The Mute and the Liar (85 page)

Jayce
looks at me
horrified.
“
Is… is
that
true?
”
he asks.
I
nod.

“
But
it’s
not
like
that
,
”
I
quickly
tell
him
with
pleading
eyes,
hoping
he
will understand..
“
She committed suicide.
I
went outside, saw her
body
and
picked up
the gun.
”

“
How
am
I
supposed
to
believe
for
a
second
that
you
just
happened
to
be
standing
there
with
a
gun
in
your
hand!
”
Father
yells,
spit
spewing
from
his
mouth
with
every
word.
“
Do
you
know
how
that
felt?
Seeing
the
dead body
of
the
one
person
tha
t
actually
mattered
to
me
,
the
only
person
that
made
the world make sense and
work
?
”

“
I
already
told
the
police
what
happened.
Even
the
evidence
showed
it;
it
was
point-blank
range
straight
in
the
temple,
something
a
child
couldn’t
achieve
especially
when
you
saw
me
standing
so
far
away
from
her.
Her
right
arm
was
raised
to
her
head.
What
more
evidence
do
you
need?
Why
was
none
of
that
good
enough
for
you?
Why
did
you
have
to
do
all
this
when
you
know
full
well
what
really
happened?
”

“
I
was
just
doing
my
job
as
a
detective
chief
inspector.
I
was
just
looking
for
answers.
This
was
all
I
could
think
of.
I
needed
you
to
speak.
It’s
been
seven
years
and
nothing
else
has
worked
so
far.
So
I
thought
maybe
something
like
this
would
work.
”
Father
looks
directly
at
me
with
demanding
and
accusing
eyes.
“
Tell
me
what
really
happened
to
my
wife,
Alicia.
What
did
you
do
to
Amanda?
You
shot
her,
didn’t
you?
”
he
accuses,
raising
his
voice even more.
“
Didn’t
you?
”
he
shouts.

Suddenly,
with
crazed
eyes
and
a
manic,
animalistic
expression,
Dad
charges
towards
me.

“
Give
me
my
wife
back!
”
he
screams,
spit
erupting
from
his
mouth
and
his
face screwed up into
a
red, twisted
, crazed expression
.
“
Give
her
back!
”

Screaming
inside,
my
heart
pounding
and
my
whole
body
shaking,
I
try
to
run
away
from
him,
heading
towards
the
sofa.
He’s
going
to
kill
me!
I
scream
in
my
head,
and
this
thought
sends
me
hurtling
forwards
even
faster,
gasping
aloud
with
every
step.
I
look
over
my
shoulder
for
a
few
seconds
to
see
how
close father
is
to
me
when
I
notice
Jayce
pointing
the
gun
right
at
him.

He shoots,
but
hits
the
ground next
to
my
father
instead.

There
is
a
moment
of
confusion
where
F
ather
turns
around
to
face Jayce,
his
eyes
mercilessly
burning
through
him
and
his
mouth
frothing
with
swearwords,
which
gives
me
enough
time
to
duck
around
him
and
run
to
Jayce.
Something
crazy
and
consuming
takes
hold
of
me.
I
don’t
even
know
what
I’m
doing
–
I
let
this
blinding
scarlet
emotion
control
me
instead.
I
snatch
the
gun
out
of
his
hands
and
point
it
straight
at
Father.
My
hands
are
shaking
uncontrollably
–
no,
my
whole
body
is
shaking
–
but
at
this
range
I’m
sure
I
can
hit
him.
And
he
knows
that.

He
watches
this
happen,
slightly
confused,
before
realising
exactly
what
is going on. His face drops. He widens his eyes and he parts his mouth
slightly.
I
watch
him carefully, eyes narrowed.
He
is
breathing
deeply
and
just
watches
me,
stone
still.
It's
a
cold,
penetrating
look,
but
there
is
also
something lost and weak about it - scared.

“
Do it,
”
Jayce tells
me firmly
, shooting my Father with
a
look of pure
burning hatred.

“
She
wouldn’t
dare.
Would
you,
Alicia?
Just
put
it
down.
”

I
take
a
deep
breath
and
turn
my
focus
on
my
hands.
They’re
still
shaking
at
an
inhuman
rate.
Just
breathe.
With
great
effort,
I
manage
to
slow
the
shaking down just
a
little.

Father
shakes
his
head
slowly,
still
probing
deep
into
my
eyes,
as
though challenging
me.
I
try
to
straighten
up
and
stand
a
little
taller,
prove
I’m
the one in control in this situation, even though in reality I feel so weightless and
nauseous.
My
stomach
is
plummeting
and
my
chest
is
pounding.
I
can’t
think
straight;
there
are
a
million
things
all
ricocheting
like
rockets
through
my
head
at
once.
Half
of
me,
probably
the
only
part
with
any
sense
left,
is
telling
me
to
listen
to
my
father
and
put
down
the
gun.
But
at
the
same
time,
every
bone in my
body
is
telling
me
to
shoot
him
right
now.