The Red Bikini

Creative Writing Competition 2012 India
CODE	614
SETTING	Sea Beach
OBJECT	Bikini
THEME	Infidelity

“Harry, you don’t have to dig that deep to hide it here. No one ever comes here anyway.
Just STOP it.” Shouted Lily.
“It’ll do better hidden here & this deep.
There.
That will do it.

And now give it to me & lets this end this feud once and for all.” said Harry triumphantly.

The Sun was beginning to set and the jets of red light were scattering the sky and was creating a beautiful rippling effect on the sea as the waves kissed the shore.

Harry turned around and saw Lily standing right beside him with the look of utmost horror on her face. The triumphant smile vanished from Harry’s face upon seeing the horror-struck expression on her face.

It was a look he has never seen Lily wear over the past five years he had known her. He quickly stood up and asked her gently though panicking inside
“What is it Love? What happened?”

Lily on the other hand looked void of voice or any expression.

He shook her by her shoulders first gently and then violently and gradually lifting his voice too, to the point of shouting. And not until now did she make any sane gesture.

All she did was pointing behind Harry’s back.

Harry turned around almost instantly to know what had caused such an effect on her. And nothing, nothing could have prepared Harry for what He saw next.

The place where Harry was digging so energetically showed a hand, a human hand barely visible. Harry being the Life-guard BLUE SEA LODGE recognized at once for what it was.

He dug even more violently sending the earth here and there in all directions to help the person who lied there. But all the while he was digging; he knew better what the result would be. So just to calm Lily down he said that he would do anything to save the girl who lied there.

They knew it was a girl because he had unearthed the barely visible hand enough to get a good look at the face of a woman that they had never seen before.

This was the second murder in less than a week and what was so unnerving was the fact that, they two were the only ones who reported the last murder and now this was second in a row.

They called the Police Department and James (Lily’s elder brother) to come to the murder site. James reached them within a few minutes and was particularly nasty at them. He said that he was in at duty and was in a very important meeting.  James gave both of them quite a bit if scolding for being there for no reason. But when Lily began to sob even more frantically, he stooped yelling and calmed her down.

Fifteen minutes later the police arrived at the scene and began their investigation of this lonely island whose population was only a mere 437 excluding the tourists.

It was a quiet place for a holiday, people came to St. Athena to calm themselves down off the stress they faced in their daily lives. One could even go as far as to call this place a Paradise in every respect.

The soothing Sunshine during the day, the starry night with the gentle sea breeze made this place a replacement for heaven on Earth. Since the island was on a remote location, it made less people to come and visit this exotic island.

By now the sun had completely sunk below the horizon and the artificial lights were being put on while the Police was securing the perimeter around the body.

Harry and Lily were now being questioned by the local Chief of Police to understand the situation better when a woman came in with a man flanking her.

“That’d be all Mr. Lee, you can now assist the others in their work and we’ll take it from here.” said Gloria firmly.

Gloria was the Chief Investigating Officer on this case. She was looking extremely worried and for good reason. What kind of ravaging lunatic would do such a thing on an otherwise quiet and peaceful island.

She began her inquiry looking straight at Harry,
“Harry, would you care to give me an exact recollection of what happened since the beginning?.”

Harry began telling the story that had transpired missing out the tiny detail why they came there. Lily was looking extremely distraught. Her brother James who worked with Harry at the lodge was comforting her.

“Dr. Watson here,” she said pointing to the man behind her “examined the body and told us that the time of the girl’s death was around 30 minutes back. Did you by any chance saw anyone here then?” said Gloria.

“No” exclaimed Lily at once.

“Are you sure?” questioned Gloria

“Absolutely” replied Lily

“That would be all; Thank you and now you can go back to your homes. We’ll call if we find the need for you.” Said Gloria and she left immediately with Dr. Watson on her side.

“Do you suspect any of those kids or were they merely at the wrong place and at the wrong time?” questioned a puzzled looking Dr. Watson

“No.” spat came the reply. “Both of them are as innocent as you & I Dr.”

“But this is the second time, another murder of a girl wearing a RED BIKINI, if you noticed and once again they were the ones to inform us. Do you think they could be serial killings?” questioned Dr. Watson presenting facts.

“I suspect, but that is all I have, A Suspicion.” scorned Gloria

THREE DAYS had passed by since that horrific incident and Gloria was sitting alone in the conference room, going through the photographs they took from the murder sites.

