Her Mother's Lies: A gripping psychological thriller with a stunning twist
Page 7
Martha’s face fell. ‘Hey, burst my bubble, why don’t you?’
‘Sorry. Sorry, I didn’t mean… That came out all wrong.’ She sighed. ‘The thing is… well, it’s a puzzle, isn’t it? You remember him as a great father and your mum doesn’t have a good word to say about him.’ She looked down. ‘So… my theory is, he did something that meant they had to break up and both of them had to change their names – and whatever happened, your mum hasn’t forgiven him.’
Martha nodded and couldn’t deny her own thoughts had taken her to the same place.
‘I’m not going to make any judgements.’ Martha closed her eyes for a moment, wondering how to begin to explain. ‘You don’t know my mum, Izzy. Honestly, just because she painted a bad picture of him, doesn’t mean it’s real. It sounds awful to say this but she tells lies. Maybe she was the one who did something wrong.’ She shrugged. ‘Anyway… there’s no point coming up with endless theories. I can’t trust Mum to tell me the truth, so the best thing is just to ask him, let him tell me what happened. Then I can work out what to believe for myself.’
Izzy nodded. ‘Good idea. You’re right. It’s too easy to get carried away with theorising, isn’t it?’ She gave a little laugh. ‘I should know better, shouldn’t I? You know what they say about how to “assume” makes an “ass” out of “u” and “me”? It’s right, isn’t it?’
‘Yeah, it is. So easy to project your own experiences and emotions onto a situation when that’s not what’s happening at all.’
They stared at each other for a moment, the conversation at a dead end and the silence felt more awkward by the second. Martha was the first to break eye contact. ‘I’m off to find him tomorrow.’
‘What?’ Izzy’s eyebrows shot up her forehead. ‘It might be better to think it through first, you know, before you go charging up there.’
Martha shook her head. ‘No. The timing’s perfect. Mum’s going to be in hospital for days yet, and they’re doing loads of tests on her, so… basically, I said I couldn’t visit every day because the journey’s an absolute bitch and costs a fortune. Mum said that was fine because she feels like shit and she’s drugged up, so she’s in this dreamy netherworld and… well, the nurses said she needed to rest. So, I won’t be missed for a couple of days. I can talk to her on the phone in the meantime if she’s awake. And she can ring me.’
A flush of guilt burned in Martha’s cheeks. Is it horrible of me to not visit every day? Did Mum mean it when she said she didn’t mind? She pulled herself up. This was a one-off opportunity and it was time she knew for certain what had separated their family and whether her father wanted to be in her life or not. Otherwise, all the what-ifs and maybes would eat away at her like maggots in an apple.
‘Right.’ Izzy nodded. ‘Right. Well, it’s a bit of a rush, but I suppose I can reorganise things.’
‘What do you mean?’ Izzy’s words seemed totally out of context and Martha wondered if she’d missed something while her mind had been packing away her guilt, justifying her plans.
‘You can’t go on your own.’ Izzy sounded appalled at the idea. ‘God no, this is such a big thing, I’m not about to let you go without a wingwoman for support.’
Martha’s heart skipped a beat. She wasn’t sure she wanted Izzy to come along. This was about her and her dad. It could be difficult. An emotional reunion. Do I want a spectator? ‘Oh, well… I hadn’t thought about that.’ She felt hot, flustered. ‘Honestly, there’s no need, Izzy. I’ll be fine.’ She gave a quick smile. ‘I’ll keep in touch, let you know how it goes.’
Izzy looked a bit worried, leant closer to the screen. ‘I really think I should go with you. I don’t think it’s something you should do alone. I won’t get in the way, honest. But I’ll be there just in case… you know.’
‘But I can’t expect you to come all that way. And what about your course? I don’t want you to miss anything.’
Izzy smiled. ‘It’s fine. It’s nearly Easter holidays and it’ll do me good to have a bit of a break.’ There was a note of excitement in her voice. ‘Would you believe I’ve never been to Wales? Go on, Martha. It would be great to meet up again. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?’
