Sins of Red #2: We Could be Chameleons
He was swarthy with intense dark eyes, a striking contrast to my pale skin and ginger hair
I’m sharing my twisty, crime serial Sins of Red here on Substack before I copy it over into a novella.
Every other Wednesday, paid subscribers get two audio episodes read by me, with some close up and personal thoughts on the characters and story. Then on the weekend, I share one written episode (like this one) with everyone.
I’m open to feedback — feel free to leave a comment if something hits (or doesn’t).
The whole series is told in the first person - the narrator is a young woman called Rosie Redmond.
Here’s an audio teaser for those of you who are wondering what the premium subscribers are getting:
Recap from Part #1: After being briefly abducted then released by her first boyfriend Clive, Rose Redman had to tell the police the identity of the notorious noirette serial killer — at large for a few years.
Looking up from the statement, I thought back to when Clive and I first met. It was the start of our last year in school. Clive had just turned eighteen and my birthday was due in a few weeks.
Having spent so much time by himself, Clive was a prolific reader. Not to mention a loner. He’d catch my eye over the library tables, and I’d smile back. I was definitely attracted by his intelligence. He was swarthy, with intense dark eyes. A striking contrast to my pale skin and ginger hair.
He often chatted about his early life when we walked home from studying. It was obvious he was relieved to find someone he could open up to. We shared the same birth sign — Libra — so seemed to start our friendship with an acute understanding of each other. Almost as if we had met in a previous life.
Miss Redmond’s Statement cont…
Even though he had little affection for his father, he was extremely fond of his mother. Unfortunately, we’d only been friends for a short while when she died after a long illness — leukaemia. Devastated, he retreated into his head. Within months his Dad had a coronary, and literally dropped down dead. Some say he had a broken heart. Living alone in the house, Clive stopped attending school.
Goodness, that was a really difficult time.
When I called round to see him after lessons he’d still be in his pyjamas. All his days were taken up with obsessing about his Mum’s things. Going through them. Putting some into boxes or drawers and others into bags for the charity shop.
One evening, he turned up on my doorstep. Grabbed my hand, and we ran over to the park a few roads away. Sitting on the swings, we chatted. Then he dug deep into his pocket and pulled out a pendant. Beautiful. The colours, changing from blues to greens in the dusky light. He got off the swing, lifted my hair and gently fastened the jewellery round my neck.
He hugged me from behind before explaining the pendant was the same colour as my eyes, and that we were like the altering shades of the stone, and could do whatever we wanted —
“Let’s be chameleons,” he whispered into my ear.
The necklace had belonged to his Mum, and so was his now. He wanted me to have it as a symbol of our ever-growing connection.
As well as smart, Clive was extremely intense. This could be overwhelming, but I was charmed by it too.
I leaned my head back on his chest and he bent forward and kissed me. His hands slid beneath the front of my bra and caressed the skin under the lacy material — his breath became warm and heavy against my neck.
He’d never touched me intimately before. We sat and talked until it was nearly midnight.
Miss Redmond’s Statement cont…
The house was too big for Clive. Within a short time, he put it on the market and began to look round for a small flat in town.
Miss Watson returned with two cups of tea - pulling me back to the room and I signed the document — Rose Redmond, which instantly reminded me that Clive only ever called me Red.
The police arranged to interview me the following day.
Part three next weekend.
Find the serial - and any posts about it - by clicking this link.
If you are thinking of upgrading to become a paid member, then check out May’s Month of May, special:
"The police arranged to interview me the following day."-- that's always happening to me as well. Sometimes I wish I were just a dull, law-abiding citizen... 😅
"Let’s be chameleons" is such a wonderful line. My brain would short-circuit if someone said it to me.