Lies of the Dead

by Shauna Bickley

  They were in the car, Steven driving. She held a sheet of paper in her hands, with no idea where they were supposed to go.

  A long time later, Steven stopped opposite a cottage that looked as though it should be on a postcard, but all she focused on were Sophie and Kristen in the doorway.

  She jumped out of the car, and ran across the road without a glance at anything else. She cried and hugged them, and felt Steven’s warmth as he held them all.

  The girls pulled them over to a seat in the garden. Andi’s glance took in an elderly couple in the doorway, but Kristen and Sophie consumed all her attention.

  ‘What happened?’ asked Steven.

  ‘That Mickey came into the bedroom. He did something to Mum, we couldn’t see much because he had his back to us. They struggled and Mum screamed, but his brother did something, and then Mum went quiet.’ Sophie reached out and caught hold of Andi’s hand. ‘I was so frightened. I didn’t know what they’d done. It all happened so quickly. I thought you were dead, but then I saw you breathing.’

  ‘Dave ran up the stairs when you screamed,’ said Kristen. ‘He stayed and watched Mickey and his brother. They put tape over our mouths. Then they unlocked us from the bed, but kept the handcuffs on. Dave said to do what we were told and we would be okay. They took us downstairs and put us in the back of a car.’

  ‘Yeah, and covered us with this awful smelly rug. We drove for ages and felt really sick. Then they stopped.’

  ‘When they pulled us out we were in a wood. We were so scared.’

  They looked at each other, and Andi hugged them tightly. Liam had put them through this. If he wasn’t dead, she’d kill him.

  ‘Anyway, that Vincent guy said they would leave us,’ said Sophie. ‘I never thought I’d be happy to be left in a wood, in the middle of the night.’

  ‘He told us which way to walk, and that we’d have to walk for an hour or so before we came to the nearest house. Then we should phone Mum. He said not to tell anyone what happened, but to say we’d had a row with our boyfriends and they’d dumped us out of their car. He chucked the key to the handcuffs in some bushes, and then they drove off. It took us a while to find the key and unlock each other. We walked, and got here.’

  ‘We told Mr and Mrs Jamieson what he told us to say.’ Sophie nodded towards the elderly couple.

  ‘They believed us, but I don’t know what they’ll think about you two,’ said Kristen.

  Andi looked at Steven’s bruised and swollen eye, and his cuts and bruises. She thought how Janine had been, and guessed she looked as bad. She giggled, and relief washed through her. ‘I want to go home.’

  ‘Sounds like a great idea.’ Steven kissed her. ‘I’ll go and speak to the couple. What’s their name?’

  ‘Jamieson. They cooked us a lovely breakfast,’ said Sophie.

  ‘I think you need to come up with a good story,’ said Kristen. ‘You both look very dodgy.’

  Chapter 30

  Tom

  Tom’s head pounded from the thump Mickey had given him, and he still felt woozy. Janine leant against the bedroom wall, but smiled when he walked into the room. He unlocked the handcuffs, and rubbed her wrists.

  ‘Is everyone okay?’

  He didn’t know whether to tell her about Sophie and Kristen. To cover the silence he sat down on the floor. She shuffled closer. He closed the distance between them and put his arm around her. Her breath came in a gentle sigh, and she rested her head against his shoulder.

  ‘Is it over? Have those men really gone?’

  ‘They’ve gone.’ He wasn’t sure if it was over.

  They sat silently, until Steven yelled up the stairs.

  ‘We’ve heard from the girls. They’re okay. We’re off to get them. See you later.’

  Tom rested his cheek against Janine’s head, and felt something resembling peace filter through him. Thank goodness. Andi would never have coped if anything had happened to Sophie and Kristen.

  He kissed the top of Janine’s head. She shifted slightly and looked at him. A faint smile lit her face.

  ‘What happened? Andi said something about you in France.’

  They sat together on the floor, and Janine rested against him. He told her about Vivienne, the letter with the code and the visit to the bank.

  In spite of his aches, he didn’t want to move as long as Janine snuggled against him. She looked at him again, a worried frown on her face, faint lines drawn across her forehead. He wanted to make them disappear. He was tired of the stomach-clenching sickness that had become so familiar. Tired of guilt.

  ‘I’ve thought so many times about the night I asked Liam for the money,’ she said. ‘That’s not me. Not the real me. It was a mad moment, and an awful decision.’

  ‘I guess if you hadn’t, we would never have met. Maybe there was one good thing?’ He tried to keep his voice level, but it went up at the end of the sentence, making it a question.

  ‘The only good thing.’

  He hadn’t realised until then he’d held his breath. Relief and something more flooded through him. He stood, and took hold of her hand, helped her up. They faced each other, the slightest distance between them. He traced the line of her cheek with his index finger, and touched her lips. The corners of her mouth lifted into a smile, and they moved together, bodies touching. Her lips were soft, and he put his arms around her to hold her close. She melded into him, as if they were meant for each other.

