Suzy by Gary L Beer (easy books to read in english txt) 📕

presence makes her want to scream.
“No thank you.” replies WPC Davenport as she sits down in the armchair opposite Suzy.
PC Willmott still turns pages in his little notebook appearing lost in thought; Suzy takes the opportunity to calm herself down and to breathe properly.
Appearing suddenly aware of their presence PC Willmott suddenly looks up from his notebook and stares Suzy in the eyes; “No, not for me thank you.” he says as he breaks the gaze and sits down in the middle of the large couch.
“We are sorry to interrupt your day but we need to know the whereabouts of your partner Mr Culley?” asks WPC Davenport.
“As I told you, he left me about a week ago now.”
“Do you know where he has gone?” asks the WPC.
Suzy shrugs her shoulders seeming unconcerned; “Manchester somewhere, gone to live with his fancy bit.” Suzy replies with an edge of bitterness to her voice.
“Do you know this other lady's name?” demands PC Willmott looking her in the eyes and appearing impatient.
“No I do not.” snaps Suzy; “And I do not care either.”
The two police officers do not appear to believe her and Suzy is forced to tell them of the repeated beatings; and of the big fight they had the night Doug left, (she leaves out the part about the letter opener). Suzy had suspected that the authorities would be round to locate Doug and she had rehearsed her story in her head lots of times. Putting the right inflections in her voice at the right time she soon gave them the impression of an abused wife.
Well it was true; Doug was not as bad as she made out, but in the telling she had managed tears to roll down her face. Looking at the two police officers in front of her Suzy tells them she is glad he has gone. Glad that she will suffer no more abuse and appearing to finally convince the police lady of her innocence in any wrong doing.
WPC Davenport is very sympathetic and understanding and Suzy feels she has an ally; except for PC Willmott who stares at her hard faced and makes notes in his little notebook. After nearly two hours of questioning the two police officers finally stand up to leave. Suzy has managed to put herself in a very emotional state and WPC Davenport tells Suzy that they will leave her now; but may come back!
Suzy ushers them out of the door as fast as she can and getting a can of air freshener from the kitchen she sprays the lounge and hallway. Going back into the kitchen she puts the kettle on to boil and thinks back over the past two hours of questioning. Satisfied that she has appeared to convince them that Doug had left her, she smiles, as she makes herself a cup of coffee.

Suzy spends the rest of the day in the garden, her mind constantly going over her two hour conversation with the police. The more she thinks about it the more worried she becomes; maybe things had not gone that well for her. The reference to her last fight with Doug she realises was discussed many times.
She had not seen Lewis since the night of Darren, after he had washed and dried his clothes he had gone home and she had not heard from him since. Suzy was too scared to phone him. She still could not believe her luck in meeting him at the shop as she would not have managed without him. Thinking it best to wait until he contacted her, Suzy waits impatiently. Tidying the garden helped her forget, but a deep worry would keep returning at least every half hour and Suzy could feel her stress levels rising.
Convinced that the police would return Suzy recognised the importance in keeping calm. She needed to be able to carry on her act and knew she would have to repeat her story many times. Being stressed would make her forgetful and even force her into telling more lies. Bottling up her problems was not helping and she realised she needed to talk to someone and 'let it out'. The spoken words would bring it back to reality; rather than the dark dream world she was creating in her head.

Thinking of her friends, though many she had not seen for years, she wondered who she could really trust. Faces pass through her mind and one keeps returning; Sharon, her best friend from secondary school and university. It had been about two years since she had seen her and Suzy hoped she had the same telephone number.
Going back indoors Suzy picks up her mobile phone from the kitchen table and searches for Sharon's number. Dialling the number she is relieved to hear the phone ringing indicating it is still a live number. After five rings the phone is finally answered by a cheerful Sharon; “Suzy, how wonderful to hear from you. I have been wondering how you and Doug are getting on, all good I hope?”
“Hi Sharon, it is good to hear your voice, sorry to ring you when I need something, could you come over and see me I could really do with your advice?”
“That sounds serious, are you Ok?”
“Not really, can you come over please?”
“Yes sure, got a few bits to do and can be with you in about an hour if that is Ok?”
“That is brilliant, thank you so much.” replies Suzy in an over emotional voice.
“You need me to bring any shopping or anything when I come over?”
“No I am fine thanks see you soon.” answers Suzy as she disconnects the call.

