Secrets, Lies and Deception

by Shaw, Vicki

  SECRETS, LIES AND DECEPTION

  Book One

  VICKI SHAW

  Copyright © 2015 by Vicki Shaw

  This book is a work of fiction. Any reference to historical events, real people, or places are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and events are of the author’s imagination and any resemblance to actual events, places or persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.

  All rights are reserved. This book is intended for the purchaser of this book only. No part of this book is to be reproduced in any form, without the written consent from the author.

  Edited by: Editing For You/Wrap Your Words

  Cover design ©: Tracey Soxie Weston @ Soxsational Cover Art

  Formatting: Max Effect

  CONTENTS

  One

  Two

  Three

  Four

  Five

  Six

  Seven

  Eight

  Nine

  Ten

  Eleven

  Twelve

  Thirteen

  Fourteen

  Fifteen

  Sixteen

  Bonus Chapter

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author

  AUTHORS NOTE

  This novel contains adult/ mature young adult situations. It is only suitable for ages 18+ due to language, Violence, and sexual situations. If you are sensitive to physical abuse please do not read as this novel may trigger adverse reactions.

  ONE

  Roxie

  Loading my last suitcase in the boot of my car, I look back at my childhood home. There is no point in staying here anymore, there is no one or nothing left here for me.

  It was only last week that I put my father in the ground; saying goodbye for the last time was the hardest thing I have ever had to do. Except, of course, when I had to do the same with my mother. In some ways, I am grateful that it is finally over for him. Seven years of him being sick with Chronic Airways Disease from working with chemicals his whole working life was hard to watch. He was only 50, way too young to die. Being the only child and Mum dying when I was only 15, I was the only one who could look after him, so I moved back in with him when his health started to decline about a year ago. We did have a nurse come in before I left for work until I got home for the last six months, but it was still a drain on me. I refused to let Dad see how the long hours at work and looking after him was affecting me. He was the only one I had left. I had no other family living in Australia, and there was no way I was putting him in a hospice to die alone, so I sucked it up and just got on with it.

  With a sigh and quite tears running down my face, I climbed into my car and took a deep breath. I have decided to follow my dream and drive around the country taking photos of beautiful sunsets and landscapes, and just anything that catches my eye. I am grateful that Dad had secretly put money aside that he received as compensation from the company he had worked for. They owed him for not providing the proper safety equipment to prevent him getting sick. It was a fight just to get the little he did from them, a multi-million dollar company where money matters more than people. It is not a fortune, but it should be enough to last me a while if I pick up work in pubs and do some waitressing along the way. I will not sell the house, I just cannot bring myself to do that, it holds all my childhood memories and will always be home.

  At 27, maybe it is not the best time to be leaving my top-level data entry job at one of the biggest firms in Rockhampton but I just cannot do it anymore. My job drains me now, and I didn’t find any of the joy or challenges I used to when I went to work. Of course, this is not helped by the fact that HE is there. He doesn’t know I am leaving yet. I did not want a fight. I have written him a letter and put it in the post so I will be well on my way before he even knows I am gone or where I am going.

  I did not realise just how hard or time-consuming it was going to be to cover all the furniture with drop sheets. Everywhere I looked, there were memories of growing up and the fun times with Mum and Dad. By the time I was finished, the place had looked like one of them haunted houses you see on TV.

  Taking another deep shaking breath, I start the car. I drive down the street not looking back, not knowing how long it will be before I return. But I know this is the right thing to do. I am going to take my time and explore this country. There are no real plans as to where I am going or how long I am going to stay in each place. I will just take it as it comes. If the town is nice, I will stay awhile until it becomes a bore, or I feel it is time to move on.

  My first stop is Brisbane. It is a long drive, but I promised my best friend Carly that I would come and see her before I start my big adventure. She could not make it for Dad’s funeral so we had not seen each other for a few months. The last time was when she came to see Dad before he deteriorated. She was devastated that she did not make it back, Dad was like her second father and he adored her just as much as she adored him, she was like a daughter to him. In truth, I was a little upset at the time because I felt that she had chosen her job over us. But now I have come to understand that she had said her final goodbyes when she last saw him. There was not any sense in her losing her job to be with me when all I wanted was to be alone. I am looking forward to spending some girl time together and going out. I have not had many nights out in the last 12 months because it was too much of a hassle to organise someone to be at home with Dad. To be honest, I just did not have the time. After working 38 to 60 hours, a week then coming home to cook, clean, wash and make sure Dad had all his medications and his oxygen I was just too exhausted to even think about going out.

  By the time, I am entering Brisbane it is already 6 pm. I was hoping to arrive earlier.

  I have not been to Carly’s new place yet. She only just moved there after she got a promotion that included her new place and a car. When I pull up out front, my mouth drops to the floor. I check the address again just to make sure I have the right place. No wonder she did not want to be fired. This place is amazing, and I can only see the outside of it. It is on a tree-lined street that I did not pay much attention to as I was driving in but now, WOW. All the places around here are huge with manicured lawns and gardens with not one leaf out of place. I slowly turn back to Carly’s house just in time to see her running out the double black front door towards me. As soon as I see her, the tears start running down my face and I am glad I opted not to put any makeup on today. I’m torn between a mix of happy and sad. Happy because I am finally with my best friend, my sister in every way but blood and sad because it still hurts so much after losing my Dad. If anyone knows how I feel it is Carly. We fall into each other’s arms and give each other a fierce hug.

