Fiction. Murder makes Three

Murder makes Three.
Murray Bayer returned home. His mother Freda was anxiously waiting for the results of the interview at the University.
“ How did it go, Murray?”
He replied beaming with excitement, “It was very encouraging. I managed to answer all the questions that the board members put to me. It will take a week until I know for sure if I have been excepted”
“ You look exhausted, son. It’s been an anxious time for you. I had better make a doctors appointment to have you checked over”
“ Don’t bother mother, I think a few days of rest is all I need”
“ You had better let me do it You know how I worry and that only makes you get worse Your father will agree with me”.
“ Okay, I’ll go to the doc. but you are wasting his time.”
At the surgery, Dr. Ho. Chang gave Murray a full medical. He explained, “Murray you seemed to be healthy enough but there seems to be a problem with your nerves. I would like you to take a course of nerve pills to calm you down, plus some medication to help you sleep”
“ I really don’t want to go back on medication. Last time I was like a zombie getting around”
“ You need it, plus your mother insists I give you something to get you back on track”
“ Okay, I will try it for a while”.
The following week was terrible, Murray was finding it very hard to get used to his pills and seemed to be feeling far worse than before. He said to his father he wanted to quit the medication. “ You know what your mother is like”, he said. “She is very persistent and feels that you need help”.
The next week was even worse. He returned to the doctor to find out what was happening to him. Dr. Chang insisted he needed to have more patience, as it was too early to expect results. “Besides you know your mother would cause a big scene if you quit taking the pills” he said.
Things only got worse for Murray. He lost his appetite altogether, felt life was not worth much to him as it was. Why should he feel so unhappy and always tired? Also he had times when he couldn’t stop shaking.
Murray’s parents, Ben and Freda, had been into the city on business and returned home with a tasty treat of Murray’s favourite pizza. The house was unlocked but there was no sign of Murray. Ben went through the house calling to him- no reply, the bathroom door was locked. He shouted. “ Are you okay, Murray?” Still no reply. Panic took over and Ben forced the door open a little. There was something in the way. He then saw a foot on the floor. Using some force he managed to open the door a bit more and soon discovered Murray lying on the floor. There was blood everywhere; an empty pill bottle beside him, and no any sign of life.
“ Freda, call an ambulance quickly, Murray has had an accident”
“ Let me see, what’s happened to my boy?”
“ I don’t want you to go into the bathroom. Just ring and wait till help arrives’.
Being close to the hospital it took under ten minutes before the house was alive with medics. Then the police arrived. Soon there were finger printers, cameras and uniformed police searching the house. Ben and Freda were asked to accompany a care worker to the lounge while the tests were going on.
Finally Detective Sergeant Allan Read, who was in charge, came into the lounge where Ben and Freda were patiently waiting to find out what happened.
“ Mr and Mrs Bayer, sorry, I know this has been a very anxious and worrying time for you .I have some terrible news for you. Your son has died of an overdose of pills, - not yet known what and he also had cut his wrists.
Ben immediately exclaimed, “I told you Freda, that doctor should never had given Murray all that medication”
“ What’s this?” the detective said.
“Murray had been to see Dr. Chang and was taking some pretty powerful medication for his nerves, plus sleeping pills”.
“ Are you suggesting my son actually took his own life, I know he couldn’t do that sort of thing. He was looking forward to University next year”?
“ We will be able to answer your questions in full after an autopsy tomorrow. Now we will leave you alone to grieve. If there is something I can do to help, please call.”
Detective Sargent Read made a detour on his way back to the station, calling on Dr. Chang. The doctor had just finished with a patient and greeted the Detective who told him about Murray and wasted no time in asking the doctor what medication he had given to young Murray Bayer “ Doctor Chang explained. “ The details of my patient’s conditions are private, but I must say he was very stressed and needed some very strong drugs to bring him out of deep depression.”
Next morning the results of the post mortem were available and showed Murray had definitely taken approximately 32 sleeping pills and to make sure he slashed both wrists.
Detective Read seems to be satisfied with the doctor’s explanation and the funeral was held. An inquest followed and with the results of the autopsy the judge was able to close the case with the verdict of misadventure due to suicide.
The weeks following the funeral were started to show signs of strain on Freda. She started drinking heavily, as was Ben but both knew it was only temporary relief.
“ I don’t think you should be drinking all that gin on top of the pills the doctor prescribed for you, Freda”
“ This is my only escape from the pain of loosing Murray, Doctor Chang suggests I need to go away for a complete change but I know it will be a long healing process and an occasional drink does help me”
Freda returned after a short holiday with one of her sisters but felt no better. Her sister enjoyed a few drinks too, which didn’t help her, only causing temporary relief from the dreadful tragedy.
