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I begin my own story.
‘Her name's Claire. We met a couple of years ago at a mutual friend's party. I fancied her straight away - she's a gorgeous woman - and we starting going out. It was quite a while before I fell in love with her though. I'm normally cautious about such things, I don't like to invest everything in one person.
But with her I couldn't help myself.'
The old man smiles around his cigar.
‘Things have always been so good between us, far better than they've ever been with anyone else. We've always been so happy together.'
‘So what's changed?'
I look at him. Behind the veiling smoke his eyes hold a hospitable kindness.
‘She's having an affair with my boss. They think that I don't know but I do.'
‘How?'
‘It all started when I got the job as his personal assistant three months ago. I didn't like him then but the salary was good. Anyway he invited myself and Claire around for a meal. I reluctantly accepted. The both of them were flirting all night it was as if I wasn't there.'
‘That doesn't mean she's having an affair with him though does it.'
‘No, but then one day I finished work early, my boss hadn't turned in all day as he was on a business trip. When I got back I saw his car outside my house.'
‘Did you go in?'
‘No I didn't need to. I waited around a while until the car went. When I was inside I went up stairs and found a stubbed out cigar at the bedside table. He always smokes cigars so it's obvious he was there. Claire just went on as if nothing had happened.'
My companion is silent for a moment, tipping his drink so that ice-cubes rattle. He looks contemplatively at the smoldering tip of his cigar and then says:
‘How much do you love her?'
I answer immediately. ‘A lot'
He shakes his head. ‘No, tell me how much you love her.'
I think for a while, not really understanding what the old man means, looking for an answer that will satisfy him. But when I eventually speak, it is with a heartfelt honesty.
‘Sometimes I think I couldn't go on without her. She's everything to me. When she smiles I feel alive. If I didn't have that smile to look upon, why would I want to continue seeing? What is there beyond her?'
‘That sounds pretty serious.'
‘Yeah, I guess it is.'
‘Do you know what you must do?'
He stubs out his cigar, drains the last golden remnants of his drink and looks deep into my eyes.
‘You must kill your boss and then kill her.'
I choke on my beer, leaning forward to cough-up loose liquid. When recovered, I stare at him incredulously, thinking I must have heard him wrong.
To dispel any doubt, he repeats.
‘You must kill your boss and kill Claire.'
I am lost for words. My mouth opens and closes impotently, as though it knows there are words that should be spoken but which my brain is unable to supply.
‘That's what I did. I murdered Eileen. I loved her so much that I had to kill her, and if she had been cheating then I would of killed him too. You understand that?
I sit unbelieving, listening with a horrified fascination.
‘There came a point where I loved her so much I couldn't bear the thought that it would come to an end.