Silent Lies: A gripping psychological thriller

by Kathryn Croft

  ‘That’s great to know!’ I say, keeping my voice upbeat even though something inside me feels like it’s just torn. ‘But just for the record, I never thought you had any… dishonourable intentions.’ I laugh to reinforce what I’m saying.

  ‘People are too uptight these days,’ he says, almost to himself. ‘I like to just go with the flow, be friends with who you want to, without having to feel judged by society. We can feel a connection to all kinds of people, and just because I’m your lecturer – for three hours a week, I have to add – why shouldn’t we chat and talk about our writing together? We’re both adults. And you’ve really helped me with my writing, Josie, without even doing anything but hand in your assignments.’ He laughs. ‘God, what do I sound like?’

  ‘Like you’re being honest,’ I say. ‘And I agree with it all. Plus, it’s nice to know I’m helping you get your novel finished.’

  He smiles and I sense he is relieved that I understand what he’s saying. I do understand it, but I don’t have to like it.

  I lean closer into his window. ‘Can I ask you something? Seeing as we’re such good friends now?’

  He laughs. ‘Of course.’

  ‘Sorry to ask such a personal question, but, before you got married, how did you know she was the one? I’m not prying, I just wonder how you can ever know that when none of us know what the future holds.’

  ‘That’s a bit cynical, isn’t it?’

  You would understand why I’m like this if you knew where I came from.

  ‘I know, but just humour me.’

  He lets out a deep breath and drums his fingers on the steering wheel. ‘Okay, well, the minute I saw Mia I knew there was something different about her. She was so… in control of everything. Of herself. I just found her a refreshing change from the women I’d met before. She wasn’t needy at all, and I could just… be myself, I suppose.’ He looks at me and shrugs. ‘We weren’t much older than you are now, so I can’t say I knew I wanted to marry her immediately, but in time it felt like the natural thing to do. The only thing to do.’

  ‘I can’t imagine that happening to me,’ I say, almost forgetting who I’m talking to, because this is the thing about Zach: he makes me feel as if I’ve known him forever. I know, such a cliché, right? But it’s true.

  ‘And surely people change?’ I continue. ‘You can’t be the same person you were in your twenties.’ I sound jealous and bitter, but that’s not how I feel really. It’s more an intense sadness, and loneliness. But, hey, at least I can admit this.

  ‘No, but you just have to hope you grow together. And I couldn’t imagine it happening to me either, until it did. That’s the beauty of life. The unexpected. Embrace it, Josie. I think it’s exciting that you never know what might happen tomorrow.’ He stops and waits for a man walking his dog to pass the car. ‘What I’m trying to say is, be positive – like you’re being with your studies now. Let that spill over into all aspects of your life.’

  ‘That’s exactly what I’m doing.’

  ‘Good. Anyway, you shouldn’t be worrying about relationships or marriage or anything like that. You’ve got plenty of time for all that.’ He stares ahead, out of the windscreen, and I wonder what he’s thinking.

  ‘Anyway,’ he says, turning back to me. ‘I’d better get back. Mia will be wondering where I am.’

  ‘Thanks again. For everything.’

  I stand back and fumble in my pocket for my keys, watching Zach’s car pull away and disappear round the corner.

  Mia. It’s such a pretty name and I bet his wife is beautiful to match it. She sounds perfect. But surely perfection can’t exist? And Zach was only just saying that we’re only human and should be allowed to make mistakes. That perfection is exhausting. Something like that anyway.

  So just how happy is his marriage?

  I close the front door behind me and lean against it, not bothering to turn on the hall light, my heart pounding in my chest. Was Zach trying to tell me something other than what he appeared to be saying when he described his wife? Or am I just blinded by his kindness, desperate for someone important to be in my life? Because other than Kieren, there really is no one. Yeah, I have plenty of people I could go drinking with, but what does that really mean? None of them would give me the time of day if I needed help with anything, other than offering to buy the next round of drinks.

