To Those Who Lied

By Molly Lacey

It was meant to be an ordinary assassination.

The plan was simple; the outcome left three dead and two, fueled by their trauma, set on very different paths.

In a cruel twist of fate, James Locke is left alone, his brother and sister ripped away from him, leaving only unanswered questions in their wake. Five years later Elizabeth Penhallow comes charging into his life, bringing a dark and dangerous truth with her and dragging him into a world of murder and betrayal.

Thrown head first into a new life, he learns some secrets are better left unsaid.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse UK
• Release date: Nov 28, 2018
• ISBN: 9781728381244

Molly Lacey

Molly Lacey is a 16 year old A-level student whose future career interests relate to criminal psychology and in writing fiction. Molly lives on the coast in Essex. She has a passion for writing, which she spends much of her spare time engaged in as a break from her college work. Molly plays the clarinet in a band. She also enjoys drama and singing, and has recently performed in a local amateur production of Les Miserables. To Those Who Lied is Molly’s first novel.

Book preview

PART 1

PROLOGUE

T he phone rang three times before going to voicemail. You’ve reached Alia, but I’m afraid I can’t come to the phone right now. You know the drill: leave a message after the bleep.

James sighed. Hi Ally, it’s me again. I’m sorry that I keep calling, but I’m really starting to get worried. Your head-teacher says you haven’t signed in for the past three days and none of your friends have seen you anywhere, so it would be really nice if you could at least… I don’t know, text me or something? Just let me know that you’re okay and that I don’t have to file a missing persons report. And if you’re not okay, you know you can talk to me, right?

There was a long pause.

Right. Well, I’m going to hang up now before I feel even more awkward about talking to myself. Call me back.

And then he hung up and waited, hoping that for once in her life, his sister might actually return his call.

CHAPTER 1

I t was the evening of August 21 st . Three loud, pompous men were staggering down the streets of Whitechapel, too drunk to notice that the alley they had stumbled into was not a public walkway. They lurched into the shadows, the soles of their cheap shoes hitting the ground one after the after. The man at the front made a rude joke about what happens in alleys on dark nights and the other two cackled in response. Man number two took a swig from his flask. He swallowed nervously, only just realising that they had reached a dead end. There was another slurred joke. A pause. And then the three men turned around.

That was when they saw her. She was standing a few metres behind them, simply watching. It was too dark for them to make out any of her features. The only shape that they could see was the angular object in her right hand.

They staggered backwards, flight or fight response screaming. Man number two tried to run but he fell, his flask hitting the ground. Man number one said something foolish about money, man number three begged but it was like she didn’t hear either of them. With a cold, heartless smile on her face, she raised her gun and pulled the trigger three times.

Man number three died first. He cried out to his God, but there was no response.

Man number two followed. His hand jerked towards his flask, his last thoughts of one more drink.

Man number one was the last one to die. Elizabeth shot him in the leg, not in the head like the others. She slowly stalked towards him, watching in curiosity as his delirious eyes widened in fear. Don’t… don’t… please…

Don’t do what? She asked, crouching beside him. She let her free hand trail across his cheek, smearing blood across his skin. He cringed away from her.

Don’t kill me, please. I’ll do anything. He cried.

Anything? She raised an eyebrow.

Anything.

Her lips curved into a smile. It was dark and it promised pain. Don’t scream.

∞∞∞

Elizabeth stepped into the cafe, black hood covering her hair and most of her face. She kept her head down and didn’t make eye contact with anyone as she walked towards the toilets at the back.

She pushed open the door and stepped inside, hurriedly glancing around the cubicles to ensure that she was alone. Then, she walked straight to the sink and turned the tap on. The hands that she held under the water were encrusted with red; the water turned scarlet as it ran down the drain.

Once her hands were clean, she wiped them down on her black hoodie and reached for her phone. She dialled a number she practically knew off by heart. The phone rang twice before there was a click at the other end. Hello?

It’s Elizabeth. I just thought I’d call to let you know that douches number one, two and three are all dead.

You’re sure?

Is that doubt I hear? Elizabeth asked, amused. She quickly glanced around the bathroom, just to check that she was still alone. Trust me, those men are as dead as dead can be.

Good. And the bodies?

Are going to make for a very nasty surprise for some poor old lady tomorrow.