“ It has been nearly six months now since Murray died, don’t you think it’s about time you got your life back on track. This drinking and crying all the time is absolutely no comfort for our terrible experience.”
Freda was in one of her angry moods and went into a full on binge drinking session only to become so paralytic that she passed out and fell into a heap on the floor. Ben could see there was more happening than just drunkenness. He rang for an ambulance, Freda was taken to hospital where her stomach was pumped out She was very close to having alcoholic poisoning.
On one of his visits to Freda in hospital he said. “ My dear, will you promise me you’ll stay off those pills. You haven’t had any in here and you are starting to return to normal”
“ But Doctor Chang told me I must take my medication to prevent me from having a nervous breakdown”.
“ I am going to change your doctor. Chang is too casual on giving out dangerous pills.”
“No, no, don’t do that, I need his support to get me through bad times”
After Freda was released, she seemed to be nearly back to normal for the next few months but slowly the liquor was playing a big part in her daily life. Ben had settled down and was only drinking socially now.
“ It would be a good idea for you to find a job, Freda” Ben suggested. “Here is one that would suit you. Take a look at it. I have marked it in today’s paper- driving old people out to get their groceries”
“ I don’t think I would be much help, anyway I wouldn’t want to listen to their complaints I have enough of my own”
“Okay, please yourself, I’m only trying to help you”
A knock on the door finished the conversation, Ben answered it. His nephew Jim Becker had called into see how they were.
“Hello Jim, nice of you to visit, come in”
“ Hello Ben,”
Jim went to the lounge and greeted his aunt with a hug.
“ Hello, Freda, you are looking great, - a big improvement since I saw you in hospital”
“ Nice to see you again, Jim. You always were a favourite nephew”
“I really only called in to take a look at your lovely black and white “Joy Friis” painting, I have always liked it”
“So, you really didn’t come to see me” she smiled.
“I haven’t forgotten my promise. It’s for you when I die. Don’t forget that, Ben”
“ How can I.? You always mention it”
“ Is there anything you need me to do for you both. I have some spare time?”
“ I can’t think of anything. It’s just nice that you visit us”
That evening both Ben and Freda enjoyed a few social drinks and a good chat. Every time they had visitors it seems to bring Freda out of deep depression and she would return to her old self.
The next few weeks passed with Freda slipping back to relying on alcohol, which just didn’t agree with all the medication she was taking.
Ben arrived home from work to find her much worse with drink than usual.
“What are you trying to prove? This is the last straw. I’m having you admitted into an institution to cure your alcoholic habit”
There was no use talking to her. She was beyond listening. Ben helped her to bed. She soon fell into a deep sleep. He was angry the way their lives were going and needed to get out for a while. He rang for a taxi and headed for his favourite bar and slowly drank away the night- not wanting to talk to anyone.
He arrived home very late and noticed the lights were on all over the house, “ Freda, are you there?”
No reply. He went into each room still calling her name. A flashback made him hesitate at the closed bathroom door. He was sweating profusely as he gathered enough strength to open the door.
“ Freda, are you in the bathroom? Oh! no, please don’t do this to me”
Slowly Ben turned the doorknob. He sensed something was wrong, the door wouldn’t open. He sobered up very fast and somehow gained the strength to force it open dreading the sight he might find. It was open just enough for him to see Freda lying on the floor- blood everywhere. It was too much for Ben. He was violently sick and continued to heave for ages before managing to pull himself together and stagger to the kitchen. He rang for an ambulance. The wait seemed endless even though he new it would only take a few minutes for them to get there.
History seemed to be repeated with police, finger printers, cameras and a duty doctor dashing around the place. A neighbour was comforting Ben in the lounge.
Detective Sargent Allan Read happened to be on duty as he was when Murray died. He braced himself and headed for the lounge room.
“ Mr. Bayer, I think you should remember me, I was here when your son died”
“ Yes, I remember you, it looks like a repeat, doesn’t it?”
“ I’m sorry to say but that is true, just about identical, we won’t know for sure how many pills your wife took until after the autopsy. Can we call anyone for you?”
“ No thanks, I have called my nephew and brother”
“ Okay then, we will leave you alone and I’ll be in touch tomorrow when I know something positive”
Next day Ben was once again repeating all the arrangements he had made for Murray, the grieving was taking a toll on him but he had the support of family.
Later in the day the detective called.
“ Hello Ben, what I told you yesterday is correct. Your wife died the same way as your son, taking about the same amount of sleeping pills and slashing her wrists. What was her doctors name?”
“ Dr. Ho. Chang, I told Freda he was too casual in giving her pills like he did for Murray, I tried to get her to change doctors but she had faith in him and reckoned he helped her, I wouldn’t say he made a very good job of that”.
