Lovely Little Lies

by Travis Szablewski

  “Yeah, the bastard part is right,” Connelly smiled coyly as she climbed back onto Silas, straddling him once again.

  “Round two?” Silas smiled up to Connelly as she leaned forward, pressing her tongue into his mouth. Silas ran his hands around her round buttocks…clawing at her hips as she moved back and forth on top of him; feeling his hard cock rubbing against her thigh through her tight jeans from below.

  “Possible ten-sixty-seven; I repeat possible ten-sixty-seven,” a staticky voice rang out from the radio on the coffee table in front of the sofa.

  “Good fucking God,” Silas groaned as Connelly pulled her lips away once more.

  “What is that?”

  “Possible death,” Silas sighed as he stood up and snatched his radio from the coffee table. “Campbell here, what’s the location?”

  Static rang out through the speaker as the deep voice returned on the radio.

  “One-twenty-one Magnolia Cove, over.”

  Connelly quickly stood up from the couch…her heart pounding in her chest as Silas turned towards her…his eyes wide.

  “That’s Ally’s address,” Connelly said, her voice trembling.

  “Oh, my God,” Silas said as he quickly shoved the radio into his pajama pants pocket and snatched his handgun from the side table. Silas rushed forward, his bare feet pounding on the marble floor as Connelly struggled to keep up behind him. “Stay here!”

  “No! I’m going with you!” Connelly ordered as she followed Silas through the doorway and into the foyer. Silas ripped the front door open and rushed out onto the front porch, making his way down the walkway and towards the sidewalk. Connelly rushed down the front porch steps, her bare feet slamming onto the splintered wood, as she ran after Silas across the damp front lawn.

  She was just four houses down.

  Connelly rushed down the sidewalk, making her way down the street of Magnolia Cove…Silas far in the distance ahead. Connelly’s arms pumped at her sides as her eyes locked onto the front of Ally’s two-story home just a few feet ahead. Connelly rushed onto the grass of the Cunningham’s front lawn as she watched Silas raise his gun…and rush inside through the open door.

  Connelly stopped on the grass…the front door just a few feet ahead…as she struggled to catch her breath.

  She prayed…harder than she ever had before. Please don’t let it be her. Please…don’t let it be Ally.

  “Oh, my God!” a deep voice cried out from inside the dark house. Connelly’s eyes widened as she stepped back…cautiously moving away…

  As she watched Kendrick run out through the front door…still in his black suit from work.

  “Kendrick!” Connelly cried out as he rushed out onto the walkway, making his way towards her. “What the hell is going on?” Connelly demanded.

  “I can’t…I can’t breathe,” Kendrick said, his voice trembling, as tears streamed down his red cheeks.

  “What is going on? Kendrick!” Connelly snapped as Kendrick sank down to his knees and onto the grass in front of her.

  “I tried to help her! I tried!” Kendrick sobbed loudly as he held up his large hands, his palms matted with bright red blood.

  “Kendrick, what the hell happened? Please! Please! Just tell me!” Connelly cried as tears trickled down her cheeks.

  “Ally…she’s... I came home and I found her at the bottom of the basement stairs! She’s…she’s dead!” Kendrick cried out…as Connelly’s heart sank in her chest.

  Lillian

  Lillian closed her tired red eyes tightly as she fought back the tears that began to build behind her heavy eyelids. How could Ally be dead? How the hell could this have happened? All she knew…was that she was found at the bottom of the basement stairs; her head, cracked wide open. Lillian’s stomach twisted as the image of Ally’s little, fragile body tumbling down those wooden steps…slamming violently onto each edge on the way down circled her head. As horrible as the thought was, she prayed it was a quick death. She prayed that she wasn’t laying there…waiting for someone to come and help her. She should have walked her home. She should have made sure she made it safely…especially after what she learned about Kendrick’s little “rough love” incident that happened earlier.

  Was this…an accident?

  Or did Kendrick do this?

  “Coffee?” a deep voice rang out as Lillian’s eyes shot open. Lillian quickly glanced up from the white table in front of her…to see Sheriff Wesley Allen standing in front of her inside the tiny interrogation room of the Harmony Police Department.

