9. “He said he thought the mother was quite attractive, and he wondered what it would feel like if he strangled her to death.”

Rick was a handsome man, very handsome. Mum said Rick could light up a room with his charm and wit, and always had very beautiful girlfriends. Both my mum and dad were very fond of him, and spent long evenings drinking, laughing and sailing boats and whatnot.

My mum got really ill, she got pneumonia and my dad worked full time, so once she was well enough to go home she was basically bed-ridden and left home alone for most of the day.

One afternoon, mum was woken by the sound of clanking and footsteps, she weakly called out, asking if it was my dad, Rick sticks his head round the door frame. She said it was a nice surprise to see him, but she wondered what he was doing here. He just said he was really worried about her, and if she needed a cup of tea or some toast. Mum kindly declined and said not to worry himself, and that my dad would be home soon anyway. He smiled and said that he would let himself out, and disappeared round the corner of the doorframe.

My mum closed her eyes to go back to sleep when a thought popped into her mind.

“How did he get in?”

Then she starts hearing shuffling noises coming from downstairs, Rick’s still here. 20 minutes go past, and she can still hear him pacing around downstairs. She starts thinking to herself that she would like him to go now, and where the hell is my husband?

When dad finally comes home, Rick has left, and they think nothing more of it.

Two weeks later, Rick is arrested and everyone is shocked & upset, especially my parents. He was charged for the murder of a woman and an infant and found guilty. Mum and dad still were still fond of Rick, and mum was still ill, so dad went by himself to visit him in prison. Mum said he was visibly shaken when he came home, and mum asked him how Rick was.

Dad said that Rick was walking around a local park one late afternoon, and he saw a young mother and her child out for a walk. He said he followed them briefly before introducing himself. He said he thought the mother was quite attractive, and he wondered what it would feel like if he strangled her to death. So he described how he led them into a shadier area and promptly strangled the mother in front of the child. Then, he turned to the child and broke his neck with his bare hands, and left both their bodies in the daylight.

Then, he let himself into my mum and dad’s flat through an open window, and spent half an hour deciding whether or not he wanted to murder my mother. In the end he didn’t because he said it looked like my mum was dying anyway.

My dad was horrified and said he’ll never visit him again or talk to him.

I was pretty shocked when I found out about this, I’m 23, and I never heard them say anything about it. I guess it shocked them just how close they came to murder, and from someone they loved and trusted.