Martha was still unsure, but she could see the eagerness in Izzy’s eyes. After a moment she grinned back. ‘Well, if you’re sure it’s no trouble, it would be great to see you, and you’re right – it would be good to have a bit of support.’ She grimaced. ‘I’d have to say I’m a little bit scared. But I’ve got to do it. After all this time, I’ve got to know, and this will be my only chance. Once Mum’s out of hospital I’ll be a full-time carer. Having kept Dad’s location secret all this time, there’s no way she’d want me to go and meet him.’
Izzy beamed. ‘Great timing too. My car’s in the garage having some work done but I’ll get it back some time tomorrow. I can meet you the day after. Does that work?’
Martha’s eyes slid away, heart racing. She didn’t want to wait an extra day. If she was going to do this without her mum knowing what was going on, she had a day to get up there and a day to get back, that’s what she’d planned. Two days until her mum would next be expecting her, and that’s what she’d stick to. She didn’t want to ask Izzy to rearrange her plans, but she didn’t want to argue with her either. She made up an excuse. ‘Sorry, Izzy, I’ve got to go. I think the hospital is calling. I’ll send you Dad’s address, so you know where you’re going, and I’ll call tomorrow, okay? Sort out the details.’
Martha rang off before Izzy had time to reply. She’d call her tomorrow and tell her she’d had to go earlier than expected. In one way, it would have been nice to have Izzy’s support, but in another, she felt this was something she wanted to do on her own, without someone else filling her head full of advice that she didn’t want to listen to.
The next morning, she was up early and ready to walk the few miles to the railway station, impatient to get her journey started.
‘Martha!’
She was halfway down the drive and turned to see Anna waving at her from the garden next door. She hadn’t known she was coming, hadn’t heard her arrive, and now her heart sank. Anna liked a chat, and Martha really had to get going if she was to catch her train because if she missed that one, it would delay her by hours. Getting from Cornwall to North Wales was no easy matter, with three changes, and she was feeling anxious enough already.
There was no way she could ignore her, though, and she walked back to the fence between the properties where Anna was standing.
‘I’m so glad I caught you. Are you on your way to see your mum? She messaged me to say she was in hospital. I hope she’s okay?’ Anna sounded breathless, concerned.
‘I didn’t realise you were here.’ Martha smiled, avoiding her question.
‘I arrived last night. I know there’s a list of maintenance jobs building up, so I’ve left Arthur with our son in London while I pop down for a few days to see what I can get sorted.’
‘Oh, great. You know that flat roof’s leaking? Mum did tell you, didn’t she?’
Anna nodded. ‘Yes, that’s on my list. I’m getting quotes.’ She looked at the front of the houses and Martha followed her gaze, cringing at the tattiness of their place. ‘Thought I’d get someone to tidy up the outsides as well, you know, do a good old maintenance job, repaint both of them, then I won’t have to worry for a while.’
Martha smiled, relieved there was one less thing to worry about and grateful they had such an understanding landlady.
‘I was going to say I’ll give you a lift to the hospital if you like – I’m going that way.’
‘They’ve moved her to Truro,’ Martha said, quickly, not wanting to tell Anna where she was really going. It would take far too much explaining. ‘But a lift to the station would be brilliant, if you’re heading off soon.’ She didn’t need to tell her which train she was getting on, did she? And Anna didn’t have a clue about public transport timetables. It’s not really a lie, she told herself.
Anna gave her a quick smile. ‘I’ll just get my bag, then I’ll be right with you. Such a lot of things to do, I really need to get a move on.’ She hurried off into her house and Martha walked round to her driveway, Anna’s car tucked out of sight in her garage. She was glad of the lift and happy to have her neighbour home for a few days, promising herself she’d go round and tell her the full story once she’d got this meeting with her father over with. It would be good to have her opinion on everything – she was an excellent listener and had helped Martha through many a crisis when she’d been growing up and Fran had brushed off her troubles with, ‘It’ll sort itself out, just give it time,’ which was her stock response to most problems.
Martha chatted about Fran and her health issues all the way to the station, not leaving any room for questions, and as soon as they got there, she jumped out, said her thanks and was relieved to see Anna drive away.
