Friends Who Lie

by Paul J. Teague

  She was crying now. She couldn’t discuss the issue without becoming emotional about it. Rhett put his head in his hands. It was bad, he knew that. Once word had got round that he’d used an image that wasn’t free of copyright, a couple of clients had got the jitters. It had needed damage control – at least Naomi was great at that. Most of the people they were dealing with were grey-haired men of a certain age, every one of them clogging up the glass ceiling in their executive roles. Rhett was grateful at times for their old-fashioned attitudes. They loved to deal with his extremely attractive wife and it meant that they still had a handful of contracts left. But none of it was enough to pay the mortgage.

  ‘I hid from an old school friend this evening. The shame of it. I was mopping the floors and I recognised her voice. She didn’t even look at me, but can you believe it? I actually hid in the broom cupboard until she’d eaten up her burger and gone. I couldn’t face her seeing me there. It’s only a matter of time until our friends find out. Or, even worse, Caitlen. I’d die if she ever discovered what’s happened.’

  ‘They’ll find out eventually. If we end up paying a fine, it’ll probably make the local paper. And you know what Emmy’s like, she never misses a trick. In fact, it’ll probably be Emmy who ends up writing the story for the newspaper.’

  Naomi was sitting on the side of the bed. She didn’t look at Rhett, she was talking to herself as much as to him.

  ‘I just feel so ashamed. To be caught cheating and then being so daft as not to have insurance. And what if we lose the house? I know it’s petty, but I’ve always felt the need to be better than Caitlen. It goes back to when we were kids. I love her, but it feels like we were in a race with each other since the day we were old enough to care. It’s just so embarrassing.’

  ‘If I were you, I’d start playing nice with your sister. She had some interesting news at the meal this evening.’

  That made Naomi look up.

  ‘You told them I had a headache, yes? Did they fall for it?’

  ‘Of course they did. They all sent their love. Just make sure you stick to the story and we’ll be fine.’

  ‘Great. So what was Caitlen’s news? She hasn’t said anything on Facebook.’

  ‘She’s come into some money,’ Rhett began. He watched Naomi’s face go white. There was always this one-upmanship thing between them, he never understood it.

  ‘How? There is no bloody money in our family. If there was, I’d be doing my best to get my hands on it.’

  Rhett explained the situation.

  ‘Can we even go to Benidorm with them? Can we afford the time away from our shitty little teenager jobs? We could earn an extra two hundred pounds taking extra shifts in that time. How on earth has she managed to make herself that much money? Bitcoin, did you say? I thought that was some kind of scam.’

  ‘It’s no scam – it’s for real apparently. And I thought the same as you about the time we’re going to lose. But she’s giving us all seven hundred euros to spend over the week, and all our expenses are paid for. If we bring the laptops, sneak in some contract work and hold some of the money back, we might be able to get a free holiday and even end up better off.’

  ‘Did she say anything about splitting the money? With family, I mean.’

  ‘No. The general feeling seemed to be that she’s buying us all a free holiday. We’re really lucky that she even thought of us. Besides, I don’t think she knows what she’s doing herself yet. It’s complicated, as far as I can tell. It’s not like normal money. You can’t just take it out of your bank account and spend it.’

  ‘Do you think she’d help us out? If she’s got all that money now, what would we need … ten thousand? To pay the fine, the lawyers and catch up with the mortgage—’

  ‘Naomi, take a breath. She’s only just found out herself. It’s a lot of money, I know, but it’s not so much that you can go handing it out to everybody with a begging bowl. Ten thousand is a big dint in that cash. It’s quite an ask. And could you bring yourself to ask your little sister for a handout?’

  Naomi was silent. She was thinking things through.

  ‘We might have to. Damn. It’s so humiliating this, having no money. I hate it. This fine could sink us, Rhett. It’s serious. If Caitlen’s got her hands on some free cash, that could be our way out of this. I’m going to call her.’

  ‘It’s past eleven o’clock, you can’t call her now. And certainly not to ask her for cash. I’d play it cool if I were you. Everybody at that little dinner party will have a hundred and one uses for Caitlen’s money. Let’s just go to Benidorm and take it from there. We can maybe work on her together, let her know the fix we’re in.’

