Private Lies Part 50
― Renee Fredrickson
“The time has come to speak of many things.” The young man leered at her and laughed, revealing large yellowed teeth.
He had been wearing a black leather jacket, but had taken it off and tossed it on the grass and was now sitting down upon it. He leaned back on one elbow and stared at her.
“Recognize me?”
She didn’t—it was weird though; there was something about him that tweaked her memory. She stared, observing him closely.
He was the type who made her skin crawl—pimply face, spiked hair and beady eyes—a real nerdy looking guy, but with this added creep factor that induced a tingle of fear.
“You really don’t know me, do you, Cuz?”
“Cuz?” She looked at him with a puzzled expression. “Are you saying I’m related to you?”
“My name is Cal, Cal Ripley.”
She went pale. He saw her fear.
“So then you know, don’t you?” he said gleefully, rubbing away the stiffness from the back of his neck and baring his yellowed teeth.
“I only know what I’ve been told, which isn’t much, believe me—I was not privy to any family secrets.”
“Ya, I wouldn’t doubt that—not like Alicia to tell much—likes to hold her cards close to the vest, that one.”
“You know Aunt Alicia?”
“Know her? Not directly, no—that wouldn’t do, for her to have anything to do with the likes of me or our side of the family.”
“Look, I don’t know anything about this rift between the McAdams and the Ripleys other than it goes back hundreds of years.”
Again, the yellow-toothed leer. “You might not know much about it, milady, but you profited from it. Went to the finest schools, lived in the family manse, ended up as a professor at the university.”
His eyes gleamed. “Naw, I wouldn’t exactly say you were hard done by.”
Suddenly, his eyes narrowed and she felt her blood freeze.
“Now, you take me,” he drawled on, affecting a broad cockney accent, “one of the less-deserving from the other side of the family tree. Did I grow up with all the creature comforts that you had? I think not.”
“Look, Cal, I really know nothing about any family feud—as a matter of fact, all my life I’ve been kept in the dark about family affairs.”
“Really—Is that so?”
“You have to believe me—that’s the truth. I just found out in the past few days that the woman who raised me was not my mother. I went to confront Alicia concerning that and the fact that Clare's remains were hidden in a wall in the back garden of the family estate. Honestly, I know nothing about what goes on in the McAdam clan.”
“So, you know about Bernie Sigel, then?”
“I know he was married to Aunt Clare—I mean my mother and that he had a child by her—Birdie. Believe me, that’s all I know.”
“YOU LIE!” He was shaking with rage and pointing his finger at her as if it were a gun.
“You are part of the plot—don’t you think I know? I know everything, Whore!”
*It dawned on her: “It was you who scrawled that word on my door—Why?”
His face contorted into such a malevolent stare that she knew he intended to murder her—there was not a doubt in her mind that she would die today on this ridge.
Ironic, she thought.
The special place she shared with Brad, would not become what she hoped—a sacred memorial to their hopeful future, but would become instead, the site of her unmarked grave.
A deep sadness overtook her as she realized she had once wanted to die, but that was before she knew the truth about Clare, about the prospect of a future with Birdie and Brad—before she realized she had a reason to live.
Parts 1 -43
Part 44
Part 45
Part 46
Part 47
Part 48
Part 49
To be continued...
Wow this is amazing, i must say, so much deception. One does not even know where any truth lies
Im enjoying, bring on the next part
thanks, Jose - certainly still much to come :)
Im looking forward John 👏👏👏👏
Just keep him talking, Hailey - Brad is on his way!
ha, ha - Good advice, @kiwideb - I'd probably let a madman rant on myself. Rattlesnake Point is as intimidating as the pic suggests - a drop of many hundreds of feet. I wouldn't talk back that near the edge :)
She has certainly grown. So we are going to learn a lot lot more. Like maybe the truth of what happened to "Bernie Sigel", most like knocked off by the Aunts, all of them including the one she thought was her mother.
yes, Hailey is a developing character, responding well to the challenges of her life...but now this -
Well, sometimes not all the mysteries of life are solved and questions may persist. A good author will answer the essential ones, but a novel should reflect life - not everything is neatly completed, like brown paper packages tied up with string. Sometimes, we must forego the bow :)
More family lies?
it goes on and on ....
Hello :) I am quite new here. Is it the book of your authorship?
welcome. @abc.ove.steemit - it is my book exclusive to steemit :)
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Whats his grudge with hailey??
Good post, I am a photographer, it passes for my blog and sees my content, I hope that it should be of your taste, you have my vote :D greetings
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