Once she’d bought her ticket and boarded her first train, her jaw hardened, the adventure now real. She hated deceiving people, but sometimes the truth was too difficult. There was just too much of it, like picking up an armful of dirty washing and taking it downstairs without losing an odd sock here and there. There’d be plenty of time to go back and make amends. Apologise for not being completely honest. But now she was on her way to find out what her parents had been keeping from her all these years. Her heart raced as she settled in her seat, listened to the screeching of the wheels as they started to move, scared of what was ahead.
Ten
Martha
Now
It was just after seven thirty in the evening when Martha called Izzy on Messenger. She was leaning against a wall at the back of McDonald’s and swiped at her face with her fingers, trying to rid herself of the tears that refused to stop.
‘Christ, what’s up?’ Izzy peered at her, frowning, concerned.
‘Oh, Izzy. I’ve done something really…’ Her voice shuddered as sobs threatened to overwhelm her. ‘I’ve gone and…’
‘Hey, calm down, hun. Take a deep breath and then—’
‘I saw him.’
Izzy’s frown deepened. ‘Saw who?’
‘I’m in Caernarfon. I went to see Greg.’ She could hardly get the words out, her voice all gaspy, and Izzy was clearly struggling to make out what she was saying.
‘Sorry? You did what?’ Her eyes widened as she suddenly understood. ‘Tomorrow. I thought we’d agreed tomorrow. Oh God, did I get it wrong? I’m such a doofus with times and dates.’
Martha gulped. ‘No, we did say tomorrow but… I couldn’t wait. Once I knew where he was living, I had to go and see him and then…’ She covered her mouth, her voice muffled. ‘I hit him.’
Izzy gasped. ‘What? I can’t hear what you’re saying. Just calm yourself down and start again, will you?’
Martha took a deep breath, waiting for the tears to ease off before she launched into the full story. How she’d gone to see him, and he’d recognised her, but then told her that he wasn’t her father. And if she wanted to know who was, she’d have to ask her mother.
Izzy’s mouth dropped open as she listened, her eyes locked on Martha.
‘And I was so angry. I don’t know what came over me. I just flew at him and knocked him over and he landed with such a thump. I think it winded him and then he was bloody furious with me and I… well, I ran away.’
‘Martha! What were you thinking? Is he all right?’
‘I think so.’ Her voice wavered. ‘He was shouting at me and now I’m scared to go back, but I still have so many questions.’
Izzy stared at her for a long moment before she spoke, her face crumpled into a frown. ‘Okay, look, don’t panic. I picked up the car this afternoon. I was just packing but I’m nearly finished.’
‘Oh thank God. Can you come, Izzy? Can you come now? I don’t know what I was thinking, but…’ Martha held her breath, hoping Izzy would say yes. It was a lot to ask, but she was panicky and scared and needed a friend more than she had at any other time in her life.
Izzy chewed her bottom lip, nodded. ‘Oh um… okay. I’ll… er, I’ll set off now and I’ll be there in…’ She grimaced. ‘I’m pretty sure it’s going to be about three hours.’ She looked a bit anxious. ‘I’ll be there as soon as I can.’
Martha sat by the window in McDonald’s where she’d agreed to meet Izzy, sipping a coffee and watching people going in and out of the Tesco across the road. She checked her watch again: almost eleven. Thank God this place is open 24/7. She’d hoped Izzy would have been here by now, but then, she supposed, it was quite a way for her to come and there were always problems with traffic on motorways. Be patient, she told herself. Just be glad that she’s coming at all.
At first, Martha had wanted this to be her encounter with Greg and hers alone. Meeting her dad after such a long time was a momentous thing for her and she hadn’t wanted anyone else to be there, especially given the way her imagination had led her to believe the situation would play out. Now she blushed at the thought. How stupid. If she’d had Izzy there as backup, then she wouldn’t have… She rested her head in her hands, appalled at what she’d done.
What if I really hurt him?
What if he gets the police involved?
Oh my God.
‘Martha?’
