My husband locked himself in the bathroom for two hours every night. One evening, I grabbed a torch, went to check, and found a hole behind the tilesinside were strange little bags
Lately, my husband had been acting odder than usual. At first, I thought he was having an affair. Hed vanish in the evenings, then sit silently at home for ages, lost in thought. But then I realisedit wasnt another woman.
Every night, hed lock himself in the bathroom. Hed shut the door, turn on the taps to muffle the noise, and stay in there for hours. He never took his phone, so he wasnt talking to anyone. I asked him again and again:
*”What are you doing in there so long?”*
And every time, hed snap back:
*”Nothing. Mind your own business.”*
My curiosity grewand so did my dread. What was he hiding? Why was he acting so strangely?
One night, after hed fallen asleep, I took a risk. I grabbed a torch to avoid switching on the light and crept into the bathroom. Everything seemed normal at firstclean tiles, white bathtub, the usual soapy scent.
Then I noticed something odd.
Behind the toilet, faint scratches and cracks marred the wall. Wed just renovatedwhere had these come from?
I pressed a tile. It shifted. One nudge, and it clattered to the floor, revealing a dark hole behind it. My heart pounded as I reached in, fingers brushing plastic. I pulled out a bag. Then another.
My hands shook as I tore one openand nearly fainted.
Inside were womens jewellery: rings, bracelets, necklaces all stained with rusty-brown spots. Dried blood. One ring even had a strand of hair tangled in it.
Nausea hit me. Later, I learned my husband had taken these from crime scenes. I dont know how many women hed hurt, but every piece was a trophya reminder of his horrors.
I stuffed everything back, sealed the hole, and replaced the tile.
I didnt sleep a wink that night. Lying beside him, listening to his steady breathing, all I could see were those bloody trinkets. The man next to me was a monster.
At dawn, I packed my things, slammed the door, and went straight to the police. I never saw him againbut I doubt he walked free for long.
