Death Nest: Chapter One

A widower fears his young son is cursed and may vanish without trace, just as his younger brother did twenty years previously.

Created by author in Canva.

Over the next three weeks, I’m showcasing the opening three chapters of my mystery thriller novel Death Nest. I hope you enjoy this taster.

Chapter One

This is the third time in as many weeks I’ve been called into school to speak to Ben’s teacher. Only last week, Mrs Trench complained of him swearing in class. The week before he got into a scuffle with another child. This time, the incident is serious enough to involve the head teacher, Mr Brown — a scrawny young man in his late twenties. From behind his desk, he addresses me in condescending tones.

‘Mr Unwin, we’re concerned about Ben. Deeply concerned. As you know, he’s been swearing at teachers, getting into fights…’

‘He got into one fight, and that was self-defence,’ I cut in.

‘He really ought to have found a teacher, and resolved the matter that way,’ says Mrs Trench, a thin, wraithlike figure sitting to my left.

I shrug. ‘And that teaches him what, exactly? Do you think crying to HR is going to help him when he gets treated unfairly in the workplace? People have to fight their own…