  Suck it up, Josie, there are people far worse off than you. And nobody ever died of loneliness, did they?

  I look up and Alison is standing in the darkness by her bedroom door, watching me. I gasp. ‘What the hell?’

  ‘Who was that in that car? New boyfriend? Glad things are working out for you. Hope it lasts longer than it did for me and Aaron.’ Her smile is a snide grin.

  I’m shocked she’s actually speaking to me, and having a dig at me, but I quickly recover; ready as always to defend myself. ‘You have no clue what you’re talking about, Alison. If you stopped to let me explain, then you’d know Aaron was a sleaze and you’re well rid of him. Even you can do better than that.’ I hadn’t meant it to come out that way but it’s too late to take it back now.

  ‘But that wasn’t for you to decide, Josie, was it? It’s my choice to decide who I will and won’t be with.’ Her voice is so soft now I can barely hear her. I take a step closer.

  ‘He just wasn’t interested in you, Alison. I’m sorry, that sucks, I know, but you can’t blame me for it. Maybe you’ll choose better next time.’

  Her mouth turns into an ugly grimace. I wait for a further onslaught but all she does is glare at me with her wide green eyes.

  I look towards my door, which is slightly ajar. ‘Have you been in my room, Alison?’ I don’t know why I’m bothering to give her a chance to deny it.

  Her nose crinkles, but the mad stare stays on her face. ‘Why would I go in your room?’

  What do I do now? I can’t just accuse her of deleting my assignment; she’ll only deny it and I’ll sound like a nutjob. ‘No, I guess you wouldn’t, would you? You wouldn’t go in there when I’m out. Because that would just be, I don’t know, crazy. And you’re not some sort of crazy stalker or freak, are you?’

  Without another word she turns and disappears inside her room, closing the door silently behind her.

  And I am left with a bitter taste in my mouth.

  Chapter Nine

  Mia

  * * *

  Carlo, like me, is too young to have lost a spouse. It’s hard enough when you’ve shared your whole life with someone, but when those years are cut short, stolen from you, the impact is devastating.

  This young man is the only client I’ve spoken with about what I’ve been through, and I think it’s partly why he keeps coming to me, though he initially admitted he would have preferred a male counsellor. ‘Please don’t take it personally,’ he’d said during our first session. ‘But I don’t find it easy talking to women, apart from Jenny. I tried to find a man but there weren’t any suitable round here.’

  But it’s been five months now, and he continues to make appointments, and open up to me, so I like to think I’m helping in some way. I told him about losing my husband after a few sessions, when he seemed to be putting up resistance, not believing in me or himself. It is the only time I’ve ever done it, and actually I don’t regret it. It’s what he needed to hear.

  ‘I constantly feel like I take one step forward and then two back,’ he says, sitting across from me. As always he is leaning forward in his chair, his elbows resting on his knees.

  Even though it’s the weekend, I’m glad I let Carlo book this appointment; it’s what I need to take my mind off the mess of my own life at the moment. Alison made it clear she won’t talk to me, so I just need to work out what to do, and in the meantime, helping this poor man is what I will throw myself into.

  ‘That’s normal, Carlo, I promise you. And it can be like that even after five years.’

  ‘Five years.’ He lets out a sigh that turns into a whistle. He knows this
is how long it’s been for me. ‘Do you know what scares me the most? That I’ll forget Jenny. That in a year, maybe two, I’ll wake up and she won’t be the first person I think of. That freaks me out, Mia. I don’t want to forget the things she said to me, or her funny little ways.’ He smiles. ‘She had this funny laugh that would always turn into a snort, like a pig. But it was so cute. Just so… Jenny.’

  I don’t tell him that eventually he might forget exactly how it sounded. ‘But do you know what that will be, Carlo? Progress. It won’t mean you’re forgetting her, just that you’ve come to terms with it.’