Perfect. The man hung up.

Elizabeth tucked the phone into her pocket with a sigh. Then, she took off the black hoodie and tied it around her waist. Underneath, she was wearing a green blouse that matched the colour of her eyes. She combed her red hair out of its bun and let it fall loose around her face. She used toilet paper to wipe away her red lipstick and black eye liner, pinched her cheeks to make them pinker and checked her reflection in the mirror. An average looking sixteen-year-old smiled back.

Grinning, she spun on her heel and walked out of the bathroom. Her first stop was the cashier desk. She ordered her coffee and paid, making sure to smile widely at the male cashier when she thanked him. Then, she headed for the booth at the very back of the café and waited.

Five minutes later, a tall, willowy girl stepped into the cafe. She was dressed all in black: black jacket, back jeans and black boots. Even her hair and eyes were black. The only colour she wore was her signature red lipstick. Lydia spotted Elizabeth instantly and hurried over to the booth, smiling. Sorry I’m late, I had to kill a guy and it took much longer than I expected. I hope you weren’t waiting too long.

Elizabeth laughed. Not at all.

∞∞∞

Those boys over there are totally checking you out, Lydia grinned at her best friend.

Elizabeth glanced over her shoulder. True enough, three out of the four boys at the table Lydia had pointed at were watching her. She winked at them before turning back to her coffee. They wouldn’t be if they knew what I was.

Lydia laughed. You realise that the reason they’re checking you out is because you look so wickedly beautiful in that outfit, don’t you? What you are has nothing to do with it.

Elizabeth stared back at her, cold amusement darting across her features. Do you really think they’d still be interested in me if they knew I could kill them without getting blood on my shirt?

Maybe they’d think it’s a very good skill to have.

Elizabeth laughed. "Maybe I should add that I would happily kill them. That might do the trick."

To be honest, they would probably think you were kidding. I mean, how many sixteen-year-olds have a part-time job as an assassin?

Not nearly enough.

Exactly. Lydia ran a finger around the rim of her coffee cup, thinking. She looked up again, meeting Elizabeth’s eyes with her signature daredevil smile on her face. So?

So nothing, Lydia. You know I don’t do the whole dating thing. It’s just too complicated keeping the whole ‘I’m an assassin’ thing hidden when there are constantly people trying to kill me. I mean, what am I supposed to say if someone attacks me? ‘Oh, I’m sorry. I’m sure he didn’t mean to shoot me. His finger must have slipped?’

Lydia snorted before she could stop herself. You could always tell him the truth.

Elizabeth laughed at that. And have him run away crying? No thanks. Look, Lydia, the only way dating could ever end in my world is that someone kills my boyfriend or someone kills me. It’s not really the long lasting relationship that most guys are hoping for. Elizabeth lifted her coffee to her mouth and gulped down the last bit at the bottom.

You can’t honestly believe that love always ends in murder, Liz. Lydia raised her eyebrows.

Yeah, well, it’s not really love, is it? Not at sixteen.

Well, I think it can be love. I mean, Jake and I-.

Are absolutely sickening. Elizabeth smiled. Promise me that if I ever do end up in a relationship, you’ll shoot me before I ever end up as… mushy as you and Jake.

They both laughed. As if that would ever happen.

True. Elizabeth flicked her hair over her shoulder. You need me too much.

That I do. For example, I need your help for me and Jake’s date tonight. I’m not sure what to wear.

Jake was one of Elizabeth’s best friends and Lydia’s boyfriend. The two had been dating since Lydia was fourteen, two years later and they were still going strong. They had all met at the FDA (Federal Department of Assassins) headquarters some days after they were recruited. Lydia liked to joke that it had pretty much been love at first punch.

Um… your pyjamas? They’re comfy and stylish.

You want me to wear pyjamas to a five-star restaurant? Really, Elizabeth? Lydia sighed heavily.

Why not? Screw social expectations and wear whatever you want. Elizabeth grinned, happy now that the topic had moved away from her and her unwillingness to date. Oh, come on, Lydie, it’s not that hard. How about you wear… the navy, silk jumpsuit with your silver heels? That way, you can store a knife in your shoes and if anyone attacks you, you don’t have to worry about ripping your dress.

Well, ignoring that completely irrelevant comment at the end, that might not be a bad idea.

