by Toni Pike
“We’ll stand by you, darling.”
I ran my fingers through her tussled hair. “I wouldn’t have killed Joshua if there wasn’t murder in my heart.”
“That’s not true,” she said with eyes narrowed and jaw set firm. “You needed to save us and you weren’t in your right mind after all you’d been through.”
I wondered if she might be right. That was certainly an easy way to justify my actions. “You and Charlie are everything to me,” I said.
She kissed me gently. “Only think about our love.”
I wanted to do as she said, but too many other thoughts and fears were hammering my brain.
***
When we got out of bed we could see the press gathered outside the gate, so we stayed well away from the windows. Two detectives came to interview me at nine o’clock: Detective Inspector Mark Dietrich and Detective Sergeant Liz Donohue, who both looked no older than me. We spoke in the living room for what seemed like hours.
A short time later, two female detectives arrived and spent all morning with Letitia, keen to find out every detail of the last few days. At the same time they also attempted to be friendly and help her look after Charlie. That was a great strategy, but Letitia was too clever to tell them anything they didn’t need to know.
I expected my interrogators to trick me into revealing all the secrets of my past and challenge me on every detail of the fight with Joshua Byrnes. Instead, their interview reminded me of my first job interview years earlier with the investment bank in Perth. The panel, three men dressed in expensive Italian suits, spent the entire time telling me about their work and barely asked me any questions.
Dietrich and Donohue appeared to have made up their minds about the case. They suggested to me what had happened and only wanted me to agree with them. They also insisted on first name terms.
“We spent all last night talking to Detective Inspector Barry Elliot, who you know very well,” said Mark Dietrich.
“I sure do,” I replied, and a knot squeezed my stomach as I remembered how his gift had been used as a weapon.
“He told us all about the details of your childhood. A very sad case, that’s what he said, the worst he’s ever seen – until the Carmichaels took you in.” I glanced outside and saw a big black crow perched on a bench in the garden, staring straight at me.
“Joshua Byrnes was harassing and trying to blackmail you, wasn’t he?” asked Liz Donohue.
“Yes he was, after he was released from prison. He kept appearing at events where I was speaking, and even Letitia’s charity events.” I locked eyes with her. “That’s what really scared me.”
She nodded her head in sympathy. “No wonder. And he had your wife under his control and forced you into making that announcement yesterday?”
“Yes, he said he would kill them if I didn’t do that. My memories of that night have returned and I remember what happened very clearly, Liz. There’s no doubt at all that it was Joshua Byrnes who killed my parents.”
“He was a deeply disturbed individual,” said Mark, who stood up and paced the floor. “He forced you to help him bury the bodies, didn’t he?”
“Yes, but he did look after me in the desert for a couple of days. He told me to tell people that my parents were lost. I was too frightened not to do as he said, but I should have told the truth back then.”
Mark gave me a kind smile. “Don’t blame yourself, Tyler. These loners are very complex characters. I don’t mind telling you that I’ve met too many people like that in my line of work and I’m fed up with them. He probably nurtured his resentment towards you the whole time he was in jail and blamed you for putting him there. That was magnified when you and your wife became household names.”
I looked at them in wide-eyed innocence. “I suppose that must have been the reason,” I said.
“Did you know he moved into a sleazy boarding house in Queanbeyan and worked at some cheap restaurant as a kitchen hand? Living nearby was all part of his plan to get close to your family. The main thing is that you’re all safe now.”
“When I walked into the townhouse last night, he attacked me with a knife.”
Liz put her hand on my arm. “It was clearly a case of self defence, let’s not forget that you were also trying to save your family.”
“That’s true,” I replied, almost convincing myself.
“Though it was wrong of you not to inform the police about the situation,” said Mark. “If you had told us about his harassment, this could have been nipped in the bud.”
They looked at each other, and I wondered if they would now get to the point. Perhaps they had been humouring me, and this was only the start of their investigations.
Mark took a step back. “I think you’ve been through enough, don’t you? We all know that Joshua Byrnes killed them and he served his time for that. His death last night is clearly a case of self defence. There’ll be a coronial investigation, but you shouldn’t be facing any charges.”
