Cold Death (6 page)

It had been three months since Hannah and Jay’s celebratory dinner. Their anniversary had come and gone, with Jay presenting Hannah with the most beautiful sapphire earrings. They were closer than ever and had a relationship that others seemed to envy. Hannah had finished university for the summer now, with only one year remaining. She had passed the year with perfect marks; top of her class. She was working full time, and still saving for her future. Her bakery section in the shop was thriving; so much so that Jay employed someone else to do Hannah’s old job so Hannah could focus solely on her cupcakes. Her replacement, Steph, was lovely and friendly; Hannah liked her very much. They often joked and laughed together, making the day go quicker. They had become close, sharing secrets and girly lunches. Work was so sociable with her boyfriend and her new best friend; Hannah loved every minute of it.

Icing a particularly delicious carrot cake, Hannah thought about her new ideas for the bakery, wondering how Jay would respond. He was so supportive of her work, and she was desperate for that to continue. She had some samples in her bag; just in case he wanted to try them. He had begun to take her more seriously recently, especially now the bakery was taking off. She hoped he would be impressed with her new goodies; she was capitalizing on fads and fashions. She had noticed a new trend in Newark; nothing to do with clothes, but a trend to become bigger and more muscular. This was something she encountered regularly in her studies, but she could see it in school friends too. They all came in here to buy lottery tickets and the occasional cupcake. They were getting so muscular. It wasn’t just Alfie now; although he was huge.

Without Hannah noticing, Jay snuck in the bakery.

“Argh!” Hannah screamed, brandishing a wooden spoon, before realizing it was a chuckling Jay. “You scared me! Meanie,” Hannah half laughed, half sulked.

“Sorry, Han. Out of interest, what were you going to do, ice me to death?” He asked, a small smile around his lips.

“Death by buttercream, doesn’t sound like a bad way to go,” Hannah mused. “I’ll have to try that if you sneak up on me again.”

“Well, hopefully it’ll be a long while before we die yet, buttercream or not,” Jay said. “I actually have a surprise for you. Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?” Hannah asked, suspiciously. “You’ve already surprised me once today. I don’t know if I can handle anymore. My pulse is still racing like crazy!”

“I’m sorry for scaring you. You’ll like this one; I promise.”

“Well, you seem pretty sure… what is it?” Hannah asked, curiosity getting the better of her. She hated surprises if she knew she was getting one.

“Well, I know the cake shop is going brilliantly. I can see you’re enjoying it and it’s bringing lots of people in. Instead of just calling it the bakery section, what do you think of branding it properly; having a proper menu online, and it almost being like your own business? You have more time now, over summer, to work on it. I can help you set everything up and instead of working for me; we’ll be business partners. When you go back to uni, Steph can sell the cakes and all you’d need to do would be to bake them. What do you say?”

Hannah was speechless with delighted surprise. “Do you really mean that? It sounds amazing. How will it work? Are you sure we can do this?”

“Well, I trust you to know what sells and what doesn’t; I’d just like to know if there’s anything new. You’ll have your own base here and I’ll invest in you. We need to fine-tune the idea, I just wanted to see what you thought. You’re a serious part of my life now, Han. I’d love to support you and help you do things you love.”

“I think that’s a yes! Amazing! I’ve been working on something new actually, do you have time now?”

Jay kissed Hannah on the nose. “For you, of course I have time. What’s your idea? And before I forget, what would you like to call the business?”

“Well, you know everyone seems to be bulking up? I was thinking of making protein bars and muffins, then even very health-conscious people can enjoy something. Hopefully, everyone will be talking about Kupcake,” Hannah babbled.

“Kupcake? Both the protein bars and the name sound great, I’m so proud of you,” Jay gazed fondly at Hannah. “I’m going to get some paperwork done and I’ll call you later.”

“See you later, love you,” Hannah replied without thinking. She blushed; it was the first time either of them had said the L word.

“I love you too, Han. I’m so glad we’re building a future together.” Jay turned and left the shop, leaving a crimson Hannah in the bakery.

