Stranger in the bar (Part 2)

contd. from here

I couldn’t sleep that night. So many questions went unanswered.

Who was that lady? How did she know me & my wife? Was it just a guess Or was it the alcohol? Why didn’t I stop her? What else does she know? Have we met before?... 

Every question was like an unresolved mystery... When you are guilty about something, something that you never wanted to happen, such questions haunt you every minute every second of your life.

Following week was painful. I couldn’t sleep at night and because of which I couldn’t work during the day. Snowfall was getting worse every hour and when the next Friday night came - it was almost impossible to go outside. Yet, I had a mystery to solve. Something was telling me that day the old lady will return to the bar. 

With great difficulty I reached Rodger’s at last. Just like the previous week, there were very few customers. David, the bartender greeted me with a smile and took out the regular beer. I took the beer and was about to go to my usual place when I saw the hooded figure sitting next to my chair. ‘It has to be the old lady’ My heart skipped a couple of beats as I walked slowly towards the table. With so many questions and wondering thoughts I reached my table.

‘Good evening Ronald… You were expecting me eh?’ the crooked voice spoke first.

‘Yeah, I was.’ I decided not to fear the strange looking weirdo. Just wanted the suspense to end once and for all. ‘Look.. Lady.. Who are you and what do you want? I asked.

She laughed for a while and then ‘Ronald, would you mind pouring some beer to my glass eh?’. Clearly,  she was in no hurry.

‘Look.. Lady… I have no time for this non-sense. If you want to play some game you can go out and find someone else and you…’, she put an end to my words abruptly by smacking the table hard with one hand.

‘This isn’t some game Ronald.’ She screamed. Her eyes became red which made her look a bit scary. ‘…besides, who is playing the game eh.... my dear Ron...’ she continued with a grin.

The last phrase ‘dear Ron’ hit me hard. The words from the old lady came out exactly the same way as my wife used to pronounce.

The sinful laughter was getting louder every time she sensed my fear. ‘…you killed her Ron… you M-U-R-D-E-R-E-R..!’

That left a crater inside my heart . The blood rushed through the veins piercing every inch of my body. My hands suddenly felt numb and powerless as the glass I was holding, slipped through my fingers before breaking into pieces on the ground. My focus turned to others in the bar whose attention was driven into the direction of the sound made by the glass. I turned to the old lady but only to find an empty chair! She was vanished.

‘It’s alright Ronald. You can take this glass. And don’t worry about the broken one.’ David came holding a new glass.

My throat went dry.  I was in no position to explain what just happened. ‘I… I’m sorry Dave.. will pay you for the… ...’ . I mumbled.

‘Don’t mention it Ron… By the way..' he paused.  '...whom were you talking to..? Even last week I saw you talking all alone…Is everything alright with you mate?...’ David asked with a worried look on his face...

to be contd...