Short Stories

Abuse Of Power

Marguerite sat on the old wooden stool in the pub, a daily routine for dear Marguerite. Without fail- she dressed herself up like she did on the very first date they shared. He'll never come; She knows that, but she doesn't want to stop hoping for his return. Marguerite grabbed her whiskey and knocked her head back feeling the warm golden liquid fall down her throat and fell into her previous slouching position. Raising two fingers to the bartender she croaked,

"another." Hours flew by, but the man doesn't come. Marguerite knows he'll never come to another place again. She isn't proud of that and she knows that she should never have done this, but she did...She had to kill him. Marguerite knows that she won't be alive to see the next sunrise and needs to end her suffering.

My eyes fell upon my loving husband of five years. He was stretched cross our bed, tangled in the crisp linen.

"At some point, we have to leave our beds and create another adventure, my love " I muttered into my pillow.

Jax rolled over, sunlight hitting his honey brown eyes, smiling down at me.

"I beg to differ, work is not an adventure." Pouncing forward, Jax grabbed me by my waist and threw me over his shoulder causing my face to hit his back; spinning me around the bedroom making me laugh hysterically.

"Now that I have left my bed- I shall get ready for work" He panted.

Jax completed his uniform with a strap around his waist to hold his gun; I never thought I'd grow up to marry a police officer. I jumped onto his back, wrapping legs around him like a baby koala.

"Don't leave. It's a Saturday. Stay in bed with me?" I whined.

"The city needs their police officers, Marguerite- or it'd simply fall apart"

"I thought police held power, can't you use that power to take a day off?" I tilted my head, using my entire willpower to sway his mind.

Jax's muscles tensed beneath my touch and shook me off of him; Trudging to the kitchen.

I dragged myself to follow Jax's lead and officially get ready for another day.

"Coffee?" Jax pushed my cup towards me.

Slowly, I nodded my head and sat on our barstool at the kitchen bench. Sipping from my cup which had the word 'Marguerite' printed on it. Working at daycares truly does require to have my name all over everything I own.

Jax reaches over and gives me a kiss on his way out the door, grabbing my coffee cup.

"Hey! I haven't finished that!"

"Yeah, but mine's cold" He slyly winked and hurried out the door.

The house is empty. Yet another Saturday by myself; All I hoped for is that Jax finishes all this overtime. I don't see him that often anymore.

Being a child carer is the most time consuming and exhausting job I could think of, especially when you don't necessarily enjoy the presence of children.

Jax's friend-Brad, stood at the front desk, with a huge smile.

"Long time no see Marguerite! My wife has been nagging me to invite you guys over for dinner again."

"Perhaps if we buy less wine than last time?" I chuckled, reminiscing on a drunken night.

"Okay, only if Jax promises to stop talking work outside of work. He's on my heels all day."

"Agreed, if only he didn't keep working Saturdays, it's driving me insane," I complained. Brad's jaw dropped slightly, but quickly regained his posture and cleared his throat.

"Saturdays? Jax hasn't worked a Saturday in years," he mumbled.

The cogs in my head turned as I realised how much of an idiot I am.

"Saturdays? I meant Fridays! My bad." Smiling warmly at my dearest friend.

Concluding our goodbyes, I don't let my worry appear on my face.

Marguerite looked up at the ceiling in pure agony, counting every tile she could see. Her knee started to bounce up and down in anticipation of human socialisation after being put in a small boxed up room for hours.

No one told her why she ended up in a police station, but Marguerite was positive Jax would be there soon to save her. Suddenly the heavy metal door was slammed open, causing Marguerite to jump back with shock. When she saw Brad's familiar face, she felt as if an unknown weight was lifted off of her shoulders.

"Brad! Oh my gosh! What's happening? I've never been happier to see you." She beamed, standing up to hug him; Brad lifted his hand to prevent the embrace.

"Sit down, Marguerite" Her smile dropped immediately, plopping herself in the chair.

His other hand that was hidden behind his back, pulled out her coffee mug and slammed it onto the table.

Marguerite raised her eyebrow questioningly at Brad, silently egging him on to continue.

"You see, my wife is dead and your coffee mug has found its way into my wife's hands" shoving the mug up to her nose pressing it deeply into her face, he growled.

"Smell it Marguerite?" tears streamed down her face, and soft whimpers bubbled from of her lips, nodding her vigorously.

"Arsenic in my dead wife's coffee, your fingerprints on the murder weapon that killed MY wife!" Brad screamed at her, turning red with anger.

The room fell silent leaving the heaves of Brad and the sobs of Marguerite to fill the spaces.

The door opened once again revealing Jax,

"Bradley, mate. You can't do this without a Lawyer, also you're a suspect as well, you guys are in the same place as each other right now." Marguerite's mouth fell open. She knew exactly who the murderer was as soon as Jax threw a cheeky wink in her direction.

Walking out of the police station, Marguerite was not contacting her lawyer but instead was planning to play the same game as Jax.

She did not have the power of a police officer as Jax did, but she did have the intentions of throwing all her morals in the bin. If you can't keep them close and steal some of their power, your only option left is to destroy them.

Marguerite scavenged the house for the arsenic that was used to kill her endeared friend; Coincidentally she found the substance at the bottom of her wardrobe, rolling her eyes at her husband's typical mistake. With this new found information, Marguerite made the best cup of coffee she has ever made. Jax sat down at the barstool awaiting his cup of coffee,

"This reminds me of our first date, my love. Remember? " he reminisced.

As soon as Marguerite placed the cup of coffee on the bench, Jax took a huge gulp. Terror and shock filled his eyes as he realised his mistake.

"Oddly enough, our last date was more memorable"