WHYTE LIES by KC Acton Read Free Book Online

to be an ordinary family, nothing unusual to report.”
    “We all know how appearances can be deceptive,” said Faith. “Good job, so far, Reilly, but I want you to keep digging.”
    “There’s something not quite right about Conor and Mary Gleeson,” Byrne piped up, running her fingers through her cropped blonde hair.
    “What do you mean?” asked Faith.
    “I dunno, maybe I’m reading too much into it, but their reaction to the murders seemed off to me; they didn’t seem shocked. It was almost like they already knew, like they were behaving how they thought they should behave.”
    “People react to tragic news in different ways,” countered Faith.
    “I realise that,” continued Byrne. “But Mary’s reaction was over the top: like bad acting. I could be wrong, but something about her doesn’t seem right.”
    “We need to do a thorough background check,” said Faith. “It’s imperative that we establish if anyone in the immediate family poses a threat to Lucy and Megan.”
    “Excuse me, boss,” Nora interrupted. “I’ve just had a call from the hospital; Lucy Gleeson is conscious.”

11

“Lie back in the chair, Faith. Relax,” instructed Dr Crowley. “On one, I want you to look up…One.”
    Faith lay back and looked at the ceiling.
    “Good. On two, I want you to close your eyes and take a deep breath…Two.”
    Faith closed her eyes and inhaled deeply.
    “On three, breathe out, relax your body, and imagine yourself floating in a warm bath. Each breath is getting deeper and easier…Three.”
    Faith’s whole body relaxed.
    “You are safe. I’m going to take you back in time. Only your mind is back there; you are safe here with me. Your brain is like a computer. Together, we’re going to re-programme it, so that the pain from your childhood doesn’t mean the same thing to you anymore. Take me back to the time when your father left. I want you to think about the sights, the sounds, and who was there. See it in bright colours.”
    “Daddy arrived home from one of his trips. He was staying away more frequently, but he was earning money, so he and my mother were arguing less. I was happy to see him; he was always in good form when he came home. This time he was in exceptional form. He took me into town and we had McDonald’s for lunch. I remember a woman stopped by our table and said hi. Daddy said her name was Laura, and that she was a friend of his.
    “Laura stared at me, so I stared back. Mummy always told me it was rude to stare, but I didn’t care this time. I didn’t like Laura. I wanted to stick my tongue out at her, but I knew Daddy would spank me if I did, so instead I stared right back. She was short and chubby, not like Mummy. Her bleached blonde hair was a permed frizz, and you could see her bright blue eyeliner from the other side of the room. She spoke in a high-pitched voice that made me want to smack her, and she kept giggling, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes. She sat beside my Dad and kept smiling at him and laughing at his stupid jokes. I didn’t like the way they behaved together. I had a bad feeling about her.
    “A few weeks later, Mum said we were going on a road trip. I thought it was strange because it was the middle of the school term. Besides, we went nowhere without Dad, but he was away. Mum tried to sound excited, but she looked pale and sad as she forced a smile. I knew something was wrong.
    “Everything changed so quickly. Mum bundled my brother and me into the car and drove for what seemed like hours. I kept asking her where we were going, until eventually, she gave in. ‘We’re going to Ireland,’ she said, smiling through her unshed tears. ‘Remember Granny Rose? We’re going to live with her for a while.’
    “‘But I don’t want to go to Ireland,’ I wailed, ‘I want to go home.’
    “‘We don’t have a choice. Daddy doesn’t want us anymore.’ She turned and put her foot down, ignoring us as we sobbed in the back.
    “The English