Then like a bolt of lightning came running in Dr. Watson and spoke only four words which made Gloria pick up her coat and dash straight out of the room.
“Double murder, serial killings.”

On their way to the murder location Gloria said nothing but just asked one simple question,
“This time a man died along with a girl, isn’t it?”

Watson nodded in affirmation but instead of questioning her, how in the world she knew about it because he had failed to mention that this time a man died as well. After they got there they investigated the murder site for a while, they went to the local police chief to tell him what to do next.

“Mr. Lee, I would now ask you to alert Mr. Neil Ledger that his daughter ‘Ms. Amy Ledger’ has been found dead wearing the very same Red Bikini that has been the latest town gossip and also that one of his employee has been found dead with her, Harry Burke is the name of this guy.” Said Gloria with authority in her voice

“Very well, I’ll send someone straight to Blue Sea Lodge to notify Mr. Neil Ledger” said Mr. Lee. After saying this Mr. Lee went his own way commanding people under him to run some of his errands, while Gloria and Dr. Watson stood there looking for anything peculiar.

The Dr. Watson noted that Gloria wasn’t looking anywhere; she seemed to have found a new found Life in this case.

“I know that smile.” Said a pleased looking Dr. Watson “now, will you share what you’ve gathered from here and share your theory with me Gloria? Will you now?” asked Dr. Watson looking excited for the first time.

“All in good time Doctor, all in good time. But first answer me a few simple questions.” Replied and amused looking Gloria.

“Shoot”

“Who called us this time to report the murder?”

“Lily and James”

“So we’ll question them and then I think that I’d be able to answer you with some of the facts that I have gathered from here. So shall we proceed?” said Gloria with rising interest.

“Of course, I am way too excited to hide it and not say it.” said a clearly amused Dr. Watson.

They walked up to Lily and James, where Lily was crying hysterically in the arms of this brother, who was trying very hard to console her but to no avail. Lily was irrevocably in love with Harry was in pain beyond imagination. She had clearly stated a fact quite a number of times before that she cannot exist in a world where Harry does not exist and would rather die than live in such a world.
“Could we perhaps take this to somewhere else less disturbing” said James as quietly as he could manage yet there was an unnerving sound of panic in his voice.

“Sure, wherever you feel better.” said Dr. Watson with a look of concern on her face while Gloria was pretty much composed and lost in his own world but with a sense of a plan in her mind. They went to a quiet place near the shore from where the crime scene was still visible but barely.

The sound of the waves seemed to have done the job for Lily for she had stopped sobbing and was becoming more aware of her senses and as to where she was.

“So who discovered the body?” asked Gloria but looking intently at Lily as if she knew that Lily was the one to do so and correct she was.

“I did.” said Lily with her voice shaking.

“Can you now possibly tell us how you did so and what happened since you discovered Harry and Amy?” questioned Gloria

“Well, Harry and I had a row over something when we were at my place. Harry had come over to my place after his duty got over at the lodge to have some dinner and to study. We were doing it all right, and then there was this thing that we were planning to hide from my brother that belonged to his ex-girlfriend who had betrayed her and had left for Miami, Florida with the guy whom she was dating side by side as my brother. James was totally devastated with the letter that she had left for him and her leaving this island of course. He would spend hours on crying over the things she had left behind. He would cry holding the case that held their engagement ring and other stuff. So Harry and I had decided to steal that thing and hide it once and for all. So this was the matter of our argument, Harry said that we needed to do it by the night, but today he was a bit frustrated with me and he left.” said Lily without a pause really slowly so as to make more sense.

“What happened next? By all means carry on please.” said Gloria firmly.

“Then Harry went away without even eating anything. I spent the entire time fretting on what I had said and done. I thought that I shouldn’t have behaved in such a way, so I decided to call him. But his cell phone was out of reach.” said Lily but Gloria interrupted her saying

“And you came to this place as this is the only place on the island that is void of any reception of signals. Am I correct?” asked Gloria.

“Yes.” said Lily

“And when you came here you discovered the body of Harry and Amy, you called James to your aid and then you informed us. Right?” asked Gloria.

“Yes.” Said Lily

“We’d now take your leave and you please go to your home and if we find the need of you, we’ll call personally to you because now you too have been on the receiving end of these murders. Thank You very much for your co-operation.” said Gloria with a tone that meant dismissal of both James and Lily who quietly walked away from there.

