The Worst Lie

by Shauna Bickley

  Someone knocked at the front door and Max roused himself from his spot in the kitchen doorway. He barked, giving Lexie what she interpreted as an apologetic glance before barking again and heading into the hall to scare off imagined intruders and villains.

  Helen looked pale, and, if anything, more exhausted than at the memorial service.

  ‘Come on in.’ Lexie walked through to the kitchen and pulled out a packet of camomile tea, hoping the blurb on the box was true and it might relax Helen. ‘You won’t thank me for this, but you look so tired and strained, I’m worried about you.’

  Helen gave a long, deep sigh. ‘I’m not sure about anything anymore. This will sound awful, but all I want is for everyone to go away and leave us alone.’

  ‘I can understand that. The whole thing with Renelle being killed is terrible, but having Eden in town inviting people here doesn’t help. Is there anything I can do for you?’

  ‘You’re helping simply by listening to me moan.’

  ‘I don’t think you’re moaning and believe me I’ve listened to plenty, mostly from myself.’ Lexie was pleased when Helen managed a tiny smile.

  ‘I came round to see you a few days ago, but you were walking down the track with Mitch deep in conversation so I didn’t stop.’

  Helen didn’t ask about the conversation. Lexie placed the cup of camomile tea on the table next to Helen, wondering how open she should be. Her father would consider Helen and Gareth suspects and wouldn’t tell them more than was absolutely necessary, but she wasn’t a detective and Helen was her friend.

  ‘Mitch talked about Renelle.’

  ‘Not surprising. It would be bad enough if she’d died of some illness, but murder.’

  Lexie leaned forward, arms resting on her thighs. ‘He’s sure her murder is linked to Madelaine’s death.’

  There was a pause and Helen swallowed hard. She took a gulp of the tea before speaking. ‘What makes him think they’re linked? We all thought Madelaine killed herself, but Renelle was murdered.’

  Not everyone, according to the conversations she’d had with some of the friends. ‘I’m not sure exactly, and I don’t think he is either. He’s worried the police will stop searching because they think it’s him. He swore he loved Renelle and didn’t kill her.’

  Helen nodded gently but didn’t say anything.

  ‘He asked me if I’d help him,’ said Lexie. ‘Goodness knows what he thinks I can do, but he was so upset, I did kind of say yes.’

  This time she didn’t interrupt the silence following her words. She concentrated on her breathing, telling herself to remain calm. An expression crossed Helen’s face. Lexie couldn’t be sure what it meant but it felt like the gap after lightning when you’re waiting for the shock of thunder.

  ‘Did he tell you about Gareth?’

  ‘That he was questioned about Madelaine’s death, that the police thought it was possible she was murdered. Yes, he did. Reluctantly. Before that, Eden also told me she didn’t think Madelaine had killed herself.’

  For the first time since she’d met Helen, Lexie couldn’t tell what was going through her head.

  ‘There’s more I need to tell you. When we talked at the garden centre about that first visit to Little Stillford, I left out some things. Personal stuff I didn’t want to talk about, but with Renelle…’ Helen’s feet jiggled on the floor. She made a conscious effort to stop them, but as soon as she spoke again they continued the nervous movement. ‘I was in love with Gareth before we ever started going out together. While Madelaine was still alive.’ Helen studied Lexie as if she expected shock or revulsion in her expression.

  ‘It happens. It’s not a crime.’ And it wasn’t a surprise.

  ‘Thanks, but I always felt guilty. I liked Madelaine. We were friends and it seemed awful to feel that way about Gareth. I had seen him around university and watched him play rugby before I met him and Madelaine. I always hoped that no one guessed.’

  Lexie didn’t mention that both Mitch and Eden came to that conclusion.

  ‘Once we finished university, I didn’t see the others often. I’d looked forward to the weekend in Little Stillford from the moment Madelaine suggested it. The Saturday started well enough as I already told you, but the niggles soon reared up. Spike made some nasty comments about Renelle. Gareth tried to make him stop. After we ate dinner there was a kind of pause. Madelaine and Eden went off together, I assumed to the ladies’ restroom. I was fed up with all the tensions and wandered around the gardens. I needed a few minutes on my own.’