Elizabeth raised her eyebrows. Don’t sound so surprised. I can be smart when I want to be.

Which is basically never.

Elizabeth leaned across the booth and slapped her best friend on the arm. Oh, shut up.

Don’t tell me to shut up, you…

Elizabeth was reaching across the table to slap Lydia again when Lydia’s phone rang. Both of them froze and stared at the black object lying on the table. Warily, Lydia reached for her phone and flipped it over. She smiled when she saw that it was only Jake.

Hey.

I’m afraid I have bad news. Jake’s deep voice cracked down the speaker.

You always have bad news, Elizabeth laughed. What is it this time?

It’s not really laughter worthy.

Elizabeth and Lydia shared a panicked look. Out of the three of them, Jake was always the most light-hearted. The ‘no news is bad news’ member of their friendship. He was probably the only one who kept them both sane. If he wasn’t making jokes, then that meant that something terrible had happened.

How bad is bad?

There was a long pause as Jake hesitated.

Jake, Elizabeth said lowly. Just spit it out.

Okay. Fine. I had a call from James this morning.

James… as in your brother? Lydia asked curiously.

Yeah. He said that he hasn’t heard from Alia in three days. I didn’t think much of it- you know what he’s like- but I called the psychiatric hospital anyway. Just in case. Apparently, she broke out nearly a week ago.

"So, let me get this straight. Your psychotic sister, the one who has tried to kill us four times, broke out of a psychiatric hospital nearly a week ago and nobody thought to tell us?"

That’s certainly what it sounds like, Lydia growled. Jake, how is that even possible?

He sighed. I really don’t know.

What do you think she’s going to do?

Elizabeth swallowed. I’d assume that it is going to include us and murder. It usually does.

Look, Jake said quietly. There’s nothing we can do about it at the moment. Especially since Tessler has another assignment for us.

Oh?

It’s in Australia. Some serial killer he wants us to track down.

Track down? Elizabeth narrowed her eyes.

The last place she was spotted was near Darling Harbour, in Sydney. He wants us to check it out and see why she might have gone there. Jake hesitated for a second. And if we find her, he wants us to… well, you know.

When you say ‘her’, please tell me that you’re not referring to the serial killer who escaped from the Ravenwood prison for the clinically insane after killing eighteen people in a fire three months ago and hasn’t been seen since? Lydia’s hand tightened around her coffee cup, accidently crushing it. Elizabeth unwound Lydia’s fingers from around the cup and let it fall to the table, albeit in several pieces.

That might be the one. Even Jake sounded nervous. Lydia could imagine him tugging at his hair, an uneasy smile struggling to remain on his lips. If her name is Regan Moore.

Lydia’s mouth opened, about to speak, before Elizabeth beat her to it. I don’t know why you’re so worried Lydia. There is a less than fifty percent chance that we’ll actually find this girl. And hey, if we do, you can even ask for her autograph.

Wouldn’t that be something to brag about, Jake chuckled. Although she might struggle to sign if she’s in handcuffs…

Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we? Lydia murmured, shaking her head at her two friends. We haven’t even started this mission yet.

Elizabeth grinned. Have you told the others?

No. I thought I’d tell you first.

Well, tell them to meet us at the cafe. It sounds like we have a mission to plan.

CHAPTER 2

T he car was silent as she drove down the road. Lydia was fast asleep on Jake’s shoulder in the back seat. Phoebe and Lucas were both staring out of the window. It was too dark to see much of anything as it was nearly 11pm, but that didn’t stop them trying. There wasn’t that much to do anyway. Blond-haired Lucas occasionally jabbed Phoebe in the side, causing her to yelp and slap his shoulder, but other than that, there was silence.

But silence was good. Silence meant that Elizabeth could think clearly about their mission and about the girl that she was running from. It meant that she could sort through every frightened thought in her mind, label it stupid and throw it away.

She turned a corner onto a much darker road. The street lights disappeared and her headlights came on, turning the narrow country lane a cloudy shade of grey. There were hedges either side of the road, but nothing more. It was a featureless road in the middle of nowhere. The perfect place to hide five assassins, if she thought about it. They were so far away from civilisation that no matter how hard their victims screamed, nobody would ever hear them. Nobody would hear them screaming either, Elizabeth thought before she could stop herself. Instantly, she kicked that thought into the bucket, right alongside all the other thoughts that said Alia was going to find them, just like she always did.

