Murder most foul

Flash fiction

Elise looked out of the window at her daughter, Fleur playing with her best friend Karl. They had buckets and spades and were digging in the recently cleared flower bed. "What are they up to?"

"Oh, don't worry about it El, so they get a bit muddy; it'll all come out in the wash. As I was saying, that new couple ..."

Meanwhile in the garden ...

"There's something down here, something hard." Karl gave up on the spade and scraped the soil with his hands. "It's a skelington." Karl lifted the bone up to show Fleur. "It's a muurdeer."

"Oooo! We must invesht ... work it out."

Meanwhile in the kitchen ...

"When can you come 'round for that dinner?"

Lisa pulled out her diary. "Can't be this week, I've got too much on."

"Next week then."

"Tim's away on business 'til Friday."

"Saturday then. And the kids can have a sleep over, save you getting a sitter."

Fleur appeared then and headed for Elise's office nook, leaving a trail of muddy footprints behind her. She came back with Elise's magnifying glass.

"What are you doing with that?"

"Looking for clues."

"Well don't go breaking it."

Under her breath Lisa whispered "or starting any fires."

Both women giggled, recalling an incident from Guide camp, years earlier.

As Fleur went back to the garden Deefer followed. Loud barking alarmed Elise and she ran out, closely followed by Lisa. Karl was holding the bone aloft as the dog barked and jumped up, trying to snatch it.

"There's been a muuurdeer."

"And i think I know the culprit." She nodded towards the dog. "You've certainly made a mess of that marrow bone I gave you yesterday, haven't you girl."

283 words