  After spending a weekend with them and experiencing some of the frictions the group created, Lexie understood.

  ‘I was in the restaurant garden enjoying the scent of the roses. I remember that so clearly. When Gareth spoke, he startled me. I felt so, I don’t know, this all sounds so juvenile now that we’ve been married for years and have two children. I couldn’t think of anything interesting to say and thought how boring I must seem. Gareth asked if I fancied a short walk. We strolled through the trees towards the stone circles. It was such a lovely evening. I remember how beautiful everything looked away from the building lights.’

  Lexie pictured the scene easily, similar to the night she and Nathan spent there.

  ‘We stayed just within the trees, staring at those amazing stones, and then Gareth kissed me. That was the first time, other than a friendly peck on the cheek when we met up.’

  ‘It’s okay. You don’t have to carry on. I can tell it’s personal.’

  ‘It is personal and I am embarrassed, but us being there has an impact on what happened next. Gareth apologised and I thought perhaps he regretted the kiss. He said no, it was an impulse, but not a mistake. He felt bad because of Madelaine and also that he didn’t want anything to hurt our friendship. Just then, I sensed this weird shiver like a breath across the back of my neck. I didn’t hear anything but it felt like someone was watching us. That freaked me. I thought it might be one of the others. We walked back to the restaurant different ways. I wasn’t too sure of the route in the dark and I must have wandered off the track and walked parallel to the village for a minute or two. Then I heard Eden and Madelaine talking. I thought I’d let them know I was there. Make a joke about getting lost.’

  ‘But something stopped you.’

  ‘Yes. Madelaine told Eden she was having an affair with Kurt Foley. They were in the film together. I couldn’t believe it. I felt so awful about a snatched kiss with Gareth, and she was sleeping with this guy.’

  Lexie tucked a wayward curl behind her ear, thinking furiously. This changed things dramatically, Helen must realise that. Gareth and Mitch both said they didn’t know about the affair while Madelaine was alive, but the three women all knew.

  Lexie couldn’t see how it mattered whether Mitch was aware of it, but Gareth knowing made a hell of a difference.’

  ‘Did you tell Gareth?’

  ‘No.’ The denial was instantaneous, and expected. ‘I didn’t tell the police either because I knew it would look bad for Gareth.’ She spoke in a quieter voice. ‘I didn’t tell them about the rest of the conversation either.’

  More! How could this get any worse?

  ‘Madelaine asked Eden not to say anything to Gareth because he didn’t know about Kurt.’ Helen paused. ‘Or the others.’

  ‘Others?’

  ‘Yes. You can’t believe how shocked I was to hear about Kurt, but then to find out it wasn’t the first time she’d cheated.’

  Eden had definitely only mentioned Madelaine sleeping with Kurt.

  ‘Did she tell Eden who the others were?’

  ‘No names. There was a one-night stand that she called a mistake, but the other seemed like a longer relationship. She said it happened at university. To be fair to Eden, she sounded as shocked as I felt, and annoyed. They were such close friends that Eden would assume they didn’t have any secrets.’

  Lexie played with one of her curls, wrapping it round her finger. This made some sense of Madelaine’s
disquiet during dinner at the restaurant that weekend.

  ‘Madelaine could tell that Eden was upset with her and said she had to keep it a secret from Eden because the guy was married. She asked Eden to promise not to say anything to Gareth. Eden wasn’t happy, but she promised.’

  The information was dynamite. Helen would know that keeping this from the police was serious and that she was putting herself forward as a suspect for murder if the police re-opened the case of Madelaine’s death. However much she denied telling Gareth, they probably wouldn’t believe her, which also made Gareth a prime suspect.

  ‘Did they say anything else?’

  ‘No. Just then there was a noise like someone stepping on a branch. It frightened Madelaine. She and Eden went back to the restaurant.’

  ‘I assume you didn’t make the noise.’

  ‘No, it made me jump. When I was sure they’d gone I moved through the trees as quietly as I could towards the noise. I was worried Gareth had overheard the conversation.’

