Lie You Die

By J B Curtis

Gripping suspense thriller. Daniel Messinger is overtaken by deadly unforgiving anger after his mother commits suicide after being victimised following her whistleblowing concerns. He begins his personal war seeking revenge, holding his victims captive on a remote Island, before interrogating them intent on receiving the truth. Armed with a cache of weapons warns them their deceit leads to execution. Meanwhile two detectives Kat and Billy are assigned to the case but will they be too late to rescue the victims?

• Language: English
• Publisher: J B Curtis
• Release date: Jun 24, 2014
• ISBN: 9781310746123

Book preview

Chapter 1

Jo lifted the black heavy arched file from her shelf and let it fall onto her bed. She had two new documents to add, the complaint and her response. She opened the file and gazed at its contents. She carefully undid the clip and slowly flicked through the vast amount of pages. Fifteen years of complaints. Fifteen years of fighting the injustice. Fifteen years of struggle grief and heartache. She had kept every complaint, she had planned on writing a book to show the world the evil, the suffering, but this was the last complaint they would ever write about her. She carefully added the two documents on top of the rest. She let her mind wander for a minute, she thought about all of the lives she had fought so hard to save, they never knew she saved their lives, they never knew she had suffered for it, they would never know now. The book would never be written.

She left the file on the bed open. She needed to let him know the reason why she was giving up the fight, why she was leaving him, but he had suffered too during his twenty six years, there was a time she would confide in her son about the complaints, but it became too much for him, and he was becoming so disillusioned about the world, he was young, and should be positive about life, so for the last few years she had kept the complaints secret. His life had been ruined too, he had lost jobs because of the gossip about her, and more recently he had lost the woman he adored, the woman he had planned to marry. She too had adored Lucy, and had welcomed her into her home and loved her like a daughter. But the day she met her parents at their engagement party she had known the engagement was doomed. Her mother’s name was written on one of the complaints in her file; she was responsible for her being banned from the hospital she had loved working the most. She had spoken quietly behind closed doors at the party with Linda. She had pleaded with her to let bygones be bygones and not to let their past relationship sour the relationship of their off spring, Jo was willing to hide the truth from her son and Lucy, and she had hoped Linda would too. But just two weeks after their engagement party, Danny had broke the news to her it was off. He was heartbroken. He had tried desperately to try and win her back, but it was to no avail. He had spent the last twelve months living like a hermit. Going to his job at the local supermarket, coming home, then spending the evening on his computer, blotting out her memory playing violent computer games. She had never told him the secret, she couldn’t. She had blamed herself for their break up, and his failure at work.

She glanced at his graduation photograph on her desk, he looked happy, grinning his big smile, just like the first day of his new job at the accountancy firm. Then she remembered the pain in his eyes when he told her they let him go. She did not know then that his boss was the father of one of the men in her file. Then when he poured out his grief to her and mentioned his bosses name, she had an inkling but then knew for sure when Brian Peel had passed her in the street and stopped to ask if Danny had settled into his new job at his father’s company. His sickly smile made her stomach churn, and she struggled to stay on her feet after hearing those words. She had kept that a secret from him too. But he was to suffer no more for her actions.

She gathered her things, her pale blue tunic, navy trousers and navy fleece jacket and put them in her bag. She was about to put in her snack, but instead placed the tuna sandwiches back in the fridge and put the bottles of coke back she wouldn’t be needing her snack tonight.

She checked her hair in the mirror before she left. Almost completely grey now. Her dull blue eyes stared back at her. She knew she looked older than her fifty four years; the wrinkles around her eyes were now deep set. She sighed as she put some of the short layers of her hair back in place; at least she wouldn’t have to worry about aging anymore.

She picked up the stamped letter addressed to her son and put it in her bag. She didn’t want to risk him finding it too early. He would get it tomorrow. He deserved an explanation; he deserved to know the truth.

