Covering the Lies

by Sofia Grey

  “Yes, to everything, unreservedly and totally.”

  It was enough for Lara. She had her husband back, and it felt good.

  ****

  Jordan said goodbye to Sylvie and Alex when he left for work on Thursday. He’d probably see them on Saturday, with Callum and Daisy, and they were in such high spirits, their excitement was infectious. Sylvie sleepwalked again last night, and Jordan heard her anguished cries when she woke up, so he was glad to see she wasn’t worried about it.

  “It’s foggy again today. Take your time, driving back.” Jordan clasped Alex’s hand. “Hey, you’re old enough to not need my advice. And it will probably be equally thick on Friday, when we’re coming up. What time are you setting off?”

  “We’re picking up Callum at nine. With luck, we’ll be home for two-ish, even if we have a couple of toilet stops along the way.”

  Sylvie laughed. “Would that be for Callum or you, babe?”

  “Cheeky.”

  It was good to have things back to normal.

  Jordan left them teasing each other, kissed Kate and Poppy, and headed to work.

  His first meeting was with Karl, who’d requested to see him. Jordan was impressed with the effort Karl put in with Aiden, to find other possible victims.

  He offered Karl coffee and asked how he could help.

  Karl gave him a nervous smile. “I probably shouldn’t know this, but Marcus Reeve asked Adele to consider a promotion in Houston in a little while. I believe you’ve approved the move in principle?”

  Jordan nodded. “She’s the best person for the job.” Where was this leading?

  “This is the wrong way to do this,” continued Karl, “but can I ask your honest opinion?”

  Jordan nodded again and waited.

  “If I wanted to transfer to Houston as well, would you please put in a good word for me? Adele is thinking of turning it down, to stay here with me. It seems such a waste, especially if I could move there with her instead.”

  Jordan wasn’t sure what he’d expected, but it wasn’t this. He smiled, to put Karl at ease. “There are always openings in the IT department in Head Office, and I’d be glad to recommend you.” He flicked through a business card wallet and plucked one out. “Neil Wilkinson is head of IT Services. I’ll give him a call to introduce you, and then send him your CV. As you said, it seems a waste for Adele to turn the job down if there’s another way around that.”

  Karl went away smiling, and Jordan gazed absently out the window. His office was on the twentieth floor, high enough to be lifted out of the thick fog blanket that covered the city. It was strange to peer down on it. The ground was obscured, and the usual traffic noises were muffled.

  He shivered.

  Alex and Sylvie would be on their way out of London by now. He hoped they’d be okay.

  ****

  Sylvie and Alex picked up Daisy and Callum on time, loaded up the Audi with Callum’s bags, and then had a tearful farewell with Margie and her husband, and Catherine, the social worker. Callum was alarmed to be loaded into the back of the car. He cried and resisted at first, and it took a while for Daisy to quiet him. She had a variety of toys and snacks, along with a pile of brightly coloured picture books to entertain him. There was also a portable DVD player with a selection of cartoons ready to watch.

  He’d settle into the journey soon. She was sure.

  Traffic out of London was the usual crawl, slowed by the freezing fog. She flicked through the travel updates on her phone. Apparently, the fog was thick across most of the Home Counties and extended as far north as Oxford. Wonderful. Thickest fog in almost ten years, proclaimed the news, and they should be prepared for travel delays. It could be worse. Callum was quiet now, dozing with the slow movements of the car, and they had all day to get home.

  Alex squeezed her hand and smiled at her. “Happy, babe?”

  She smiled back. “Apart from the weather, I’m pretty happy.”

  “Only pretty happy?” He was teasing, and she loved him for it.

  “I’m looking forward to getting home. What do you think Callum will make of the beach?”

  “I don’t know, but it’s gonna be fun finding out.”

  Life felt good. Sylvie and Alex were closer than ever, and they had everything to look forward to. She flicked through the playlists on her phone, selected a lively mixture of songs, and they settled down for the journey.

  To her alarm, the fog became thicker as they drove west up the M4. They only had a short stretch to go, then they’d pick up the M25 right next to Heathrow Airport, and circle north around London until they reached the M40. As they crawled closer to the M25 junction, the fog closed around them, visibility reducing with every mile.