  Paper rustled in his shirt pocket, and reminded him it wasn’t quite over. He pulled the printed page out of his pocket, and unfolded it. ‘This is from the bank. Look at the amount after my cash withdrawal. Isn’t that the figure you’d discovered?’

  ‘Yes, kind of ironic.’

  ‘That’s what I thought. I had this idea as I drove back. It might be mad, or not possible, or me crazy with all the stress. Could you put in your report to Thornley Trust? Tell them what you discovered about Liam. I’ve got the papers to have the money transferred from Geneva. I can show them the letter from Liam, although part of it’s in code. Can we make this right? I don’t want the money. I want things finished.’

  ‘I think the money is all they’ll care about. They won’t want anyone to know what Liam did.’

  ‘That’s a relief. I hoped you’d say that.’

  ‘What will you do now? Go back to Cornwall? They’ll probably want to talk to you at some point.’

  ‘That’s not a problem. I’ll see them whenever they want. Cornwall? Yes, I’ll have to go back.’

  There was the house sale, and Liam’s name to sort out with the French authorities.

  ‘What will you do after that? If you sell your house and Liam’s, you won’t have anywhere to live.’

  He’d practised the business conversation part on the drive from France. It had helped to control his panic. This was the difficult part. He wasn’t sure of her answer.

  ‘I’ve thought about the picture in your apartment. The one you painted.’

  She nodded.

  ‘It’s beautiful. Before all this, I’d never considered leaving Cornwall, but now I’m not so sure. I could live somewhere like that, and it would be a great place for an artist.’

  The smile on her face told him all he needed to know.

  She pulled him close. ‘You told me once that Liam got all the looks and charm, and you didn’t know what you’d been left with. Never believe that.’

  *

  He and Janine stumbled downstairs, and bumped into a couple he guessed were Martin and Barbara. Initially they looked alarmed, but Tom explained who they were.

  ‘Steven mentioned you, but it was all a blur as they left to get the twins,’ said Barbara.

  Tom asked if they could have a shower, and Barbara nodded. He guessed nothing would be a surprise after being tied up in your own garage overnight.

  The twins were quieter than usual, hardly surprising, and every few minutes Andi would pat one of them on the shoulder, or give them a hug.

  They
all sat in the lounge. Kristen and Sophie told everyone what happened to them, and Tom explained what he and Janine had discussed about Thornley Trust.

  Andi leaned forward in her chair, as if she expected some disagreement. ‘As we drove back, we made a decision. We don’t want the police involved. What happened was terrifying, and I don’t think we’ll ever forget it, but the person who caused all this was Liam. I hate what they did to us, what they put us through, but they kept their word when they had the money. If someone tells the police about them, we’ll always be worried about what they might do to the girls, and I can’t live like that. I don’t want to be scared for Kris and Sophie all the time, or for them to feel they’re in danger. We need to live as normal a life as possible.’

  ‘We don’t ever want to see those men again,’ said Sophie.

  ‘I’m with you,’ said Tom. ‘Liam eventually left the money to pay them off, but we should never have been involved. All the worry and fear. I don’t agree with Vincent’s methods or what they did, but I agree with Andi. The business with Thornley Trust has nothing to do with Vincent. They won’t call the police because it will be bad publicity, and Liam’s dead.’

  ‘We’ll go along with your decision,’ said Martin. He looked at Barbara, and she nodded. ‘Some people might consider it wrong, I think it’s realistic. Life’s too short.’

  ‘You can’t talk to the boys about it,’ said Andi. ‘If they knew, they’d tell someone eventually.’

  ‘They’ll be full of their adventures in Germany,’ said Barbara. ‘It will be good to have them back.’

  Andi relaxed against the back of the chair and looked at Janine, sat next to Tom.

  ‘I’m sorry about how I was when we first met in London.’

  The two women smiled at each other.

  Steven put his arm around Andi. She leaned against him, and rested her hand on his leg.

  ‘Tom mentioned you painted,’ she said to Janine. ‘When things are a bit more normal, I’d love it if you could talk to Kristen. She wants to go to Art College.’

  She smiled at Steven’s puzzled expression. ‘I’ll explain later.’

  – The End –

  Thank you for reading Lies of the Dead. I hope you enjoyed it. If you did, and have a moment to spare, I would really value a short review. Word of mouth is crucial for any author to be noticed, and I’d appreciate your help in spreading the word. Just a line or two makes all the difference.

  Thanks again,

  Shauna

  Say Hello

  I talk about writing and the writing life on my blog and website. I’d love it if you dropped by to say hello. Alternatively you can follow me on Twitter, or send an email. I also have photos of some of the book scenes on Pinterest.