Before having any time to process what just happened, Hannah heard a very familiar voice.

“Hey, Span!” Alfie greeted Hannah with her usual nickname. Hannah Spanner seemed to have stuck since primary school, but Hannah didn’t mind.

“Hi, Alf! Wow, you’re getting so big! I still can’t believe you’re the same kid from school. What happened to the chubby boy I used to know? When did he become six feet of solid muscle?” Hannah asked.

“Thanks, Span. Well, I guess I’ve been listening to you, Miss Nutritionist. I really appreciate all your help. Is Jay around?” Alfie asked.

“You’ve missed him by seconds, Alf. He’s gone to do some paperwork. How come you want to see Jay? I didn’t realise you really knew each other,” frowned Hannah.

“Oh just car and gym stuff, nothing exciting,” mumbled Alfie, not meeting Hannah’s eye. “These cupcakes look amazing; shame I’d have to spend an hour in the gym working them off,” he said, changing the subject.

“Well maybe you’re in luck! I have something new I’ve been working on for you and the other health freaks. How about I give you a free one, as a sample? You’ve been working so hard, you definitely deserve it. I’m really proud of you.”

“What is it?”

“Coconut protein bars.” Hannah smiled, knowing Alfie was interested. He always had a sweet tooth growing up. He could enjoy these without feeling guilty. “There’s only one catch; you have to tell me how they are, so I can sell them here. Deal?”

“Deal! They sound amazing, your cakes are the best. You had me at free, to be honest,” laughed Alfie, gratefully taking the delicious looking bar from Hannah. “I’ll probably be back in here tomorrow to buy ten!”

Hannah smiled, this day just got better and better. Alfie liked chatting to anyone and everyone. He’d tell all the guys at the gym about her bars. Jay would be even prouder of her then.

Before she knew it; the day was over. She stifled a yawn, said goodbye to Steph and made her way home. Crawling into bed, Hannah checked her phone. Six missed calls, wow. She kept it on silent when she worked and rarely checked it; it was unusual that someone would try and get hold of her on her phone. Everyone just popped into the shop, including her mother. Scrolling through her call history, she saw three calls from Jay and three from Simon, Alfie’s best friend who they had both gone to school with. Trembling slightly, she saw her screen flash again, with Jay’s name. Scared that something was wrong, her heart beating quickly, she answered the call.

“Hello?”

“Han, Han are you there?” Jay’s voice, frantic and desperate echoed down the line.

“I’m here, what’s happened? I have six missed calls. Are you okay?”

“I’m okay, I promise. I have some bad news though Han, I don’t know how to tell you.”

“Tell me what? Please, don’t keep things from me.” Hannah’s voice became hoarse, her fears confirmed that something was wrong.

“It’s Alfie. He was rushed to hospital earlier. I ran into Simon and he told me. We both thought you needed to know. We wanted you to get there on time, that’s why we called you so much. I’m so sorry Han, he didn’t make it. Alfie passed away. Han? Han?”

Hannah was silent, shock and fear spreading through her veins like ice. Alfie was dead. No. It couldn’t be. She had only seen him hours previously.

“Han, are you still there? Are you okay?” Jay’s voice sounded worried.

“How did he die?” Hannah’s voice came out small and timid. “I saw him today, I gave him a protein bar sample. Is it my fault?”

“No sweetheart, it can’t have been anything to do with you. He suffered a massive heart attack, you could never have caused that. Would you like me to come over?” Jay offered.

“No thanks, I’d like to be alone tonight. Do you mind if I take tomorrow off?”

“Not at all. Take as long as you need. You don’t have to call, I won’t be expecting you. Take your time. I’ll be here when you need me.”

Hannah hung up. She couldn’t believe it. It must have been her fault. Jay must have just been lying to save her feelings. She killed someone. She was the one who encouraged Alfie to go to the gym and change his diet. She was the one who pushed him hard and encouraged him. She made him try new things and exhausted him. She over-exerted his heart. Alfie was dead because of her.

