Liar

by Campbell, Jamie

  Amelia couldn’t wait any longer, the girl typed too fast. She bolted for the door, hugging her handbag tight to her chest.

  “Hey! Come back!” The woman ran after her.

  The doors slid open, not quick enough for Amelia’s liking. She slipped through the small opening as soon as it was big enough to accommodate her body side-on.

  Once outside, Amelia ran for it. She discounted going to her car and just headed down the street, hoping the woman would tire of chasing after her.

  Unfortunately, she wasn’t exactly the fittest person in the world. The steady breathing of the woman as she pursued her echoed in her ears, making her fear she was right behind her. Still, she told her legs to hurry, run faster than she had ever done before.

  At the end of the block, Amelia rounded the street. She was only a few seconds ahead of the woman but it was enough to hide behind the letterboxes of an apartment complex. She saw the woman stop at the corner, looking around for Amelia to betray her location.

  She crouched in the shrubbery for some time, long enough to catch her breath and watch the woman give up and return to the gym.

  When her cell phone rang, it made her heart stop beating. “Hello?” She whispered.

  “Amelia? What’s going on?” Leo’s concerned voice asked. “You sound weird.”

  “I’m fine.” She tried to slow her breathing again. “I found Renee’s stash of evidence. It’s got everything in there.”

  Leo was incredulous. “Are you serious?”

  “I’m serious, it’s all here.”

  “Okay, go home and I’ll meet you there as soon as I get off work.”

  “Will do.” Amelia hung up without saying goodbye. She turned her phone to silent just in case she needed to act with stealth again.

  She waited another twenty minutes, ticking off the time on her watch, before being brave enough to return to her car. It was still parked on the gym’s lot but hopefully she could get lost in all the other cars.

  It was the most nervous walk Amelia had ever made. Every sound made her jump, every car held the woman, and she had never felt so exposed in her life. Not for the first time, she would have loved to have had the ability to turn invisible.

  The parking lot was even worse once she reached it. She crouched over, creeping between the cars and trying not to be seen by anyone. By the time she reached her own car, she was a sweaty, nervous wreck.

  She drove out of the parking lot as quickly as possible, glancing in her rearview mirror every few seconds. She completely expected to see the woman running after her each time, perhaps accompanied by her body builder friends too.

  Reaching the highway was a relief, her fear finally subsiding. Her horror turned into joy as she realized she had done it. She had found Renee’s secret stash of information and they had evidence to take to the commissioner with all the details. Finally, Leo could run a real investigation, using all the police’s resources to hurry along the case. He would have it solved in no time with the support of the entire police force behind him.

  She turned up the radio, allowing herself to be happy for the time it took to drive home. Not even the thought of Lane could get her down. For those wonderful minutes, she could be proud and relieved and nobody could take that away from her.

  Suddenly, Amelia’s car was jerked ahead. She thrust forward, trying to avoid the vehicle in front of her. Looking in her rearview mirror, she half expected to see the woman from the gym but it was the complete opposite. There was a man driving the car behind her, his thick moustache clear through the window.

  She pressed on the accelerator, trying to get ahead of the vehicle. Checking her odometer, she was well above the speed limit as she barreled down the road. Her eyes kept flicking to her mirror, the man was still right behind her, his face set in a permanent scowl.

  Amelia’s exit came up, she hesitated for a moment, unsure whether she should take it. She didn’t want the man following her home, but perhaps it was just some road rage and he wouldn’t bother. Maybe it would make him happy to have her out of his way. She turned onto the exit at the last possible moment.

  She checked her mirror again, praying the black car wouldn’t be behind her. Yet there he was.

  “What do you want?” She asked aloud, trying to keep her wits about her. She knew the road well but couldn’t help panic at how she was going to drive through the traffic with her unwelcome companion.

  She didn’t have much time to worry before another jolt came from behind. This one was worse, a definite message that they were trying to cause some damage to her car.

  In her rearview mirror, the man was completely focused on her. He wasn’t looking around or in his mirror, his eyes were fixed ahead while his hands gripped the steering wheel. There was no way he was going to lose her.

  She sped up again, her mind racing through the map of the area as she tried to think of a way to lose him. She had never been pursued before, she had no idea how you actually lost a car following you. In the movies they relied on a lot of corners or red lights. But she didn’t think she would have the courage to run through traffic lights. She was more likely to cause a serious accident or hurt people. She couldn’t do it, she didn’t have the moxie.

  On a stretch of road that ran parallel to the highway as it curved around toward her suburb, Amelia’s heart went into overdrive as she saw the car pull out to drive beside her. She stole a glance, trying to keep her car on the road. The man with the moustache was staring at her, his grimace as threatening as any gun.

  He swerved and hit the side of her car. Amelia was tossed against the door with the impact. She tried to keep a hold of the steering wheel, desperately trying to keep the car on the road but her excessive speed was working against her. She skidded, gripping as hard as she could.

  The man took advantage of her inability to maintain control and bumped her again. The sound of metal against metal was loud to her ears but she didn’t have time to process it before he did it again. She slammed against the door, hitting her head against the glass window. The pain shot through her head like a thunderstorm, momentarily blinding her.

