Even Death

“If you can guess what I have in my pocket, you can have it.”

I was absorbed in the chess of light and shadow on him. His face! Isn’t it divine? Never seen anything more beautiful. I loved it the moment my eyes fell on it. Now after three months, still I feel the same mad attraction which seems to be snatching me to its oblivion with a strength hundred times more powerful than gravity.

“Three chances. And 30 seconds for each. Reasonable?”

A subtle feeling of love dripped from his fingers, cuddled my nails and passed through my soul. A dream to live thousand times. Only if...

“First guess honey?”

Now I need to quickly think of my first option. My brain consciously detached itself from my love-stricken heart and started echoing to my ears. Go to the car and drive it away. No, that’s impossible. The car is parked almost 500 meters away. On what pretext shall I go there? Moreover, the key is in his pocket. Wow. I can make a call. I can go to the car to fetch my cell phone. And even though I can’t start the car, but at least I can call someone for help. Yeah. I have to.

“Oh! Come on. Why are you silent?”

“Darling, I have to call the hotel for our dinner arrangement. A little surprise stored for you tonight.”

“No need, dear. Dinner is already arranged and I’m sure you will love the surprise. Now please play this game. Already a chance wasted. This is your last but one chance. My cutie is the most intelligent girl, aren’t you?”

My heartbeat crossed thousands. I almost gave up. But inside me the voice whispered: the Employee of the Year of the leading industry can’t be beaten so easily.

I need to calm down first. A deep breath. Yeah. I can run and run, till my last breath from my murderer. But is there a tiniest chance of my winning while on hunt? His always-eye-candy, athletic body suddenly seemed so scary. 

He came forward, “Where are you lost, my love? Aren’t you happy here?”

What a fool. I can’t, rather I shouldn’t show my anxiety. The stupidest thing to do now is to alert him. I myself chose this place for our honeymoon, a romantic hillside far from the madding crowd. A grave mistake! How desperately now I want to see a human face here!

I kissed him passionately. “You can’t imagine how happy I am. Please hold me tight. Never leave me, my prince.”

We hugged and kissed. Suddenly he whispered, “Always with you ... till death do us apart.”

What a good actor I was. I didn’t even shiver. I kept on kissing him. I had to buy some time to think.

“Honey, we are almost there. Please think of something.”

Yeah. I was almost there. Suddenly the last rays of sun flashed. Can I confront him directly? Can I tell him that I have read all the pages of his diary? How he has murdered all his previous wives is no more a secret to me. Can I trade my life with him? All my fortune in return of my life? Oh! He will get them anyway after my death.

Nothing left. I have to, have to do it now.

The molten glow of the setting sun touched his lip. How can I destroy this wonderful creation? But can I afford missing this chance. His back is towards the cliff. If I gather all my courage? Yeah, I can. It’s so peaceful standing here alone and his lifeless body lying there down below the cliff.

But the mystery? With him the secret of his pocket will also go down the cliff. I felt so surprised at my curiosity. Even on the verge of life and death, I wanted to know what weapon he had chosen for me. Is it a revolver? Poison? Or a dagger?

Knife. That’s it. How I forgot about it when I always had it in my pocket? I kept it for self-protection the previous day after...

Slowly I pressed my lips on his. More slowly I brought out the knife. Almost like a freezing shot, smoothly I pushed it in his chest.

An expression mixed of shock, horror, bewilderment quickly flew over his divine face, only to be replaced by pain. He died on my arms. Like a swift murderess, I have to again think of something to tell the police. But before that I must see what’s there in his pocket...

I froze. A diamond ring with my initial engraved. In the last rays of the setting sun, the flashing diamond mocked me. “You, the ardent devotee of Christie wanted to enact Philomel Cottage. And have lost all you had.” I madly hugged his body, called out his name at the topmost of my voice desperately. But no miracle happened. I decided. That same knife now will pierce my heart. But before that I will put on the ring.

I kissed the ring, held it close to my heart and then slowly glided it over my finger trying to feel the touch of love. Ouch!  Something sharp pierced my skin. Something – something like fire was entering my life-sap. I impulsively tried to take out the ring. But tiny thorns inside it already embraced my finger so tightly. They are now inseparable. I am dying, no doubt to that.

But I am happy. I was right after all. A true admirer of Ms. Marple can never go wrong. My murderer managed to kill me even after his death.

Even death could not do us apart.