  About the Author

  Shauna lives in Auckland, New Zealand and works for herself as an instructional designer and technical writer to indulge her fiction writing habit.

  She has had short stories published in magazines and anthologies in England and New Zealand. Her short story, Recipe for a Dinner Party was selected for the Awesome Indies Anthology (published November 2014).

  Her novels include:

  Writing the Stars – romantic comedy

  Still Death – murder/mystery (published November 2014)

  Lies of the Dead – mystery/thriller

  Lives Interrupted – contemporary women’s fiction

  Acknowledgements

  Many thanks to the audacious Rogues (Hilary, Jeannie, Tui, Katie, Pauline, Bron and Ted), for all your insightful comments and feedback on early drafts, they were invaluable.

  Thanks also to my great beta-readers for your thoughts and observations on the book as a whole, and especially to Bev for your feedback and the motivating deadline!

  Adrienne thanks for reading and editing, and huge thanks and appreciation to Andrew of Design for Writers for the amazing cover.

  WRITING THE STARS

  Anna King is an astrologer with a lot of problems in her life.

  When she discovers her boyfriend has been cheating on her and she is about to lose her part-time job as a cook, Anna’s belief in love and in her talent is shattered.

  If she couldn’t figure out Oliver was sleeping with someone else and that the café owner was about to sell up, how can she call herself an astrologer?

  Anna and her best friend Corinne need work, but when they don’t have any luck finding jobs they start a Girl Friday business together. As if they don’t have enough trouble with a new business and a lack of customers, Corinne decides the best way for Anna to rebuild her confidence is to get back into the dating scene.

  Anna’s personal and work life is about to get a lot more complicated.

  Even if we can find the answers in the stars, do we always understand the consequences?

  If you’d like to read a sample from Writing the Stars, you can find it here.

  STILL DEATH by Shauna Bickley – release date November 2014

  The first was a hit and run.

  The second a murder/suicide.

  Who will be next?

  Lexie believes Patrick has been set-up for the murder of his girlfriend, but she is the only person who does.

  After living in London, she thought life in a small town would be boring, but there are too many accidents to be a coincidence, and they all appear linked to the death of Patrick’s girlfriend.

  Lexie is determined to find out who is behind it, until she and her family are added to the statistics.

  Death still lurks in the quietest places.

  Read the opening scene of Still Death

  Late May

  The woman said goodbye to her friend and left the restaurant, paying no attention to the cars parked along the road. There were always cars, and usually people, although it was quiet at the moment. The restaurants and pubs were busy, but it was too early for anyone to make the move to the clubs a few streets away.

  She smiled, remembering the phone calls of the past days. He missed her, couldn’t wait to finish the research on his current story and fly back. Couldn’t wait to see her again.

  She’d missed him. He would be back at his apartment by now, working on the story and waiting for her. The previously arranged dinner had been unavoidable, but at least it was over.

  Her smile crinkled light lines around her eyes. She glanced at her watch, increased her pace. It only took a few minutes to walk to his flat from here. He’d be waiting for her call, but she’d surprise him.

  She didn’t see the man, silent in the shadows. Didn’t hear the few words he muttered into his phone.

  Further along, she slowed as she turned to cross the street. A car came around the corner. She stepped out between the parked vehicles and glanced towards the dazzling headlights. The car stopped in the road, engine idling. The same model as his. Perhaps he’d come to pick her up, not wanting to wait any longer. The headlights blinded her. She squinted, trying to make out the driver or the registration number.

  The car engine revved, tyres squealed, as it hurtled towards her. No time to move or call out. The car rammed into her. Knocked the breath out of her body. Tossed her onto the road like a limp rag doll. The frown of uncertainty still creased her forehead.

  A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of her mouth, dribbled down her cheek and onto the road. The car roared away. The man checked there was no one around. He approached the woman and crouched down. Watched the light fade from her eyes then made another phone call.

  You can find Still Death here.

  LIVES INTERRUPTED by Shauna Bickley

  One moment can destroy your life.

  What begins as an ordinary summer day in London, ends with devastation as an explosion rips through the underground.

  Kate, a Kiwi, is living her dream of working in London.

  Matthew has been fired, and Rosa is struggling to cope as their debts spiral out of control, but she has a plan. One she can’t tell Matthew. Meanwhile, his choices will wreck their lives in a way t
hey never imagined.

  Life is tough, but how much worse could it be?

  A bombing on the underground answers that question.

  Death and injury affects each of them. They will never be the same, but can they learn to live with the new life they never chose?

  If you’d like to read a sample of Lives Interrupted, you can find it here.

  Copyright 2013 Shauna Bickley

  http://shaunabickley.com

  Kindle Edition

  Lies of the Dead is a work of fiction. All the characters in the book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Poldrayth is based on a Cornish village, but the name has been changed to protect the innocent, and so the author can play around with the local geography.

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the express written permission of the author.