Portrait of a Jealous Man


The simple room with its whitewashed walls and panes of dimpled opaque glass cast an ethereal light on three men sitting around a small green table.
“Are you sure you don’t want a legal representative present?”

“I killed her. There’s no need for a solicitor. It’s as simple as that.”
“For the benefit of the tape those present are Detective Inspector Ian Craig, Detective Sergeant Christopher Sims and the accused, James Anthony Scott.”

“James tell us what happened, in your own time.”

“Jo had said this year would be different …”

“For the benefit of the tape, who is Jo?”

“Josephine is …was my wife.”

“Carry on”

“Last year was bad. It’d started with me getting a new job but the firm went arse over tit and it was last in first out.”

He paused and reached into his jacket pocket with a bloodstained hand

“Take your hand out!”
“Sorry I was just looking if I had any smokes left.”
“Carry on but keep your hands on the table where we can see them.”


“It took me six months to find employment. The new job was right up my street and for a while everything was wonderful.” his brown eyes welled with tears.

“Do you want that cigarette break now, Jim?”

“No…no let’s get it over with.” He took a deep breath“Jo had been on for ages about what I wanted for my birthday. Said she was going to get something special and make up for the bad year. I couldn’t make my mind up so asked her to surprise me.” Jim sobbed.
“Carry on”



“It started about three weeks ago. We were informed that anyone falling below their sales target were out on their ear. We were to apply more pressure on customers to buy our burglar alarms. I was given a new area to canvass. It covered the area where we lived, so on the first day I decided to surprise Jo and say hello.”

His body shook and hands clasped so tightly the blood drained from his knuckles.

“That’s the first time I saw...” he lapsed into silence again.

“Saw what Jim? What did you see? Take you’re time. You aren’t going anywhere.”
.

“There was a car parked in our driveway: a gleaming white sports job. Way, way out of my league. I drove round the block to make sure I wasn’t mistaken and stopped further up the road so I could watch the house in my mirror. Then I remembered the phone calls….”

“What calls?”

“Two or three times the phone had rung and she had rushed to answer it before I had chance. Then she would come into the room back to her book without a word.”

“Tell me about your wife, Jim. Was she the type to have an affair?”

Jim stared at the table.

“I met Linda...”

“Sorry? You’re confusing me here. Who is Linda?”

A wry smile played on Jims pale lips.

“The lovely Linda, they used to call her. That was the name Jo worked under as a prostitute, but she was different from the rest.”

Sims looked at his colleague exchanging knowing glances.

“She was. I know what you’re thinking...but she wasn’t like all the others.”

“Are you in the habit of using street walkers?”

“No it was my first ...and last time, I was working away from home, lonely and bored when I saw her standing on her own by the bar. I began talking to her but she reeled off prices for different services. After, you know... I asked her for a drink but she said she never mixed business with pleasure. But I’m a stubborn beggar and eventually she gave in. probably to get rid of me. Any way to cut a long story short our feelings for each other grew and she promised to give up her life on the street.”

“That’s what they all say..” Sims interjected.

“We made plans to get wed but made the mistake of telling my family.” Leopards never change their spots”” my mother said. Linda changed her name to Josephine and for the first couple of years life was good. She seemed content. We were so happy.” He sobbed.

“So why did you kill her?”

“A few days ago I was sat in my car observing that flash car in MY driveway… and it dawned on me. Why hadn’t I realised before? She’d gone back on the game, despite her promises!”
“What made you think that? It could have been a friend visiting?”
“I saw her close the bedroom curtains and I could see her smiling. I wanted to go in and catch them at it!”

“So what stopped you?”

“My mobile rang. The boss wanted to know where I was and told me my job was on the line. By the time I’d done a few more calls and arrived home the car was gone and the curtains were open.”
“How did Jo seem?”
“Her usual cheery self, as if she hadn’t a care in the world.”
“Were there any more calls that night?”

“One but as usual she wouldn’t tell me who it was and I thought” another customer” Then she said I was acting strangely and was I ill? It was as if she was laughing at me"
“What did you do next?”

“Nothing... not that night. But over the next couple of days I found every excuse to drive past the house at different times of the day. Most times...”

Jim hesitated, fists opening and shutting in rhythm.

“Most times that bastards’ car was in the... my ...driveway as bold as brass.”

“Were the bedroom curtains always shut?”

“Not every time…. but yesterday...”
“Yesterday being the day before your birthday?”


Jim took a long deep breath before continuing.


.

“I drove past and saw the car reversed at the porch door and the bastard loading the boot. I couldn’t see what he was putting in but I guessed it was luggage. It was obvious to me she was going to do a runner with her lover. My mother had been right all along.”

“What did you do when you got home?”

“I ...I tried to act normally. I wanted to see what she would do if the phone rang again...Needless to say it did and she rushed into the hall to answer it. I heard her say “Yes tomorrow” Bloody cow, she wasn’t even trying to hide it! The next morning. This morning. She gave me a card. Said I’d have to wait ‘til later for my present.”

“Why didn’t you confront her. Ask her what was going on?”

“I don’t know. I suppose I was afraid of the truth. Even though I knew what that was. I carried on as normal, tried to anyway. There was no point in keeping tabs on the house as I assumed they’d already flown to a love nest
“What time did you arrive home?”

“About six...six fifteen. I opened the door I heard noises from the kitchen. She was at the table with a bowl and wooden spoon .I heard it clattering against the side.”
I yelled at her “What the hell are you still doing here?”

She dropped the spoon on the floor and stammered
“What...what do you mean?”

I know what’s been going on...you whore! Up to your old tricks again aren’t you…AREN’T YOU? Before she had a chance to reply I smashed my fist into her face. Screaming” Nice of you to wait until we’d had tea before you run off with you’re fancy man! Don’t try and deny it I’ve been watching you!”



.

“”No Jim it’s not what it seems”…She tried to stand so I hit her again …and again…until the blood ran onto the tiles...and the terrible reality of what I’d done hit home”

The Inspector read the murder charge to him and uniformed officers arrived to escort the sobbing man away.
An hour later the detectives relaxed in the canteen.

“Wish every case was as easy as that to wrap up.” The sergeant said.” One thing puzzles me though sir”
”What’s that?”
“If she was going to run off with her bloke why did she stay? Surely she realised he would be suspicious of all those calls. Was that the surprise? Strange kind of birthday present if you ask me.”
“Nothing is as it seems. Never forget that Sergeant.”
“Sir?”

“After Scott’s 999 call we searched the house. In the bedroom we found an artists easel with a portrait of the deceased and a white envelope attached “with all my love Jo “written. A few minutes later a white sports car drew up. Turned out the driver was an artist who’d returned to collect some brushes he’d forgotten when packing his gear yesterday.”