  “I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you at your Dad’s funeral,” Carly cried into my shoulder.

  “I understand. I do. I just wanted to be by myself.” I replied, crying just as hard into her shoulder. We reluctantly pull apart from each other and start up the stone stairs onto her porch towards her front door.

  I step in and freeze on the spot looking around.

  “WOW, just Wow Carly. I can’t believe your boss is paying for this place.” I breathe out with a whistle.

  “Yeah, it is pretty awesome. The company owns it, so I guess it’s no big deal for them.” She replies with a smirk on her face.

  Looking around I see that we have just stepped into the entryway that opens into a large sitting room with white lounges that look like once you sit on them you will get sucked in. Along the whole of one wall is a slick built-in gas fireplace that I can just imagine sitting in front of reading a book on a cold winter’s night. Along another wall is a low wooden cabinet. I walk over and see all the photos she has on there. I pi
ck up the one of Carly, Mum, Dad and I that was taken just before Mum died. With a sad smile on my face, I remember that day as if it was only yesterday.

  It was summer break, and we were having a BBQ on the back deck by the pool with friends and family. We were standing together joking around when someone called out and took the photo. It was the last photo taken of Mum. I have the same photo back home sitting next to my bed.

  Carly walks up behind me and looks over my shoulder to see what I am looking at.

  “That was the best day ever. Your Mum’s family knows how to have a good time.” She smiles at me, but the smile is only on the surface. I know she misses them just as much as me. I put the photo back as I say,

  “Yeah, it is one of my best memories of Mum and Dad. They were so happy and in love that day. It was the first time all of Mum’s family were all together since their wedding. It’s amazing how everything can change in just 12 hours.” Carly wrapped her arm around my shoulder and gave a quick squeeze.

  “So do you want to see the rest of the place?” Carly said as she grabs my hand and pulls me further into the house. We walk through a huge archway that leads into the open plan dining room and kitchen. In the dining room, there is a ten-seat glass top table.

  “Do you ever use all of these seats?” I asked as I run my fingertips along the cool glass.

  “Yes. Unfortunately as part of me living here, I have to be the hostess of all the company’s business dinners. It’s not as bad as it sounds, they get caterers in to do all the work, besides they even pay for cleaners to come in once a week,” she says with a shrug of one shoulder. Then I walk into the kitchen, and what a kitchen it is. I could get lost in here for days cooking. It is my second favourite past time, behind photography of course. It is like walking into a top restaurant’s kitchen. It has all the best modern appliances, plenty of counter space and even an industrial dishwasher. I am in love. Carly sees the look on my face. With a huge grin on her face she says

  “So by the look of your face I take it you like?”

  “Like? Like is an understatement. I love. I may never leave.” I reply with a bit of a giggle. It was the first time in ages that I have giggled and it feels good. “I knew coming here was going to be the best medicine for me.”

  “You can let loose in here tomorrow while I’m at work. You should find something in here to be able to cook up a storm. The company’s groceries were delivered earlier today. However, now we need to finish the grand tour. Then I will order in take-out and open a bottle or two of the wine I’ve got chilling.” I stop dead where I am.

  “Wait a minute are you telling me they do all your food shopping for you as well?” with a laugh, she just grabs my arm and pulls me along. The rest of the tour is fairly fast as I told Carly that I am starving and would explore more tomorrow.

  We are sitting at the breakfast bar eating Chinese take-out, sipping on our wine when Carly asks. “So what did Steven say when you told him you were leaving?”

  “He didn’t say anything because I didn’t tell him,” I say not looking at her.

  “What. Why didn’t you tell him?” she asks with a scowl on her face. I look up at Carly and take a deep breath.

  “Why would I tell him anything? We are no longer together because if you remember he wanted to cool it off when I moved out to go and look after Dad. Steve seems to think that now Dad is gone we are going to just pick it back up, and I would move back in with him. He was not there for me when I needed him the most. I don’t think I will ever forgive him for the way he treated me and the fights we had over it.”

  “Do you still love him?” Carly asks with sadness in her eyes.

  Steven and I were high school sweethearts and worked for the same company. We moved in with each other after he proposed to me on my 20th birthday. I was so happy that day. I remember when we told Dad the next day. He did not like the idea of us living together before we got married, but he accepted it and was happy for us. He could see how happy Steve made me and how in love we were. However, everything changed when Dad’s health started to slide, and I decided to move in with Dad to help look after him. Steve wanted just to hire a full-time nurse. He just could not understand that because I was his only child I felt that it was my job to look after him. Dad had done so much for me while I was growing up. I did not have to worry about getting student loans for college or even working while I was away. Dad had taken care of it all. He had started a college fund for me when Mum found out she was pregnant, and it had more than enough to see me finish. He did not like it when I took a part-time job at a local diner. He thought I should just concentrate on my studies. Steve and I had fight after fight about me moving in with Dad. By the time Dad died, we had grown so far apart, but Steve had thought that now I had more time, and I wasn’t looking after Dad everything would go back to the way it was.

