“You’re not special, I just know that my customers will turn up again someday so I make sure I remember them. So what are you here for?” the old man said quickly trying to change the subject.
“Well………I want a life cleaner.”
“Why?” the old man said suspiciously
“It’s Diana, I can’t take being with her anymore.”
“Why? You were so keen on getting her to love you and want you.”
“I know that but she’s ruining my life.”
“How?”
“Well as you know it was 19th December 2001 when I came to you for the love potion as I didn’t think Diana loved me. So that night I prepared her favourite meal, brought wine, flowers, chocolate and lit candles, it looked so nice and I was determined to make this a lovely night. So I sat Diana down at the table after taking her coat and bag, I thought that if she changed that night then I would not use the love potion, but she didn’t appreciate anything that I did for even when I gave her the flowers and the chocolate, so I gave her the love potion.”
“And what happened?” the old man asked curiously.
“Well the potion worked straight away and she just jumped up from the table and hugged me, she had never done that before, it was an amazing feeling.” Alan smiled.
“That feeling stayed true for about two months.”
“Then? Did it change?” the old man interrupted.
“Yes it did change.” Alan paused “It changed a lot.”
“Why? How?” the old man asked with interest.
“It all started when I got home from work one night, she came rushing out form the house and before I had had chance to close the car door she started shouting.”
“Shouting about what? asked the old man
“I had worked late and not rang to tell her I was going to be late and she went completely mad at me, I was only about 40minutes late, she said I should of rang and told her and that she thought something terrible had happened to me.”
“So, that’s no reason to kill her, she was only worried about. There’s nothing wrong with that!” The old man said in disbelief.
“I know that but it get worse, she gets more possessive.” Alan slapped his hands down on his knees in sadness, thinking back to what Diana had become.
“How?”
“Well, she’d go everywhere with me to work, meetings, football matches, clubbing with my mates and if I said I wanted to go out on my own or with my mates she would start shouting and asking loads of questions. She’s so clingy.”
“How do you go anywhere?”
“I’d usually go out after work when she weren’t with me but apart from that I don’t have any chance or any time alone!” Alan sighed.
“What do your friends think about Diana?”
“At first they thought I was the luckiest man alive, but after we got married (a year after I gave her the love potion) she started getting worse and not letting me out like I was a teenager who had just been grounded by my mother as she’s just had a call off my head teacher who said he had caught me smoking and drinking at school behind the science labs! My mates told me to get out.”
“Why didn’t you?” the old man interrupted yet again.
“I tried, many times but each time she’d follow me wherever I went until I gave in and went back to her.”
“If you went back to her before and I’m presuming you have left her, what’s stopping you going back to her again?”
“No I haven’t left as yet, but that’s why I’m here, I know I’m not going to be able to rid her of my life without doing something that means I will never have to see her face, to touch her, sleep in the same bed as her ever again.”
“Oh right, do you still love her?” asked the old man
“Of course I don’t love her, I hate her, I can’t stand looking at her, hearing her voice, being in the same room as her and I want her out of my life permanently.”
"What really made you want to come back to me and get the life cleaner?" the old man asked with interest.
"It was about a week ago when I worked late every night just to get away from Diana and then I would go out for a quick drink with my mates afterwards. Now on this Friday night I worked late and went out with my mates afterwards and about one minute after I got into the pub Diana came in and accused me of cheating on her, she had been following me, he had seen me getting into my car with another women afterwork."
"Who was this women?" asked the old man.
"Louise my work college, i was just going to the pub with her that night as she had worked late too. We were meeting the rest of our mates there at the pub!" Alan sighed.
"Is that when you decided you needed her out of your life for good?
"Yes."
“Have you got the money?”
“Yes I have, all $5000 dollars or it!” Alan answered confidently.
The old man bent over the arm of his chair and peered inside the same cabinet that was there ten years ago which was filled with different coloured bottles. He produced a black bottle and handed it to Alan.
Alan smiled at the bottle, as he knew this was his way out from the miserable life he had had for the past ten years.
Alan thanked the old man in relief as he gave him the money.
“It’s ok.” smiled the old man as he counted the money.
As Alan got up to go the old man said to him good luck and that he hope’s everything went well for him in the future. Alan smiled at the old man and walked out of the flat closing the door behind him. While Alan was walking down the stairs he suddenly realised how the old man earned his money, he sold love potions for $1 as he knew the effects it would have on the person who took the potion and that they would come back and pay $5000 to get rid of them. Alan didn’t mind though as he thought a man’s got to earn his living some way!
When Alan reached the last step he walked out of the door and headed home. On his way home Alan was thinking of all the times he had shared with Diana before he gave her the love potion and he realised that he done the wrong the thing by giving Diana the potion. He thought that they had had more fun together without her taking the love potion then they ever had in the whole nine years of their marriage.
He was nearly home now and he wondered what Diana would say or shout at him, as he had been out longer than he had told her and she only let him out because he promised to be back within an hour and a half. He thought to himself if Diana changed he wouldn't have to take such drastic measures to get her out of his life.
Alan slowly walked up his driveway and when he looked up Diana was rushing out of the front door, started shouting at him as Alan expected she would!
"Where have you been? I've been worried sick, you've been gone nearly two hours. You promised you would come back on time." Diana shouted at him.
"I'm sorry." Alan said, but he wasn't he didn't care, as soon she would be out of his life forever!
"Your phone was switched off too. You're so unreliable." Diana just went on and on and on but Alan wasn't listening, as he was too busy plotting!
When Alan and Diana were inside Diana was fussing over Alan again as she had already forgiven him for being late home. Mean while Alan was sitting in the chair thinking of how he was going to use the life cleaner.
"Alan darling! Do you want a drink?” Diana shouted from the kitchen.
"Yes." Alan screwed his nose up; it made him feel sick when Diana called him darling.
Diana walked into the room holding a tray that had Alan's tea and drink on it. She walked happily back into the kitchen and came out with her tea.
When Alan and Diana had finished their tea Alan asked Diana if she would come and help him fix the car as he thought the brakes weren't working correctly and of course she said yes!
Alan was now bent over the bonnet of his car.
"Diana would you pass me those pliers please?" Alan asked curiously.
"Yes of course darling, why are you wearing those gloves?
"I don't want to get oil on my hands, it takes ages to get off!"
Carefully Alan cut the break cables and gave the pliers back to Diana who then put them back in the toolbox.
“Thanks. I’m going to take the car out for a quick drive for a test drive. Can you just pass me that rope please?” Alan asked nicely, thinking of what he was going to tell Diana if she asked what he needed it for.
Diana passed it to him.
“What do you need that for?” Asked Diana curiously
“Just uncase the brakes don’t work and I have to tie it to something.” Alan said sarcastically.
“Should I come with you?” Diana said panicking.
“No it’s ok I’ll only be gone about five minutes, I promise.” Alan gave Diana a kiss, as he knew that it was going to be the last one.
“Ok, don’t be any longer though. I love you Darling.” Diana called happily.
“Goodbye Diana.” Alan said softly with a crinkled nose.
“Bye Darling!”
As Alan left the house he looked back at his wife and his house, He still had his gloves on and once he was out of sight he tied the rope around his neck, tight enough to leave a mark. He then drove around the top of the hill struggling to breath, took his gloves off and threw them onto the passenger seat and then he got out the life cleaner put his foot on the accelerator and took the potion. The car went speeding down the hill and crashed into a shop.
Alan was dead, the rope and the pliers had Diana’s fingerprints all over them.
Alan had just set Diana up for his murder.
