The Worst Lie

by Shauna Bickley

  She took a shallow breath, opened her eyes again, squinting against the light and pain. She was sitting on one of the kitchen chairs. Her arms were tied behind her and her ankles were taped.

  ‘Lexie. How are you feeling?’

  She turned her head slowly to avoid the dizziness. ‘Awful.’ She struggled with the single word, her brain hazy and her mouth not quite forming the two syllables.

  Trying to remember what had happened felt like wading through mud. The attack. Before that the research. Max’s uneasiness. The pieces fell into place.

  ‘Max?’

  ‘He’s fine. Tied up.’

  The light flooding through the kitchen windows still hurt. When she’d first come in from the garden everything had appeared dim in contrast. She closed her eyes for a moment, willing herself to relax. Ridiculous as that seemed. Had to be calm to figure out what to do. She squinted across at Hunter. He moved so she wasn’t staring straight at the French windows.

  ‘I’m sorry about this. I never meant for you to become involved.’

  ‘That was Eden,’ she mumbled, not sure if he’d know what she meant. It didn’t matter anyway. She was involved.

  His handsome, tanned face wore a concerned expression at odds with what he’d done. ‘You hit your head on the door frame. I hadn’t planned on that. Hadn’t planned on any of this. With you, I mean.’ He ran some water into a glass and held it to her lips so she could drink. ‘I overheard you talking with Mitch one day and realised you were more involved than I’d thought. You really shouldn’t talk to your dog about your research. Lucky for me that you did out in the garden. Not so lucky for you.’

  Lexie flinched at the words.

  ‘I don’t intend to hurt you, no more than this.’

  Despite what had just happened, Lexie sagged with relief, needing to believe him for the moment. What were his plans?

  ‘Eden was rude to you the last time you called by. I hoped that would be enough for you to stay away from her, or at least stop you from trying too hard when she didn’t answer.’

  Her brain was taking too long to process things. Lexie resisted the temptation to shake it again. Too much pain involved. Hunter must have come back secretly and been watching Eden for the right opportunity. She had called in to check on Eden. Eden had been abrupt, no, downright offensive, but Lexie had kept her temper, putting it down to Eden’s distress over Spike. She could still hear Eden’s sarcastic tone. ‘I don’t want to talk. I don’t do emotional diarrhoea.’

  Hunter was talking. She had to concentrate.

  ‘I hung around the track. Was just about to leave, but then I heard you talking in the garden and realised you’d discovered my secret.’

  That’s why Max had been so uneasy. He knew Hunter, but must have sensed his actions weren’t natural. Hang on, what had she missed here?

  ‘You’re going to kill Eden here, now, not in London or overseas?’

  ‘It’s already happening,’ said Hunter. ‘I waited at the house until the drugs and alcohol took effect. If you hadn’t worked things out, it would most likely have been put down to suicide due to her grief over Spike. And eventually the police would have added his death to the statistics for fentanyl-related overdoses. There have been plenty.’

  ‘But they can’t now.’

  ‘No. Due to you.’

  The words didn’t hold any malice, but Lexie shivered.

  ‘I told you, nothing more is going to happen to you. I’m sorry about this.’ Hunter indicated her bound wrists. ‘But I need to stop you getting in touch with anyone for the next few hours. When you don’t pick up the children from school, Nathan or Helen or someone will find you.’

  ‘What about you and Xena?’

  He gave her a sad smile. ‘We’ll be fine. The stories I’ve covered mean I know people who can provide other identities. All that is complete. Even if we are caught, we’ve done what we needed to do. Spike and Eden left Cathy to die on that road. They never even phoned for an ambulance.’

  Even if what he said was true Lexie couldn’t condone murder. However, she didn’t want to think too deeply about how far she’d take things if something similar happened to any of her girls.

