Belladonna

Two bodies, tangled in a desperate and steamy embrace, stumbled through the French patio doors of the impressive Baker family home. Mr Baker hastily loosened his tie between their breathless, hungry kisses as Irena quickly kicked off her stilettos. Mr Baker clasped his hands around Irena’s slight waist and lifted her to face him sitting on the kitchen countertop. Irena wrapped her long legs tight around Simon’s waist and pulled him in even closer, her hands lost in his tousled salt and pepper grey hair. One hand holding her face to his, and the other sliding up her thigh and vanishing under her skirt, Simon Baker was like a famished lion about to devour its prey. Whatever Simon was doing under her skirt made Irena gasp and jerk her head back, which she followed with a devilish giggle and said, “Are you sure this is what you want, Simon?” “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” He replied, his eyes locked onto hers.

You see, it was around the same time every Wednesday that Wall Street Banker, Simon Baker, would take his colleague, Irena, back to his grandiose home on Nicolosi Drive, Staten Island. His wife, Katherine Baker, was a technology journalist at a top New York firm and each Wednesday she worked from their branch in Queens. Katherine was always gone from 1.30 pm until late each Wednesday and Simon had taken this window of opportunity to start a steamy affair with his 26 year old secretary, Irena.

Irena had a body like the ones you see in the window display of a Victoria’s Secret store. She was tall, with shiny black hair that fell past her shoulders and down her back. She had a dazzling, suggestive bright smile, and intense espresso brown eyes. It’s also worth noting she was half of Simon’s age. Katherine, on the other hand, was in her late forties. Her dark blonde curls were often thrown up into a messy bun on top of her head, and she always wore a pair of thick-framed glasses. She was a practical plain-Jane who blended into the crowds of New York as she walked the blocks in a trusty pair of sneakers, whilst Irena was always click-clacking around in her high heels with impressive ease.

From an outsider perspective, the Bakers were just another well-to-do New York couple. Married for over 20 years they had the big, beautiful home, 2 sons both away at college, successful careers, and a circle of equally successful friends. No one would ever have suspected marriage troubles, let alone Simon’s lengthy affair.

Nobody except Brian the groundsman, that is. Brian worked every weekday afternoon tending to the Baker’s garden and each Wednesday like clockwork he’d wave goodbye to Mrs Baker as she left, and shortly after he’d witness Simon and Irena clumsily enter the house entwined around one another resembling a human pretzel. Brian was paid by Simon to keep his mouth shut and turn a blind eye. Brian gladly took the cash and promised to never say a word, simply acting as if they weren’t there at all. This routine had been going on for around seven months.

Irena pressed her lips back against Simon’s and guided his hand back up her skirt moaning into his mouth a little, but Simon reluctantly pulled back. “You know I want to babe, but we really have to go if we want to make our flight. Everything is in place; I just need to grab a few things from the bedroom and we’re good to go.” Irena sighed but understood. “I know. Do what you need to do, I’ll wait here.” Simon gave her a deep kiss before heading out of the kitchen and up to the bedroom he shared with Katherine.

Irena, giddy with excitement, helped herself to a glass of white wine from an already open bottle in the fridge. Clearly lacking remorse, she gulped back Katherine’s wine from Katherine’s glass and waited for Katherine’s husband to reappear and whisk her away to start their new life together.

Katherine was pretty handy in the kitchen and loved to bake. Each weekend she’d take some time out for herself and bake a new cake for her and Simon to enjoy throughout the week. She’d mastered all the classics from lemon drizzle (with her special gin twist), Victoria sponge with fresh cream, and this week she’d baked her favourite; decadent dark chocolate cake with an irresistible fudge ganache topping.

Irena had also come to enjoy Katherine’s weekly bakes and made a habit of taking a fork from the cutlery drawer and helping herself to a bite. As Simon continued packing and leaving divorce paperwork out on the nightstand for Katherine to come home to, Irena helped herself to the chocolate cake. She put her strictly green NYC girl diet to one side and allowed herself to indulge in a small taste, just as she did each week. She lifted the glass lid of the cake stand and the rich chocolatey aroma instantly flooded her nostrils. Irena plunged her fork into the cake and through the layers of sweet sticky ganache and moist sponge. Without hesitation, she brought the fork to her lips and let out a satisfied “Mmmmm” as she ate the cake.

All of a sudden, Irena froze, and the fork slipped from her grasp and fell with a jarring clatter onto the floor tiles. Her pupils dilated and her vision blurred. Her heart began pounding hard and fast against her rib cage, so much so she could hear the quickening beats pulsing in her ears. She clutched her chest and stumbled, falling against the counter to prop herself up. She tried to call Simon for help, but her speech was slurred and broken, and her throat was swelling and closing over. Unable to hold herself up, Irena slumped to the ground and gasped for air but with each attempt, her airways narrowed. Unable to breathe her body started convulsing on the floor. Her eyes rolled back into her head as she choked, and her body jerked. A minute or two passed before Irena lay motionless, vomit dripping from her mouth, and her eyes wide open and glazed over.

Simon made his way back down the stairs and called out “Ok babe, I’m all set, let’s go!” As he walked into the kitchen he saw Irena’s beautiful, lifeless body in a heap on the floor. He dropped his bag, rushed to her and shook her, “Babe? Baby? Oh my God… Babe!” He started compressions on her chest and frantically gave her mouth to mouth. “Brian! Brian get in here I need an ambulance, Irena’s not breathing!” Brian, who was the other side of the large garden heard Simon’s cry and instantly rushed over to the house to help. “Holy crap….” He muttered as he walked in on Simon pushing down on Irena’s dead chest repeating “Wake up baby, you have to wake up!” Brian pulled out his cell and dialled 911.

***

It had been two weeks since Irena died suddenly on the kitchen floor of the Baker family home. After an autopsy, the cause of death was determined as poisoning. Irena had ingested a fatal amount of poisonous berry juice from the Belladonna plant, also known as deadly nightshade. Simon had found himself awaiting trial in Manhattan’s Detention Complex for the death of Irena. Whilst searching for evidence at the scene, a vial of poisonous berry juice had been found in Simon’s travel bag, making him the prime suspect for her murder.

Back at the Baker’s home, Katherine sat across the dining table from Brian as they both enjoyed a steak dinner with wine. The centrepiece of the table was an ornate black and gold vase holding a beautiful purple bunch of flowers, Belladonna flowers to be precise.

Brian had always adored Katherine, and despite being paid off by Mr Baker, he couldn’t keep the affair a secret from her. In a rage of anger and jealousy Katherine divulged her revenge plan to Brian who happily became her willing accomplice in a quest to win her heart. Being the groundsman, obtaining the poison from the flower was easy. Knowing that Irena always helped herself to Katherine’s cake each week made it even easier to figure out how Irena would ingest the deathly concoction. The poison was simply injected into the cake by Brian after Katherine left for Queens, just before Simon and Irena’s prompt arrival. Whilst Simon panicked over Irena’s lifeless body, it gave Brian time to slip the vial of poison into Simon’s travel bag and frame him for her murder.

Katherine raised her glass to her lips and took a sip, “Don’t you just love it when a plan comes together?” Brian smiled at her, got up from his seat, and made his way to stand in front of her. He held her face in his hands and bent down to kiss her. “I certainly do, my beautiful lady.”