Page 78 of You Lied First
He flings himself onto the sofa with the deep sigh of a troubled teen. Margot spins her chair to face him.
‘Cup of tea?’
‘Just had one … Mum, look, you don’t think it was my fault, do you?’
His face crumples and Margot takes him in her arms and hugs him like she used to when he was little. She kisses his hair and pulls it back from his eyes.
‘Look at me, baby. No, I don’t. I’ve been going over it in my head and I’m absolutely sure that the fall was nothing. Youwere fine and so was she. Your dad was just being … your dad. He was lashing out when he said that.’
Flynn squeezes Margot tighter and bends a little so he can rest his chin on her shoulder. ‘Thanks.’
When he pulls away, he says, ‘So, umm, you know what Dad said about you … um … you know, doing it? I just want to say that I don’t believe him and I’m sorry for what I said at Sara’s that night. There’s no way you would do that, even if …’ He waves his hand unable to give voice to his dad’s infidelity and Margot is filled with resentment. This is all Guy’s fault. Her son should not be having to acknowledge that affair. Margot’s angry – about the affair; angry about the admission that came years too late; and even angrier that Guy dragged Flynn into this mess when she’d sacrificed so much to keep him out of it.
‘Thanks, darling. That means a lot. But I’m sorry you had to know. When did you find out?’ she asks gently.
‘I suppose I was kind of aware at the time that something wasn’t right. But it was only in the last year before we left that I truly realised what was going on. But you knew?’
Margot nods wearily. Flynn’s old enough to handle the truth, she thinks.
‘She wasn’t the first, and I’m sure she wasn’t the last. Your father, how to put it? He likes the chase. The conquering.’ She traces the grain of fabric on her skirt. ‘With most of them, though, the novelty wore off quickly. He’d get bored and move on. I don’t think he ever thought about leaving me – except maybe for her.’ She pauses. ‘Please don’t be like him.’
‘Never! I never want to be like him! Did he know that you knew?’
‘I think he wanted me to know – maybe he thought he waskeeping me on my toes. Reminding me that I was lucky to be the one he’d chosen.’ She gives Flynn a bitter smile. ‘So I used to enjoy making him think I hadn’t noticed. The games people play, eh? And look where it got me.’
‘Better than where Celine ended up!’ Flynn bites his lips to temper a guilty smile, then his face straightens. ‘Have you ever wondered if Dad, you know, did it? As in …’ He mimes slashing his neck.
Margot frowns.
‘I mean, do you ever think about the camping trip?’ he says. ‘He arranged it all pretty quickly, didn’t he? The Jeeps, the tents, all the kit – even a quad bike. Like, within a day, wasn’t it? Almost like it was pre-planned.’
Margot remains silent.
‘Maybe we were pawns in a much bigger game – a plan to go to Oman, to meet up with Celine. I mean, it was odd that we stayed right there when she was there, wasn’t it? And you said she was the only one he might have cared about? Then to take her to the desert and kill her under the guise of a holiday. Wasn’t he the one who suggested that Sara needed to see the desert in the first place?’
‘Mmm,’ Margot nods noncommittally.
‘If not that, then it’s entirely possible that he went to her tent, they had a row and he somehow killed her. What if she was blackmailing him? What if she wanted him to leave you? She wasn’t a good person, Mum, trust me. I told you she was trying it on with me. I’m sure it was to try and make him jealous because he was looking funny at Sara. Oh – shit. Sorry. Had you noticed that?’
Margot sighs. Her son is so perceptive.
‘Flynn – I don’t know what to think, to be honest. As I said, this kind of speculation will only drive us crazy. When the autopsy results come out, we might know more. It could be something totally innocuous. I don’t really want to throw blame around at this point. We’re throwing stones here, but we don’t even know how she died.’
Flynn crosses his arms. ‘Mum. Come on. You’ve seen his temper. Shall we talk about that, or are you happy to continue skipping around in denial?’
‘Flynn, I hardly think …’
‘Because I, for one, am worried.’
Margot opens her mouth to object; to protect Guy as she always does. Keeping up the illusion that everything’s perfect. But she can’t be bothered.
‘I saw him with you the other day,’ Flynn says. ‘Remember, when he nearly hit you?’
‘Flynn—’
‘But he had you up against the shelves, Mum! And he threatened to “silence” Liv. I heard him. I saw him do that strangling thing. For your information, that is not normal. It’s also not acceptable. And I know this wasn’t the first time. I’m not blind, you know. You shouldn’t let him get away with it.’ He pauses, leaning forwards, his elbows on his knees. ‘You know he bullies you, right? And controls you? Do you see that?’
Margot closes her eyes. ‘I can deal with it,’ she says. ‘I’m planning to deal with it. Trust me.’
