“Ma’am we have the test results,” the worried nurse spoke with concern as if the papers contained bad news. I got up from my seat, pulling away from my husband as my heartbeat increased, “I’m happy to inform you that your HIV test came back negative Mrs. Cooper,” the nurse smiled brightly as if she was feeling the same joy that I was.
“Essence that’s not what I asked you,” Officer Bryant sighed annoyed that I was delaying the facts of a crime scene, “Tell me exactly how you did it.”
I sat playing with the little light that hung above the gray table. There wasn’t much else to do when you were surrounded by white walls and darkness. Across from me sat the Sheriff of Atlanta, Georgia; Officer Bryant.
“Fine, but I have to continue from where I left off if you want every single detail,” I smirked at the and annoyed officer.
“Thank you nurse,” I said swinging my attention from the nurse to my husband, who seemed to be planning his funeral in his head…literally. “I can’t believe you would do this to me Marcus! I was faithful to you, and you were out here thrusting your length in and out of some whore! You almost dragged me down to the gutter with you,”
He tried to grab my hand, “Essence, baby, I’m sorry,” he said sincerely.
I shouted, “Don’t touch me!” I snatched away from him as he tried to grab my arm, “Who is she?” I said holding back my tears. He tried to grab my arm again, “Boy, didn’t I just say don’t touch me?” I walkedout leaving him to his lonesome. You see, my husband was a real bastard . He was a liar, and a cheater. I could only imagine how many women he must have had sexual intercourse with while being in a relationship with me. Although I do remember one, Estelle Banks was her name. I think you know what I mean by was. I didn’t intend on doing what I did, bu-
“Just tell me how you killed the darn victims Essence! Or I swear on sweet mother Mary that I’ll have your ass hauled off behind them damn bars!” Officer Bryant scolded me.
“Can I finish my damn story? Please and thank you,” I sighed rolling my eyes, aggravated with the impatient officer. He nodded and I started again:
He had followed me out into the dark garage; which made it too easy for me to intoxicate him, “How could you do this to us Marcus? I love you so much, how could you do me like this?” I cried making him feel pity.
“It was a mistake. I don’t know what I was thinking Essence. Baby please, let’s just work it out,” he lied. It was a little too late to be making promises you could no longer keep.
“Maybe we could get marriage counseling. I don’t even know Marcus; I just love you so much.” I walked behind my husband and wrapped my arms around his tall waist; allowing him to believe that he had been forgiven.
“Did I mention that I like ‘em tall, Officer Bryant?” The officer scoffed at my unnecessary comment.
Only then, I took the white piece of cloth and forced it onto my husband’s nose and mouth. I waited until I was sure that he had inhaled the lethal chemicals on the cloth. When he started to feel heavy on my arms I dragged him towards the waiting car and my partner, Stephan, forced my husband’s body into the trunk. I followed Stephan to the side of the car. He is the only man I can trust, he’s always been there for me in my time of need
Stephan closed the trunk of the black Sedan and asked, “Where do you want me to take the body Essence?”
“To the usual place that you take them when they screw me over,” I smirked and walked to my car. I drove to my secluded ranch on the hills. I had made sure that I sent a text to my husband’s mistress from his phone. I read, “Hey sweetheart, don’t forget to come by around noon. I’ll be waiting with strawberries.” God knows how much they loved to use my damn strawberries.
When I got to my house I suited up with the proper gear and went to the attic. That’s where I put the bodies of my ex-boyfriends who ‘went missing’. It was like my personal museum of dead men. It was Stephan’s idea. As I walked up the stairs, I could hear the muffled screams of my husband.
“Did your husband know about this secluded ranch on the hills?” Officer Bryant questioned as he took notes from the information he was hearing.
“No, of course not Officer Bryant, I’m usually really good at hiding the bodies, but I guess you’re just a really good cop,”
“Don’t try to butter my biscuits Mrs. Cooper, finish the story will yah?”
When I got to the attic, there he was. He looked very angry, but I just laughed. I walked over to the chair that he sat in. Stephan had done a very good job at tying the ropes around Marcus’ arms and legs. I stood over my husband as he fumbled around his chair like a mad man. I could tell he had had anxiety from seeing the 17 dead men pinned into the cemented walls of my attic.
I sat on his lap and kissed him with the cloth wrapped around his lips, and then I pulled the cloth down so he could speak, “You crazy son of a b-.”
