Spoilsport

The cop knocked loudly. "Open up. Police."

"Yes, sir?" The house inmate peeped through the partly open door.

"I need to come in. This man here says you're trying to kill someone, says he watched it all from the opposite building. Said you'd tied someone to a chair and...what's up anyway?"

"What? what nonsense..." Then loud laughter. "Oh, that. We're practicing for our office annual day play, sir. It's a murder mystery."

Cop hadn't expected this. He frowned and turned to the other man. The neighbor cringed and then said, "Oh...but..."

"You just did what you had to, sir. Not to worry, it's ok," the house inmate said, smiling. "Happens all the time."

"Sorry,I...well, from the window it looked so real..." muttered the neighbor, barely audible now.

The man inside laughed some more and stepped back. "But please sir, why don't you come in and check for yourself?"

"No, don't bother. Carry on," the cop said. He glared at the neighbor and walked away, scratching his crotch, muttering something about jobless fellows.

The neighbor turned to leave too.

"Sir, why don't you come in for some tea at least?" The man from inside said, stifling a laugh, or so it seemed to the neighbor.

"Uh, no..it's ok. I'll be off," he said sheepishly. "Sorry once again, for the confusion."

The other man winked and waved his hand. "Tata."


*****'

"Can you beat it? They thought I was trying to kill you, even called in the cops."

Chuckle.

He pulled the curtains and turned to the other guy again. "Ok, I think we should continue like this now. Too many peeping toms around I see."

He adjusted the silencer over the muzzle and pointed it at the tied man. "This'll win you a filmfare award. And this..." he said looking at the muzzle, "..will make it look authentic, what say?"

He pulled the trigger. A second later he was looking at the brownish red mess on the wall behind. Oh well, he had lots of time to clean up. But sometimes he hated this job. So much more cleaning to do when you killed someone inside the house. He preferred doing it outside - point blank, out in the open. Let the cops clean up after. Sigh.

He looked down at the body. "Too bad, you can't do this once more. You know, like in those village dramas, where the audience shouts 'once more, once more' when a guy dies very convincingly?" He laughed at his own poor joke.

******