Yarrow: The Smiley Killer

19:15

She tapped once on the door, then a couple more times in quick succession, gently, sultry. She pulled the back of her top so it looked tighter than it really was and leaned against the door frame. She told herself that it was to get his guard down but a part of her knew she still wanted him to fancy her.

The door opened on a chain with Carl's dark brown eyes piercing through. She could only see a fraction of his face but could still make out a smile.

"Christine, come in."

The door closed and with the scrape of metal on metal the door reopened.

"A chain Carl? How very 1980s."

"Piss off Christine. There have been two break in around this area and according to the news there's been a murderer at large for the past week a few blocks over."

"You know full well it's not the news that told you there's a murderer," she paused, looking for any sign that he may be involved, nothing...

"No?"

Christine didn't break her stare, she held it that extra second to see if he'd crack. He'd always been a good liar.

How many girls had he been running around with when you were together, you never got a straight answer.

She smirked, "no silly," she said patting him on the arm with as sullen a look as she could muster, "surely you've heard through the grapevine about Lacey?"

"Oh god, no don't say she's one of the victims?"

"Oh dear Carl, sorry you hadn't heard. Yes she was last nights."

He sat down on his feet and black patchwork sofa that Christine had always hated and put his head in his hands. He ran his fingers through his thick brown hair and down to his mouth. The forefinger of each hand perched on his lips as if asking for silence.

"Christine, I have to tell you something."

"That you were fucking her. Don't worry I know."

"How?"

"I saw Olivia."

"Oh. Then did Olivi..."

"That you've been fucking her too. No but I figured it out. I mean it is Olivia, doesn't take a rocket scientist. Bet even you couldn't touch the sides there."

There was a silence. Christine's arms were crossed, towering above her ex.

"I must admit I was a bit disappointed to hear about Lacey, Olivia I had no doubt about."

A year ran down Carl's cheek. It made her think - maybe she was being a bit of an arse. Maybe he did care about Lacey as she was convinced he had once cared for her.

"Fix us a drink like I proposed in the first place Carl, we will drink to her memory."

He said nothing, just rose and walked to the kitchen. He took the bing out of an already opened bottle of red and poured himself a can of strongbow black.

* * *

"Doug, Teddy has just passed out on his door step." Scott whispered down the phone.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes of course. He fumbled around in his pocket for a key, or at least I assume that what he was looking for. He gave up, urinated in to his neighbours front door and passed out in his."

"Fuck."

"The neighbours came out and had a key so we opened the door up and threw him inside after we checked his vitals. They said they had a spare key and have had to use it the last two nights at this time. Guess he's not our killer."