  Naomi had a face like thunder now. The thought of her sister getting this sudden windfall had really begun to irritate her.

  ‘She’s always been like this, Caitlen. She always gets the luck. I work my arse off in the business and get nothing and she pisses around at work and ends up making half a million dollars. I love my little sister but at times she makes me so furious. She just gets all the breaks. Sometimes I wish she hadn’t been born, it would make my life so much easier.’

  Chapter Four

  Benidorm: June

  ‘Well, you can’t knock that for a flight, even if it was a budget airline!’

  Caitlen felt great. It was amazing to be able to pay for a group of friends to take the trip out to Spain. She’d felt invigorated the moment she’d handed in her notice to the bitch. She was already getting a taste of what it was like to have a bit of money, especially when it had been magicked out of thin air. To be able to access all that cash without having to earn it was an incredible sensation for her.

  The hot air had wafted over them as they stepped out of the plane onto the tarmac at Alicante airport. They’d left behind the dreary grey skies of Newcastle and were all ready for sunshine and sand.

  ‘How far is it to Benidorm from here?’ asked Porter. ‘I don’t know about you, but after that terrible weather we left behind I’d be happy to sit here on the runway for the week. This sun is glorious!’

  ‘Everybody got their passports?’ Becky asked.

  ‘You sound like my mum!’ Emmy teased.

  Becky looked as if she’d been scolded. Emmy was a bit blunt like that, but she hadn’t meant anything by the comment. Becky could be over-sensitive at times. Nobody knew that more than her new fiancé Matt, who was doing his best to carefully steer her away from Harriet. There was a tense truce between the two women, and it was fragile to say the least.

  ‘Come on, guys!’ Caitlen chivvied. ‘The sooner we get through customs, the quicker we can jump on the shuttle bus and check into the apartments.’ She felt every bit the hostess on this trip – she’d thought of everything and paid for the lot. Her budget had been ten thousand pounds, although she’d done it for less. She’d actually paid in cash, handing over the notes to the travel agent. The look on that girl’s face. Caitlen liked having money. She knew she wasn’t rich in a Mark Cuban or Richard Branson kind of way, but it was exhilarating to be able to spend that amount of money in one sitting, knowing there was more to replace it.

  In the intervening weeks, Caitlen had withdrawn another twenty-five thousand pounds. She’d now got just over thirty thousand sitting in her bank account. That would do her for a year. She’d figure out what to do with the rest. It was so much money, she didn’t even trust the bank with it. She was petrified of losing it all.

  She’d placed another three thousand pounds in her joint account with Terry. They’d always kept their own bank accounts as a legacy of their single days and each month they’d transfer over their share of Terry’s mortgage, the bills and the food budget. She’d been deliberately evasive with Terry about how much she was taking out.

  ‘I’ve got enough money to cover the holiday and to give us a bit of a boost in the household budget. We’ll be able to treat ourselves whenever we want to now, without giving it a second thought.’

  She’d hoped it would
placate Terry, at least in the short term. It didn’t. He wouldn’t stop worrying over the issue of her money. It was as if he sensed it might not be coming his way.

  ‘It’ll be nice if we can get the mortgage paid off early. I might be able to think about changing my job,’ he said.

  The day Terry changed his job, there would be Spanish sunshine across the whole of the UK for thirty days in a row. It was as unlikely as that. The truth was, he was married to the force. It allowed him a certain freedom in his relationship – the unsociable hours, the erratic nature of investigations. It was very easy to lose time if he wanted to.

  ‘Yes, it’s quite exciting to think what that amount of money could do,’ Caitlen replied.

  She avoided mentioning Terry and the cash in the same sentence. It was always referred to in the third person, but never specifically in plans that might have included him. He could almost feel her doubts.

  The passport queue took some time to go down. They’d introduced an automated system and the older generation simply couldn’t cope with its demands. Caitlen watched as an old lady placed her passport three different ways until she finally figured out the correct orientation. She wanted to cry sometimes. Terry was like that, useless with technology. It was as if it just passed some people by, their brains couldn’t cope with it. For Caitlen, it was the most intuitive thing on earth.