  He takes a moment to consider this and then nods, confident that I know what I’m talking about, that my guidance doesn’t just come from studying textbooks. But there is a huge difference between his situation and mine. The death of his wife isn’t tainted by horrific acts of betrayal – and worse. Carlo can grieve normally, remember the moments they shared without the memories being overshadowed. But for me, Zach’s death is synonymous with Josie Carpenter. The two of them are forever entwined.

  ‘There’s something you could try,’ I say, pushing my thoughts aside. ‘I think it might help you.’

  One evening, after Zach died, I put Freya to bed and went out in the back garden. Just as the sun set and it grew dark, I lit a Chinese lantern and watched it float away, saying goodbye to Zach as it ascended. It took ages for the light to get so small I could no longer see it, and in the time it was drifting upwards, away from me and off to some new place, I remembered Zach, told him all the things I would miss about him, and ignored anything else that had happened surrounding his death.

  I suggest to Carlo that he tries this and his face actually brightens. ‘You’re saying it actually works? I guess it sounds like a good idea. I’ll do it.’

  I nod. ‘It’s a nice way to say goodbye when someone dies, or even when you lose something, or life changes in some way. It might help you in your grieving process.’

  Still leaning forward, he clamps his hands together. ‘Thank you, I would never have thought of that. D’you know what I think of sometimes? And it makes me even sadder. Jenny would have loved you. I know she would. She was strong and kind like you, with a huge heart. But then if she hadn’t died, I wouldn’t be here to have met you, so… well, life’s just a bit weird, isn’t it?’

  ‘Yes, it is, Carlo. And Jenny sounds like an amazing woman. To be diagnosed with terminal cancer and still keep positive for the people around you takes tremendous courage.’

  He nods, a proud smile on his face. ‘So does what you’ve been through,’ he says, but then looks away.

  I knew when I told him I’d lost my husband that there was a chance he’d Google it and find out about Zach’s suicide. And about Josie Carpenter. And now I’m convinced he has. Carlo is too polite to say anything, but he knows, I’m sure of it. I wonder when he found out. Maybe it was even before his first session. It’s only natural that he would check out the counsellor he’s planning to open his heart to. Although I had the option of reverting to my maiden name, and there were times I was desperate to escape the stigma of Zach’s name, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I didn’t want to have to change Freya’s, or to have a different surname from her.

  For a second I feel the flood of shame I used to get whenever I encountered anyone who knew. But there is no judgement emanating from Carlo, and clearly nothing he’s found out has stopped him from coming to me.

  I need to change the direction of this conversation, turn it away from me and back to him. ‘How are you finding your local support group, Carlo?’

  He shrugs. ‘Yeah, it’s good. But, the thing is… most of the people there are much older than me, so I kind of find it hard to relate to them. I’m the only one in my thirties. That’s why I prefer coming here. I feel like you really get me.’

  ‘That’s nice of you to say, and I’m glad you feel supported, but surrounding yourself with people who understand at all is the most important thing. You don’t have to be the same age or share the same interests. There’s something much more important that will bond you together. Maybe you don’t want to see them all the time but I wouldn’t recommend leaving the group. Not at this early stage. In time you might find you don’t need the meetings as much, but it’s all still so fresh for you, Carlo, and I don’t want you to be so alone in this.’ Alone like I was, because who could I talk to when everyone hated Zach?

  I remember what Carlo has told me about his family. ‘Your parents and siblings are in Italy, aren’t they?’

  He nods. ‘And America. But at least when I’m feeling up to it, I’ll get to travel. Can’t imagine doing it now but eventually I will.’

  ‘That’s true. Just don’t cut yourself off from people. Being isolated makes everything so much harder.’ I know this only too well. My mum passed away soon after Zach and I were married and Dad moved to Canada to live near his sister, so he wasn’t around much after Zach died. I understood this; he just couldn’t deal with any more death. I was lucky enough to have friends who stood by me, even after what Zach was accused of, but I didn’t, and still don’t, like to burden people with my problems.

  ‘I hear you,’ Carlo says.

