The Lie

Chapter 7 July 4th The Truth

When Navy awoke, she had forgotten about everything that just happened. She went downstairs and started eating breakfast with her parents.

“How are you feeling Navy?” Lisa asked.

“I’m fine, why?” Navy responded.

“Well, I only ask because of everything that happened yesterday.” Her mom said calmly.

“What happened yesterday…” It suddenly hit her and all came rushing back. “Oh, that, right. Yeah, I’m okay I guess. Can we just talk about something else?” Navy asked.

“Sure, sweetie.” Lisa said. Instead of talking about something else, they just didn’t say anything at all. Navy’s day was spent in her room, cleaning, watching movies, anything to take her mind off what was happening to Alice.

Back in the interrogation room, Alice woke up and folded the blanket and straighten up the pillow and put them on the table. She sat in the chair and waited for someone to come in. She sat there, still, and silent, for about an hour and then someone opened the door. Two men came in, a man rolled in a box T.V. and the other was Tony. The man started to set up the T.V., Tony sat down.

“How did you sleep?” He asked.

“Terribly, I dreamt of nightmares.” Alice respond.

“I am going to ask you a few questions and I want the truth, you hear?” Tony demanded.

“Fire away.” said Alice.

“Did you shoot and kill Mayor Larson?”

“Yes.” When Alice replied she had no emotion and kept a straight face.

“Was it your idea to run away?”

“No.”

“Whose idea was it for you to run away?”

“My brother, Landon. It was his idea.” Alice looked down, she was selling out her brother after everything that he had done to protect her.

“Why?” he asked.

“Why what? Alice said.

“Why did he want you to run away?”

“He told me I was in a lot of trouble. So much trouble that I wouldn’t even understand.”

“How older were you?”

“I was 14.”

“How old was Landon?”

“Why does that matter?” Alice asked.

“Answer the question.” Tony demanded.

“He was 20.”

“I would like you to watch something we found in your brothers room after we searched your house, yesterday.” Tony stood up and went over to the T.V., he put in a tape and pushed play, then sat down again. 

“What’s that?” Alice asked.

“The tape of the Mayor’s office the day he was shot.” Tony said.

Alice just looked at the screen, she could hear her heart pounding out of her chest. She was going to watch herself shoot the Mayor. She was finally going to know what happened when she blacked out. Part of her wanted to look away and she almost did, but just before she looked away she saw a man walk into the Mayor’s office, it was the man she remembered but she still couldn’t see his face. Alice watched eagerly hoping that he would look at the camera, but he wouldn’t. She thought that he looked kinda familiar, but she couldn’t place him. He walked over to the Mayor’s desk and started yelling. There was no sound but you could tell that he was yelling. The man was angry and advancing towards the Mayor. Alice looked closer at the Mayor, of course he looked familiar but she thought that she saw him recently but then he looked younger but she couldn’t remember. Alice was watching closely. Just then she saw herself enter the room. She sat her bookbag down and turned to the door. The man that was arguing with the Mayor, picked up the vase that was sitting on the desk and hit Alice over the head with it and she fell to the floor. The man that hit her over the head with the vase looked straight at the camera. Alice’s eyes got big and she screamed then put her hands to her mouth. That same man pulled out a gun and shot the Mayor, wiped his fingerprints off the gun and put it in Alice’s hands like she was the one that fired it. The man that shot the Mayor, was Landon not Alice. He ran out of the room and three minutes later, Alice woke up. She saw what she thought that she had done, got up, dropped the gun, and ran out of the office faster than she had ever run before. About two minutes after Alice left the room the cameras stopped working. 

Alice looked at Tony and spoke.

“Oh my god, it was Landon. That’s why I couldn’t remember what happened, he knock me out with the vase. I remember everything now, I was there because Landon told me to go there after school that day because that is where he was going to be. I can’t believe this. I didn’t kill him. I didn’t kill him. I’m innocent!” Alice was yelling in anger but she was also happy. She couldn’t believe what she just saw but how could she refute it?

“Alice, why did Landon kill the Mayor? Tony asked.

“I don’t know.” Alice replied.

“Do you remember what they were fighting about?” he asked.

“Eviction” she replied. “Yeah, all I remember are the words eviction and house… No… Was Landon about to be evicted? Is that what they were fighting about? She asked rhetorically.

“You are going to jail Alice.” Tony said abruptly.

“What?” Alice asked in surprise. She didn’t understand why she was going to jail. She didn’t kill him, Landon did.

“You are going to jail until we can figure all of this out.” he said.

“I don’t understand, you have him on tape shooting the mayor, why am I going to jail?” she asked. Alice was getting more and more scared by the minute.