  I take a deep breath

  “Yes, there will always be a part of me that loves him. We were together for such a long time, but too much has happened, and I have changed. It would never be the same as it was. In a small way, I resent him for making me chose between him and Dad.” I say looking at my wine glass. Carly reaches over and puts her hand on top of mine and squeezes it lightly.

  “I don’t know what he will do when he gets the letter but I’m hoping he will understand and move on with his life,” I say with a sigh. Carly does not say any more about it tonight. She knows I do not want to talk about it anymore.

  Carly jumps up which pulls me out of my sad memories.

  “Ok, I’m going to clean up then hit the sack. It’s been a long day, and I have an early meeting in the morning.”

  “Yeah I’m just going to grab a shower and go to bed. It’s been a hard day,” I try to put a smile on my face as I say it. She quickly cleans up and puts an arm around my shoulder, we walk up the stairs together.

  “If you need anything you know where I am,” Carly says as she walks into her room.

  “Hey Carly, thanks for everything”.

  “No problem. What are sisters for,” she says as she disappears into her room.

  I walk into the room Carly has put me in. It is the closest to her room even though it is all the way down the hall from the master suite. I am thankful to be alone so that I can process the day’s events. I put my bag on the bed and start unpacking. I do not know how long I am going to stay here, but Carly said she had cleared it with her boss, and I can stay as long as I need to. I am grateful for that, as I have not planned where I am going after here. I just need some time to breathe with no worries, and this seems like the perfect place to do just that. I finish unpacking and go into the en-suite to have a shower. This bathroom is bigger than my whole room at home. It has a huge corner spa bath, a double shower and his and her sinks. Carly has landed on her feet with this job I think to myself as I step into the warm water. I sigh as the water runs over my body. It feels so good as all my muscles relax. I feel like I could fall sleep standing there in the warm flow of water so reluctantly I turn it off and step out. OMG, the towel is so big and soft. I do not know how anyone can get them this soft. It has to be another perk of her job, someone coming and doing all her washing. With a smile, I walk into my bedroom thinking how happy I am Carly is doing so well and is so happy. I quickly dry myself and pull on a t-shirt and my PJ shorts. I climb into bed, and it is pure heaven. It is so soft and comfortable. I reach over, turn off the bedside lamp, and settle down to sleep.

  ‘I am walking out of the shops with Mum. We are laughing and joking around about the party we had yesterday. We only had to grab a few things for lunch because we all decided we would go on a picnic down at the park. We could not park in the shopping centre car park, as it was full so Mum parked around the corner in a little alley. We were just about at the car when a man approached us. We were not worried; He was well dressed and just asking for directions. As Mum was giving them to him, he pulled out a gun. We both froze and looked at each other franticly. He demanded all our money, phones and car
keys. We were in the process of giving them to him when there was a shout, then a bang.

  I am being shaken awake

  “Roxie wake-up. You're having a bad dream.” I sit upright breathing heavily with Carly looking at me.

  “What’s wrong?” I ask Carly confused.

  “You were screaming in your sleep. You scared the fuck out of me”. I try to remember what I was dreaming about. All of a sudden, it came pouring back to me.

  “I was dreaming about the day Mum got murdered,” I answer with a sob. “Oh god, Roxie, I am so sorry, didn’t you stop having the bad dreams a while ago.”

  “Yeah I did. I’m confused as to why they have come back. I haven’t had one in months.” Carly stands and walks to the bathroom and brings back a glass of water for me.

  “Thank you. Maybe it is from packing the house up yesterday and leaving. I will be fine. Go back to bed.” I tell Carly. She stands and puts her hand on my shoulder and rubs it. With a sad look on her face, she turns to leave. “If you need anything come and get me.”

  “I will,” I promise. As she walks through the door, I lie back down. I wonder why these dreams have started again. I am hoping it is just because of leaving our family home and the effects of Dad’s death. I am sure it is. I try to drift back to sleep hoping I do not have any more bad dreams.

  I wake with the sun shining on my face and moan. I roll over and wonder what time it is. I cannot hear any noises coming from downstairs, so it means Carly is still asleep, or she has left for work already. I try to go back to sleep for a while, but it is a losing battle, so I get up and look out the window. It must be later than I thought I think to myself as I walk to the bathroom. Finishing my morning routine of brushing my teeth and putting moisturiser on my face, I put my long chestnut hair in a ponytail.

  I quickly throw on a pair of old faded jeans and a tank top. I am not going anywhere, and Carly didn’t say to expect anyone to drop by so I do not worry about doing my makeup. I make my way downstairs to the kitchen to get a coffee and think about what I should do today. When I get to the coffee machine, I see Carly has already turned it on for me, and there is a full pot of coffee waiting. God, I love this girl. She knows I cannot start my day without a least one cup of coffee. Next to the coffee pot is a note from Carly.