Page 55 of Justified Lies

“Okay. No problem. That should be fun for Jacob. So, Gabe had to leave for work?”

Lianna tried to hide her interest in Gabe’s whereabouts, as Nicki was still standing right beside her, but she was unnerved at his sudden departure. Why hadn’t he told her?

“No, he went to Saskatchewan. I think it has something to do with his family.”

“Okay” Lianna was starting to sound like a parrot. “I mean, I hope everything is okay.”

Gabe grew up in Saskatchewan and his parents still lived there, but so did Jacob’s mother. Lianna knew little about the woman other than that. Had he gone to see her? Had they decided to try and work things out? Had Lianna’s pushing finally driven him away?

Dolores, sensing more than she let on, gently patted Lianna’s arm. “I’m sure everything is fine, and he’ll be back soon.”

“Yes, for sure. Thanks for letting me know about Jacob. Have a great time with the family tonight.”

Dolores gazed at Lianna with sympathy in her eyes, a look she had grown so accustomed to seeing in others.

“We will, and you, too. See you soon.”

As Dolores walked away, Lianna plastered on a fake smile and turned towards the conversation Nicki was having with another mom, pretending to listen. It was unfair to be upset about Gabe’s withdrawal. She had spent a good amount of time giving him grief for being too overbearing in the first place. Plus, she needed to stop wavering about putting a pause on their physical relationship.

Gabe knew her in-laws had stayed at her house the past two nights, so she wasn’t alone. She also told him there was nothing left to talk about, so possibly that’s why he wasn’t eager to check in. Or was it the fact that Lianna had judged Gabe for not sharing as much asshewanted him to, for not being an open book. Was she transferring her trust issues from her marriage onto her relationship with him? Where was Isabela for a coffee date when she needed it?

It was overwhelming to think of Gabe having personal issues that he couldn’t share with her. While it hurt that he didn’t feel he could trust her, she considered she may have hurt him more by giving him a ticking timeline to bare his soul. Gabe deserved a blank slate, but whether Lianna could provide that she seriously doubted.

They both seemed to have too much baggage for anything good to come from this relationship. The fact that she loved him was her burden to bear. She would find a way to cope, find a way to see his handsome face without acting on her feelings.

“Here they come!” Nicki squealed, pointing towards the school.

Lianna waved exaggeratedly to the children who had remerged from the building. As was the school’s annual tradition, the students were now parading around the perimeter in costume as “Monster Mash,” blared from the loudspeaker. Seeing those sweet faces reminded her she had more positive in her life than negative, more joy than sorrow. Huddling against the breeze, Lianna did what she always did—put on a brave face and pretended everything was okay.

****

Halloween night turned out dreary, cold, and wet. Fortunately, the kids’ eager grandparents offered to take them trick-or-treating. While Lianna planned to meet up with them shortly, she wasn’t in a hurry. Taking her time, she filled the dishwasher with pizza-stained plates, occasionally pausing to answer the door for candy seekers.

Lianna’s cell phone sat silently on the white granite beside her. She glanced at it in frustration, trying not to sulk thinking of Gabe’s earlier message. It had come in shortly after she returned from the kids’ school parade. He had finally reached out about leaving town, but only to relay more of his usual vagueness.

I had to head out of town briefly, be back tomorrow afternoon. You’ll be able to reach me anytime by cell. I’ll be thinking of you. Stay safe.

She would be a liar if she didn’t admit to feeling relieved that Gabe thought to tell her about his travel plans. Even if they were vague, it was better than nothing. Finishing the last of the dishes, Lianna knew there was nothing she could do about this now. Gabe had already gone and perhaps it was for the best. Tonight was not the time to dwell on this. It wasn’t fair to her little trick-or-treaters, that Mom was choosing Halloween to be heartsick.

After drying her hands, Lianna threw on a heavy coat, consciously deciding to leave her phone behind. She didn’t need the distraction. Putting the bowl of candy on the front porch, she locked up and set out to meet the kids.

Heading to her right, she passed Tim and Diane’s house. Naturally, her body quickened its pace, involuntary quivering at how dark the property was. The street was cloaked in gloomy shadows, with no streetlights on yet. Someone needed to tell the city they were on fall hours now.

Hustling along, she heard laughs and giggles drifting in the distance. Surely that was the group of kids Harris and Annie were with. Lowering her head against the drizzle, she now cursed herself for not bringing her cell phone to confirm their location. It was one of those rains that made her feel damp and chilled to the core. She wanted to spend as little time as possible wandering around looking for her group. But it was dammed if she did, damned if she didn’t. How could she spend a night forgetting about her troubles when she jumped every time it buzzed or rang?

Lianna was halfway down the street when she first felt that icky sensation of being followed. Turning her head withoutslowing, she saw nothing. Continuing a little quicker, the sound of footsteps forced her to turn again. The road was empty.

It must be lingering anxiety from what transpired with Tim.That’s probably normal. This was the first time she had been out alone since the incident. Perhaps choosing a cold, dark night for that endeavor wasn’t her best plan.

Lianna kept a brisk pace, arms wrapped around her midsection. When she thought she heard wet footsteps again, she stopped and spun. Squinting her eyes against the darkness, she focused in on a cluster of trees.

There, in the mist of bushes and tall evergreens between two properties, was a billowing white sheet. It emerged from the tangle of dark undergrowth, standing out in stark contrast to its surroundings. Studying the object for several seconds, Lianna finally took a steadying breath. The sounds must have come from the decoration flapping in the wind.

Dismissing the object as a threat, she was about to turn and be on her way, when the white sheet stepped out onto the sidewalk. Lianna’s heart started beating wildly, as she struggled to make sense of the odd display before her. As if it were playing a trick on her vision, the sheet continued to billow innocuously against the weather. But as she scrutinized it, she could make out shoes protruding from the bottom of the sheet.

The longer she stood there facing off with the obscure thing, the less innocent looking it became.You are an adult. Calm down and be reasonable.

“Hello?” Lianna greeted the sheet warily.

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