  Sylvie felt shivery and spooked. “Alex, is there anywhere we can come off? Try the back roads instead?”

  He glanced at her. “We’re better on the motorways, believe it or not. Everything is going in the same direction at least, even when it’s about as slow as you can go. The back roads will be as bad.”

  She shivered again and peeked in the back of the car. Callum was asleep in his car seat, his mouth slightly open, and Daisy was reading a magazine.

  “Here’s the M25 junction.” Alex eased the car into the correct lane, as they approached. Even he looked anxious about the fog now.

  ****

  Alex didn’t know what happened. One minute he was indicating and moving across the lanes, the next another car side-swiped them from the left, and they spun. Something barged into them from the right. He didn’t know which way they were pointing. He couldn’t do anything to control the car. They were skidding towards a lorry. Time expanded in his mind.

  He saw the lorry topple over and crash to its side.

  He heard Callum wail in fear, Daisy cry out, and Sylvie gasp.

  He saw the cars on either side converging on them again.

  He saw the lorry in front, as they careered headlong into it, and tried to steer into the giant tyres, in case they made a softer impact.

  Alex blinked. There were unreal, unearthly noises of metal on metal, and tyres screaming.

  He smelled burning rubber.

  He felt multiple bone-shaking jolts and crumps as other cars collided with them.

  He felt his seatbelt cutting tighter, as he jerked from side to side.

  His last thought was for Sylvie.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Sylvie was asleep. She was warm and comfortable, but she had a big, heavy blanket lying across her, and it was getting hot. Noisy, too. Someone was shouting her.

  “Silverwood. You need to wake up. Come on.”

  It sounded like Rico. His voice was stressed, as though he was upset.

  She opened her eyes, a smile fleeting on her lips. Then she stared at the strange new world around her and felt very afraid.

  They were in the Audi—or what was left of it. The sides were squashed in, and the front all crunched up.

  It was dark. How could that be? It wasn’t even lunchtime.

  The darkness was smoke—thick, dark and oily. Sylvie gasped and started coughing.

  It wasn’t a blanket lying across her; it was a deflating airbag and Alex. His eyes were closed, and he was bleeding from his forehead. She twisted, to look in the back. Daisy was sprawled across the back seat. Callum’s mouth was open, as though he was crying, but Sylvie couldn’t hear anything.

  Her head ached. She closed her eyes for a moment. She didn’t like this dream. It was deathly quiet inside the car.

  It had to be a dream. Rico was here, next to her window.

  “Come on, Silverwood,” he urged. “You need to get out.”

  “How can I? I’m stuck?” It seemed like an obvious thing to say under the circumstances.

  “Use your knife. Cut the seatbelts.” He paused. “Come on. You can do it.”

  She looked at him, remembering his slowly curving smile and the dark brown puppy dog eyes.

  “Come on, Silverwood. You don’t have all da
y.”

  She snapped awake. Fuck. This was real.

  She saw fire in front of them. The lorry was burning. It was just feet away. This was her dream about the fire.

  She swallowed, petrified. She was not going to stay here and burn to death.

  Rico continued to talk to her. “Cut the seat belts. Kick the doors open. Come on.” His voice was full of urgency.

  All of a sudden, her hearing switched back on. She went from deafness to the noises of hell. Callum shrieked, and Daisy was groaning. Alex was silent.

  Crackling and popping sounds came from the fire in front, and she felt the heat from the flames. There wasn’t a second to lose.

  She shoved her left hand inside her boot, pulled out the knife, and flicked it open. It made light work of her seatbelt, as she tried to disentangle herself from Alex’s weight. He had to be alive. After everything they’d been through, he had to survive.

  There were screams and loud bangs outside. “Daisy, can you get Callum and open the door?” Sylvie shouted to Daisy, hoping she’d hear her above the noise of metal hitting metal.

  “Wait.” Daisy banged at the door, and then Sylvie felt a rush of cool air. “It’s open.”

  “Take Callum,” Sylvie ordered. “I’ll bring Alex.”

