It was a bitterly cold wind that swept down the street, and stamping his feet didn’t help.
He checked the time again. He was sure she said two. It was gone two-thirty. He struggled to tighten his scarf with slippery leather gloves, but he wasn’t going to take them off. He thrust his hands back down deep into his overcoat pockets. Was he in the right place? He read the post office sign across the street. No, this had to be right. This wasn’t like her, she was always so punctual. He slid his suitcase forward and moved even closer to the curb. He checked the street both ways again.
Suddenly, from behind him, a familiar voice said, “You should have taken the key!”
He spun around. “What?”
“Hello darling,” she said, with a look that gave nothing away. “Gosh! It’s freezing isn’t it? Especially when you’re standing still, waiting.” Her face took on a sneer. “Makes it harder when you’re waiting, don’t you think?”
He was both confused and speechless for a few beats. He glanced up and down the street in desperation. “I wasn’t waiting,” he said, unconvincingly.
“Oh! That’s good then.”
He frowned at her. “It is?”
“Yes, because she won’t be coming.”
“She?”
His wife gave a throaty laugh. “Don’t bother, the games up, as they say.”
He tried to show surprise. “I… I don’t know what you’re talking about!”
“OK. Of course you don’t, dear. Either way, as I say, she won’t be coming.” She gave a casual shrug. “It was two o’clock wasn’t it? I’ve been watching you since then. Watching you get colder and colder. I thought I would let you suffer for an extra thirty minutes.” She giggled in a way he had never heard before. “It was fun, sitting in the car with the heater going, watching you stamping your feet, you poor dear.”
He went to say something.
She raised an eyebrow and went on quickly. “Do you happen to know what the most common cause of fatal domestic home accidents is?”
Fear crossed his face. He just managed to say, “No.”
Well most statistical surveys say that it’s trips. Silly, isn’t it? A simple thing like a trip, and a fall, then the head coming into contact with a hard surface. Yes, if hard enough, a thing like that can be fatal.”
He couldn’t hide the anguish and realisation that was welling up inside him. Tears were forming as he asked, “What have you done?”
She laughed. “No, dear. It’s not what I have done; it’s what you didn’t do that counts. It’s what made it all so easy.”
He stood shaking his head foolishly.
“She looked down at his large suitcase. “There would have been plenty of room in there for a small key. It’s like I said, you should have taken the key.”
He was still standing with his mouth open. He seemed to be having trouble breathing.
“The spare key she gave you to her flat,” taking it from her pocket, she continued, “I’ve known for weeks now; where you hide it. It made it all so easy, as I said.” She moved to the curb, found a grate and dropped it down. She returned and took him by the arm.
“Now, come on you poor thing or you’ll catch pneumonia! You’ve been standing out here far too long. Don’t forget your suitcase. I’ve had the car heater running for so long, I’m sure there’ll be some warmth still in it.”
As he picked the case up, she said. “Now, there you go. What a good boy. There’ll be some changes, of course. Don’t worry honey, I’ll explain all the new rules on the way home.”