This wasn’t a marriage made in heaven. The wedding was an upmarket affair in Singapore – not large but exclusive. John and Tania’s reasons for marrying were varied. Neither love nor children were high on the list for either. Financial security was not an issue for John. He worked in Brisbane with his father growing a property empire throughout the country. He was attracted to Tania because she fitted his specifications. She was pretty – she was intelligent – she dressed well – she looked good sitting in the passenger seat of his Lamborghini Centenario V12. Tania’s requirements were quite different. There was only one – wealth. She had come from a middle-class family that aspired to more. The family managed to send Tania to an exclusive private school where she acquired her expensive taste. She had met John at an upmarket going away party for an old school friend who was moving to Sweden. They had both recognised the benefits of a partnership and were married within six months. They lived in the penthouse of an inner Brisbane city high rise, socialised with the jet set and travelled extensively. To family and friends, Tania and John were the perfect couple who had it all. Within five years they got to know each other much better and neither of them could hide their disappointment. The relationship became difficult but separating was an option that would cause more problems than it solved.
Ainslie had been a friend to Tania since high school. She appeared to take the religious content there a little more seriously than most. She became a nurse, working at Mater Hospital Brisbane and living in a one-bedroom apartment nearby. Nursing was her profession and her passion and it didn’t seem to give her much time for a social life. Today was a catch-up coffee with Tania at Expresso Garage in South Brisbane.
“I don’t think I can take anymore Ainslie. It’s wearing me down,” Tania said with a despondent look. “He either ignores me completely or questions everything I do.”
The waiter, dressed in typical black jeans and tee-shirt, placed the two coffees on the old wooden table. It was one of six tables on the wide concrete footpath. With a few well placed spreading Leopard trees, the area had a cosmopolitan feel. The large canvas umbrella anchored next to the table shaded them both from the biting mid-morning Queensland sun. The two well-dressed women looked up at the olive-skinned waiter and smiled.
“He’s cute,” Ainslie said, watching the young man walk away. Then she looked at Tania. “He always seems nice when you two are out together.”
“It’s just for show,” Tania paused. “I don’t really like him – and I’m sure he doesn’t like me. I’m good as a partner with him at parties and I’m a favourite with his family. That’s all he wants from me. We don’t do sex anymore and I reckon he’s having it off with other women – I can smell it on him.”
“Tania, that’s terrible. What about counselling?” Ainslie asked with a compassionate frown.
“No, I want to be rid of him. I could have a great life without him, but I can’t leave. I’d have nothing.” Tania replied.
“Tania, are you serious?” Ainslie asked in a louder voice than she realised.
“Yes, I’m very serious,” Tania hissed gazing piercingly at her friend.
“Well, there are ways for clever women to handle this sort of problem,” Ainslie said with a cheeky grin.
The two women continued their discussion in an animated fashion for almost an hour before leaving the cafe.
It was a Friday night and John was home from work at around the usual time of nine pm. He was always late on Friday nights. He dropped his briefcase in his office and went to the lounge. Tania was sitting out on the balcony with a glass of wine. The light breeze and the familiar city vista surrounded her. She heard him arrive but continued to stare at the city lights. Tania would never grow tired of looking at the jagged array of buildings with dazzling white patterns of light - like a myriad of diamonds set in black and grey tombstones. The extended stretched out letter M of the Story Bridge outlined with dots of yellow light hovered over the polished sheen of the Brisbane River.
John came out to the balcony. “Hey Tania, have you eaten? I’ve already had a bite.”
“Yeah, I’m fine,” she replied.”You’re staying in tonight?” she asked. He quite often would go down to one of the ubiquitous city bars to meet up with work colleagues and would not return until the early hours.
“I’m going to watch some telly and have an early night. I’m worn out – been a big week,” John replied and headed back inside to the lounge room.
Tania clutched her wine glass – slowly lifted it to her lips and took a long sip. “Tonight’s the night,” she thought.
John settled himself into his favourite lounge chair. He felt relaxed in this room. The rich aroma of the black leather lounge suite added to the visual appeal of the solid walnut timber furniture pieces. He grabbed the remote and turned on the 75-inch television.
“John, would you like a drink? I’m having one,” Tania asked as she walked in through the wide opening from the balcony and turned towards the kitchen.
He turned and looked. “That would be nice. What do you want – more money?” he asked with a sly grin.
“Don’t be an arsehole. You want a drink or not?”
“Yeah, scotch and soda would be great, thanks.” He turned back to the television.
Tania went to the kitchen cupboard and retrieved the bottle of Glenlivet single malt scotch whiskey and a crystal glass. She poured a shot of whisky straight from the bottle and added the ice and soda from the fridge. Finally, she pulled a small plastic satchel of white powder from her jeans front pocket. Her hand was trembling. She emptied the powder into the drink and stirred it. She went to the lounge and placed the glass on the walnut side table beside John’s chair.
Tania went back to the kitchen and stood at the white marble bench. She poured herself another glass of white wine. She had crushed five of his sleeping pills into a fine powder. The normal dose was one pill. Surely that would be enough.
Tania took her wine back out to the balcony and positioned her chair to enable her to see him sitting in his chair. Her heart was thumping and the city lights were no longer comforting. She could see him raising the glass to his lips. “Was it working?” She waited – the glass was empty. She waited longer. John’s head was resting on the back of the chair. He appeared to be asleep. She walked timidly through the open balcony door to the lounge and stood in front of him.
“John,” she whispered. “John,” she spoke louder.
He didn’t respond. Tania bent forward and could see his chest rhythmically rising and falling and hear the faint exhale of his breath. She turned and walked purposefully to the kitchen and picked up her phone. She dialled “It’s done, come now,” she said and put the phone down. Tania was feeling ill. Her mind was racing. She started to worry that they wouldn’t be able to lift him. Though he wasn’t a big man - with the two of them they should manage. They would need to be careful not to be seen dragging him out to the balcony. It wasn’t uncommon for drunken people to accidentally fall from balconies. At least he would not feel anything when he hit the ground.
There was a soft knock at the door. Tania jumped with fright and hurried to open it. “Come in, he’s in the lounge,” she whispered leading Ainslie into the lounge.
John was standing in the middle of the room, stony-faced with hands clenched.
Tania stood there wide-eyed with mouth open, unable to speak.
“It would have been a good plan Tania. The problem was that I knew what you were up to. I switched my sleeping pills to harmless vitamins.” He paused. “You’re wondering how I found out. Well, Ainslie and I are friends – close friends, if you know what I mean.”
Tania was about to turn to face her when Ainslie’s hand with the chloroformed pad flashed up from behind and clamped over Tania’s nose and mouth. As consciousness faded away she thought about Ainslie’s betrayal – bitch - obviously after John’s money. Tania was disappointed. At least she wouldn’t feel it when she hit the ground.