She passed her son’s room on her way out. His door was ajar, she watched him for a moment. His sandy blonde hair looked unruly, he was engrossed in his computer game, she wanted to hug him and tell him she loved him, but that would give the game away, she had to force herself to act normal. He caught her staring at him; his pale blue eyes studied her inquisitively. He removed his headphones. ‘Are you working again Mum?’

‘Yes, it’s a different hospital tonight son, I have never been to this one before, it’s a bit nearer than the last one, it will still take me two hours to drive there though. I’ll be back tomorrow.’

‘Okay Mum, drive carefully there is snow forecast for tonight. See you tomorrow.’

He flashed her a white smile and waved, and she smiled and waved back.

‘I will son, see you tomorrow,’ she lied.

The cold December air took her breath away. Grateful the snow hadn’t begun falling yet, she walked slowly to her car. She glanced back at the house for a moment. The house had been her pride and joy, and it had been a struggle paying the mortgage since her divorce twenty five years ago. She had often promised Danny as he was growing up that she would buy a bigger house one day, where he would have room for all his things. Maybe things will be different for him now, she wondered.

She climbed into her small Peugeot 206, and started the engine. The car came to life after the second try. She had driven 200,000 miles in this car, it was second hand when she bought it, and now she had paid off the finance company it was hers. She was now clear of all debts, the first time in her life. She couldn’t leave him if she were in debt. She switched on the stereo and Cliff Richard serenaded her as she pulled out of her street towards the motorway. He would keep her company on her final journey. Music was her only friend, and it was what she would miss the most. She stopped at the post box at the end of the road, and took out the letter checking the address carefully. It was five pm, just thirty minutes before the postman would collect it. She dropped it into the box and heard it land softly on top of other mail inside the box. It was done, she had posted the letter, there was no turning back now.

Chapter 2

‘We start at seven on this ward.’ The male nurse looked cross. Jo looked at her phone it showed 19.07. ‘I’m sorry, there was a diversion on the motorway, a lorry had jack knifed because of the snow and ...’

‘You can put your things in there,’ he said firmly. He pointed to a room behind the nurses’ station. Jo knew it was pointless explaining her lateness, lateness was never forgiven, they never believed you, they couldn’t care what made you late, you were late, and that was that, and they would make you suffer for it. Jo sighed as she put her bag in the room. She wondered if this was the room where she would die.

She was glad they were fully staffed; she didn’t want the patient’s to suffer as a result of her action; she cheerfully carried out her work, giving out the night time medications, checking the patient’s observations. The male nurse had stayed out of her way for the time being. If she planned on staying the full shift she knew there would be a complaint the next day, she was late after all, it’s an excuse for them, she wondered if he had already written his complaint in his mind, sad really that he would have to re write it and this time complain about the inconvenience of leaving the ward less a qualified nurse.

She checked the insulin injection with the young female staff nurse, who had the name ‘Emily’ written on her badge, they hadn’t introduced themselves, it was rare for them to do that if she was late. Emily too kept her distance, and only spoke to Jo when it was necessary. They always followed the leader, nurses were pack animals.

After checking the insulin, Emily left Jo in the treatment room. Jo waited for the door to close behind her, then let the full vial of insulin drop into her pocket. She took a ten ml syringe and a green needle and put them into her pocket before leaving the room with the patient’s tray containing his insulin. She found the patient, an elderly man who had recently had an amputation caused by his diabetes. The dressing on his stump was soiled and needed changing.

‘Hello nurse, I haven’t seen you here before?’ He said cheerfully.

‘Eh, no, I’m Jo, I am an agency nurse, I am helping them out tonight. Now where do you want your injection Mr. White?’

‘You can call me Harry. Can you put it in my left arm please nurse?’ Jo nodded and swiftly gave him his ten units of insulin.

‘That didn’t hurt a bit, you can come back again.’ Harry said. Jo smiled. ‘You sound like you are a northern lass, where are you from?’

‘I live in Leeds.’

‘You have travelled all the way from Leeds to Birmingham tonight, are you mad?’