  By the end of the session, he seems in better spirits, but I know this hour will only be a temporary fix. As soon as he walks out of the door it will hit him all over again, and my words and support will fade into the background until I see him next week.

  The house is too quiet without Freya around, and although I wanted time and space to think, now I’ve got it I desperately want the hustle and bustle of normal life.

  I sit at my desk, long after Carlo has gone, and stare at my notes. I’m pleased with his progress but my mind is clouded and I can’t focus on writing up the details of our session. What am I supposed to do with the information Alison gave me? What kind of sick game is she playing? I could try to talk to Dominic, but if Alison was telling the truth about him being abusive then I can’t risk him doing anything to her. Regardless of whether she ever comes back, she’s my client and I owe her confidentiality, but, more than that, I would never risk causing her harm. Despite what she’s said and why she may have said it.

  But there is one person I can speak to and that’s Dominic’s ex-wife, Elaine. I expect she won’t be forthcoming if it’s got anything to do with her ex-husband, but it’s the only thing I have left to try.

  I Google Elaine Bradford; even though they’re divorced there’s a slim chance she’s kept her married name. Just like when I was searching for Alison, several hits come up, but it only makes me realise how futile this is. I don’t know what this woman looks like, or her age, or anything that could help me identify her. All I know is she got divorced around five years ago.

  Frustrated, I scroll through the list of links, hoping something will jump out at me, but nothing does.

  My mobile phone rings and I snatch it up when I see it’s Will.

  ‘Hey,’ he says. ‘How’s everything? Did you drop Freya off okay?’ His voice is filled with warmth, as it always is, and just for a second I can almost pretend everything is normal. That it’s just the three of us.

  I should let this Alison thing go; I have a life now and nothing can bring Zach back. He’s gone, and so is the person I was, so I need to put it behind me. Alison doesn’t seem to want to pursue it either so there can’t be anything in what she said. But still. There was a reason for her visit. A reason for what she said.

  ‘Yeah, all fine. They want to meet you soon. For dinner.’ I hesitate. ‘How do you feel about that?’

  A few seconds of silence follow before Will answers. ‘Actually, that would be nice. It’s a big step for them so I appreciate the offer. I know how important they are to you, they’re practically your family.’

  ‘It’s a big step for you too, though, Will. Are you ready?’

  ‘The main thing is are you ready, Mia?’

  The truth is I don’t know. But I need to prove to Will that he’s important to me and that I bel
ieve we have a future together. ‘Let’s do it,’ I say. ‘I’ll let them know.’

  ‘If you change your mind, though—’

  ‘I won’t.’ And now I’ve made that promise, I need to make sure I can keep it.

  Feeling more optimistic, and certain I can get past this, I spend the rest of the day catching up on paperwork. I even write up Alison’s notes, though it’s unlikely she will return.

  As I’m putting away my folders, I spot the corner of my wedding photograph. It shouldn’t be in this drawer after so long, but I can’t bring myself to put it away with all the others. It makes me feel as though Zach is with me, somehow, when I’m helping other people.

  I can rarely bring myself to look at it, but I slip it out from beneath the papers it’s hiding under, and stare at my husband’s face. He smiles back at me, his hazel eyes shining with all the promise that lay ahead of us. The promise that came to nothing.

  What did you do to that girl, Zach?

  I don’t notice the tears falling from my eyes until they splatter onto the photo, blurring my face. The face I perfected with make-up because it was the most important day of my life, at least until Freya was born.

  Zach always told me things didn’t need to be perfect, they just needed to be what they are, but he understood that day that I wanted everything to be right. And it was. A fairy-tale wedding. There was no glimpse of the nightmare that was to follow.

  The doorbell rings, snapping me out of thoughts I’m only too glad to be distracted from.

  I’m not expecting anyone, but it crosses my mind that it might be Will, wanting to surprise me. He said he had a lot of work on, but it would be just like him to turn up when I need him the most.

  The last person I’m expecting to see when I open the door is Dominic Bradford.