Walls of desire E-Book

Sarah Döring

• Herausgeber: epubli
• Kategorie: Krimi
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 121

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2024

Beschreibung

Claudia Schlotmann is a woman with many secrets. Behind the facade of a charming and successful woman lies a ruthless serial killer who fights her way through life by eliminating those who stand in her way. In her gloomy basement, she builds walls out of mortar and cement - not just stones, but also the corpses of her victims. But when the attractive Thorben Lehnert enters her life, everything changes. Claudia feels attracted to him and in a world of lust and death, her control begins to falter. As she delves deeper and deeper into the depths of her own darkness in a game of seduction and secrets, Thorben begins to distrust her. The two become entangled in a dangerous dance in which Claudia risks everything to hide her true nature. "Walls of Desire" is a gripping thriller about power, passion and the deadly price of secrets. In a world where nothing is as it seems, Claudia will soon realize that the true enemy lurks not only outside her walls, but also within her own heart.

Leseprobe

Title: Walls of desire

Author: Sarah Döring

Biography:

Sarah Döring, born in Berlin in 1985, is a German author known for her dark, psychologically profound thrillers. She discovered her passion for writing and the dark sides of the human psyche as a child. After studying psychology at Humboldt University, she decided to turn her passion for gripping stories and complex characters into literature.

In addition to her thriller novels, Sarah Döring also writes short stories and essays that deal with the dark sides of the human soul. She lives and works in Berlin and prefers to write in quiet, secluded corners to delve into the minds of her characters and create the dark, complex stories thatcaptivate their readers.

Chapter 1: The Darkness Within Me

Claudia Schlotmann stared at the wall in front of her. Her hands rested on the rough, cold stone, her fingers shaking slightly from the effort. The last layer of cement was still wet, its traces clearly visible in the smooth surface. Behind it, invisible to the world, lay everything she had to hide - her demons, her secrets. And this time it was a person.

The basement was dark, only the faint cone of light from the bare bulb above her cast a yellowish glow on the walls. The smell of wet cement, sweat and something else, metallic and heavy, hung in the air. Claudia took a deep breath, her knees shaking slightly, but she forced herself to calm down. "You did it," she whispered to herself. "As always."

It had become routine. She knew exactly how much time she needed to build a wall, how much strength she needed to hide a body. It felt like an art form – flawless, precise,almost elegant. But this time something was different.

She leaned against the cold, unplastered wall of the basement and felt her heart slowly calm down. The adrenaline rush gave way to a strange emptiness, a dull feeling in her chest. Claudia closed her eyes. Her thoughts wandered back to the moment when she had decided that her last victim had to die.

It had been two days ago. A simple argument in the office. Walter Kröger, the smug sales manager with the shirt collar that was always too tight, had ridiculed her in front of the entire team. "Claudia, if you carry on like this, we might replace you with an AI," he had said, and the laughter of her colleagues had been like a knife in her chest.

She had remained silent, had said nothing as usual, only slightly twisted the corner of her mouth. But insideIt was not the first time that someone like Walter had made fun of her - but it would be the last.

That same evening, she had stalked him like a hunter stalks his prey. The night had been cool, a hint of autumn was in the air. He had staggered out of a bar drunk, his steps unsteady, his hands nervously searching for his car keys. Claudia had waited until he was at his car and then struck.

The moment his head hit the asphalt had been almost cathartic. A dull thud, a jolt through her body, as if she was releasing all the suppressed anger that was boiling inside her with that one blow. She hadn't killed him immediately. That came later. In the basement.

Back in the present, she rubbed her aching wrists. She couldn't dwell on the deeds for too long - she knew that. She had to function, had to carry on, soas she had always done. But lately it was becoming more difficult. The thrill that had once driven her faded. The emptiness after each murder became deeper, darker.

Claudia went up the stairs, back to the living area. The half-timbered house she had bought five years ago was her retreat, her fortress. But sometimes it also felt like a prison. The creaking floorboards, the small windows, the shadows that gathered in every corner - all of this contributed to the isolation she had imposed on herself.