  “Please,” Lillian said softly as she wiped her teary eyes. Sheriff Allen placed a Styrofoam cup of coffee in front of her. Ally took it into her hands, cupping it tightly, and sipped.

  “I know this is really hard for you…and your friends,” Sheriff Allen nodded as he sat down in the chair across from Lillian, his beer belly touching the edge of the table.

  “Do you know what happened?” Lillian asked, her voice trembling.

  “As of right now, it just appears to be a horrific accident. There was a busted clothes hamper filled with towels a few inches from her body. We are guessing that she went down to the basement to do laundry…and lost her footing on the stairs,” Sheriff Allen nodded sadly.

  “This…this is crazy,” Lillian cried as she buried her face into her hands, sobbing into them. She just saw Ally…alive. If she knew that was the last time she’d see her sweet face…those kind eyes; if she only knew.

  “But we do want to cover all of the bases. We aren’t jumping to conclusions on this case. We want to rule out any possibility that foul play was involved.”

  “Are you saying you think someone pushed her?” Lillian asked as her bottom lip quivered.

  “No, not at all. I just…want to ask you a few questions; the same questions I asked Victoria and Connelly,” Sheriff Allen nodded, the bright light above gleaming on his bald head. “I know you all had a get together at Mrs. Hampton’s house; how was Ally? Was she acting normal? Was anything out of the ordinary?”

  “She drank a little more than usual,” Lillian shrugged as she wiped her eyes.

  “How many did she have?” Sheriff Allen asked as his eyes narrowed onto Lillian from across the table.

  “Three…four glasses of wine,” Lillian said. “She wasn’t plastered or anything, but she had a good buzz going.”

  “Enough to possibly impair her judgement?”

  “No, we all left at the same time. I live at the opposite end of the street so I…I didn’t walk all the way to her house with her. But I saw her walk down the street for a few seconds. She seemed fine.”

  “What about Mr. Cunningham? Is there anything I should know about him?” Sheriff Allen asked as he clasped his hands together and rested them onto the top of his belly.

  “She…said they had a bit of a fight today,” Lillian said softly.

  “A fight?”

  “Well, not really a fight. I guess…he got a little rough with her during…during sex. She didn’t like it and I guess he…choked her a little? I don’t know the full extent…I mean, I wasn’t there, obviously. But it upset her.”

  “Do you think Kendrick would ever want to hurt Ally?”

  “No…not intentionally,” Lillian said as she shook her head, staring down at the table…her foot raddling nervously below.

  “I feel like there’s something you know,” Sheriff Allen said softly as he leaned forward, his elbows resting on top of the table.

  “What do you mean?”

  “Was their marriage…a happy marriage? I guess what I mean is…was there any talk of…infidelity?”

  Lillian swallowed hard as she leaned back into the white chair and tilted her head back, staring up at the bright fluorescent light above.

  She had been keeping this secret for so long. She was the only one that knew. She was the only one that Ally trusted with this. Sheriff Allen was smart. Maybe…maybe if she gave him just enough, he could figure it all out without her saying anything at all.
>
  “There was,” Lillian nodded as she looked to the sheriff across from her.

  “Who was Kendrick sleeping with?” Sheriff Allen asked.

  “No, Kendrick wasn’t cheating; well, as far as I know. Ally was,” Lillian said, nearly whispering.

  “So, do you know who the mystery man was?”

  “No,” Lillian lied as she felt her heart pound inside of her chest. That was all she could give. She didn’t want to add any more fuel to the fire…not yet. Not until she knew if Ally’s death was an accident or a homicide. Not until it was official.

  But she knew…

  She knew exactly who the mystery man was.

  Victoria

  Victoria’s hands clawed at Harlan’s rugged chest as she thrusted on top of him on the center of his bed; the plaid comforter wrapped tightly around her waist. Victoria rocked forward, her hips grinding on top of him as she felt his solid member glide quickly between the lips of her vagina. Victoria leaned forward, her blonde hair plastered against her sweaty face, as she dove her mouth into Harlan’s, their tongues massaging one another; his saliva coating her soft lips.