“Laura obtained the video illegally, without a warrant, we can’t use it in court and your prints were on the murder weapon, and you admitted to killing him. You ran from the C.I.A. for years.” said Tony. Alice didn’t even have a response. “Before we take you to the jail, special agent Laura wants to speak with you.” Alice didn’t know what to say so she didn’t say anything, she just sat there as Tony left and Laura entered. Laura sat down at the other side of the table, she seemed scared, but Alice just glared at her. Laura opened her mouth to speak but Alice beat her to it.

“Are you really my mother?” She asked.

“Yes I am your mother, now will you please let me explain?” Laura begged.

“Have at it.”

“Okay, Alice listen. Your father walked out on me only three months before I gave birth to you. I wasn’t working at the time and couldn’t support Landon. One thing lead to another and child services came and took your brother from me. When you came along I had to give you up too. I made sure you and your brother went to the same orphanage so that neither of you would be alone. At least you would have each other.

Now, about after that. I joined the C.I.A. so that I could get you and Landon back. Years later, I found you and well, then you ‘died’ in that car crash and I thought I had lost you. Then I saw an all A’s picture of you in the newspaper, so me and two of my friends on the job helped me track you down, that’s when we found Navy. We went after her because the house that you and Landon lived in was under a false name. I knew you didn’t kill anyone. I just knew it. Especially not Mayor Larson. I am so sorry Alice.” Laura explained.

“Alexis, mom. You can call me by my real name, after all you did give it to me.” She said. They both smiled at each other, stood up and hugged. When they stopped, Laura spoke again.

“I know that they said you are going to jail, but we need to talk first.”

“I thought that is what we just did?” Alexis asked.

“No, you talked with me, your mom, but now I have to play devil's advocate.”

Alexis sat up straight, and had a frightened look on her face. She looked at her mother and waited for the following words.

“Hey, Lane.” Alexis said.

Landon jumped. He was in the middle of gathering up odds and ends from his room at their house. Which has been covered in caution tape but, it was his house, he was a criminal, and he didn’t care.

“Alice, what are you doing? Call me Landon. How did you know to find me here?” He asked.

“No one is here, I am sick of calling you by that fake name. And what do you mean ‘how did I find you?’ You taught me well, Lane.” Alexis replied.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

“Well, I got away from the cops, but I am sick of running so I going back to turn myself in, but before I do, I want to know just how much trouble I would be in.” Alexis asked as she leaned against the wall. Lane stood up and looked at his little sister in shock. He couldn’t believe what she had just said.

“You can’t turn yourself in.” he said. She looked at him waiting for an answer to her question.

 â€œYou would be hanged. I can’t let you do this.” he said.

Alexis stood up in shock, her face went ghost white. 

“H-hanged?” she asked under her breath.

“I don’t mean to belittle him but he was just a mayor. Why would I be killed?”

“Alexis, listen to me, he was not just a mayor. He was the president’s brother and they were working on secret government plans when he died, hence the C.I.A. They just went on vacation together two days before. The C.I.A. think that it was an act of terrorism, so yeah, you are in a lot of trouble.” Lane said. He was concerned for his little sister. He sighed then spoke softly. “But I can’t stop you if you still want to confess.”

“I can’t believe you.” she said softly, she sounded hurt.

“What do you mean?” Lane asked.

“I found these tapes in you room. This is what you are looking for isn’t it? Well, I found them and I know that you killed him.” She held up the tapes, almost taunting him with them. “Why did you do it?”

Lane looked at her and he knew that he had taught her everything and now, she could outsmart him.

“He was trying to evict us from our house, he walked out on our mom because she wasn’t good for his public image and well, things got heated. I never meant for you to get hurt.”

“Never meant for me to get hurt?!” She yelled. “You kill our dad.”

“I was trying to be a good brother and going to jail didn’t seem to qualify.” Landon said.

“You condemned me to death from the start and you didn’t tell me you knew who dad was and then you kill him?! Some, brother.” The was a silent pause, then she spoke again. 

“I’m gonna take the deal.” she said.

“What deal?” he asked.

“Mom made me a deal. If I turn you in, all of the charges on me would be dropped. Goodbye Lane.”

Alexis never felt more betrayed. She turned to walk away, but Lane grabbed her arm to stop her.

“I can’t let you, how could you do this to me?” he asked.

“How could you condemn me to die?” she replied as she ripped her arm away from him. He took a step toward her.

“Alice, wait.” 

She pulled out a gun and aimed it at him. 

“That is not my name!” she yelled, she was crying now. “Don’t take another step.”

“You wouldn’t hurt me.” Lane said as he took one more step.

BANG… Alexis fired the gun.