  Hunter pulled out one of the other dining chairs and sat facing Lexie. ‘Cathy was the youngest. After that day, we were never a proper family again. Xena and I tore ourselves up over the fact that we weren’t around. That Cathy didn’t phone either of us to go and fetch her. Our parents…’ He leaned forward to stress his point. ‘Mum couldn’t live with it. She walked around the house like a ghost. Nothing Dad or any of us did could reach her. Spike and Eden killed her just as surely as if they’d run her down. The day she jumped off the bridge was the day she physically died, but she’d been dead to everything except grief since Cathy died. It wasn’t that we weren’t important to her. She just couldn’t cope.’

  He rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands.

  ‘And your father,’ said Lexie slowly. ‘It must have been awful for you and Xena.’

  Hunter gave a single nod. ‘We went to live with our aunt and uncle, as you no doubt discovered. They were the ones who first made the suggestion about changing our names to help us move on from being those poor children. Later we realised that the new names could be useful.’

  Hunter stood, his reflective mood gone. ‘I’ve seen some awful things through my work. Grief does terrible things to people. So does arrogance and a person’s sense that their life is more important. Eden and Spike needed to pay for what they did. Today, my parents will finally be able to rest.’

  He moved towards the back door, turning as he reached it. ‘I won’t gag you. One of the things I realised while staying here is that very few people come along this lane. Xena’s been with Max. We’re going now. I doubt we’ll see each other again, but I enjoyed getting to know you and Nathan and I wish it had been under different circumstances.’

  He walked out of the back door, locking it and removing the key.

  24

  Lexie Wyatt

  Nettleford, Dorset

  2018

  Lexie heard voices in the garden, Hunter and Xena. The sound died away. She listened carefully until she heard a car engine along the road. They had gone.

  ‘Max.’ Lexie yelled his name several times and heard his bark.

  ‘Max, here boy. Come here.’

  He barked again, once, as if telling her he’d try his best.

  This was the slimmest of chances, but there was no other help. Hunter had said Max was tied up. He wouldn’t like that. Her ankles were bound with duct tape, no doubt taken from Nathan’s shelves in the garage. Her wrists were tied behind her. Hunter had crossed them over, one wrist on top of the other. Now Lexie straightened them, moving them backwards and forwards, up and down, straining against the tape. A little more wiggle room. She continued the movement, stopping every few minutes to try tugging them apart. If Hunter had tied them in front of her the movement would be more explosive, and useful. She did the same with her ankles. Not so productive, but eventually she thought they were loose enough for her to chance a shuffle across the kitchen.

  The cupboards and drawers looked miles away from her position in the middle of the room. She needed to work fast, but she needed to be careful; she hurt in enough places already. Waves of nausea crashed over her as she stood. She took several deep breaths and then shuffled a few steps on bare feet. It was slow progress but eventually she reached the kitchen worktops.

  What to do now? She could rummage around for a knife in the drawer, but she shuddered at the damage she could do with her hands tied behind. They’d chosen granite counter tops so now Lexie rubbed the loosened tape against the hard corner and edge of the counter. She stopped for a moment, flexing and pulling against the tape, then went back to the sawing motion against the granite. As soon as she felt the edge of the tape rip, she breathed in deeply and tugged her wrists apart. Again and again. Until finally the tape ripped. She tore it off and massaged her wrists where
they’d chafed, trying to get the circulation back.

  A crash came from the lounge and her head jerked back painfully at the noise. Max bounded in, trailing a strip from the blinds. A chewed-through length of cord hung from his collar.

  ‘Good boy, Max.’

  He licked her face and sniffed at the tape around her ankles.

  ‘I think I can do this faster than you.’ Ignoring the pins and needles, now her circulation was returning, Lexie opened the top drawer and pulled out the kitchen scissors to cut the tape. She felt in her pocket. ‘Where’s my phone, Max. What did they do with my phone?’

  The back door was locked and Hunter had taken the key. Lexie hurried as fast as she could manage to the French windows and unlocked the catch. Had they taken her phone with them? Max dashed out into the garden. Lexie shouldn’t have been surprised, but she was, when he returned with her phone in his mouth.

  ‘What a smart boy.’

  She didn’t hold out much hope, but as she searched for her car keys, she tried Eden’s number. No answer. She rang for an ambulance, still searching for the keys. Gave the operator the address of the rental house. Where the hell were her keys? She’d worn her light denim jacket when she last went out. Her fingers closed over the keys in the pocket. Thank goodness.