  One more thump and she couldn’t keep a hold of the steering wheel any longer. The car skidded, careening toward the ditch at the side of the road. Amelia slammed on the breaks, doing anything she could to regain control. But it was too late, the car was on a path to collide with the trees and she was powerless to stop it.

  Bracing for the impact, a scream left Amelia’s lips. She closed her eyes, expecting the sudden stop at any moment. Yet time passed as if it was in slow motion. She felt the shock, the propulsion forward, the pull of her seatbelt, and her head colliding with the steering wheel. She felt every moment of the crash.

  Then it was silent. She hadn’t realized the crunching of metal and shattering of glass had been so noisy until it stopped. Or perhaps it was just her screams, she couldn’t be sure.

  She tried to sit up, her entire body hurting from the collision. Her head was the worst, it pulsated with the pain. Her vision was clouded by red, she put her hand up to wipe her eyes and saw they were covered in her own blood. Feeling her forehead, she knew she had split the skin open. The blood was trailing down her face.

  She suddenly remembered the other car, the reason why she had crashed in the first place. She grabbed at the buckle of her seatbelt and tried to get out of it. She needed to get away from the car, hide or run away from the man. The buckle wasn’t budging. She pressed the button frantically.

  “Come on, come on,” she urged, pressing harder. Nothing she could do would make it loosen.

  Glancing in her side mirror, Amelia’s heart completely stopped. The man with the moustache was striding toward her and he didn’t look like he was there to help.

  CHAPTER 23

  She was a trapped rabbit, as good as helpless in the vehicle. Amelia gave up on the seatbelt and quickly looked around to find her handbag. If she could find her cell phone, she could call for help. If someone could get there, they m
ight be able to help her. Or at the very least know she was in danger.

  It must have fallen to the floor when she hit the trees, Amelia couldn’t reach the bag no matter how much she strained against the seatbelt. She tried to wriggle out of the sash but it was locked in place, unwilling to retract or loosen. She was stuck, completely and permanently until someone cut her out.

  She turned around to see the man open the back door of her vehicle. She frantically hit her buckle again, praying for a miracle it would unfasten and let her out.

  “I’ve called the police, they’ll be here any minute,” Amelia said, hoping to scare the man into leaving her untouched. He didn’t have to know she was lying, even if she did.

  He didn’t say a word, didn’t even fasten his pace as he rifled around in the backseat.

  “What are you doing?” She asked, still desperately trying to free herself. She expected him to reach around the seat and slit her throat at any moment. There would be nothing she could do to fight him off, she was literally at his mercy.

  He didn’t reply, he just stepped out of the vehicle and didn’t bother to close the door behind him. She watched in the shattered mirrors as he walked around to the other side of the car. She gave up on the buckle and tried to loosen the belt again. The way it was strained against her lap and chest was starting to make her feel claustrophobic. She wanted out of it for more reasons than one.

  The man opened the passenger’s side door, sending more panic waves through her. She watched him, just waiting for the moment when he would hurt her.

  “The police will be here any minute,” she warned. “They’re on their way already. If you leave now, you could get away.”

  He didn’t even react, his moustache remained unmoving, his eyes focused on his task. He appeared to be looking for something. Amelia couldn’t take her eyes off him, a mixture of horror, pain, and panic coursing through her blood.

  “What are you looking for?” She asked, desperate for the whole ordeal to be over. She wanted him to leave, she wanted to find her phone and call for help, and above all she wanted to get out of the damn seatbelt.

  The man found what he was looking for – Amelia’s handbag. He picked it up from the floor and started going through it. She hoped he wouldn’t find her phone and know she was lying. If he knew they were truly alone out there, he could do anything to her and nobody would ever find her.

  He pulled out the documents held together with a rubber band and grinned. The first time he had shown any emotion other than a menacing scowl. He threw her handbag and strode away.

  Amelia craned her neck to watch him leave. He calmly returned to his own vehicle and drove away. She sighed with relief, refusing to let the tears flow. She wasn’t out of danger yet, she was still bleeding and trapped in her vehicle. She was a long way off being alright yet.

  She looked for her handbag again, the man had thrown it down onto the ground. There was no way she could reach it now.

  “Help!” She started yelling, knowing it was no good but without any other plan. There was no-one around to hear her cries, all she was doing was making her voice hoarse and exhausting herself.

  She laid her cheek against the steering wheel, giving up. She was too weak to struggle anymore. If she wasn’t going to make it, then so be it. She didn’t care anymore.

  * * *

  “Hey, she’s waking up,” the voice came from somewhere in the distance. It kind of sounded familiar but she couldn’t be sure.

  Amelia blinked her eyes several times, trying to make everything un-blur. She wasn’t sure where she was or how long she had been there. All she knew was that she had a headache.

  She tried to speak, but all that came out was an undecipherable murmur.

  “Amelia, you’re in the hospital. You’re okay,” the voice again. She squinted to focus on their looming face, trying to place the voice to a person.

  “Leo?” She managed to stammer out. “What are-?”

  “Shh, you were in a car accident. You hit some trees but you’re okay. You’ve got a few stitches in your head and you’re going to have some seriously cool bruises but nothing is broken,” he explained. “You’re going to be just fine.”