She reached for a bottle of red wine on the kitchen table and poured herself a glass. The liquid was dark, almost black, like blood in the dim light. Claudia sipped it, letting the wine slide over her tongue. For a moment she felt like a normal woman again, alone in her house, with a glass of wine in her hand.

But she wasn't normal. She knew that.

A knock on the door tore her out of her thoughts. Her heart stopped for a moment. It was late, who could it be? She put down the glass, rubbed herShe ran her hand nervously through her hair and went to the door. When she opened it, a man stood before her. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a charming smile that seemed to break through the cold of the night.

"Hi, I'm Thorben," he said. His voice was warm, deep. "I'm your new neighbor."

Claudia stared at him. For a moment she forgot to breathe. Her eyes wandered over his face, the sharp lines of his jaw, the slight dimple in his chin. She felt an unexpected tingling in her chest, something she hadn't felt in years: curiosity.

"Claudia," she finally answered, her voice quieter than she had intended.

"Nice to meet you," said Thorben. His gaze rested on her, a hint of interest in his eyes. "I just wanted to introduce myself. In case you ever need sugar or something."

Claudia forced a smile. "Thank you. I'll come back to that."

He grinned. "I hope so."

As he left, she slowly closed the door behind her.She leaned against it, her heart beating faster than it should. A new neighbor. An attractive neighbor. It was as if the universe had decided to test her.

And suddenly that feeling was there again - a tickle on her neck, a flutter in her stomach. But it wasn't fear. It was desire.

But desire was dangerous. And Claudia knew better than anyone what could happen if she lost control.

Chapter 2: A New Neighbor

Claudia woke up early as the first faint rays of sunlight crept through the small windows of her bedroom. The morning was quiet, almost too quiet. Only the ticking of the old wall clock filled the air. She lay on her back, her hands folded on her chest, and reflected on the events of the previous evening.

Thorben.

His name echoed in her head as she closed her eyes and conjured up his face in her mind's eye. The way his gaze had rested on her - not intrusive, but curious, attentive. She felt her cheeks heat up, an involuntary tingling spread through her body. It was a warmth she didn't recognize, a mixture of excitement and uncertainty.

But she didn't like this warmth. It was too dangerous. Feelings were always dangerous.

With a sigh, she swung her legs out of bed and placed her bare feet on the cold wooden floor. The darkness of her basement still seemed to cling to her like a shadow. Usually she was good at repressing her nightly activities and throwing herself into everyday life as if she were nothing more than Claudia Schlotmann, the unremarkable woman from the neighborhood. But Thorben had triggered something in her that was difficult to control.

In the kitchen she put water on to make herself a coffee and then went to the window that looked out onto the street. There he was standing. Thorben, in front of his house, in jeans and a dark gray sweater, with a cup in his hand. His gaze was directed into the distance, as if he was looking for something or thinking about something.

Claudia watched him, trying to analyze every detail about him. His relaxed shoulders, the way he held the cup, his movements – calm, deliberate, as if nothing could disturb him.can.

For a moment she wondered what his life was like. Did he have a family? Why had he moved here? And why did he seem so... different from the men she usually met?

But then another thought crept in, one that hit her like a punch in the stomach: What would happen if Thorben found out who she really was?

The day dragged on, as it always did when Claudia felt compelled to maintain a facade. She worked from home, sat at her laptop and answered emails while glancing out the window. Thorben was outside most of the morning, bringing boxes into the house, speaking briefly to the postman, and acting as if he were part of a world that Claudia no longer had access to.

Shortly after noon there was a knock on the door. The knockwas firm but not aggressive – a knock that announced that someone was here who was not afraid of rejection.

Claudia swallowed. She went to the door, her fingers slightly damp as she pushed down the handle. Thorben was there again, this time with a smile that only tested her nerves more.

"Hey," he said. "I didn't mean to interrupt, but I just realized I left my tools in the moving truck. Do you happen to have a screwdriver?"

Claudia felt her thoughts falter for a moment. "Um, yeah, sure. Just a minute."