Hannah’s head was spinning; what was she going to do? She’d have to hand herself into the police, and face Alfie’s family. His family were lovely. What were they going to do without him?

*** ***

The next day was horrible. Hannah didn’t even think of work as she tried to make sense of what happened. She called Alfie’s home, but only managed to stutter her apologies before his sobbing mother cut her off; not wanting to talk to anyone. She called the police station, but they told her to rest and relax as it wasn’t her fault. She wanted to do something; she felt so guilty.

For the next few days, Hannah barely left her room. Her once cared for glossy hair was a bird’s nest; sticking up on end as she ran her fingers through it, trying to remember Alfie’s last conversation with her. Her skin was pale and sallow; dark circles camping out under her eyes. She refused to eat and she slept in fits, a zombie of anguish and pain. Hannah was in agony; all she could think of was Alfie. She murdered him. She was a killer. It didn’t matter what the police said, she knew the truth. Her own mother was worried about her; she had known Alfie too and was greatly saddened by his passing. She didn’t know how to help Hannah, resorting to stroking her hair and holding her.

Grief continued to consume Hannah, her mind a maze of guilt and sorrow. She could barely function; refusing to leave the house. She couldn’t face the outside world; she hated that the world carried on spinning; people carried on; life went on. She thought of Alfie; a grin always plastered to his cheeky face. She thought of his sense of humour and his love of practical jokes, laughing to herself as tears spilled from her red-rimmed eyes. Alfie would hate the self-pity she had been wallowing in. Alfie would have cracked some kind of joke at Hannah’s expense and encouraged her to get up. She listened to the Alfie in her head. Getting up to shower, she thought of Jay for the first time in days. He had been texting her, asking how she was without being pushy. He deserved a reply at least. Hannah knew she was a mess. She was going to wash and get some fresh air, and go to see Jay. It would do her good.

Combing her hair for the first time in a long time, Hannah saw it was coming up to 9pm. She was glad it would be slightly dark as she left the house; she didn’t really want to bump into people she knew. The shop would shut at ten, maybe she could spend some time with Jay.  She could tell him what had been going through her head. The weight of her thoughts was becoming too much.

Leaving the house, she zipped up her hoodie. For summer, it was getting pretty cold. Stuffing her hands deep into her pockets, she was glad she was on her holidays from university; she couldn’t imagine having to study as all of this was happening. Hardly anybody was out as she walked; she had no idea what day it was; all the days that passed recently had merged into one. She guessed maybe a Monday or Tuesday; weekends near her house were busy; Nottingham had a great nightlife, the pubs in Newark were busy as people made their way to the bigger clubs. Her footsteps trod the familiar path to the shop, instinctively knowing where to turn and cross the road. She walked this path so many times, to and from work that her brain barely had to think; she could do it blindfolded.

Weaving through the trees, Hannah’s brain turned to Alfie once more. Would he have suffered? She didn’t know anyone who had died, her grandparents passed away before she was born and she had never been to a funeral. She didn’t know grief would be like this, although she supposed she was feeling guilt as well as grief. Jay would know what to do and what to say. He always did. Hannah felt guilty for ignoring him and his messages.

Turning up the road to Jay’s convenience shop, she noticed there were no cars around. She thought this was unusual; Jay’s shop was always thriving; they often had to ask people to leave at night just so they could go home. He was a fantastic businessman as well as a people person; everyone loved him. Noticing the almost eerie silence, she walked up the path, glad that Jay would almost certainly be alone. They could talk then, perhaps close early. She realised she was craving contact; she loved her mother, but was looking forward to seeing someone else. Entering the shop, she saw nobody, not even Jay. Where was he?

Going to the back of the shop, she noticed he wasn’t in the office. Turning around, she saw it. The sticky pool of red seeping from the counter area. Chills ran down Hannah’s spine as she hoped and begged it was nothing but a smashed jar of pasta sauce. Running over, she saw it wasn’t pasta sauce. The sticky red pool was coming from Jay. Her perfect boyfriend was lying on the floor, covered in blood. Hannah screamed.