Suzy answers the ringing of the doorbell fifty nine minutes after the phone call and she opens the door to a smiling Sharon.
“Sharon, great to see you, come in.” Suzy greets as she opens the door wide.
“You sounded a bit stressed on the phone, you sure you want my advice?” asks Sharon as she enters Suzy's bungalow and stands a few steps in waiting for Suzy to shut the door.
Suzy walks outside and walks to the front gate, looking around casually she looks up and down the road and up at the sky as if checking the weather. The road is empty of people and she can see no strange cars parked; the sky above is overcast and grey with the feel of rain in the air. Taking a long look at Sharon's shiny silver Fiesta she turns with a smile and walks back along the path; to a confused Sharon, who still stands a few steps inside the front door.
Still smiling Suzy shuts the front door; “I will make you a coffee if you want one?” she asks as she walks past Sharon towards the kitchen.
“Yes, that would be nice.” answers Sharon as she follows Suzy into the kitchen. Taking a seat at the kitchen table Sharon puts her leather handbag onto it and watches Suzy as she makes the coffee. Suzy remains silent focusing her attention on making coffee, after several minutes she turns with two large steaming mugs in her hands and still smiling puts them onto the table.
“Which is mine?” asks Sharon.
“Anyone, they have both got two sugars as the coffee is a bit strong.”
“Thanks.” replies Sharon as she picks up the nearest mug which has an imprint of a travel book cover printed in cream and black.
Suzy picks up the other mug which also has an advert of a book in purple with silver writing. Sharon asks no questions about the strangely designed mugs and sips her coffee waiting for Suzy to speak.
Suzy stares into her mug of coffee appearing close to tears, the strain of the last few days was taking its toll and Suzy felt a tiredness that reached to her bones. Putting a determined look on her face she looks up from her coffee and stares Sharon in the eyes. Starting with the fight and death of Doug she tells Sharon everything that had happened since then.
Several times Suzy stopped her story and made more coffee, the hours pass as Suzy had a lot to say. After three hours she finally stops talking and gives Sharon a questioning look; Sharon is shocked by what has happened to Suzy and stares back trying to give a suitable answer though her mind is in a whirl.
Standing up, Sharon picks up the empty mugs and walks over to the sink to make fresh coffee. The truth is she does not know what to say, Suzy's behaviour to a certain extent she could understand.
Lewis's involvement however was a different manner and she felt a deep distrust of his motives. The killing of Darren she could not understand and wondered why he had taken such a violent attitude, especially so soon after Doug's death. Suzy had explained how she had seen him with his foot on Darren's throat and the cold bloodied way he had disposed of the bodies.
Admittedly Sharon had also known Lewis a long time, since their university days, but in that time she had never really got to know him; how he thought and his beliefs. She had always viewed him as a bit of a threat, though she knew that he would not force her to do anything she did not want to. His manner towards her had always been polite and respectful but underneath she felt that given the opportunity he would have sex with her if she gave him the chance.
She had considered the possibility many times and in some cases had wanted him to make advances towards her, but something had held her back.
“What am I going to do?” asks a worried Suzy.
Turning towards her Sharon smiles broadly; “Keep your cool and stick to the same story, whoever asks you. Really you are making a mistake telling me as you should have kept it to yourself; and Lewis.”
“If it wasn't for Lewis I reckon I would be in prison now. The worrying thing is that he seemed to know what he was doing, almost as if he had done it before.”
“Yes, I was going to come to that, his timing seems a little too perfect and as you say he seemed to know what he was doing, do you trust him?”
“I do not seem to have a lot of choice in that, as I have to now.”
“He does appear a gentleman in all of this as he had the opportunity to spend the night with you. I guess you were a bit emotional after Darren's death? By the way you said it you wanted him to spend the night; and you were disappointed that he did not. Yet for all his obvious interest in you he does not take advantage of you. He seems emotionally cold getting rid of those bodies, which the way you said it seemed to him to be just