Page 56 of Justified Lies

Without answering, the person or thing below the sheet slowly lifted its arms, almost doubling in size. Then, without warning, the figure began running straight towards her. Lianna didn’t scream, but she did turn and sprint as fast as she could. Her ankle ached from the exertion, but it didn’t give out. She praised a higher power that she had worn running shoes.

Making a split decision, she cut into the green space between two properties. Naked tree limbs clawed and poked at her as she tore past them. The tip of a branch sliced her cheek, but she kept running. Finally, a clearing appeared, and she darted across a neighbor’s yard.

After several agonizing seconds, she rounded the street corner onto a more major throughway. It was lit up with cars passing and the homes all had their porch lights on welcoming the evening’s visitors.

Ignoring the stitch in her side, she still didn’t stop. She continued to run about twenty more yards before finally slowing down. Up ahead she could see the group that was the source of the noise she heard earlier. Her knees almost gave out when she recognized Charles’s, tall, thin form.

Feeling slightly more secure, she continued to jog but spared a glance behind her. There was no one there. Well, no one out of the ordinary. She had run past several groups of trick-or-treaters and hadn’t noticed. Their parents eyed her suspiciously now. But no white sheet.

Had she imagined it? Lianna stifled a sob. Maybe the Tim thing had bothered her more than she originally thought, and this was her psyche’s way of dealing. Lianna hustled until Charles made eye contact with her. As she approached, he watched her with concern. She was clearly frazzled and breathing hard.

Taking her arm gently, his eyes narrowed, “What’s wrong? What happened to your face?”

She swiped the back of her hand against her cheek, a streak of blood evidence of the stinging cut. Lianna’s emotional well-being was currently spiraling out of control. She needed to start treating her safety more seriously. That began with telling the truth when she felt threatened.

“I thought I was being followed, but I think it was just a trick-or-treater.”

Charles, sensing what she needed, brought her in for a hug. Lianna let herself cling to the comfort and safety he offered.

“Someone was following you?” he clarified, stepping back to look down at her but keeping both hands on her shoulders.

“Well, there was someone wearing a white sheet. They ran at me.”

“Oh, that guy,” he tsked. “Gave the kids a scare at first too. He’s one of your neighbor’s kids. Just a teenager being a jackass. Won the kids over when he gave out full-size candy bars.”

Oh, God, of course it was just a joke. It was Halloween.

“I’m such a spaz.” Lianna looked up at her calm, steady as a rock father-in-law. It wasn’t possible to hide her level of embarrassment.

“That’s understandable. You have been through a lot, young lady.” Then after a moment he continued, quieter, “You’re not alone. We will help you get through this.”

Lianna’s eyes burned with oncoming tears, but she blinked them away as Annie approached.

“Mommy, Mommy, my bag’s almost full!”

Then the little girl screeched in delight. Lianna laughed as some of the tears escaped.

“Remember, no sneaking any treats until we get home.”

“I know,” the girl huffed, then grabbed her friend’s hand and they shrieked all the way to the next house.

Barb followed the girls down the driveway. She stopped when she reached the pair, briefly rubbing Lianna’s arm without asking any questions. The woman instilled more support in that contact than words ever could. It made Lianna long for her own parents, so glad she still had Scott’s by her side.

The remainder of the evening Lianna didn’t venture far from the group. A sense of acceptance and security radiatedfrom them. She also gladly accepted when Barb offered to stay over at her place again. But as Lianna fell into bed that night, she was restless, despite being thoroughly exhausted.

Although she had turned down Gabe’s theory, Lianna couldn’t help but wonder where Darren fit into all this. Nicki and the girls hadn’t come trick-or-treating with them for the first time ever. Had they found out about the accusations Gabe had made to her father-in-law?

Everything around her was in disarray and based on her reaction to a basic prank tonight she was close to her breaking point. Maybe she should leave town, at least for a while. The idea of moving back to the east coast, of truly starting over, had occurred to her before.

Lianna could imagine her small family making a life for themselves, but she would never be happy, just merely content. A move meant leaving Gabe and Jacob behind. That prospect brought more anxiety than it did comfort. What did it say that she could stomach living next door to a man who attacked her but the mere thought of leaving the man she shared her bed with one time was too much?It says you love him.

But Lianna had already come to terms with that, hadn’t she?

Chapter Seventeen

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan

Seven years ago

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