“At least, that’s what we think at this stage,” said Liz. Then she added a note of caution. “And I can’t see any reason why that would change.”
I exhaled in relief. They appeared to be on my side, but perhaps that was all part of their game. The police loved to play good cop one day and bad cop the next. Letitia was also being interviewed, and her story could easily contradict mine no matter how much she tried to avoid it.
The detectives left at lunchtime and said they would keep me informed of any further developments. I watched them drive away but swung around at the sound of footsteps. Letitia walked in and rushed into my arms.
“I told them how Joshua befriended us, and how I felt sorry for him and wanted to help him,” she said. “I trusted him to take us camping. Then I explained what happened last night and said that I didn’t hear anything.”
I cupped my hands around her slender fingers and raised them to my lips to kiss them gently. My mind trawled back through the past, but a heavy fog obscured the memories. The human brain was a strange translating machine and nothing was less reliable than the memory of a witness. For one event, a hundred people can tell a hundred different stories. For years I had a false memory of killing my parents. If someone could read my mind or extract my thoughts, they still might not find the truth.
I killed Joshua Byrnes and it was not only in self defence. But that knowledge could stay inside my brain, locked up and secure as if it was in a vault.
“Letitia - the police said they believed my story, that Joshua’s death was a clear case of self defence,” I said.
“Why don’t we promise never to talk about it again? We have a family to look after and you have another announcement to make.”
I nodded my head in agreement. While my mind had been firmly focused on talking to the police, I had almost forgotten that the world now believed I killed my parents. We had been in isolation for the last few hours and we had no idea what was happening beyond our own four walls.
***
Letitia switched on the Channel Six News and there was Mary Morcroft, one of my most strident critics. My blood ran cold as she appeared to be staring straight at me.
“We begin with breaking news. Tyler Thompson is once again in the headlines but this time he is being hailed as a hero. Last night his wife and baby were being held hostage in the family’s own townhouse in Canberra. Mr Thompson rescued them after fighting with the offender, Joshua Byrnes. Reports we have received from the police indicate that Byrnes was killed by Tyler Thompson in a case of self defence. Joshua Byrnes was the man convicted of murdering Tyler Thompson’s parents many years ago. Tyler recently made a very moving speech where he confessed to murdering his own parents. This is now believed to have been a false confession, made under duress, when Mr Byrnes threatened to harm the Thompson family. Tyler Thompson is currently in seclusion at The Lodge.”
I stared in disbelief at the TV screen as Letitia checked the Internet. There were hundreds of articles about the latest news. In a terribl
e twist of irony, I had suddenly become a hero.
Checking my mobile phone, I was stunned to see messages from all my colleagues flowing in like an unstoppable tide.
Then came a phone call from Ranjit Perera and I realised that he had probably been steering the news since early that morning. It felt comforting to hear his voice on the other end of the line. “Tyler, how are you and Letitia?” he asked.
“We’re well, thanks Ranjit – but very tired.”
“Just hang in there. Derek Slade is acting PM but we want you to have two days of rest. We’ll be over to talk to you soon about your future.”
“You’re doing a great job, as usual,” I said. I knew that he was right – it was time for me to retire from public life.
I turned to Letitia when the phone call ended. “Maybe we should move to Perth and make a fresh start.”
“Let’s wait till Ranjit gets here,” she said.
I nodded and kissed her for the hundredth time that day. “Of course, there’s no rush. I love you so much.”
Ranjit and Derek Slade arrived with the Freedom Party’s solicitor, sixty-year-old Jean Mellows. She was tall, skinny and dressed in a very expensive grey suit.
“It’s over,” she said to me as we all sat in the living room. “The police are satisfied that Joshua had been blackmailing you and menacing your family since he was released from jail. There’ll be an inquest but there’s no reason why you can’t return to Parliament as Prime Minister. Even the Opposition Leader isn’t objecting in the face of so much public support, though I’m sure he’d like to.”
Guilt rushed over me, making me feel that my good fortune was like a nightmare. “It wouldn’t be right,” I said. “This has all been too disruptive to the Government. And what about you, Derek? I was intending to resign from Parliament. Someone other than me should have a chance to be leader now.”
“Have you seen the latest news report, Tyler?” asked Derek.
