Deceit. [COMPLETED.]

Chapter 1:

A long time coming.
EIGHT YEARS AGO.

[JENNIFER STAMFORD.]

The house had a value of over six million pounds. The owners had been living there for four years. It boasted a swimming pool, a gymnasium and a sauna, five bedrooms and a huge living room. Situated on a hill with access via a long winding track the nearest neighbour was a quarter of a mile away. It was isolated, private and empty.

Which was why no one saw the car or removal van drive up to the house. The work had been done in the dead of night and everything was set, the time was a little after two in the afternoon.

Warm alpine sunlight touched the faces of the four unsuspecting men standing a few yards from the front door. Neither moved for a while, all taking in the elaborate views and the single storey timbered structure in front of them.

Jennifer Stamford stared at the men from a side window of the house. In less than five minutes her ordeal would be over. Would it give her life back? She had no idea but it was as good a place as any to start from. 

The man at the front knocked twice. It was brisk. Jenny counted down slowly from ten. She smoothed down her light cotton dress and made sure her false hair was swept away from her eyes. She carefully put on a set of fake reading glasses aware that her hands were shaking.

She counted down a few more seconds, opened the door and smiled.

'Mrs Forrester?'

And there he was; Carl Ruddock. The last time she had seen him had been in a darkened room. He had been wearing a white T-shirt and jeans. He had been drinking. She could still remember the smell of alcohol on his breath.

Now he was in a dark green jacket wearing what could be the same pair of trousers and in the summer sunshine his face had changed little. His nose had been broken, the only difference. That fact at least pleased her.

She ushered them all inside.

'Please do come in.'

The property had been meticulously chosen. It was isolated. The owners had a wealth of money all on display and that fact alone she knew would upset and distract the men she had intended to kill.

On a lower level the skin of a polar bear prostrated itself in front of a large fireplace where two huge white leather sofas sat either side. Shelves held china plates, two tall patio doors had a couple of stuffed leopards sat staring out into space. But the ultimate prize was in the far corner under the light of a tall corner lamp.

A full sized snooker table.

She watched as Ruddock caught sight of it. She could see the cogs in his mind grind away as his face changed from bewilderment to contempt.

He frowned.

The man was a snob. Not a rich snob but a poor snob who detested everything the rich possessed because he was an ignorant beast. There was no other word to describe him and she could see that he was already becoming uncomfortable with what he saw.

He nodded at the table.

'So is that yours then?'

'Oh good God no.' Her voice was high pitched, her vowels deliberately exaggerated. 'It was my late husbands you see. He used to love it. I just haven't had the heart to get rid of it. That's all.'

At her last statement Ruddock's eye's opened wide.

'So you're a widow then?'

Jenny lowered her head slowly and allowed her shoulders to sag.