“ I will be having another word with him. Medication like your wife was taking should not be given out in large quantities”.
Once again the detective called on Dr. Chang and was able to speak with him between patients.
“Dr. Chang, I guess you remember me, Detective Sargent Allan Read”
“ Yes, I remember you. We talked after the tragic death of Murray Bayer”
“ That’s right. Sadly his mother has died of simular circumstances. You had given her the same medication as you did for Murray. Tell me why do you allow people who are in depression to have so many pills?”
“ There is no law that states that only limited amount be allocated at any one time, he answered”
“ An inquest will be in a weeks time and you will be receiving a summons to attend and discuss as to what situation should have been taken in this incident. Good day to you”.
Another sad funeral in the family, Ben was devastated and feeling very dissipated, finding it very hard to return to the family home. One of his first tasks was to give the painting Freda had promised to Jim.
“ Thank you Ben, I will always treasure it “
The inquest took two days before a decision was made that this was just another unfortunate circumstance and once again Chang managed to get away with his casual way with prescription drugs.
Time didn’t seem to be a healer; Ben was finding it very hard to except the two tragedies in his life. One day George Russek, an acquaintance of his from the hotel where he had been be spending quite an amount of his time, called into visit him.
“ Now that you have retired, Ben why don’t you consider selling your house and sharing my large home. There is lots of room since my son moved out and we could enjoy the companionship all the time instead of just at the hotel”
“ Thanks, George, it’s very thoughtful of you but I don’t feel ready to make any decisions yet, maybe in a little while.”
Twelve months passed and Ben was slowly becoming absorbed in his drinking habit and found it difficult to carry out daily chores and was not eating proper meals.
His nephew Jim would check on him from time to time and could see the difference in his uncle.
One of his visits Jim asked his uncle. “ Ben, you really worry me, all this drinking and not easting properly”
“ It’s alright for you, with a wife and family, all I have is memories.”
“ Nothing you say or do will bring them back to you. So what about trying to look after yourself more”
“ Actually I have been seriously thinking about accepting an offer from my friend George and move into his big house. I could sell this property and release myself from all the memories”
“ That is a huge decision to make, Ben, after all you don’t really know what it would be like to live with a semi stranger. Maybe he has thoughts about the money you will get from the house”
“ That’s not a very nice thing to say about my friend. Anyway, I have just this minute made up my mind to put the house up for sale.”
It only took three weeks to sell and then the time came for a massive clean out of many years of accumulated (might come in handy) paraphernalia. Ben rang his nephew for his help in sorting out what to keep. Jim and his wife Bernice spent many days going through mountains of old worthless junk.
“ My aunt sure was a hoarder, look at all these newspaper clippings- boxes of them”
Bernice was busy filling plastic bags, which were headed for the dump.
“ So far I have gathered up 23 empty gin bottles which were hidden in drawers and behind furniture, I never new she was a secret drinker, what do they call those people again”?
“ A cupboard drinker, I think”
“ I wonder if Ben would sell me Freda’s sewing machine, I need a new one, would you ask him please”
“ Sure I’ll go and find him”
“Ben, Bernice was wondering if you would sell her Freda’s sewing machine. If so, how much do you want for it “?
“ I sure won’t be needing it. Say $ 20 should be a fair price”
“ That sounds okay with me. Here is the money. Put it away somewhere safe”
At last the house was cleaned out. Amazingly there were tinned fruit and soups in a cupboard that dated back over twenty years. It was a wonder they never blew their lids. Ben selected what furniture he wanted and sent the rest to an auction mart. Jim borrowed a trailer and took Ben’s worldly goods to the address of his friend George and hoped he could settle into living a routine life again.
Ben soon decided it was a bad move but George persuaded him to stay. They started arguing a lot about money, George demanded more to cover expenses, and Ben was slowly spending the money from his house.
“ I can’t keep on spending like this, George, I’ll soon have nothing left.”
“ You should know food and running a house is not cheap”.
Ben started to get away from the arguing by roaming the streets during the day. After a few drinks he would break into people’s homes, drink whatever was in their liquor cabinets, and sometimes eat what was in the refrigerator.
He wasn’t a very professional burglar. Most times he would collapse in the houses and sleep it off, then get caught by the owners.
He was forever appearing in court. Sometimes being convicted and fined, he would always have the same answer.
“ Sorry officer, I promise not to do it again”
One evening George rang Jim.
“ It’s George Russek here, I have had enough of dealing with your uncle, he has not only turned into a burglar and drunkard but is telling lies about me all over town”
“ Look here George, you talked him into selling his house and come to live with you, I bet you have managed to get quite a lot of his money. You wanted him, you keep him”
The months rolled by and Jim could see the change in his uncle. It was coming up Christmas.