“I briefly saw a news report but Letitia insisted that I should avoid it and try to relax.”
“Look at this,” he said, pulling out his phone and opening two of the national newspaper websites. “News articles, opinion pieces, all about you.”
I scanned several of them and they made me sound like a saint.
“Our Prime Minister is to be both admired and commended,” said one journalist who normally favoured the other side of politics. “In his childhood he overcame extraordinary odds, became a great success, and recently showed tremendous courage in fighting to save his wife and child. Let’s hope he can resume his role as soon as possible.”
My head was spinning. All that praise and forgiveness was the worst punishment in the world, perhaps even worse than spending years in prison.
“Well, Tyler, what do you think?” asked Ranjit. “Will you agree to come back?”
There had to be a way to escape, and I suddenly thought of it. “I’ll do whatever Letitia wants,” I said. “She can make the decision and I’ll abide by it.”
“Fair enough, after all you’ve been through together,” said Derek.
We invited her to join us and I prayed that she’d make the right decision.
She thought about it for a couple of minutes then handed in her verdict. “I care just as much as Tyler does about politics and I’ll be by his side every step of the way.”
When we were alone later, she gave me a full explanation as I cradled her in my arms. “This is your destiny, Tyler,” she said. “Joshua has given you your freedom. That’s why I want you to return to politics.”
There was a press conference two days later in the Blue Room at Parliament House. Every member of the press gallery was there and Letitia stood by my side with Charlie in her arms. They both looked suitably adorable.
I smiled and grabbed the lectern with white knuckles. “Good morning and thank you very much for being here today,” I said. “First of all, I would like to thank everyone in Australia for their support. Letitia and I have greatly appreciated the many kind messages that we’ve received, and I’d also like to thank my wife for her great love and encouragement. I really don’t know what I would do without her.
As you know by now, the last few weeks have been very traumatic for us. I recently told you that I had killed my parents many years ago. However, that is not true and that announcement was made under duress in order to save my family.
“I would like to thank Derek Slade for taking over my role at such short notice. I’m pleased to announce that the Freedom Party members in Parliament have asked me to resume my position as their leader. Letitia has given me her blessing. Derek Slade will continue as my deputy and we’re looking forward to implementing our policies in this term of government.”
Cameras flashed and at least a dozen journalists raised their hands to ask a question.
Life went back to normal. Letitia told me that she loved me and wanted to share her life with me. We were already planning to have another baby. We continued to live in The Lodge with little Charlie and I had a job that I loved.
The next opinion poll came out two weeks later. My popularity was at an all-time high, with an approval rating of over seventy-five per cent. I was admired by almost everyone except myself. For the second time, Joshua Byrnes had helped me to find a brand new life.
There was only one fear that continued to haunt me, just one thought that kept popping up whenever I least expected it. My smile would vanish for a minute or two until I could push that worry back to the darkest recesses of my mind.
The problem was that there was no statute of limitations for the crime of murder. There was always the chance that one day the police would knock on my door and take me away.
***
THE END
***
A Note from the Author
Thank you so much for reading DEAD DRY HEART. If you enjoyed it, please tell your friends and spread the word on your favourite social media sites – including Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter. Above all, would you be able to take a moment to review this book on Amazon and share your opinion? That allows me to hear your views and also helps other potential readers. If you’ve never written an Amazon review before, please consider making this the first time.
You can see my Amazon Author page at amazon.com/author/tonipike. That’s an easy way to access all my books, including The Jotham Fletcher Mystery Thriller Series:
Book 1 – THE MAGUS COVENANT
Book 2 – THE ROCK OF MAGUS
Book 3 – THE MAGUS EPIPHANY
Book 4 – HOLY SPEAR OF MAGUS
I’m also the other of two non-fiction books. THE ONE WAY DIET is a no-nonsense guide to losing weight and coping with the journey. HAPPY TRAVELS 101 is a short book of tips for anyone who wants to travel overseas. If you would like to see some of my travel photos, here is my Instagram page: @authorlovestravel.
You can read more about me and DEAD DRY HEART on my website at www.tonipike.com. I would be delighted to hear from you, and please let me know if you would like to be added to my email list.
Yours sincerely,
Toni Pike