‘It’s what I do, I travel a lot in my job, I don’t mind the travelling,’ she lied. ‘Now let me change that dressing for you.’

‘It doesn’t need changing, didn’t you listen to the handover?’ came a female voice behind her. ‘It is due to be changed tomorrow; they only do it every other day.’ Jo turned to find Emily stood angry faced behind her. Such a pretty young girl to have such an angry face, thought Jo. ‘I haven’t had a hand over yet, I asked ehm ...’

‘Nick.’

‘Nick for a handover, but he didn’t have time, but I don’t mind doing it, it’s leaking onto the sheet, look.’ Jo pulled back the thin green blanket to reveal the blood drenched sheet and bandage. ‘It won’t take me two minutes.’

‘Did your ears refuse to listen to anything I just said?’ said Emily, lowering the tone of her voice.

‘It’s okay nurse, they will change it tomorrow, it’s just a little bit of blood on the sheet, it’s nothing really.’ Harry said pulling the blanket back over him. Jo smiled at him, he was vulnerable, he was reliant on the nurses to care for him, he didn’t want to be the cause of any trouble. She knew he was at risk of infection having a wet dressing, and she was sure Emily knew that too, and she was used to battles such as this, it had strengthened her resolve, for her final mission tonight. She was tired of all the fighting, as she was getting older, her fifty four years were taking a strain, she was losing the fight.

‘Let me just re pad it and re bandage it for tonight?’ pleaded Jo trying hard not to appear to be taking control of the delicate situation she found herself in.

‘Actually, it’s time for your break. You can go to first break; I’ll show you where we go.’

Emily marched out of the bay. Jo checked her fob watch, only eleven pm, early to be starting breaks she thought.

Jo looked back the patient, he avoided eye contact. She followed Emily out of the bay and down the corridor.

‘You can take your break in here; we take forty five minutes, so you are due back at eleven forty five.’ Jo walked into the room and Emily closed the door shutting her in.

The room was a small box, a few changing lockers robbed the room of space. The stench of old smelly shoes filled the room. Shoes were piled high on top of the lockers and others were spread across the floor. One plastic chair in the corner, bare walls and no windows, the carpet was grey, stained with muddy footprints. Jo was pretty sure this was not the room where the staff took their breaks, but she knew she was in the bad books for being late, and so she shall suffer, and it had happened many times before. It was not the type of room she wanted to die in but it would have to do.

She sat on the cold hard red plastic chair. She checked her phone in her pocket. No messages. She checked the wallet holding her phone. The card with Danny’s number was there. She hoped he would get the letter before he was told, but however he found out would be hard either way. She had tried to get other jobs with no success. She was forced to carry on doing this, and as she had no pension, knew it would be her life until she died. She had planned this for weeks. She had talked herself out of it many times, mainly for Danny, was it selfish to leave him? She had come to the conclusion it was more selfish to live, just by living was ruining his life, maybe if she died they might leave him alone? There was only one way to find out.

Jo took out her small brown leather bound bible and found the page she wanted to read. She read it out loud.

‘Yeah though I walk through the valley of death I will fear no evil, thy rod and thy staff comfort me. Dear God, in the name of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, please forgive me for what I am about to do. Amen.’

She turned on her phone and flicked through the photographs of her son, she always kept them on her phone, and when she was away from home she looked at them. She paused on his latest birthday photograph. He looked happy, smiling, standing next to his Lucy. Tears filled her eyes.

She sat on the floor, took out the insulin, syringe and needle from her pocket, and withdrew all of the contents from the vial. Then pierced her thigh through her tunic. She felt the sharp pain as the needle entered her flesh, then she slowly injected all of the contents from the syringe. They could find her body. She didn’t want to do it at home. It had to be at work. She lay on the floor and looked at the photograph of her son on her phone one last time before she drifted into unconsciousness and was gone.

Chapter 3

Danny was awoken suddenly to the sound of the phone ringing. He checked the clock; the red digital display shone 0230 hrs. It has got to be his mother. I bet she was coming home early, he thought, they must have been cruel to her again, he picked up the phone and croaked ‘Hello,’ in his tired voice.