“ Ben, would you like to come and have Christmas dinner with us?”
“Thanks, Jim, that would be very nice”.
What a day, the dinner was as usual delicious as Bernice’s cooking always was; Ben had managed a sizable portion of plum pudding after an excellent Turkey roast. Ben never held his dinner very long, losing it all in the toilet.
“What’s wrong with you Ben? Maybe I should take you to your doctor after the holidays”
“ I’ve been like this for a few weeks now, terrible pains in the stomach and not able to keep my food down. It’s probably all the alcohol I have had in the past”
A few weeks after Jim was working at the Riverina Hotel, the receptionist brought a personal letter to him. It was from Ben, demanding payment of $ 2,000 dollars he had loaned him. If it wasn’t paid immediately he would receive a letter from his lawyer. Jim immediately drove to Bens place, bashed on the door and shouted abuse at Ben.
Ben came to the door. Jim grabbed him around the throat and shook him.
“ Why did you send me that demanding letter, I don’t owe you anything”
“ I am sorry, I am broke and thought you would help me out”.
With his answer Jim tightened his grip around his throat.
“ I am angry enough to kill you, but you’re not worth going to jail for”
George appeared on the scene and pulled them apart. He said.
“ You see what I have to put up with”
“ What has happened to all his money?”
“ He has spent it on alcohol- always in trouble with the law, he has also tried to borrow off me. I have told him he has to find another place to live”.
“ As I told you before, George, he is your responsibility, that’s what you get for taking his money”
“ Well see about that”
The next six months were turmoil with burglaries around town. Ben was becoming a real nuisance to the local police, and somehow he was usually sent home with another warning, because he repeatedly said he would never do it again.
Since the threatening letter to Jim, Ben stayed clear of Jim but when Jim saw Ben roaming the streets he noticed how thin and shaky he had become. Plus he looked like he needed a good shower and change of clothes.
Concerned for his health Jim went to see him at home.
“Come on Ben, I know you’re home. I saw you come in.”
“ Go away and leave me alone, I’m not causing you anymore trouble”
“ I just want to talk about your health, Ben”
He opened the door a little and looked very frightened and frail.
“ What is happening to you, Ben?”
“ I just feel sick all the time, and I haven’t had a drink for a week, just sharp pains in my stomach and chest.”
“ Okay, it’s the doctor for you, get changed “
Jim followed him into his bedroom. He had shifted to a tiny room under the stairs, no window and hardly enough room for a small bed.
“ Why are you sleeping here”?
“ George made me. Said I was an embarrassment to him and his friends and seeing I have no where to go, he hopes that I will die soon.”
The doctor soon discovered that Ben was suffering from a type of poisoning, maybe something he ate or results of constant alcoholic abuse. Tests were done and confirmed that Ben had traces of arsenic in his system.
The doctor reported this to the police and they were soon interviewing George if he new anything about how Ben came into contact with the poison. Of course he denied their accusation.
Ben was sent to hospital and after some good care and food he was well enough to go home again.
A week later George rang Jim.
“You had better get here. It’s your uncle. I can’t wake him. I have called an ambulance “.
“ I’ll be right over”
Jim arrived as the ambulance crew were preparing Ben for a trip to the hospital.
“What’s wrong with my uncle?
The medics described Ben’s condition as serious; he was now in a coma.
Twenty-four hours after he was admitted, Ben passed away. The police started an intense investigation as soon as it had been proved that he had died from poisoning.
Detective Inspector Allan Read was called in and soon decided to bring in George for questioning. After intense interrogation he finally admitted to administering arsenic in very small doses to Ben. He said he had just had enough of his way of life and decided this was the only way to give him the peace and quiet he wanted.
Detective Read called Jim into the police station
“ We meet again. what a tragedy, it’s hard to believe this could happen to one family. My sympathy goes out to you all”
“ Thanks, detective, I have always had doubts about George Russek. He persuaded Ben to come and live with him. I’m sure he managed to get most of his money and then didn’t want to be bothered with him anymore.
‘ I am booking him on first degree murder, I will need you as a witness for his trial, we will be holding him in prison without any chance of bail”
“That’s okay. Even though Ben was a real worry for the family, he was still my uncle and had been through so much tragedy for one person”.
The trial was to be held three months after Ben died. The morning it was to start there was panic in the holding cells of the court. soon there were police officers everywhere. A siren was heard in the distance but it would be too late. George Russek was found hanging in his cell; he had used his trousers, which he tied to the bars. Levi Jeans would be proud of the strength they put in their clothing.

Word count. 4,227

Jimbo. 2006