Townhouse

The empty shell of the townhouse still smouldered as the fire crew carried out the charred remains of another victim. The corpse soon joined the line of black body bags behind a parked ambulance, hidden from the gathered TV cameras. No doubt an effort to give them a dignity in that they didn't have in life.

So… what happened at this old townhouse?

DC Blakely scribbled into his notepad, twitching his nose at the acrid smell of burnt furniture. He turned to his colleague, the buxom brunette DC Anderson. “You know what sort of shit used to go down here?”

“No. Should I?”

Blakely signed under his breath. “Fuckin newibes.”

“Go, fuck yourself. I was transferred from another city… coz you guys were so useless, remember?”

“Understaffed and underfunded. Not useless.”

Anderson gazed at the smoking grand facade of this once proud house. A sad end for such an impressive building. She stood still for a moment and wondered what 141 Western Approaches had seen down the years. Better times than this no doubt.

~

Western Approaches was the main street of the affluent Knightley district. It was close enough to the port for the merchants to keep an eye on their ships yet far enough not to smell the rotting fish guts.

141 was first home to Mr Pryce and his mistress. Pryce was a rich cotton merchant until his ship disappeared without trace when crossing the Atlantic in 1829. Although rumours soon sprouted that he was living under a false name in the caribbean… far away as possible from his debt.

The house was then bought by a William Morris, a notable lawyer who threw the best parties in town until he faced accusations of homosexuality from a young disgruntled lover. Reputation in tatters and facing serious time in jail, Morris and fled to Australia, never to return.

141 then passed down through the capable hands of a politician, a shipping magnet and two high profile doctors one of whom help split the first atom.

Of course over the century there were more ordinary families who also called 141 home.

With its proximity to the port, Hitler's Blitz ripped the heart from the once prosperous neighbourhood. Western Approaches was no exception, losing half its houses

The rich moved out to the countryside and the poor moved in. 141 was split into multi-lets and it became home to dockers and factory workers and even spent a decade bordered up… becoming shelter to delinquents, vagrants and prostitutes who soon used it as their base to ply their sordid trade.

Ah… sex. The downfall of so many. And so began 141’s final chapter.

Nine years ago 141 came under it’s final owner… Mr and Mrs Stamp - a couple of notorious repute. The king and Queen of the swinging scene. 141 became known as The Townhouse. A den for infamous sex parties.

Townhouse catered for all needs. Swinging, cuckolding, BDSM, all niches covered.

~

A police sergeant whistled with his fingers in his mouth. “Detectives. This way please. Got two possible witnesses.”.

Blakely walked towards the policeman with a spring in his step. He looked over his shoulder at the following Anderson, her beauty unmoved by her distaste for him. “Let me show you just how useless I’m not.”

“Sure you will, Tiger.”

Outside the ambulance DC Blakely felt the shoulder of the policeman. "What we got?"

"A male and female. Go by Dan and Mia Morphy."

"Man and Wife."

Anderson smirked. "No shit, Sherlock."

The policeman added. "Pretty shook up but I thought you might want a quick word with them before arranging a formal interview."

Although they were wrapped in blankets and their faces sooted. The detectives good a good picture of the pair.

Dan was a white male who was tall and slim. Quite handsome. He was dressed in an expensive suit and looked fit for business... if it wasn't for the spattering of blood across his white shirt.

Mia was petite, ofIndian heritage but spoke with a British accent. She was dressed a risque black dress that covered her bosom but showed plenty of those brown pins. Her hair long black and glossy if now dishevelled.

Dear reader: Feel free to contribute. Always looking for new writers with their own ideas and branches. I'm here to share... just like Dan :-)