  ‘Okay, Max. Let’s go,’ she called, pulling on her sandals.

  In front of the rental house garage, she screeched to a halt, jumped out of the car and ran up the path to the house. She tried the front door, but as she’d guessed, it was locked. Quickly, she checked around for the largest rock she could find. Her initial smash to the half-glass front door was a little wild and left a large hole in the middle of the window with large jagged shards all around it.

  Lexie picked up another rock and knocked at the glass still in the frame close to the handle and lock until it was clear. For a moment, she couldn’t find the catch on the door, then her fingers grasped it and she turned the handle and opened the door.

  She stood for a second, listening for any movement. If Hunter or Xena had come back here after leaving her house, they’d have heard the initial smash of glass. Much as her body wanted to rush through the house to find Eden, she checked around the room. Moved forward, glass crunching under her summer shoes. Picked up a paperweight from the display shelf. No sounds.

  ‘Stay, Max.’ Lexie didn’t want him to cut his feet on the glass, and he would bark if anyone came this way.

  There was no one in the lounge. Lexie climbed the stairs, all her senses on alert for any movement. She pushed open the door of the main bedroom, then rushed in when she saw Eden motionless on the bed. Her face pale, eyes closed.

  ‘Eden, wake up.’ Even as she yelled the words, Lexie knew it was useless. This was no afternoon nap. She tried to find a pulse. Bent down, putting her face close to Eden’s, and felt the slight breath against her skin. She wasn’t too late. Not yet.

  Carefully, she placed Eden into the recovery position and then heard the ambulance siren. Thank goodness.

  She rushed downstairs and out of the door. ‘Eden’s in the main bedroom. Top of the stairs to the left. It’s alcohol and drugs. She’s in a bad way, but still alive.’ She jigged from one foot to the other in her anxiety. ‘Oh, and mind the broken glass.’

  Time telescoped. Minutes, hours, days even. Lexie muttered to herself not to be so stupid. It was still the same day, hours later. The two detectives who’d questioned them about Spike, and before that about Renelle, were back. Nathan brought them through to the kitchen where Lexie, guarded by Max, sipped her second herbal tea and nibbled a digestive biscuit. She would have preferred a glass of wine, but Nathan vetoed that idea. At the very least a chocolate biscuit would be good, but it appeared the girls had found those.

  ‘What’s happened?’

  The taller of the two detectives spoke. ‘Eden Sandiford is still in a serious condition in hospital, but conscious. She confirmed what you told us. The doctor appears reasonably confident she’ll be okay, but you know what they’re like; never want to give you a straight answer. He did say it wouldn’t have taken much longer for it to be a different story.’

  Whatever Eden had done, Lexie was relieved they’d found her in time. ‘What about Hunter and Xena.’

  ‘There are alerts out to stop them in those names or as Clifford and Jackie Doyle. Airports, ports. We’ve used the photos you provided.’

  ‘So far there haven’t been any sightings,’ added the second detective.

  Lexie was relieved that much had been done. When they first turned up, after Eden had been taken to hospital, she’d told them it wasn’t a suicide attempt and that Hunter and Xena were responsible. They’d needed some persuading why they should believe her.

  Mitch and Laurence arrived from London and came around with Gareth and Helen. A much smaller group than the one Lexie had originally seen in the photograph.

  ‘So Hunter killed Spike?’ said Helen. ‘Why?’

  ‘Spike and Eden drove the car that killed Cathy Doyle in the hit and run. Hunter and Xena were her siblings. They wanted revenge for her and their parents. I guess they’ve spent years making enquiries and checking out everyone who was known to be in the vicinity that night to get proof enough for them.’

  The group was silent for a moment.

  Lexie pushed her hair back off her forehead. ‘I suppose it was easy enough to do if you’ve the stomach for it and know where to get the right drugs. Hunter had visited Spike with Eden and could easily make up an excuse for calling in, having a drink together, and then pull out some cocaine to share, making sure there were two packets.’

  ‘How did you figure out it was them?’ asked Helen.

