Without Suspicion [Fiction]

The phone rang just once. Wolfe Hartmann shot upright on the couch where he had been lounging and answered it. He knew, without checking the screen, who was calling.

“About time, Cole,” he said, his voice tight. “Why didn't you reach out before now? You can't mean to let me go through this on my own.”

Only the sound of quiet breathing filled the line. “Are you there?”

“You should stop calling me, Wolfe. You are on your own in this,” Cole replied calmly. Wolfe chuckled bitterly, rubbing the bald part of his head in agitation.

“You are unbelievable, man. You don't mean that.”

“You killed her.” Cole's words landed like a sharp slap. Wolfe was stunned into silence for a long moment. He clenched his jaw, his eyes bulging, darting around his dim living room. It was almost dawn yet it felt like his life was already over at that point. Those words opened a gulf between them and there was no going back on it.

“Sh-she was going to tell the city council everything,” he stuttered. “What was I supposed to do? I did mean to…I wanted to knock her out…not kill her.”

“You could have walked away.”

“She would have destroyed us, Cole!”

“No, she wouldn't. You could have called me!” Cole shot back, his voice rising.

“You don't know that,” Wolfe whispered. “You have to help me. I can't go down….I won't go down alone.”

“Oh but you will.”

“What? You egotistic bastard! The box has the documents. Our names and signatures are on them. It's irrefutable proof.”

“You don't get it, Wolfe. Only your signatures are on them. I made sure of it. Even more, I have the box.”

Wolfe froze, staring at his phone in disbelief. The silence between the childhood friends was thick and dangerous. Cole was without suspicion. He had the box.

“Why?” He asked finally, his voice low.

“You took everything from me, Wolfe. I'll never forgive that. Don't call me ever again.”

The line went dead. Wolfe stared at a point in the rug till the sun rose in the sky.

I hope you enjoyed reading this short piece which is a chapter in a thriller series. It's inspired by the Freewrite #dailyprompt phrase "without suspicion". You can follow the attached links to keep up with the story.

Thank you for visiting my blog.

^{_{Image credit: Michael_Schueller}}