The Mute and the Liar (68 page)

These
words
stir
something
in
the
boy
and
he
struggles
again,
only
has
now
become
empowered
with
some
mad
force
and
manages
to
push
himself
up.

I
gasp.

It’s
impossible.

This
can’t
be
happening.
He’s
dead.
He’s
dead!

He’s
dead!

But
it
is.
It’s
him.
Jeffrey.

“
Alicia?
Where is
she?
Is
she
all right?
”

“
She’s
perfectly
fine,
no
thanks
to
you.
Don’t
worry
about
her;
she
is
in
safe
hands.
So
what
am
I
going
to
do
with
you
then?
You
have
caused
me
so
much
hassle.
You
could
have
ruined
everything,
you
know.
You
tried
to
take
her
from me…
from
Jayce.
”

Jeffrey
looks
above
the
camera,
presumably
right
into
the
face
of
his
visitor.

“
He’s
going to kill her
,
”
he
says
steadily,
straight-faced
and
eyes
narrowed.

“
Not
unless
I
tell him
to.
”

“
Did you tell him
to
try and
kill
me
?
”

“
You
won’t
die.
You
are
important,
and
importance
is
immortality,
Jeffrey.
That
is
why
all
humans
crave
it.
Only
important
people
can
live
forever.
”

The
video
ends
there.

And
although
I'm
so
happy
Jeffrey
is
okay,
I
get
the
feeling
I've
entered
a distorted
world
where
dead
people
don’t
stay dead.

S
o it’s
Kaylie?
Kaylie
is
the
one
pretending
to
be
Becky
and
manipulating
Jayce?
But
she
looks
absolutely
horrified.

It
can’t
be
her
-
she
genuinely
doesn’t
seem
to
know
anything
about
this,
like
she
doesn’t
understand
a
thing
Jayce
has
just
accused
her
of.
She
tries
to
say
something
but
it
trails
off
into
a
whimper.
And
wh
y
would
she
do
that?
She
practically
worships
him
–
I
seriously
doubt
she
would
do
anything
that
w
ould
put
him
in
danger.
I
remember
Nick
saying
on
the
way
to
Kit’s
house
that
Kaylie
had
been
so
worried
about
Jayce
she
had
visited
their
apartment
throughout the
day.
This
just isn’t something
she would
do
.

But
then
again,
Becky
does
keep
spewing
all
this
“
we’ll
be
together
soon
”
rubbish.
I
guess
I
can’t
rule
out
the
possibility
it’s
her
–
after
all,
the
evidence
is
against
her.
Those
messages
were
definitely
sent
from
Becky’s
phone,
and,
the
fact
is,
she
has
the
phone.
If
it’s
not
Kaylie,
then
it’s
someone
who
is
doing
a
very good
job
of
framing her.

I
don’t
know
why
I
was
so
scared
of
her.
She
looks
so
hunched
over,
so
small
now,
pathetic
even.
Owl-like
eyes
attempt
to
plead
with
Jayce
and
desperate
whimpers
spout
from
her
quivering
lips
every
couple
of
seconds.
The
right
words
seem
to
have
knotted
themselves
around
her
tongue;
she’s
just
left
to
stand
there
frozen
and
stunned
in
the
headlights
of
Jayce’s
white-
hot
glare.

He
looks
like
he’s
about
to
scream
–
he
almost
does
but
his
left
hand
jumps
across
his
mouth
just
in
time. He starts
trying
to
take
deep
breaths,
but
his
body
shudders
with
every
breath.
It’s
a
struggle
against
himself
–
he
does
whatever
he
can
to
stop
himself
lashing
out
at
her,
from
squeezing
his
eyes
shut
so
tightly
the
rest
of
the
world
must
be
tumbling
away
into
shades
of
scarlet
and
amber,
to
trying
to
vacuum-
pack
all
anger
into
his
clenched
fists.

After
a
long
pause,
Jayce
takes
another
breath,
the
deep,
lung-filling
kind
you
make
when
blowing
up
balloons.
Through
gritted
teeth,
he
tells
her
in
a
forced-steady
voice:
“
you
disgust me.
”

He
puts
his
arm
around
my
shoulder,
yanks
me
around
and
marches
me through
the crowds,
still
clutching Becky’s
phone.

Stumbling
and
struggling
to
balance,
I
find
myself
leaning
into
him
for
support.
My
body
feels
too
heavy,
my
feet
too
light.
I
thought
I
was
better
now,
but
it seems
the
alcohol
is
still
hitting
me
hard.

We
finally
reach
the
cool,
soothing
night
air
outside.
I
almost
feel
like
I
can
breathe
again,
when
Jayce
lets
go
of
me
far
too
quickly
and
turns
to
face
me
with
those
disappointed
eyes
that
are
cursed
with
a
shrinking
power
–
they
shrivel
me
right
down
to
insect
size.
I
suddenly
become
very
much
aware
of
myself,
of
my
surroundings,
of
my
ridiculous,
skimpy
dress
and
the
fact
I
am
currently
being
spotlighted by
a
streetlight.

I
pull
the
dress
down
and
fold
my
arms.
He keeps
star
ing
at
me.
I
just
wish he’d look away.

“
What
do
you
think
you’re
doing,
Alicia?
”
he
finally
says.
“
Jesus,
I
leave
you for
a
few
hours
and
I
get
this!
I
thought
you
were
better
than this. I’d put
you
down
as
smart
and
responsible
and
what
do
I
get?
Why
did
you
go
off
with Ryo?
You’re
just
as
stupid
as
the
rest
of
them.
”

I
move
to
step
back
but
my
feet
s
till
aren’t
calibrated
with
my
mind
and
my
knees
cave
in.
So
strongly
expecting
to
fall,
I’m
surprised
when
I
look
up
to see I’m still standing somehow.

It’s
because
of
Jayce.
He’s
grabbed
my
shoulders,
keeping
me
standing,
keeping
me safe.