She disappeared into the storage room and hastily searched for the toolbox that she hadn't used for months. Her hands were shaking slightly as she pulled out the screwdrivers. Why was she so nervous? She had met men like Thorben countless times. Some of them were no longer alive. Why did it feel different now?

When she returned, Thorben took the screwdriver, his fingers brushingbriefly. "Thank you. I'll bring it back later."

“No problem,” she murmured.

But instead of leaving, he stopped. His gaze wandered to the windows behind her, to the interior of her house. "Beautiful house. These old half-timbered houses have character, you know?"

Claudia nodded. "Yes, that's why I bought it. It's quiet here."

"Quiet is good," he said, and his smile softened. "I moved out of the city because that's exactly what I was looking for. Cologne is beautiful, but sometimes... well, you probably know how it is."

She nodded again, although she had no idea what he meant. The city meant nothing to her. The only places that mattered to her were those that could keep her secrets.

“What do you do for a living?” he suddenly asked, and Claudia felt her body tense.

"I work in marketing," she answered, rehearsed and routine. "From home."

“Ah, convenient. And you? Have you been here long?”

Claudia felt like he was scanning her, like he could see her lies, even though she knew she was perfect at it. She forced herself to stay calm. "For a few years. It's... a good place."

Thorben nodded and a strange silence fell between them. Finally he raised his hand as if to break the tension. "Thanks again. If you ever need help, just let me know."

When he left, Claudia felt relieved - and disappointed. She closed the door, leaned against it and took a deep breath.

She spent the rest of the day battling with herself. Her thoughts were constantly going back and forth between attraction and warning. Thorben was a risk, and she couldn't afford to take risks. She knew how it would end if people got too close to her.

But that night, as she lay in bed and the silence of the house surrounded her, his face returned. That smile, the warmth in his eyes.For the first time in years, the darkness inside her felt not like a hiding place, but like a burden.

“What should I do with you?” she whispered into the darkness, even though there was no one there to answer her question.

Chapter 3: A Dangerous Game

Claudia had hardly slept during the night. Her thoughts had revolved around Thorben like a carousel that couldn't be stopped. It wasn't just his looks or his warm nature that confused her. It was the fact that he stirred something in her that she had successfully suppressed for years: a spark of longing.

She felt beaten up in the morning, but her routine helped her to collect herself. Showering, making coffee, checking her emails - all of these things kept her from sinking into her own chaos. But today, even that didn't seem to be enough. As she held the steaming mug in her hands, she stared at the tiles in her kitchen and felt a quiet panic rising within her.

Thorben was an unknown in her strictly controlled life. Her world was a perfectly staged stage on which every movement, every word and every action was planned by her. She knew how to speak to her colleagues,to remain inconspicuous. She knew which victims she could choose without leaving a trace. But Thorben? He was a nuisance. And she hated disturbances.

In the afternoon she heard noises from outside. Claudia pulled the curtains aside a little and peeked out. Thorben was standing in the garden of his house, a box of books in front of him, which he was obviously unpacking. He was wearing a black T-shirt that emphasized the muscles in his arms and dark jeans. His hair was tousled by the wind and his movements were relaxed and confident.

She bit her lip. Why couldn't she look away? Why did he captivate her so much? She knew it was dangerous to focus on him, and yet...

A soft knock tore her out of her thoughts. She jumped, quickly let go of the curtain and turned to the door. Another knock. She took a deep breath before pushing down the handle.

“Thorben,” she said when she saw him on the threshold.

"Hey." His smile was wide and open. "I wanted to thank you again for the screwdriver. I thought I'd bring you something back."

He held up a bottle of wine. Red wine. Her favorite kind, she realized with surprise. She felt an unpleasant pulling sensation in her chest. How could someone like him be so straightforward and friendly?

“That wasn’t necessary,” she said, but took the bottle anyway.

"Oh, nonsense. I thought that was the least I could do. And..." He paused, as if hesitating. "I wanted to ask you if you'd like to have a glass of it with me tonight. Only if you don't have anything else planned."