A Peek Through The Curtains

Why was Karen's neighbour digging a hole in the dead of night? And was his wife really visiting her sister?

- LYN FRANKLIN

I was careful to stand well back behind the curtains. The bedroom light was Mrs Granger's back garden.

Although dark, it was easy to make out the shadowy figure of Mr Granger. I hadn't expected to see him - I was checking for foxes and making sure they weren't digging up my new bulbs.

Then I noticed him. At first I couldn't make out what he was doing. It was late at night, after all. So I admit I stood back and peeked through my heavy drapes curiosity getting the better of me careful to remain unseen.

But I still wasn't prepared for what I saw. I didn't expect to watch my next door neighbour pick up a garden spade and start digging in the far corner of his immaculate lawn.

Mr Granger was a stickler for perfection. If a weed dared to sprout on any inch of his land, it would be gone in an instant. Any rogue plant life encroaching on his hallowed back garden was swiftly disposed of.

So what on earth was he doing? My eyes were glued to the man I'd said a cheery hello to a few hours ago, now digging determinedly in the dark.

As he dug, I watched silently from my window. After only a short while it became obvious what he was doing. He was digging a hole. A big hole in the corner of his prize-winning grass.

Obscured by shadows, but plainly visible on the grass next to him, was some sort of bulky object. I couldn't make out what it was, although the contents seemed to be wrapped in a blanket, or some kind of covering.

I stared hard at it as Mr Granger continued to dig methodically. And I found myself remembering the last conversation I'd overheard between Mr and Mrs Granger.

The back door was open and their voices carried clearly across the fence...

"I can't take much more, Enid - you need to listen to me for once -" Someone slammed the back door then. Voices had been raised for a while but became muffled and I realised I was listening in to a private argument.