“Uh-uh, that’s not very nice word to call the person who’s still deciding on how to kill you. You see, I could just shoot you and make this quick for the both of us, but I think I want you to suffer a little.” I smiled at my angry husband, “You should be lucky that I’m even sparing you a few minutes before I…”
The doorbell rang, “Oh, finally! Company’s here!” I got off of Marcus’ lap and walked down stairs careful not to leave any DNA just in case I’d get caught. When I got downstairs, Stephan and Estelle stood right on the other side of my glass door. When I opened the door, Estelle gasped.
“I thought you were taking me to a five star hotel and buying me dinner?” She turned to Stephan and rolled her eyes, “This definitely isn’t a five star hotel.”
“Duct tape her Steph, duct tape her good,” I walked up to the attic, followed by Stephan and my husband’s mistress. I had allowed him to throw her over his shoulder and force duct tape on her mouth and around both of her wrists.
When we got upstairs, Marcus shot his head our way, “I swear to god if you hurt her Essence. I’ll-.”
“You will what? Kill me? Ha!” I laughed lowering my head to his, “That’s if you can touch me.”
I got up and gathered my materials. The following things I needed were:
1.
A butcher’s knife
2.
A pistol
3.
Matches
4.
Gasoline
“Did you get that Officer Bryant?” I smiled as he wrote down the info.
“Yes, Essence, ask me one more damn question and I’ll kill you,” he looked at me, “Go on now.”
“Don’t touch her Essence!” Marcus looked at me and then at his mistress who was now drowning in her own tears.
“Shut the hell up! Will you?” I shouted at my husband who was moving around in his chair like he didn’t have a bit of sense.
“Let her go!” He nodded.
“I’d rather kill her. Let’s began, shall we?” I said as I began. I walked over to Estelle who was still bawling her eyes out as if I should give a damn about her. “First, I’ll cut her throat like this…” I watched as her blood splattered all over the place. I was like a dream come true.
“Este-No! Essence, I’ll kill you!” My husband yelled, tears falling from his eyes as he saw his dead lover.
“Second, I’ll chop her into pieces as if no one’s watching.” I did as I said and watched as the thick red blood trickle out of her body onto my white designer carpet, “Third, I’ll soak her body parts in gasoline. Then…I’ll light a match and light her like a Christmas tree,” by then I was in tears myself and I don’t mean crying. The fire had grown bigger over the idle body.
“Damn you! Damn you! You’re a crazy bitch!” Marcus yelled angry that I had killed his mistress.
“You almost gave me HIV!” I yelled back at him. I walked over to him, “I loved you and I would’ve never hurt you, but you had to go mess around. You ought to be ashamed of yourself.” I tried to kiss him, but he turned his head away from me. I pulled back in surprised, “I am your wife! We vowed in sickness and in health? Remember?”
“Go to hell you crazy bitch!” He said clearly not giving a damn about my speech.
“I vacation there,” I said grabbing the gun and pointing it at his head, “I’ll kill you. This is for our unborn kids. The ones you were supposed to give me! I love you Marcus Cooper, but it’s for the best,” I said right before I pulled the trigger. I stood there looking at my husband who was no longer breathing. I couldn’t believe that I had actually done it.
I dialed 911 and waited for it to ring, “Hello, Operator? I’d like to report a murder on 2120 NE Joy Road and the zip code is 33000.”
“Yes, ma’am do you know who could’ve committed this murder?”
“Yes, I do ma’am,” I said as my eyes started to water, “It was me, I’m the murderer,” The operator’s voice went silent and then I heard the dial tone.
Stephan stood looking at me cry. “Just go. We don’t need the both of us to go to jail.”
“Are you sure you don’t need anything else before I go?” Stephan asked, looking as if he had let me down.
“Yes, I’m positive, just go Stephan. They’ll be here soon,” he left without any hesitation.
I left the bodies as they were and went to the bathroom to shower. When, I got out and brushed my teeth. I got dressed in a designer outfit. Then I curled my hair and did my makeup. I looked at myself in the mirror as I applied my red lipstick. I put on my heels and went downstairs. I figured it wouldn’t hurt to look good on my last night before I went to prison for the 19 people I had killed. I poured myself a glass of Scotch. Just as I did that, guess who came knocking? I chugged down my glass of Scotch and went to open my door, “May I help you two fine gentlemen?”
“Essence Cooper?” The officer asked
“Yes, that’s me,” I smiled at the officer.
“You are under arrest for the murder of Marcus Cooper and Estelle Banks.”