I Can See Your Lies by Izzy Lee

Author:Izzy Lee
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dark Matter Magazine
Published: 2024-02-15T23:15:42+00:00

Wednesday

Fin sat in at the kitchen table and jotted notes in a manuscript for work. A freshly poured cup of Earl Grey tea steamed next to her hand, waiting to be enjoyed. Beyond the cup of tea was the kitchen window, and beyond that was the familiar sight of Charlie walking Moxie down the street.

Moxie stopped to sniff something, and Charlie turned to look at the rental house. It almost appeared as though he knew he was being watched. He squinted. Could he see her?

But that’s when Moxie spotted something else of interest—a bird, maybe—and pulled hard at her leash. Charlie let himself be led away, and they disappeared from view.

Fin felt an urge to follow them. She took a quick sip of tea and headed for the door, grabbing her jacket on the way out.

She followed Charlie from a distance. Every now and then, Moxie would sniff something else or relieve herself, and these pauses gave Fin opportunities to study Charlie’s profile. At times, she’d lift her sunglasses to peer at him. He did look somewhat like her mom’s old manager, but Arch General’s Joe Malerman looked like Harrison even more. But unless the men allowed DNA testing, Fin could only ever speculate.

What the hell am I doing? This is useless.

Fin sat down on a bench that overlooked the beach. The waves rolled and crashed in the distance, cool sea air licking at her face. She zipped up her jacket and stuffed her hands into her pockets.

The soft crunch of footsteps on dirt.

Fin spun around to see Charlie standing behind her. Moxie’s tail wagged. “Hello again. Mind if I join you?”

“Uh…sure. I don’t own the bench.”

Charlie took a seat beside her. “Sit, girl,” he said to Moxie, and fished a dog treat out of his pocket when she obeyed. The dog lapped the fake bone from his hand and crunched it in her mouth. Her tail swept the ground as she watched her master, eager for more.

“How are you enjoying your stay, young lady?” Charlie asked.

“It’s wonderful, thank you. It’s been great to clear my head.” Fin looked out at the sea. Faint rays of sunshine poked through heaping clouds and reflected on the water, which sparkled.

“That it is,” Charlie agreed. “This area’s a wonderful place to start over.”

Fin looked back at him. “I’ve been thinking of doing exactly that—moving here.”

Charlie shifted in his seat and glanced at her. He turned his attention back to Moxie and patted her head. “Oh?”

“Yeah,” Fin said. “I don’t know if I want to raise my daughter in LA.”

He looked back at her, studied her face. “I hear ya. Once upon a time, I imagined differently, but it wasn’t meant to be. No matter. I’m much happier here. It’s a simpler life.”

“Seems so.”

Fin tried to remember the shape of Harrison’s face in the magazine, whether his jawline was sharp like her father’s, or more rounded. She wished the photo hadn’t been printed in black and white. She would have liked to compare hair and eye color.

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