  She craned her head around and saw Daisy struggling with the child seat. “The catch has jammed. I can’t release him.”

  The fire inched closer. The inside of the car shone red and yellow with the reflection of the flames.

  Sylvie held out the knife. “Cut the belts. Get him out.”

  Daisy did as she was told, and handed back the knife. Sylvie saw her hauling Callum out through the wrecked back door.

  Alex, please be alive. Sylvie sawed at his seatbelt, grunting with the effort of reaching across his body. She cut through it, and he slumped even further onto her. “Come on, Alex.” She shook him and slapped his face. “Wake up, please.”

  Flames danced across the bonnet of the Audi. Behind Sylvie, someone was tugging at the tangled remnants of her door. It was yanked open part way, enough for her to crawl out.

  She wasn’t leaving Alex behind.

  There was a muffled whumph, as a stream of fuel caught fire next to the windscreen wipers. Sylvie screamed.

  The last option was to scramble into the back and tug Alex with her, then crawl out the same way Daisy had. She shoved Alex to the side and pushed past him into the back seat, where she landed awkwardly in the foot well. She had to get him out.

  She looped her arms under his shoulders and hauled. At the side she saw someone approaching the car and yelling to her.

  It looked like a policeman with a bright yellow vest. “Get out. Get out, now.”

  Not. Without. Alex.

  She tugged at him.

  Alex groaned and opened his eyes. He looked back at her window. “What are you doing here?” He sounded surprised.

  Sylvie looked, but there was nobody there. “Alex, come on.” She pulled harder, and he seemed to snap awake.

  He turned his head, saw her, and pushed her towards the door.

  “Go,” he yelled. “I’m right behind you.”

  A policeman helped drag her out, someone else pulled Alex free, and they tumbled out onto the road, hitting the wet tarmac with a thud. Fuck. They’d landed in petrol. For the second time in almost as many days, they were covered in petrol, this time with a raging fire feet away.

  Strangers helped guide them to a safe distance, and they slumped to the ground on a patch of crowded grass. Other injured people milled around. Sylvie averted her eyes from two bodies lying with their faces covered.

  Where was Callum? And Daisy?

  Sylvie stood, unsteady on her legs, and pushed through the crowd.

  “Sylvie.”

  She saw Daisy and grabbed her hand. “Are you both okay?” Callum was safely in Daisy’s arms, howling fit to burst, but he looked fine.

  Daisy had an angry graze across her cheek, and her eyes were wild. She and Sylvie hugged fiercely.

  “Did you both get out?” Daisy looked past her, probably searching for Alex.

  Sylvie nodded. Her knees felt weak. She needed to sit down. “He’s over there.” Weird—her voice seemed to come from far away.

  She slumped to the ground.

  ****

  Jordan was expecting a client this morning, for a meeting. He wasn’t surprised when the guy called to say he’d be late.

  “Sorry, Jordan, but the traffic’s appalling. I’m stuck on the M25 near Heathrow. There’s been a massive accident in the fog.”

  Jordan winced. Alex and Sylvie would most likely be stuck in the same delays. “Any idea what’s happened?”

  “The travel news spoke of an overturned lorry catching fire and half a dozen cars tangled in the wreckage. It’s a bad one. I could be here for hours. Maybe we should reschedule for another day.”

  Jordan agreed and passed him on to Cassie, to change his appointment.

  He gazed out of the window at the fog. He’d call Alex, to make sure he was safely past it. If not, he might be able to divert away from it.

  Alex’s phone rang out. Jordan tried Sylvie’s. After a couple of rings, it was answered by an unfamiliar voice. A woman, and she sounded scared. He heard crowd noises in the background.

  “Is Sylvie there?” he asked.

  “Yes. No. Who is this?”

  “It’s Jordan Merrill. Who am I talking to?”

  He heard a sob. “I’m Daisy, Callum’s nanny. Sylvie can’t talk right now.”

  Fear gripped his chest. “Why not? What happened?”

  There was another brief sob, then a quick breath.

  “Daisy. What happened?”

