The Grim Reaper's Revenge

The Grim Reaper’s Revenge

Tamsin stared at the telephone. The cup of coffee she had made half an hour earlier was cold. She hadn’t slept at all, but even so, she didn’t feel tired. The cup between her palms gradually tilted and the cold liquid dribbled out and onto her warm skin.

“Damn!” She brushed her arm and shook her head. “Come on, stay calm,” she told herself, “it’s done now, and let’s face it; you’re not going to be the one to hear the news first. Oh no, you’ll find out later – much later. You were the least important thing in his life.” Then a wry smile crept across her face as she breathed “but the most important part of his death!”
She glanced at the clock, “ten to six, I’ve plenty of time for a hot bath to relax me before I go to work and face the day.” She made herself a fresh cup of coffee and took it with her to the bathroom. As she lay in the steaming water, her mind wandered back to her lunch with Megan the previous Thursday.
“How are the evening classes going Tamsin?”
“Oh fine, I’m really enjoying them,” she lied.
“And how’s Craig?”
“Don’t talk to me about that bastard.” Tamsin was bitter. Megan put her hand on Tamsin’s arm and said softly, “what’s he done this time Tammy?” Tamsin couldn’t answer, her eyes filled with tears and her throat tightened. Megan went on; “He’s hurt you so many times, please give him up.” Tamsin bit her lip, as the tears rolled down her cheeks she whispered,
“Well, he’s hurt me again, but not anymore, oh no, that’s the last time!”
“You’ve said that before.”
“I mean it this time,” she hissed and her eyes, cold and fierce looked into Megan’s and she could feel the anger rising within her.
“Tell me,” Megan urged.
“You see that?” Tamsin stabbed at her stomach, but didn’t wait for an answer, “that’s his child in there, but does he want to know? Oh no, say’s it can’t be his, says I must have slept with someone else – not his responsibility!”
“And is it?”
“Of course it bloody well is. On my life, and my baby’s,” she patted her belly again, but gently this time, “I have never slept with anyone else. It’s his and he knows it.”
“Have you had it out with him?”
“I tried, but then I got this.” Tamsin threw a brown envelope onto the table between them. Megan picked it up and pulled out the letter; it was from a firm of solicitors. Megan’s face remained impassive as she read the legal jargon which said, in plain English, that Tamsin had to vacate the flat by the end of the month.
“How can he say you have to leave the flat, especially as you are carrying his child?”
“Because it’s his flat, and I haven’t paid any rent, and he doesn’t care about the baby.”
“What will you do?”
“Oh, I’ll sort it, don’t worry.” Tamsin’s face hardened and her tears dried. “He wants to move his new girlfriend in, which is why he wants me out, but I’m not budging; not just yet.”

Tamsin felt hot, angry tears trickling down her cheeks and mingling with the steam from the bath. She opened her eyes.
“Don’t be stupid,” she told herself, “you’ve sorted him out once and for all.” The bile rising in her throat was testament to her pain and growing hatred.
She couldn’t face anything to eat, so she took her time getting dressed and ensured the persona she conveyed was one of innocence and confidence. She had to be extremely careful not to do anything unusual or out of routine. She was anxious and every nerve in her body was taut, but she needed to keep her head.
She arrived early and had time for another caffeine fix before starting work. She was still sipping the steaming liquid when the familiar face of Mike Taylor the H R Manager, appeared round the office door.
“Hey Tam, I need to see Craig Massham, have you seen him today?”
She fought to keep her nerves in check, then smiled fixedly at him and said, “Who?” she shrugged, “I haven’t seen anyone today, but then, I was in early, lots to do you know.” Her relationship with Craig had been a closely guarded secret, on his insistence, and now it suited her to disassociate herself from him.
“Be a love and ring his office would you, save me going back to mine?” Mike put on a pleading ‘little boy’ face.
“Yes, OK, just for you,” she smiled at him. She flicked through the list of telephone numbers pretending she didn’t know Craig’s extension and was surprised at how steady her hand was as she lifted the receiver and dialled. “No reply, sorry. I guess it’s too early,” ‘(or too late depending on which way you look at it,’ she thought).
Mike shrugged and walked away, “Thanks anyway,” he called over his shoulder as he disappeared down the corridor. Tamsin sighed and stared at the telephone; as she did so, the events of the night before came flooding back:
She had parked her car two streets away from where Craig lived and walked the last hundred yards to his house. It was midnight; there were no lights on, he must be sound asleep. His black car was parked on the road, ‘how careless,’ she thought. She pulled her hood further over her face and walked quietly over and lowered herself down until she could squeeze underneath between the two front wheels. The engine was still slightly warm which, for some inexplicable reason, caused her anger to rise and her determination to become absolute. She found the steel brake-pipe to the nearside wheel easily. ‘Those evening classes have definitely paid off,’ she thought as she placed the pair of grips she was holding onto the pipe. She squeezed hard and felt the pipe buckle and seal off the fluid. ‘That should do it,’ she thought and slid from under the car. She stood facing the house and brushed off her jeans, looking up at the bedroom window.
“Goodbye Craig,” she whispered, and turned and walked away.
She felt she needed another coffee, so she typed a quick email to Megan who worked in HR; “Hi Megan, I’m on my way round, lets have coffee. “ - pressed send, took a deep breath and headed off to see her friend. She took the stairs to the fourth floor; she didn’t fancy being in a stuffy lift this morning, and on the way passed Computing Services where Craig worked – or used to. There was a lot of activity and a dark haired woman she didn’t recognise rushed past her in floods of tears. Tamsin carried on up the last flight of stairs, her legs felt unsteady; they say when you are scared your knees knock together, something she hadn’t believed until now. Her hands were shaking too as she opened the door to the HR Office. Megan wasn’t there, but Mike Taylor saw her and came from his office, his face was almost grey and his usual cheerful air had vanished.
“Where’s Megan? Tamsin asked.
“Sit down Tamsin, I have some bad news,” Mike’s voice cracked as he spoke. Tamsin was glad to sit down; she could feel a panic begin to rise within her and her wide eyes rested on Mike’s solemn face. “It’s a very sad day for this company, Craig Massham, who works in Computer Services crashed his car on the way in this morning,” Tamsin struggled to keep her face impassive.
“I’m sorry, how awful, I’m afraid I don’t know him,” she lied, “is he all right?”
“Apparently his car swung into a line of traffic,” Mike continued.
‘So,’ she thought, ‘my theory was right, squashing the nearside brake-pipe caused the car to swing into the oncoming traffic when he braked because the nearside brake wasn’t working.’
“He’s on life support, if he does pull through he may have brain damage and who knows what else.”
She almost felt relieved that he hadn’t been killed, even thought she had felt like killing him, but she would never have been able to live with his death on her conscience, even if he had cruelly used her, hurt her and cast her aside.
“Tamsin,” Mike’s voice cut into her pre-occupation, “Tamsin, that’s not all.” She looked at Mike and a cold dread washed over her. His words became distant and hollow, she was going to faint. She slipped into unconsciousness as she heard him say.
“I’m afraid Megan was in the car with him, I’m sorry, she didn’t make it.”