  ‘Did you see that old bird?’

  A man was chuckling behind her in the queue. He’d been friendly on the plane too, when she’d walked along the aisle to use the toilet.

  She turned around. He had a broad smile. His skin was tanned golden brown and he had a deep, silky voice. His shoulders were incredibly broad, as if he worked out.

  Caitlen smiled. Terry was up ahead, playing the jester with Emmy, Kasey and Porter.

  ‘Did you see her? I know she’s old, but really … If you sent somebody through with a blindfold they’d have made a better job of it.’

  The man laughed. It was wonderfully rich and warm, he had an easy charm.

  ‘Wesley Nolasco,’ he said, holding out his hand. ‘Call me Wes. Pleased to meet you. Are you here on your own?’

  It occurred to Caitlen that one day soon she could be. Alone. It was easy to meet new people. Perhaps she could make it without Terry.

  ‘No, I’m with a group of friends. How about you?’

  Terry was fooling around ahead of them. He’d messed up the passport machine, in fact he seemed to be making more of a pig’s ear of it than the old woman. The poor security guard who was there to help the British tourists navigate their way through the automated devices looked as if she was dreaming of the days when a grumpy guy at passport control would coolly take your passport directly from your hand, pretend to scrutinise you and your photo, then wave you through as though he’d done you a big favour.

  ‘Travelling alone,’ he replied. ‘Just how I like it. Where are you staying? I haven’t got my digs sorted out yet. I don’t know this area very well. I’m heading for Benidorm.’

  ‘Us too,’ Caitlen replied. Normally she’d have been more protective about her information. But she was with a big group of friends. What could possibly go wrong?

  ‘Amazing!’ he beamed back at her.

  What an easy charm compared to the forced jollity of Terry. It had taken her a while to see that. Terry’s eyes seldom gleamed when he told a joke. It was the laughter that was more important to him. He liked an audience.

  ‘How are you getting there? I was going to jump in a taxi, but that’s quite expensive. I do bar work and music stuff when I travel. I like to keep things cheap.’

  ‘We’ve booked a shuttle bus, it works out really well in a group. Do you have luggage to pick up?’

  ‘Yes, just my guitar, they won’t let me bring on my instrument as hand luggage.’

  He turned to the side to show Caitlen the rucksack that was strapped to his back. Wesley seemed to travel very light.

  ‘I play in bars sometimes. It saves me from having to get a proper job. Benidorm is full of pubs and clubs and packed with Brits. I’m hoping that somebody will pay me to play covers. That way I can stick around for a couple of months.’

  The queue shuffled forward, it was almost Caitlen’s turn. She looked ahead, trying to figure out which way round to hold her passport.

  ‘That’s wonderful, I’d love to be able to play an instrument. Being a musician is like being a hairdresser. You can make money wherever you go and people always want your services. So long as you can play well, that is.’

  Wes laughed. What a smile he had.

  ‘Can I hitch a ride in your bus? Is there room? I’ll pay my way. It’ll work out cheaper than a taxi. I take it you’re heading for the centre – you haven’t booked somewhere rural?’

  The money was making Caitlen more reckless than she might have been normally. Day-to-day life meant planning for the worst, covering the downside and always thinking ahead. Well, from where she was standing, ahead was looking pretty darn good.

  She thought for a minute. Kasey had ended up with his own apartment. Harriet had been up for sharing with him, but she figured that it would be nice for them to have some privacy.

  Would Wesley be alright sharing with a gay guy? He looked like he’d be cool, not the macho type. He was a musician, after all, not the sort of man that Terry was. She truly believed that Terry didn’t care that Kasey was gay. But he just couldn’t leave it alone. He’d always make quips if they went to the bathroom together. Ridiculous and old school. Kasey was the straightest gay guy she’d ever known. She never even thought about it.

  Caitlen decided to keep quiet about the room going spare in Kasey’s apartment. She’d see how he fitted in with the others first. But she liked him. He may not be around all the time but she felt that Wes might inject a new dynamic into the holiday. He looked like he was a man with interesting stories to tell.