  “There’s been an accident. Sylvie’s out cold, and I can’t find Alex. Callum’s okay. I think he’s okay. We’re out of the car now.”

  Jordan had to sit down. Sylvie had dreamt of a fire. Holy shit. “Tell me where you are. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

  ****

  Alex kept blacking out. His head thumped, and his chest hurt when he moved. He tried to get up, to look for Sylvie and Callum, but he fell back down again.

  When he woke next, it was to find himself on a stretcher, being loaded into an ambulance. Fuck this. He struggled to sit up. “Where’s Sylvie? He looked past the paramedics and shouted, “Sylvie.”

  “We’re here.” She surged forwards and took his hand. He pulled her closer and winced at the sharp pain in his chest. He needed to touch her.

  “What the fuck happened?” And why did her hair smell of petrol again?

  “You bumped your head, and they think you’re concussed. We’re going to the hospital, to get you checked over.”

  “Callum? Daisy?”

  “They’re fine. They’re coming too. Here they are now.”

  Behind her, Alex saw Daisy with Callum in her arms, and he sagged with relief. He clung to Sylvie’s hand. “I saw Rico here. He shouted at me to wake up. Was I stuck in the car?”

  “Yes. I saw him too. Alex, he saved our lives. All of our lives.”

  ****

  Jordan and Nick were magnificent in this latest crisis, and Sylvie felt weak with gratitude for them.

  Jordan came to fetch Daisy and Callum once they’d been checked over. He took them back to his apartment, where Kate fussed over them, and Callum fell in love with Poppy and Billy the cat.

  Jordan came back for Sylvie and Alex later. The doctors wanted Alex to stay in hospital overnight, but he flatly refused. The press nailed them on their way out. The media heard they’d been injured in the crash. Alex had a mild concussion and two fractured ribs, while Sylvie escaped with cuts and bruises.

  Nick tracked the poor mangled Audi to the wrecker’s yard, in search of any luggage he could salvage. He came back emptyhanded and shocked. It was completely burned out.

  It was a sobering thought. Sylvie didn’t know how, but Rico made sure they escaped the inferno. He’d appeared in her dreams for weeks with a message, the
n he nagged her to carry the knife again. Without it, she wouldn’t have been able to cut through the seatbelts.

  Nick sorted out the problem of getting them home by hiring a large people-carrier for the weekend and driving them back on Friday. Sylvie was nervous, being in a car again—especially since it was still foggy—but Nick drove carefully, and they took several breaks for coffee.

  Slowly, things started to get back to normal, or what passed for normal in Sylvie’s strange life. Daisy had her hands full with Callum. Over the next few weeks, he grew in confidence, and it became normal to hear his delighted laughter somewhere in the house. Callum adored Sylvie and was increasingly curious about Alex. He would sit on the floor, staring at Alex for ages at a time, sneaking closer every day until he finally relented and climbed onto Alex’s knees. From that point on, they bonded amazingly.

  Sylvie’s fears about the responsibility and the extra work were receding. Daisy fit in easily, and they had plenty of privacy. She made sure to let Daisy have plenty of time off, to make up for the unsociable hours she’d be working on tour.

  They did the video shoot the week after the accident. Alex insisted they get it over and done with. His description was accurate. They hung around in a plush Manchester hotel with a video crew filming their every move. Alex’s ribs hurt, and he was restricted to sitting down with a moody smile on his face, but there was plenty of live-concert footage interspersed with the new shots. Sylvie almost enjoyed it. She was no longer worried about the next one.

  And they finally got around to planning their party.

  ****

  Adele danced with Karl at Sylvie and Alex’s wedding party, and tried not to be star-struck at the number of celebrities attending—Charlie Jones and Mick Dewhurst, of course, the racing driver Jon Craigowan, a well-known radio presenter, and a smattering of famous musicians and singers.

  The party was on the last weekend before Christmas, and later than Sylvie originally planned, but there were some unexpected delays. The biggest, after the car crash, was when Jordan took a couple of weeks’ sick leave to have surgery. He had a small bleed into his brain, from a previous head injury. He was recovering well, much to everyone’s relief.