  “Oh, God; I’m gonna cum! I’m gonna cum!” Harlan said, nearly breathless, as his strong hands squeezed onto Victoria’s bare thighs.

  “Oh, yeah, baby! Cum for me!” Victoria gasped, her bare breasts bouncing beneath her as she thrusted harder on top of him. Harlan tilted his head back against the pillow beneath his head…as he let out a loud, vigorous groan of release.

  “Fuck!” Harlan called out, his hands squeezing tighter and tighter on her tan thighs. Victoria giggled, breathless, as she rolled off of Harlan and plopped down beside him onto the bed.

  “That got my mind off Ally,” Victoria said, her heart racing in her chest, as she rested her head against Harlan’s muscular shoulder, draping her arm across his rising chest.

  “Way to ruin the afterglow,” Harlan smirked as he shook his head, wrapping his arm around her back and pulling her closer.

  “You’re an asshole,” Victoria growled as she grabbed his right nipple with her thumb and pointer finger and tugged. She should have been catching up on sleep. Her and the others were at the police station for hours last night; she didn’t even make it home till three a.m. The questions the sheriff asked rolled through her head; from infidelity to Ally’s strange behavior during girls’ night last night. She wished she could give them something…anything to find out what exactly happened to Ally. But she didn’t know much. Ally was more private than the other girls; her issues and insecurities locked tightly behind her heart. But Victoria knew if she just sat around, all she would do is think about Ally…and go crazy. So, after Derek left for work this morning, she snuck into Harlan’s bedroom for a little morning glory; a perfect and utterly beautiful distraction that she needed so desperately.

  “I just can’t believe she’s gone,” Victoria said softly as she swallowed hard, running her fingers along Harlan’s smooth chest, around and around.

  “Do you think…do you think Kendrick did it?” Harlan asked, his blue eyes darting to their corners, staring at Victoria.

  “Kendrick is a piece of shit but he’s not a killer,” Victoria said, shaking her head. “They think she just tripped…and went down.”

  “You know it’s not your fault,” Harlan said softly as he turned in his bed, facing Victoria.

  “She just…she drank so much. We all should have made sure she made it home alright. Maybe…maybe that’s why she fell,” Victoria said, her voice trembling, as she stared into Harlan’s eyes and combed back his long blonde strands from his chiseled face.

  “You can’t sit there and think like that, Vic. You’re going to eat yourself alive. That’s not right; it’s not like you pushed her. It’s not like you made her drink.”

  “I know but...” Victoria said as she sat up in the bed, the comforter falling from her bare breasts and to her lap. “I was always so pushy with her. I mean, we all know I’m not the most…dainty little flower in the garden. I always tried to get her out of her box. I always tried to open her up,” Victoria said as she wiped her teary eyes. “I shouldn’t have done that. I guess I just wanted her to feel safe with me and the other girls. I just wanted her to know that she could talk to all of us…about anything. But then again, maybe if I pushed a little harder…she would have told us something; something that might clear this whole mess up.”

  “She knew that your intentions were good,” Harlan said as he sat up beside her and wrapped his arm around her back. “Sure, you might not…be the most sensitive person on this planet,” Harlan laughed as Victoria couldn’t help but smile. “But you’ve got a kind heart under that tough exterior. Not a lot of people see it…but I do.”

  “I’m just really going to miss her,” Victoria whispered as she looked to Harlan, a tear streaming down her cheek. Harlan swallowed hard, staring back at Victoria with sadness…as he pulled her closer towards him, hugging her tightly. Victoria closed her eyes, her arms wrapped around him, as she felt his heart beating through his chest and against her own. If only life was simple. If only Ally could still be here. If only she could have Harlan…and only Harlan.

  “Babe!” a deep voice called out from downstairs…as Victoria heard the faint sound of the front door slam shut.

  “Shit!” Victoria snapped as she threw the comforter off of her naked body and leaped off of the bed.

  “I thought you said dad was working!” Harlan snapped as he quickly stood up out of the bed and snatched his jean shorts from the floor.

