Lie, Lie Again(108)

Embry scurried back. “Brandon! Call 911!”

“I did already,” Sylvia said firmly. “Does anyone know CPR? Riki! You’re a teacher. You must know how to do it.”

Riki’s arms flapped helplessly at her sides. “I don’t know how! What happened to him?”

Lily turned, her face a horror film. “He fell. He slipped, and then he fell down the stairs. He’ll be okay,” she said, stroking his hand gently. “He’ll be okay.”

“Is that her husband?” Embry whispered as she tucked Carson close to her body.

Sylvia moved beside her. “Yes. Lily stopped by to say hi after she left your place, and she lost track of time. It was getting dark, so she called him to take her home. He was at the top of the stairs, and then he just—” She flung an arm in front of her. “He just slipped.” Shaking her head, she said, “I don’t know. With the busted stair . . . It all happened so fast.”

And so it began. The new story. The one that would effectively eradicate her connection to Hugh. And if he lived, well, he would only have to answer to Lily.

Sylvia stood between Riki and Embry, her arms crossed loosely at her chest. Their small semicircle was casual, like spectators at a parade. “Well, a body at the bottom of the stairs is sure to draw a crowd.” She coughed and cleared her throat. “Sorry. I shouldn’t make bad jokes. I just don’t know how to react in situations like this.”

Embry gripped the gold pendant that hung from her neck, her usual rosy cheeks turning a ghostly shade of white. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out.

Riki slapped her hand to her eyes, covering them. “You don’t think he’s . . . ?”

“Dead?” Embry whispered.

“I wouldn’t know,” Sylvia replied.

Moments later, two police cars careened into the driveway, the red and blue lights cutting through the air. Sylvia watched as they spoke with the ambulance driver, and then she stole a subtle glance at Nadine’s place, praying Jonathan would sleep through the chaos.

“It sounded so bad,” Riki said as her face grew pale. “I heard the thumping from my apartment.”

Embry nodded, looking like she might barf. “How strange that two men fell here tonight.”

An officer, intimidating in his pressed blues and impressive physique, walked authoritatively toward them. “Did any of you witness the fall?”

“I did,” Sylvia said quietly.

“Come with me. I’d like to take your statement.”

“Of course.” She touched Riki’s arm. “I’ll be right back.” As she walked with the policeman, she told herself to play the role of the frightened witness. Concern about Hugh would be important. She needed to come across as shaken but helpful.

He directed her to a spot away from all the action, which was quite a relief. Watching the emergency workers hunkered over Hugh was enough to make her stomach churn. She’d wanted him to suffer, but she hadn’t wanted him to die. She forced herself to think of smashing pomegranates. Skulls are thicker. He would be fine. Perhaps divorced soon, but fine.

“State your name for me.”

“Sylvia Webb,” she said, wrapping her arms around her waist.

“And you live here?”

“Yes, in apartment D, the one he . . .” She raised a trembling hand to her mouth.

“Okay. I know this is difficult. Why don’t you tell me what happened?”

She kept a neutral look on her face. This one would be a bit tougher to explain, now, wouldn’t it? Best to stick to the facts they’d agreed upon.

“He came over to pick up his wife. We’re friends. It looked like rain, and she didn’t want to walk,” she said, her tone measured. “We were chatting at the top of the stairs, and he stepped back.” She paused and looked upward to the left. If he knew body language, he would perceive the movement as a truth indicator. Looking up and to the right was what liars did. “He must’ve misjudged the space. It was so horrible,” she said, moving a hand to cover her eyes. “I can’t stop seeing it in my mind.”

“Do you know the man well? Does he come here often?”

“No. It was his first time. I know his wife.”

“Uh-huh. And were he and his wife having any troubles that you’re aware of?”

She gaped at him. “Lily and Hugh? No! They’re adorable together. They have a new baby. As far as I can tell, their lives are perfect.”

He cocked his head to the side. “You’d be surprised. Not everything is as it seems.”

“Yeah, but they’re happy,” she stated firmly. “You can tell by the way they look at each other. And he made the drive over here just to pick her up. They’re sweet like that.”

“Okay. Thank you. It appears it was an accident, but we have to ask questions.”

She nodded. “I understand. Do you think he’ll be okay?”

He shook his head. “I don’t know.”

As she trudged back to Riki, a bloodcurdling scream sliced through the night. She darted her eyes to where Lily stood. The paramedics were covering Hugh’s body with a white sheet.





CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Tuesday, March 21

The sun wasn’t up yet when Sylvia’s alarm blared. She slapped the bedside table in search of her phone, wondering why it had gone off so early.