Elizabeth hadn’t told any of her team mates, but she was truly terrified of their mission. She wasn’t at all concerned about hunting a serial killer down- that would be easy- or about killing that serial killer if they found her. Those were things she could do in her sleep. No, she was afraid that her ex-best-friend with superior tracking abilities would decide that Australia was a good place to visit. She was afraid that the things that had happened in Canada would happen again.

Canada. Elizabeth tried hard not to think about that. The screams, the pain, Sara- She had to cut herself off again. It was just like Jake always said; she couldn’t do that to herself.

She turned into the drive of an old looking house, identical to the picture that she had on her phone. It was too dark to see much of it clearly, but her headlights gave her a good enough view of the white walls, the gently sloping roof and the huge garden. The gravel crunched underneath the car wheels as she drove up to the house and parked outside.

Phoebe looked up from the back seat. Is this it?

Elizabeth nodded. I think so.

So, who wants the honours of waking the love-birds up? Lucas laughed, already reaching over to hit Lydia on the shoulder.

Lydia stirred slowly, blinking blurry eyes at Lucas. She dragged her hands down her face with a yawn. I’m going to-. Another yawn. Guess that we’re here.

Phoebe nodded that time. What gave it away?

Must have been the lonely little house in the middle of nowhere, Jake teased, straightening up. His blue eyes were shockingly bright in the dark little car.

Lydia nudged his shoulder, grinning. And what a familiar sight it is.

So, who’s ready to get out of the car? Phoebe reached for the door handle. She opened her door and instantly slammed it shut. Nope. Not me. It’s far too cold out there.

Elizabeth laughed at her friends. Come on, it’s late. We should probably go inside.

But that means going out there, Lydia pointed. "In the cold."

Elizabeth opened her own door. Ice cold air hit her immediately, making her catch her breath. She exhaled sharply, pulled the key out of the ignition and climbed out of the car. Phoebe had been right: it really was far too cold. She wrapped her arms around herself as she fought away her shivers. It’s really not that bad, she said, her voice unusually high-pitched.

Jake climbed out of the car. Has anyone ever told you that you’re a terrible liar?

She grinned. Many, many times.

Why do we do this? Lydia whimpered as she crawled out of the car. Phoebe and Lucas followed right behind.

Because the pay is really, really good. Lucas cringed. Okay, I take that back. They should up it a couple of grand if this is what we have to deal with. I mean, come on, what is it? Minus eighteen degrees out here?

Elizabeth snorted. Make that seven.

You’re joking.

Nope.

Jesus.

They all hurried towards the house, the gravel crunching underneath their feet. Their breath came out in little white puffs that were barely visible. It was very dark without the headlights; the only light came from the ghostly looking moon up above. It was so dark that Elizabeth almost walked into the gate in front of her. It was only her quick reflexes that stopped her from crashing into it. She stopped suddenly, ignoring the laughter coming from behind her. She quickly opened the gate and rushed inside. It was only a few metres from there to the house.

Elizabeth approached the door slowly, her eyes scanning the shadows to make sure that there was no one there. She couldn’t see anyone hiding in the bushes and the only sounds she could hear were her friends’ footsteps. She tried to feel reassured by the fact that they were completely alone.

She slipped the key into the lock and twisted. There was a small click and the door swung open. The five of them rushed inside, basking in the sudden warmth. Lydia flicked the light switch on the wall and suddenly the room was showered with light.

They were standing in a small porch. There were racks for shoes, pegs for coats and muddy patches on the carpet that no one had ever bothered to remove.

Elizabeth reached to open the next door. Another light switch revealed a narrow hallway with stairs at the end. The floorboards creaked a little underfoot as they all stepped inside. Lucas instantly cried First person upstairs gets to choose their room! And then he, Lydia and Phoebe all shot off. Jake remained standing beside Elizabeth. She could feel him hovering by her shoulder, his breath against her neck. He reached up to touch her side, encouraging her to turn around.

What’s wrong? He asked quietly

She stared into his blue eyes, but didn’t answer. She didn’t know how to tell him about the thoughts that had been running through her head all night. She didn’t know how to tell him how scared she was.

