Party Clean Up

Michael was happy the party was over. He knew Laura loved these get-togethers. He really wished they didn’t happen so frequently and he loathed the clean-up afterward. The clean-up he was knee-deep into right now. When they began hosting these monthly events, she always pitched in as soon as the last guest left the party, the two of them quickly returned everything to order. It was a happier time. As the months slipped into the future the parties came more frequently and became more elaborate with more guests, many of who Michael did not know, nor care to know. Now after each party, Michael begins the cleanup and Laura goes to “slip into something more comfortable.” Something more comfortable isn’t a negligee but a set of sweats, she always promises to “be right back” but in truth, she always arrives when 90% of the clean-up is finished.

         Michael is working from room to room, filling up trash bags and noting places that will need special attention, places guests spilled drinks or food onto the carpet or furniture. He always saved the “Great Room” where most of the guests congregated later in the evening for last because it needed the most attention and he knew Laura would be joining the effort shortly. He quickly filled the bag he had with detritus and carried it to the outside hamper. He was in the pantry gathering a couple of more bags when Laura came from the bedroom dressed for the task. He handed her a bag and taking his followed her back into Party Central. They both worked in silence for several minutes and Laura screamed and recoiled from something on the floor.  

         Michael rushed to her and she flung her arms around him sobbing. He needed to see what had caused her reaction but he also knew he needed to hold her. They had experienced NO physical contact for weeks, avoiding each other when they passed in the hallway, sleeping in different rooms, and rarely speaking. He knew something must be horribly wrong if she sought his arms for solace. He held her tightly for what seemed a very long time but he knew it was only for a few minutes. Slowly her sobs subsided and she could begin to form words, “It’s, it’s a body”, she rasped out.

         Still holding her, Michael turned her to see what had so frightened her. It was Cinco de Mayo, well it was yesterday and the main room had been filled with banners, posters, and props all hoping to add to the festivities. Michael could see nothing as much of the party debris was littering the floor. He slowly extricated himself from Laura’s frenzied embrace and started removing the large banner she had recoiled from. There it was, well there he was, someone was definitely past help. The corpse was face down in what appeared to be a tremendous amount of blood. Michael’s first thought was it was going to be a bear to clean all of that blood from the floor; he quickly regained his mental balance and turned the man to a supine position to see who he was.

         He didn’t recognize the man and turned to Laura, who clenched both hands into fists and pulled them under her chin, and shook her head in a violent motion. Michael asked, “Do you know him?” She again shook her head NO! Michael knew he needed to phone the authorities but he felt he had to know who this dead stranger on his floor was. Avoiding the blood on the man’s clothes and on the floor, he began searching his pockets for identification. He found a wallet in his inside jacket pocket. He turned to Laura and they both walked to the sofa and sat down. Michael began emptying the contents of the stranger’s wallet onto the table in front of the sofa. He found credit cards that were in the name Atlantis Holding on them but no account holder, just an account number. Next, he found business cards again with the name Atlantis Holding and only a phone number, again no person’s name. There was no additional useful information in the Wallet. Michael picked up one of the business cards and walked to the phone and started to pick it up but thought better of it, the police would want to know why they didn’t call them first.

         Michael walked to his office, followed by Laura and took his mobile device off charge, and dialed the number on the Card. It rang three times and an answering machine picked up, “You have reached Atlantis Holding outside of business hours”… Michael quickly disconnected the call and the two of them walked back toward the body. “I’ll call the Police”, he said. Laura sighed and Michael turned around to see her standing there with a pistol in her hand and an expression of pure hate in her eyes. “What…” he asked? Laura took two steps toward him and yelled, “You killed HIM! You knew he was!” Michael recoiled in horror and said, “I have no idea who he is”. “You knew he was my lover and you killed him!”

         It suddenly fell into place for Michael, he knew why Laura had become so distant, he had suspected as much but he wasn’t the murderer. Laura stepped another foot closer to Michael and he knew he was in trouble. Slowly it dawned on him. He knew who the killer was, he asked Laura, I guess you are going to turn me over to the police now?” She said, "I have no intention of seeing you in jail!” He knew what was about to happen so he had to try something. “The police will know what happened when you shoot me with the same gun you used on your lover.” Laura laughed almost maniacally, I didn’t use a gun on him, I used the letter opener from your desk.” “And you’re going to use my own gun to murder me with”, he asked? “Of course”, she said as a wicked smile crossed her lips.

         Michael knew she knew little about firearms and at the distance between them she could miss but she had backed him as far as possible and was closing the distance between them with every second. It was obvious she wanted to be as close as possible before she fired. Michael knew she would get close enough to him to risk him being able to lunge and dislodge the pistol from her hand; he looked around for something, anything. She stopped, only five feet separated them now, it was now or never, He lunged forward waiting for the shot that would end his life, but, no shot came. Suddenly he was upon her, they were struggling and the gun went across the room. Michael rushed to retrieve the pistol and Laura ran from the room.

         Michael walked to the telephone and dialed 911. As the phone was ringing he heard Laura’s car zoom onto the street. After relating everything that happened to the Police detective and giving them the description of Laura’s car and plate number, Michael walked back to the sofa and sat down, waiting for the squad cars and coroner to arrive. At that moment he was never so happy that he had always refrained from leaving a round in the chamber of his pistol.