  ‘Luck more than anything,’ said Lexie.

  Nathan put his arm around her. ‘I don’t agree. A whole lot of research, puzzling and working out.’

  Lexie explained the information and clues she’d followed. ‘If only I hadn’t been so slow I could’ve figured it out before Spike was killed.’

  ‘Don’t think like that,’ said Helen. ‘If it wasn’t for you Eden would be dead.’

  ‘Do you know which of them was driving that night?’ Gareth asked.

  Lexie shook her head. ‘I guess Hunter decided they were equally guilty because they both covered it up.’

  ‘How do Renelle and Madelaine fit in?’ Mitch asked.

  Lexie looked up at him as he leaned against the bookcase. ‘I’m sorry, Mitch, but they don’t, not in this. Hunter and Xena were only concerned with who killed their sister.’ She knew who was responsible for those deaths, but first there was something else she needed to do.

  25

  Lexie Wyatt

  Nettleford, Dorset

  2018

  Lexie and Eden studied each other for a moment before Eden spoke. ‘I know this might not sound grateful, but thank you.’

  Lexie didn’t reply to the grudging thanks. Eden had either driven the car that hit Cathy Doyle or agreed to the cover-up. She wasn’t an innocent party. When the hospital rang to say that Eden had asked to speak to her, Lexie didn’t want to see her, but knew this was a conversation that needed to happen. Nathan hadn’t listened to her protestations that she was fine and had driven her to the hospital and escorted her to the ward, but remained in the waiting room while she went to visit Eden.

  ‘Have they located Hunter?’

  Lexie shook her head. ‘The police have alerts at the airports and borders to detain him. And Xena.’ Lexie noted Eden’s eyebrows, raised in question. ‘His sister.’

  ‘I did think it was strange someone like her would be dating Laurence.’

  It took all Lexie’s reserves of restraint not to ask if Eden had ever asked the same question of herself and Hunter.

  ‘You were driving Spike’s car that night.’ Lexie didn’t say the words as a question; she was sure that Eden had been the driver. Eden didn’t reply. ‘Come on, Eden. I know Spike is dead and Hunter attempted to kill you because of the hit and run. You gave yourself away that
night at dinner talking about Cathy Doyle’s bicycle and helmet and the star stickers.’

  Eden plumped up the pillows behind her back before answering. ‘Yes, it was me.’ She brought her legs up under the covers, pulling her knees closer. ‘We couldn’t find Madelaine and I guessed Gareth would catch up with her. I wanted to try out Spike’s car and kept on at him until he let me drive. You know the result.’

  ‘Did you stop when you knocked Cathy off her bike?’

  ‘Not immediately. I panicked. Spike forced me to pull over. He went back and checked her, but she was already dead. If it wasn’t for me, Spike would have rung the police right then.’

  Lexie found it hard to keep her tone neutral. ‘Why didn’t he?’

  ‘Because I begged him not to. One minute we were driving along and then suddenly she was there. I hoped I’d only damaged the bike, but when Spike told me I’d killed her, I became hysterical. All I could think of was that I’d lose my job. I was way over the limit. She was dead. We couldn’t change that.’

  If Eden had sounded even slightly remorseful, Lexie might have felt a little differently, but Eden showed no feelings.

  ‘What did you do then?’ Lexie wasn’t even sure now that she wanted to know, but for the moment she needed to keep Eden talking.

  ‘Spike drove and I sank into this black hole. Even when we got to his parents’ house I wasn’t any use. He covered up the car and left it at the back of one of the garages. His parents were abroad on holiday. There were three or four other cars there so we took one.’

  ‘And you drove back to the hotel?’

  ‘Yes, but first we left the car in a parking area in the village so none of the others would notice it was a different one. I made up a story for us about drinking in a pub and going back to a party in a holiday home to account for the time we’d been away.’ She laughed harshly. ‘Mitch and Renelle actually co-operated to help us, although I didn’t think of it that way at the time. I was so wound up that when I saw Renelle in bed with Mitch, I yelled and screamed. Somehow through that angry fog I realised it was the best excuse for getting out of there fast.’