She didn’t know how, but she must have been it on her face. His eyes narrowed. It’s Alia, isn’t it?

She nodded slowly. There was no point lying if he knew. I can’t stop thinking about what will happen if she finds us here.

She won’t.

She could.

We’re completely off the grid.

That’s what you said in Canada.

His eyes darkened with disapproval. This isn’t Canada, Elizabeth.

It might as well be. Small, lonely house in the middle of nowhere. A serial killer to find. All we need know is for one of us to leave something behind. Should I volunteer this time?

Jake ran a hand through his dark hair. His lips were pressed tightly together, concern written all over his face. Look, if Alia follows us here, we’ll knock her out, cuff her and send her straight back to the hospital she broke out of. Except that this time, we’ll make sure that she won’t have any windows to climb through and there’ll be no guards that she can bribe. But let’s deal with that problem if we come to it. And I mean ‘if’. Right now, we are on a mission. So, you’re going to take that pretty little tush of yours upstairs and go to bed. You’ll feel better in the morning… probably.

Elizabeth appreciated the ‘probably’ he added on the end; it made her smile a little. When did you get so bossy?

Since I’ve spent all this time hanging around with you. He fired back. Now go! Fly away! Up, up, up to bed!

She shook her head in amusement as Jake started waving his arms about and pulling funny faces at her. Remind me why I put up with you?

Because you love me. Now go.

She was halfway up the stairs when she looked back. Jake was still standing at the bottom, watching her. Thanks, Jake.

A small smile made its way onto his lips. Any time.

She finished climbing the stairs and began to walk down the corridor. The burgundy carpet softened her footsteps as she hastened towards the room at the end of the corridor. The door was still shut and the light off, so she assumed that it wasn’t a room that the others had already taken. Elizabeth reached for the handle and when it didn’t open, kicked it with her foot. The wood groaned as it slowly slid aside to reveal a simple looking bedroom.

Shadows prevented her from making out the colours that things were, but she could still see the outline of a double bed, the silhouette of a chair and desk, heavy drapes across the window on the far wall, a towering book shelf in the corner and a chest of drawers. It had that traditional old smell of stifling dust and long forgotten books that was instantly comforting.

Elizabeth reached for the light switch beside the door and pressed it. The room was instantly showered with light, turning the blacks and greys to faded shades of purple and red. She stepped inside and headed straight to the bed. As she was curling up under the crisp white sheets, her last thought was of her suitcase, still sitting in the back of the car. And within it, the gun she hoped she wouldn’t need.

∞∞∞

He sprinted down the road, sirens echoing all around him. Every step he took, there was another man telling him to stop, to just give up. There was no time for him to tell them that he couldn’t, that if he stopped running, he would face something a hell of a lot worse than angry police officers. He couldn’t care less if the men in their little blue coats arrived to arrest him. At least if they caught him, he would be safe.

He forced himself to run faster through the crowded street, to barge past anyone who got in his way. There was no time for prisoners, only time to run. To run and never think about stopping. Even when his lungs threatened to burst or his heart was searing in his chest, he could not stop.

He darted around a corner and barrelled down the narrow street. His feet pounded against the cobblestones, rushing past the colourful stalls and the shop keepers and the tourists with their cameras.

Someone stuck their leg out of trip him, but he jumped, effortlessly landing back on both feet and running down the road. Someone caught hold of his arm and yanked him to a stop: a woman. Their eyes met. She saw the desperation on his face, the sweat on his brow and the mist in his eyes. He saw the familiar look of concern in her eyes, but he was pulling away before she could say anything. He heard her call after him, but over the noise of the sirens, he couldn’t hear what she said.

He imagined she had asked him what he was running from, but he knew she would never believe him if he told her. If he hadn’t seen it, he wouldn’t have believed it either.

But there was no time to think. No time to worry about that woman and her wide eyes. She didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was getting back to the safe house, getting back to the safe house so that he could tell Elizabeth that they were wrong. His sister was not okay. Oh God, by no means was she okay.