  ‘It’s my turn with the passport. Look, jump in our shuttle bus, there will be several seats spare, I booked a big one. That’s my group standing together on the other side of the machines. Come and join us when you’ve scanned your passport. And don’t worry, the bus is paid for. Have this trip on me!’

  Wesley touched her on the back as she moved towards the machine. She thought that odd, but forgot it immediately as she placed her passport into the device and it gave a churlish electronic sound of rejection. She turned it around, annoyed that she’d messed it up. She looked into the screen, holding as still as possible so that it could scan her eyes. It messed up again. The Spanish security guard intervened and set Caitlen right. Her face reddened, she’d made more of a mess of it than the old lady. Eventually, the barrier opened and she was on her way.

  Wesley had already made himself known to the group. They were all teasing Caitlen after rejoicing in her struggle to get through passport control. Wesley looked as if he’d always been part of their crowd. Already, he’d slotted himself in.

  Chapter Five

  Benidorm: June

  In spite of the general enthusiasm for the trip, the heat got to the travellers straight away and they were pleased that the shuttle bus was waiting for them in the airport parking bays with the air conditioning set to super cool. The driver seemed relieved that he wasn’t transporting a party of drunken Englishmen. A mixed group was always his preference, the women tended to rein in the worst excesses of the men.

  ‘We’re carrying one extra,’ Caitlen said, as Wes waited at the bottom the steps, expectant that permission to board would be granted.

  Caitlen was grateful that the driver was Scottish. She didn’t speak Spanish and had studied French at school.

  ‘You’ve paid fer the whole bus, lassie!’ he announced. ‘You can bring yer entire family fer all I care. Hop on board, son. Yer welcome.’

  Wes moved to the back of the bus. He was getting on really well with Kasey. She hadn’t even considered that their new recruit might himself be gay – he seemed to be sending out all the right signals in her direction. May
be he was bisexual. Or maybe, Caitlen, you silly cow, they just get on well together because they’re both human beings! She checked herself, cursing the way Terry’s comments had worn her down over the years. But it was good that they seemed to like each other. Maybe Kasey would suggest the room of his own accord, he might see it as welcome company. It was only for a week – it would give Wes some time to find a place of his own. It seemed harmless enough.

  Caitlen stood at the front of the bus making sure they were all on board. It wasn’t lost on her that the way they were seated told its own story.

  Kasey and Wes were chatting away at the back of the bus. Wes was touching Kasey’s arm as they spoke. Maybe he was just a touchy-feely kind of guy.

  Emmy was talking across the aisle to Terry, with Porter next to her looking out of the window, like a spare part in their conversation. Emmy and Terry got on well. She was a journalist on the local paper and he was a detective sergeant. Their jobs often brought them together, either on a crime scene or at the receiving end of a press request for a statement or a comment. They’d known each other before the friendship groups moved into the same orbit. In fact, Emmy and Porter were the common elements. Caitlen knew Porter, Emmy knew Terry, and that’s where their less than beautiful love story began.

  Naomi had been a sour-faced cow since she’d learned about the money. Caitlen had expected her to be pleased for her but, as usual, Naomi just couldn’t find it within herself to be happy for her younger sister. Caitlen had almost considered removing her from the guest list, but she liked Rhett and didn’t want to cause a scene over it. Naomi might have had a little more grace about accepting the invitation. It was as if she thought it was the least that Caitlen could do.

  Naomi was deliberately avoiding Caitlen’s gaze, cursing her sister for surveying her kingdom – a cheap shuttle bus heading for a Spanish resort. Harriet was sitting alone at the back, well away from Becky and Matt who were at the front, next to Rhett and Naomi. Perhaps they were hoping that some of Naomi’s marital bliss might rub off on them. She’d done well with Rhett, he was a good-looking guy. They’d been together forever. They’d met at university and had set up their own business, whereas Caitlen had drifted between relationships and lasted longer in her job than she had with any man. And now she was stuck with Terry. Naomi had done much better in life than she had.