She jumped and turned to see Izzy walking towards her. Her legs were stiff from sitting for so long, and she struggled to her feet, a lump in her throat preventing her from saying anything. Izzy opened her arms for a hug and Martha clung to her as they rocked from side to side.
Finally, she let go, tears of relief running down her face.
‘Look at me, blubbering like a bloody baby.’ She could feel the heat rise to her cheeks and rummaged in her bag for a tissue.
Izzy rubbed her shoulder. ‘Wow, it’s so good to see you in the flesh again.’ Then she laughed. ‘Sorry, does that sound weird? But you know what I mean. It’s been a while, hasn’t it?’
Martha sniffed and wiped her eyes, laughing with her.
‘Can I get you something to eat?’ She looked towards the counter where the staff were gathered in a little group, chatting and joking in the absence of customers to keep them busy. ‘I couldn’t stomach anything earlier, but I think I really should eat something.’
Izzy gave a dismissive wave. ‘No, no, you sit there, and I’ll get it. My treat.’
Martha was going to argue, but when she saw the determined look on Izzy’s face she decided not to, flashing her a smile of thanks instead.
A few minutes later Izzy returned with their food and they ate, quietly, until Izzy took the lead and started chatting about the journey, both of them ignoring the one thing they really should have been discussing.
‘What are we going to do about Greg?’ Martha blurted out when she couldn’t keep the thought in her head any longer. ‘I’m worried that he’s hurt. And it’s my fault. He landed with such a smack on the floor. And I just left him…’ She couldn’t allow her thinking to reach any sort of logical conclusion, her breath hitching in her throat, blocking any more words from coming out.
Izzy looked startled for a moment and their eyes met. She chewed her food for what seemed like an hour, then swallowed and took a sip of her drink. ‘Well, we’ve got two options and it’s your call. I’ve found somewhere to stay, like we agreed. Luckily, there was nobody in for tonight, so I managed to get the booking changed. That was a relief. Anyway, it’s a cabin on a holiday park, only a couple of miles up the road.’ She looked down at the table, started tidying up the packaging from her meal. ‘We can go there, get some sleep and sort it out in the morning. Or we can go round now and make sure he’s okay.’ She cocked her head as she gazed at Martha, her face pale. She rubbed her eyes, blinking. ‘It’s up to you. But I would have to say that’s the longest drive I’ve ever done in my life, the traffic was horrendous because there’d been an accident and then there were miles of roadworks and I was shit-scared and I’m feeling a bit jaded. So…’ Izzy shrugged.
Izzy gave her a broad smile and reached over the table to squeeze her hand. ‘Good call. We’ll feel more up to it tomorrow. And he will have had more time to think about things. Gotta be a win-win situation, don’t you think?’
‘Yes, yes, you’re right. Absolutely, the right thing to do.’ But Martha’s stomach swirled as they stood and she emptied the tray of rubbish into the bin. She tried ignoring the worries that were tapping away at the back of her head, but when they got to the car, she was sure she wouldn’t sleep until she knew for certain. ‘Look, I know it’s not ideal, with us both being tired. But…’ She pulled an apologetic face. ‘Do you think we could just drive past? See if there’s a light on, or if there’s any sign of life?’
Izzy frowned, her lips disappearing into the thinnest of lines. ‘How hard did you hit him exactly? I mean, was there blood?’ She held up a hand. ‘Let’s back up a minute, so I know the full story.’
Martha took her mind back to the kitchen, visualising their tussle, hearing the thump when he’d hit the floor. She felt the colour drain from her face. ‘He fell badly, that’s all. Hit a chair, or the table, landed heavily.’ She shrugged, her voice fading to a whisper. ‘I don’t know.’
‘But he was conscious?’
Martha nodded. ‘Yes, he was shouting. But I ran away before he could get up. You know, I didn’t want a full-on wrestling match and I was really angry after he said he wasn’t my dad and he was yelling at me to get out. I honestly…’ She shook her head. ‘I couldn’t think straight. I’m still in shock.’ She held out her hand, the tremor obvious, and it wasn’t just her hand that was shaking, it was her whole body.