  ‘And had he?’ This would be more than awkward.

  ‘It was Renelle.’

  ‘Ah.’ Was this the link to what Blaise had told her? An overheard conversation. It could be nothing, or Blaise could be confused in her memories.

  ‘Did you say anything to Gareth about the rest?’

  ‘No.’ Helen sounded indignant. ‘I could hardly believe it myself. For ages I wondered if Renelle would tell Gareth, but she never did and as far as I know she never mentioned it to anyone. Renelle was fond of Madelaine as she’d done more than anyone else to help her find a new course and she’d usually stop Spike needling her. Everyone liked Madelaine, that’s why it seemed impossible that someone would murder her.’

  ‘So you didn’t tell Gareth about the one-night stand or the married man?’

  ‘I didn’t even tell him about Kurt. He found out about that from the police. I couldn’t tell him. I loved him. After we’d kissed and from what little we said, I hoped he was perhaps a little in love with me. Telling him about Madelaine would have wrecked everything. Some people might think “let’s show him what Madelaine is really like”, but I needed to know that if he broke up with her it was because he wanted to be with me and not for revenge.’

  Lexie desperately wanted to believe Helen. It wasn’t that she didn’t believe her, but so much would change if Helen were lying. She took a sip of her camomile tea. It was cold. Disgusting. Lexie poured the liquid into the sink and rinsed the cup. A moment to make a decision.

  Helen spoke behind her. ‘Do you think Madelaine was killed?’

  ‘I didn’t know her beyond a few minutes’ conversation about a play.’ Lexie turned to face Helen. ‘I’ve spoken to most of the others about Madelaine. They don’t appear to believe she would kill herself, or be stupid enough to mix alcohol and pills.’

  ‘Did any of them say who they suspected?’

  ‘No.’ Lexie didn’t mention that Eden had intimated she’d come back to find out what happened.

  ‘It wasn’t Gareth and it wasn’t me.’

  ‘Then who? I hate to be this blunt but Gareth’s got the biggest motive.’

  ‘Which is what the police originally thought, even without knowing about the other occasions Madelaine cheated on Gareth.’

  ‘What other reasons are there for someone wanting to kill her?’

  Helen shook her head. ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘And why then? Was the timing important?’

  ‘So you think both deaths are related.’

  ‘Possibly, although I’m not sure how. If it’s the same person, then why a gap of so many years. If it’s not the same person, I don’t know what the link is.’ Lexie had thought of little else for days. She believed that Madelaine had been murdered, and Renelle’s death was no accident, but was Mitch playing games with her and trying to deflect attention from himself as the obvious suspect? She thought back to what she knew about the first weekend at Little Stillford: the mystery started there.

  ‘How long were you at the hotel on your own when all the others were off chasing around?’

  Helen pushed her chair back from the table and stood. ‘I’m not sure. It felt like forever. I was worried about Gareth on Laurence’s motorbike. I wandered between my room and the reception. I think I put the television on at some point although I couldn’t sit still. I don’t know. At least an hour, but it could have been closer to two. Mitch, Renelle and Laurence were the first to get back.’

  ‘Come and sit down in the lounge, it’s more comfortable.’ Lexie led Helen into the room and waited until she sat before asking the next question. ‘You didn’t hear the others return?’

  Helen blushed. ‘I didn’t hear Gareth and Madelaine, but I heard Eden. I can’t remember exactly what time, but it was just starting to get light, so perhaps five. She was yelling.’

  ‘Yelling? At five? About what?’

  ‘Mitch and Renelle slept together that night.’

  Mitch’s embarrassed expression came immediately to her mind. He’d been telling her about the day Madelaine was murdered, said that he and Eden had argued and then were barely speaking. Finding your partner in bed with someone else would get most people yelling.

  ‘I didn’t leave my room, but from the shouts it seemed that Eden got her bag and went off with Spike. The next time I spoke to her was when she rang to tell me about Madelaine.’ Helen wrinkled her forehead. ‘To be honest, I don’t think we ever talked about that night. Other events superseded it, and they split up then anyway.’

