A Short Story on the Website of
the Red Dirt Writers Society

Getting Rid of George
by Harriet Morgan (Jan 2011)

        Looking at the two elderly women sitting on the park bench, one would not have thought their conversation would be so sinister. “Julia, what are we going to do about George?”

        “Oh, dear, Lydia. I don’t know”, replied the younger woman. “Maybe we’ll have to kill him.”

        “Oh, Sister, isn’t there another way?”

        “He’s so abusive to Victoria; we can’t let that go on!” After a short pause, Julia continued, “I don’t know HOW we should kill him.” Another moment of silence and Julia said, “What do you think about poison?”

        Speaking slowly as she thought, Lydia, responded, “I don’t know much about it. I guess I could read up on it. I think it should be something that isn’t too quick. After all, George has been causing Victoria pain for years. He should suffer for a period of time, too!”

         “Get up, Lydia. I’ll give you a hand. We should get started on our research now.”

        As the two ladies shuffled arm in arm down the street planning the demise of George, two pair of wide eyes, one blue; the other brown, peeked around the tree next to the park bench the women had just vacated. “Wow, Mike, do you believe what we just heard?”

        “That was something else, Juan. We need to get a cop!”

          ********************

        The two twelve year old boys were nearly out of breath when they flagged down a city police car. “What is it boys?”, the young officer asked as he rolled down his window.

        “We just heard…”, Mike gasped.

        “Slow down, son”, Officer Duncan put his hand on Mike’s shoulder to encourage him. “What did you hear?”

        Taking a deep breath, Mike continued, “We heard a couple of old ladies planning a…m-m-m-murder!”

        “What’s your name young man?”

        “I’m Mike Sanders. This is my friend, Juan Martinez.”

        “Now, Mike”, Officer Duncan, began, then nodding at the other boy, he continued, “Juan, let’s hear this story from the beginning.”

********************

        Julia looked up surprised, “Who on earth is knocking so loudly?”

        “Well, Sister, we won’t find out unless one of us answers the door.”

        The younger sister stood up slowly from the table and went to the door. “Hello, Steve, what a nice surprise. Lydia”, Julia called back to the dining room, “it’s Steve Duncan!”

        “For goodness sakes, tell him to come in!”

        Lydia looked up to see Julia leading Officer Duncan and two boys into the dining room where she sat with a lap top computer and numerous papers and books scattered over the table.

        “Come in, Steve. Please excuse the mess. We’re doing some research about poisons.”

        “Miss Lydia, why are you so interested in poisons?”

        “Steve, you know Sister and I write books. We’re writing a murder mystery this time and think we might do away with one character by poisoning him.”

            Two pair of wide eyes, one blue; one brown, looked at Officer Duncan as he threw his head back and laughed.