  “He was supposed to be,” Victoria growled as she quickly snatched her pink silk robe from the floor and pulled it onto her body, tying the straps around her thin waist. Harlan quickly pulled his shorts on, not bothering with underwear, and snatched his red cutoff shirt from the floor. Victoria rushed forward, making her way towards the bedroom door…as she listened to Derek’s loafers…sounding off on the staircase right outside. Victoria quickly snatched a hamper beside the door filled with Harlan’s dirty clothes and pulled the door open. She rested the hamper on the side of her bony hip as she pulled the door open…and stepped out into the second level hallway…

  To see Derek…

  Stepping around the corner and into the hallway.

  “Hey,” Derek smiled widely as he lugged his briefcase at his side.

  “What are you doing home so early? You’ve only been gone for thirty minutes,” Victoria said, struggling to control her breathing.

  “I know but I got to work and all I could think about was…you. With everything that happened last night, I just…I wanted to spend the day with you. I know you’re going through a rough time with…what happened to Ally. I figured we could go to the lake, take the boat out, and go out to dinner tonight…as a family,” Derek smiled as he stepped up to Victoria.

  “You really didn’t have to do that. I was just going to clean and do laundry…keep my mind busy,” Victoria lied as she looked to the hamper in her hands.

  “Well, we can keep your mind busy in other ways. I don’t want you slaving over this house. I just…I want us to have a good day. I want us to make the most of it,” Derek smiled as he leaned forward and kissed Victoria’s rosy cheek.

  “Hey, dad,” Harlan smiled as he stepped out through his open bedroom door and made his way down the hall.

  “Morning, son; you’re up early,” Derek nodded as his eyes followed Harlan as he walked towards the stairs.

  “Well, the early bird gets it first,” Harlan smiled coyly as he stopped at the top of the stairs and looked to his father and Victoria.

  “I think it gets the worm is how that goes,” Derek smirked as he looked to Victoria.

  “Right, that too,” Harlan nodded…as he winked to Victoria behind his father’s turned back…and made his way down the grand staircase and to the foyer below.

  Connelly

  Connelly stared out through the small window above her kitchen sink as she watched the sun slowly set behind the treetops; the sky, a pa
stel pink and baby blue with splashes of bright yellow. Twenty-four hours ago, around this time…was the last that she saw Ally Cunningham alive.

  “Red or white?” Connelly asked as she rinsed out the two champagne glasses in the sink, glancing back to Lillian who sat at the center island on a bar stool.

  “Surprise me,” Lillian nodded as she crossed her arms, resting them on the top of the countertop.

  “Is Tatum watching Gordon tonight?” Connelly asked as she grabbed a dish towel hanging over the top of the cabinet door below her and began to dry the glasses off.

  “No, she’s at the office late tonight; Kylie’s got him. They went out for pizza and a movie,” Lillian said softly as she fiddled with her hands, picking at her thumbnail nervously.

  “Everything about last night is still such a blur,” Connelly said, bringing up the dark elephant in the room. “I just keep seeing the blood on Kendrick’s hands,” Connelly said as she placed the two glasses onto the center island countertop and walked to the glass refrigerator door. Connelly pulled the door open, reached inside, and grabbed a bottle of Chateau Marguax and Louis Jadot; it was a two-bottle type of night.

  “Do you think he was involved?” Lillian asked as she wrapped her arms around her body.

  “Honestly, I have no idea,” Connelly sighed as she grabbed a corkscrew from the island drawer and twisted it into the cork of the Chateau Marguax. “If he is, he sure as hell put on a good show. I mean…he was a wreck, Lill. I’ve never seen him like that. I thought he was going to pass out. It was…scary,” Connelly said as she pulled the cork off of the wine bottle and filled the two glasses.

  “I told the sheriff about what she told us,” Lillian confessed as Connelly gently pushed the glass towards her. “About how he…was rough.”

  “You’re not the only one,” Connelly agreed as she raised her glass and took a long sip. During her interview, Sheriff Allen kept pushing and pushing for answers that she simply didn’t have. Yes, Connelly and Ally were super close; but they all had their own little secrets. They all had their own little quirks that weren’t brought out into the light. Like it or not, best friends have secrets, too.