Doctor Simon Jones took a deep breath and spoke quickly. ‘Can I speak with Daniel Messinger please?’

Panicking now, Danny sat up on the edge of his single bed. ‘This is Daniel speaking.’ he uttered. I hope she hasn’t been in a car accident? Thought Danny, this guy sounds official like a policeman.

‘It’s about your mother Joanne.’

‘Yes?’

Danny strained to listen above the sound of his beating heart.

‘This is Doctor Simon Jones at Derwentside Infirmary, your mother was working on our ward, ward twenty three, and she took ill suddenly, she is in a critical condition..’

‘Critical! How? What happened?’

‘We believe she has had a heart attack. How far away are you? Do you live in Birmingham?’

‘No, I live in Leeds, I’ll come right away.’

Danny put down the phone and hurried to get dressed. How was he going to get to Birmingham without transport? He had to give his car back to the finance company when he lost his last job. Maybe his mate Jake could help?

He rang Jake’s mobile number. No answer. He lived in the next town, but maybe he could either loan him his car or give him a lift? He tried ringing again. Still no answer.

Danny frantically searched the train times online, the next train wasn’t until seven am.

He flung on his coat, picked up a hammer and went out into the cold night air and scanning the street for an old car, one he could hot wire. He had seen them do it in movies, it was his only option at that time, his mind was working overtime, rational thought did not come into play.

At the bottom of the street Daniel spotted an old Nissan Micra. He checked around to make sure no one was watching, and then taking the hammer tapped the driver’s window. The hammer punched a hole in the window, and pushing away some glass Danny put his hand inside and felt for the door latch. The door popped open and Danny climbed inside, his hot breath steaming the front screen window. He felt for the wires behind the steering and put them together, the car coughed and spluttered a little then stopped. Danny scanned the nearby houses. Everything was in darkness. He took a deep breath and tried again. The engine burst into life, he slipped it into first gear and sped off around the corner and towards the motorway. He had never travelled to Birmingham before, he didn’t know the way, he gathered if he travelled south on the M1 Birmingham would be sign posted. But then remembered about the Sat Nav on his phone. He opened the app and typed Derwentside Infirmary Birmingham, and the Sat Nav beeped before telling him, he would arrive at five twenty am.

The roads were white with snow, and few tyre tracks helped to make it obvious which side of the road was his. On his journey he was surprised by how few cars there were. He passed several royal mail vans, and some taxis, he also passed a police car that was attending to a broken down truck on the hard shoulder, he prayed the car he was in hadn’t yet been reported stolen. He would try to return it fixed to the owner the next day, and would explain his actions, and hope they would forgive him. But for now his only concern was his mother, the woman who had brought him up single handily since he was a baby. His father had left to go and live abroad with a woman he taught in the college where he worked as an arts lecturer. He had never seen him except in photographs. His mother never spoke about him, and although he secretly wished she would marry again one day, so he could have a father to learn from, it never happened. She had struggled to make ends meet all through her life, she was always working, and she worked mainly night shifts now because they paid more. He just wished he’d had a better job so he could help her out, instead he had to live at home because the minimum wage he was earning was not enough to pay for a flat on his own, and he was still paying the finance company for that car, it wasn’t enough that they took the car, they still wanted monthly payments from him.

He couldn’t understand why they sent her so far away on the nursing agency, sometimes she had to drive over two hundred miles for one shift, it was madness, but she never complained about the driving, she said she enjoyed it, but he worried in case one day she would be involved in a car accident. He wanted her to give it up, and she had tried to apply for other jobs, but was never successful. He didn’t understand that either, how come the hospitals were always complaining they were so short staffed that they did not want to employ his mother, a woman with thirty years experience in nursing. He shook those thoughts from his mind and put his foot down. He hoped she would be okay, people do live from heart attacks, his mate Jake’s uncle had a heart attack five years ago