  What a weekend to select to cheat on your partner and sleep with the woman who’d been chasing you for years. On second thoughts, there’d probably been no hidden agenda, merely circumstances.

  17

  Lexie Wyatt

  Nettleford, Dorset

  2018

  Lexie hadn’t seen much of Spike since he’d arrived in Nettleford, and hadn’t talked with Mitch on his own since the memorial service. Perhaps he was avoiding her, or maybe he had simply found other walks. Lexie doubted he was spending much time in the house with everyone else, or perhaps she was simply channelling her own preferences. Whatever it might be, she was a little surprised when Eden rang and invited them to dinner again.

  Lexie felt sorry for Mitch. Eden was trying to take over his life, attempting to sort things out and keep him occupied like a child. Nathan kept telling her that Mitch could stand up for himself, but Lexie wasn’t so sure; he was coping with the grief of Renelle dying, and not just dying, being murdered. Underneath that thought, of course, was the niggling doubt of whether Mitch had been the one who murdered her.

  Once again they were late but no one seemed perturbed and Mitch was still having a shower. Eden pulled out her phone and shared the photos she’d taken of the weekend at Little Stillford. Lexie hadn’t taken any of the group, just some shots of the stones and the long barrow, and was interested to see them. Gareth gave them a cursory glance and Helen didn’t even look at them but passed the phone to Lexie. It felt weird to see Renelle as part of the group and Lexie was glad Mitch wasn’t there. Hopefully Eden had enough sense not to have shown them if Mitch was already downstairs. How quickly life changed.

  ‘Could you let me have a copy of those?’ Lexie asked as she handed the phone back to Eden.

  When Mitch made his appearance, Eden steered them into the dining room.

  She served bruschetta with mushrooms and ham for a starter. Spike was on form with light chatter about a talk show he’d appeared on with Tom Cruise and Simon Pegg while he was in London.

  ‘They’re promoting the latest Mission Impossible film. Goodness knows why they wanted me there. Making up the numbers, I guess.’ His tone implied the opposite, while still light enough to be flippant. His mischievous grin lit what could otherwise be a difficult dinner.

  Nathan and Hunter chatted and asked questions, Gareth occasionally joining in, but Spike took the bulk of the conversation. Lexie knew he had a sharp tongue and would make malicious comments to those h
e didn’t like or who had upset him, but during the dinner he showed only his sparkling, witty self.

  Eden had cooked a roast for the main course and as everyone helped themselves to that and vegetables, she mentioned that the police had visited and questioned Mitch again that afternoon.

  ‘Honestly, you’d think they would be out looking for the person who killed Renelle rather than hassling Mitch.’

  ‘They’re doing their job,’ said Mitch in an even tone. ‘They’re questioning the person they think did it.’

  ‘But it’s stupid if they just concentrate on one person.’

  ‘I hope they’re not only concentrating on me, but I guess the stats aren’t in my favour.’

  Lexie had plenty of experience of her dad’s quotes on statistics but kept quiet.

  ‘They keep going on about whether you have any corroboration for that night in the hotel or if you’ve suddenly remembered a witness you hadn’t mentioned before, as if you were stupid and would overlook something like that. They could check your phone records and see that you slept there and didn’t do a major night flit to your flat or somewhere else to meet Renelle so you could drug…’

  ‘Eden, shut up. All my phone records prove is that I rang Renelle around nine and we spoke for twenty minutes. We talked about our respective days, but I could have been organising to meet her. Yes, my phone stayed at the hotel, but as far as the police are concerned it doesn’t mean I stayed with it. I’m more bummed than anyone that the security camera in the lobby wasn’t working and they don’t have one on the rear exit door, but you going on about it doesn’t help.’ Every word Mitch spoke appeared to take an enormous effort.

  Eden speared a piece of courgette with her fork and didn’t answer.

  Two detectives had spoken to Lexie and Nathan and asked if they’d noticed any tension between Renelle and anyone else in the group at Little Stillford. They had nothing to contribute, although both had said that Mitch and Renelle appeared very happy together. Lexie knew from Helen the police had also spoken to them.