A week had passed since Harry’s death and Lily was in her kitchen making some coffee for herself and her brother who was about to get back home from Blue Sea Lodge when suddenly her cell phone rang.

She answered her phone and then dropped it upon hearing Harry’s voice on the other side. How could it be, how this was possible that Harry was still alive when she had seen him lying dead. She immediately called James and they decided to go the place where Harry had mentioned he had called from.

She reached that place and it was absolutely abandoned and on the far corner of the beach was a person lying under the palm tree in ragged clothing. She approached that person with great caution as if he would attack her.

She approached him and said out loud “Is that you Harry?”

“Yeah” in came a croaking reply.

“But how can this be, you were dead, i saw to it that you were; then how come you survived?
How on Earth is this possible, people don’t come back from the dead. I killed you myself, I checked your pulse and it was gone then how is it possible? I just don’t understand.” Said Lily as though she was hallucinating Harry in front of him. She was talking more to herself in utter disbelief than to the person who lay in front of her.

“Why? Why did you do it?” said the croaking voice.

“I…I…I didn’t do anything” said Lily coming back to her senses as she realized that someone was approaching behind her. She thought James had finally come round, so she turned around to explain the situation. But to her amazement she saw Gloria walking towards her with Dr. Watson right beside her.

“I didn’t do anything.” repeated Lily loudly so that Gloria and Dr. Watson could hear what she was saying.

“No more pretences Lily. Your confession has been recorded by James and-“said Gloria who was cut by Lily at once at these words saying

“Where is James and how has he recorded what I said and I haven’t done anything I…I…I….haven’t done anything” said Lily with her voice cracking for the first time.

“Game is over Lily. We know it all, we now know for sure and with proof that you had been the one behind those the much publicized ‘RED BIKINI MURDERS’.” told Gloria to Lily with such a ringing voice that Lily had no answer to.

“Yeah, I want to know some answers too, Why Lily? Why?” said the voice behind Lily.

Now as if this was nothing, the next shock totally made Lily go dumb. Behind her the ragged man in the clothes was none other than James.

Back at the Police headquarters now sat Lily across the table with James, Dr. Watson and Gloria on the other side. Lily had confessed to the murders she had committed by making the people drink an untraceable poison.

Lily kept on saying “I did this not for me but for the greater good; there is one thing that i cannot stand and that is infidelity. I had seen my brother go through so much stress that I have never seen him in all my Life. I wanted to end the lives of people who betrayed their partners. In my opinion those people don’t deserve to live. So I killed them all.”

“But why kill Harry, Lily. Why him? Didn’t he loved you the way you always said he did?” asked James the entire colour draining from his face and voice.

“He too was betraying me, I know he was cheating on me and double timing me with Amy.” Said Lily

“You got to be kidding me. He was training her to surf and swim. She is new to this place as she came only this past month from Canada finishing her studies.” said James

Upon hearing this, Lily said nothing but broke down into uncontrollable sobs and didn’t stop until Gloria spoke.

“There was five murders in all and not four, am I correct Lily” asked Gloria.

Lily stopped crying almost instantly at this. How was it possible that Gloria knew of the fifth murder, but she said “Yes, five people died in this murdering spree of mine, I killed my brother’s Girlfriend as well for betraying him”

As she said this, Gloria and Dr. Watson left Lily and James arguing with each other.

“But how on Earth did you know all of this Gloria, Lily being the murderer and the Fifth Murder as well. How?” Dr. Watson asked amazed at what had transpired.

“It was pretty simple, these were not random murders. I spoke to the families of the people who died and they all got one thing in common. All of these girls had betrayed their boyfriends or their husband in one case for another woman. So the connection was clear, these were planned murders and serial ones too.”

“But when they found the second person dead, I suspected James to be the murderer but then just the other day He came up to me and spoke about his sister that she had been talking in sleep, about getting revenge from betrayers but He never knew that she would kill. So when you came in bursting that day of double murder. I simply asked that a man had been killed, because I had seen Harry with Amy quite a lot at the lodge where I went for meeting with James about this case. I needed to know him because I suspected him but as it turns out, the story was the other way round. And from then on, you had been on the plan up till now.”

“That was very clever of you Gloria, My God, I have never met a sharper mind than yours in all the departments that I have been a part of.”

And so the great RED BIKINI murder mystery was solved.
Its consequences, Lily went to a mental asylum for recovery & James was left alone again.

THE END