He had to warn Elizabeth. He had to warn Elizabeth before Alia could hurt her or worse. Because there was no way that Elizabeth would be able to tell from that bright smile and happy brown eyes that Alia was not quite right in the head. She wouldn’t instantly recognise that those eyes were slightly too glassy and that smile was slightly too stretched. After all, she hadn’t seen Alia sitting in a pool of blood, toying with the knife in her hand. She didn’t see Alia write her name in scarlet on the wall. Oh God, that wall. The whole thing was dripping with blood.

That was the one thought running through his mind as he ran. He had to get to the safe house. He had to get to the safe house. He had to get to the safe house.

He had to warn them, otherwise they’d all be dead.

Jake woke up screaming. The sound caught in his throat, choking him. Unseeing, his eyes searched the room. He noticed a human-like figure sitting on the end of his bed. It rose and quickly moved to sit beside him: Elizabeth.

Are you alright?

Fine. He breathed, still clutching at the sheets.

She smiled sadly at him. Dare I ask what it was about?

He couldn’t tell her the truth. He wanted to tell her, but bit his lips before the words came spilling out. I’m fine, really.

That’s the second time you’ve said that, and yet, I’m still not convinced. Especially considering you’ve been screaming for the last hour and are still clutching at those sheets of yours.

Jake sheepishly let go of his sheets. Did I wake anyone else up?

The whole neighbourhood and his dog, I’d imagine. Elizabeth smoothed down the blanket beside her. That was some scream.

I said I’m fine. He snapped. Jake hated that he couldn’t explain to her what his nightmare was about. He wished he could tell her that he was angry at himself and not her, anything to take away the hurt in her eyes.

You don’t want to talk about it, she stated. Okay. Try to go back to sleep, and this time, please don’t scream as loud. Your girlfriend is in the next room and she needs her beauty sleep.

Just as Elizabeth was walking towards the door, Jake called out after her. Liz? She turned around to face him, one hand resting on the door handle. Thanks… for coming to check up on me.

She nodded. Anytime. And then, she walked out of the room and closed the door. Once she was gone, Jake slumped back into his pillows and finally let the tears slip down his cheeks. He couldn’t remember the last time lying had hurt that much.

CHAPTER 3

B reakfast was a strange affair. All of the agents had been trained to wake up early, so some time before six in the morning, the unlikely crew was tumbling down the stairs. Elizabeth, having been unable to sleep after Jake’s screaming woke her up, was already cooking breakfast. The smell of bacon and eggs filled the air, mingling with the smell of the brownies that she had cooked earlier. She had Regan Moore’s file out on the desk in front of her as she shifted the eggs around the pan, trying not to burn breakfast while learning about their target at the same time.

Lucas was the first one to stumble into the kitchen. He took one look at Elizabeth, already standing in her black gear and ready for the day, and decided not to comment. Is that bacon? He asked instead.

Yeah, she grinned. And I didn’t even have to drive into Sydney to get it.

Great. He started hunting around in various crooked drawers, trying to find the cutlery. He was sitting cross-legged on the floor, about to open the final drawer when Phoebe walked in. Her brown hair clearly hadn’t seen a hairbrush in the ten minutes that it had probably taken her to get out of bed. The hairs were standing up in various different directions and she looked somewhat as if she had been running around in a hurricane.

Ah! Lucas cried in triumph. I’ve found them!

What is going on in here? Phoebe groaned. It looks like World War Three started early.

I’m making breakfast. Elizabeth stated, reaching up for the plates in the cupboard above her head. She grabbed five and put them down on the table beside her.

And lunch and dinner, it looks like. Lydia fired her friend a concerned look, which Elizabeth very deliberately ignored.

Would anyone like to tell me why we’re having brownies for breakfast? Jake asked as he stepped into the kitchen. There were dark bags under his eyes, but he was smiling brightly. There were no other signs of last night’s nightmare, Elizabeth noticed in relief. Perhaps it really wasn’t that bad.

Well, apparently Elizabeth is no longer on that health kick of hers. Phoebe called over her shoulder as she sat on the table.

Lucas shoved her off when he reached her with the knives and forks. There are chairs for a reason, Phebes.

Thank God! Jake cried in response to Phoebe’s comment. I was starting to wonder whether that insanity was permanent.

Carefully dishing the food up onto the plates, Elizabeth forced a laugh. I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.

You do that, Liz. He joked, but there was something in his eyes that told Elizabeth that he knew. Of course, he did. Jake always knew.

Everyone stood to grab their plates