Tuesday

Part 3


The Sheffield Star ran the following headline on its internet site at 7.44am that Tuesday morning. Tabytha opened it at 8.02am having been at work for over an hour, which was normal for her. She remained intent on the world knowing nothing of the terror that she was going through.

There was still no sign of her husband, his mobile going straight to answer phone as it had done since she had first tried it on the Sunday morning. She wouldn't have even thought of going on the newspaper site had an email that purported to be from her boss not just arrived and being marked urgent. The email simply gave her a link and there it sat, waiting, demanding her to reach and just touch it .

Tabytha looked up through her expensive glazed floor to ceiling walls and saw Ian, her boss, engrossed in conversation with the senior conveyancing team, as he had been for over half an hour now. He had clearly not just sent an email.

With her heart beating fast and hard, her hand shaking, Tabytha pressed on the link and it opened up the following:

'Local Businessman Paul LaFaye found dead

Police are reporting the grim discovery of local businessman Paul LaFaye. They have confirmed the victim was found in his bed and that a number of knife wounds had been inflicted. Detective Inspector Andrew Clarke refused to add any more details other than to say a full investigation was under way and a press conference would follow this afternoon at 3pm..'

Tabytha sat at her desk, the world having stopped moving around her, a real sense that there were cold strong hands squeezing tightly around her and taking her life away from her.