  She tried to sit up, refusing his attempts to keep her from doing so. Her ribs hurt almost as much as her head but she needed to work out what the hell was going on. Lying in the bed and closing her eyes wasn’t going to cut it.

  He handed her a glass of water, helping to bring it to her lips. She was parched, she drunk hungrily. It helped her mouth form full sentences again.

  “How’d you find me?” She asked, the memory of her sitting alone in the broken car flooding back to her.

  “I didn’t, another motorist did. He stopped and called emergency. An ambulance and a police officer were immediately dispatched. I heard the call and came straight here.”

  “But how did you know it was me?” She could have been woozy, but it still wasn’t making sense.

  “The man found your purse on the ground and called in the name after he checked you were okay.” He sat on the edge of the bed and grinned. “A pretty young woman that got herself into trouble, I should have known it was you from the onset.”

  “I didn’t do it. I was run off the road. He took all Renee’s evidence.”

  “What?”

  “The guy with the moustache, he took it all. He bumped me.”

  Concern instantly crossed Leo’s face. He grimaced, the situation was far worse than he had thought. The realization that Amelia didn’t just have a car accident was terrible. He felt that sinking feeling in his stomach again.

  “Tell me everything.”

  Amelia proceeded to tell him everything that had happened since leaving the gym. The drive home, the vehicle that followed her, the way he had made her lose control, and the way he had gone through her handbag before leaving her there injured and stuck.

  Leo listened intently, making notes in his book on any of the finer details. He pressed her to describe the man, trying to urge her memory into recalling every fine detail.

  “If I got a sketch artist in, do you think you could describe him?” Leo finished with his last question.

  “I could try.”

  “Did you get a good look?”

  “I tried to remember everything, I really tried hard.”

  He gave her a reassuring smile. “You did really well. I’m just so glad you’re alright. You could have got yourself killed out there.”

  That wasn’t what Amelia was most concerned about. “I’m so sorry I lost the evidence.”

  “Don’t worry about that now, it wasn’t your fault. We wouldn’t have even found it if it wasn’t for you.”

  “But I lost it.”

  “Tomorrow, when you’ve rested, you are going to tell me everything that was in there. We’ll find it again.”

  She was too tired to argue. Whatever pain killers the doctor had given her were starting to take effect and she was fighting against her eyelids to stay awake.

  The curtain to her bed was thrust open, startling them both. She relaxed when she saw Lane, the worry evident on his face. He took one look at her and then another at Leo. Taking only one step to close the gap between them, he clenched his fist and swung at the detective.

  Leo’s head snapped sideways with the impact, everything turning momentarily black. The pain was instant, as was his reaction. He went to swing back, but stopped himself just in time. He couldn’t start a fistfight with Lane in the middle of the hospital, he just couldn’t.

  “Lane!” Amelia shrieked, moving to stop them before her own pain pulled her back again. She clutched at her ribs, wincing with the burn.

  Leo moved to put her bed between them, fearing Lane was mad enough to keep swinging.

  “Get out,” Lane said with a clear threat to his voice. He stared at Leo, clenching and unclenching his fists. His breathing was heavy as he tried to quench the rage burning inside. “Get out!”

  “I’m not leaving,” Leo replied
calmly. He didn’t want to leave Amelia alone with the guy, even if he was her boyfriend. He had seen enough rages to know someone could lash out at anyone, even if they did love them.

  “Get out!”

  “Lane, stop it,” Amelia pleaded.

  He didn’t take his eyes off the detective. “He needs to get out before I make him.”

  “No, you need to leave,” she responded, not even needing to think about whose side she was on. “Go home, Lane, seriously.”

  The three of them had a standoff, the tension crackling in the triangle between them. One wrong move from any of them and all hell could have broken lose.

  Finally, Lane averted his eyes and looked at Amelia. “He put you in danger. He doesn’t care about you, I care about you. I’m the one who wants to protect you.”

  At seeing the concern in his eyes, Amelia softened. Still, she was too tired to deal with him, she didn’t even know if they were still together. The whole thing was just fuzzy – and painful. “I appreciate that but you need to go.”

  “Damn it, Amelia, how can you say that?”

  “Because.”

  “Because why?”

  “Just because.” She didn’t want to lie but she certainly didn’t want to tell the truth either. “Why can’t you accept that and go?”

  “You know, I’m starting to forget why I came here.” Lane took a step toward the door. “You’re the hardest person in the world to love. I give up.”

  “Good, give up on me, that’s what I want.” Amelia was getting angry herself now. Her fatigue and pain getting the best of her. “And if you must know, it’s because I don’t want you here. That’s why you have to go.”

  Lane shook his head, barely believing what he was hearing. He turned around and stomped off, the sound of his boots disappearing down the corridor.

  Amelia closed her eyes, taking a moment to process what just happened. She shoved it to the back of her mind. Like anything that involved Lane, she would have to deal with it later. Perhaps if she left it long enough, she wouldn’t have to deal with it at all. She still wasn’t sure if that’s what she wanted but the decision was quickly being pulled out of her hands.