn closed her eyes and breathed in and out deeply.

Then the person suddenly left, leaving Autumn behind.

Her heart was racing, she couldn't move and didn't dare turn around, the steps of the stranger became quieter and finally, Autumn was sure that they were gone.

Autumn took another deep breath, but a shot echoed through the Nursery.

Another bullet was fired, at the one who had wanted to grab something she had forgotten.

But is any help too late? Or was the murderer unsuccessful this time?