The Worst Lie by Shauna Bickley

Author:Shauna Bickley [Bickley, Shauna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-12-08T16:00:00+00:00

The latest news about Renelle’s death permeated through the group. Lexie’s appointments to interview the private investigator and the female police detective had changed several times and she ended up completing them on successive days. After that she was busy putting the linked articles together to go to Jo, her editor, so it was Nathan who told her that the police were treating Renelle’s death as murder.

It had seemed extreme when Eden told her she thought Madelaine had been killed, but this time the allegation came from the police. They had found evidence of pills and alcohol in her system, and also traces of a date rape drug. That surprised Lexie. Eden also told Nathan that Mitch had arrived in Nettleford and was staying in the rental house with her and Hunter.

Once she had emailed the articles to Jo at the magazine, Lexie’s thoughts returned to Renelle’s death. If she’d taken the first drink willingly, then presumably she knew the person.

As she and Max wandered back along the lane from their morning walk, Lexie spotted Mitch walking up the track to the top of the hill. The track ran along the outside of their garden, but Mitch was far enough up it not to notice them. Rather than going inside, Lexie carried on past their house and through the gate in their tall back garden fence. On their property, they also had a track to the top of hill. Max raced ahead, delighted to find they were having an extra-long walk.

As the slope levelled out, Lexie saw Mitch sitting on the dry-stone wall staring out over Nettleford. Mitch turned when Max growled and then barked at him.

‘It’s okay, Max. He’s a friend.’

‘He takes his protection duties seriously,’ said Mitch.

‘We had a bit of an incident last year and he was our knight in golden fur.’

Mitch screwed up his eyes against the sun as he turned to Lexie. ‘Helen mentioned something about that when they stayed with us the last time, although she didn’t go into all the details.’

Lexie didn’t want to go into the details either and simply nodded.

Mitch resumed his contemplation of the view before them. ‘I walked along the road and then saw a track up the hill, but I wasn’t sure if this was privately owned or not.’

‘The track is for anyone. This side is private property, but you’re lucky as it’s ours.’

Max bounded off, chasing a rabbit who outran him easily. Lexie wasn’t a long-standing friend and guessed whatever she said would sound like a bad cliché but she needed to express her sympathy.

‘I only met Renelle in Little Stillford, but I enjoyed our conversations and hoped we’d become friends. I’m so sorry about what’s happened.’

Mitch smiled sadly. ‘She liked you both and that’s a big compliment as Renelle didn’t make new friends easily.’

‘How are you coping with things?’ She grimaced. ‘Sorry, it’s such an unimaginative question.’

‘I remember thinking something similar when talking to Gareth after Madelaine died. Everything seemed like a platitude. I’m glad to be away from our apartment, seeing Renelle’s clothes and stuff around the flat is hard.

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