River of Lies by Sammy King Page A

but they were talking too quietly for me to work it out. I heard Tilly come back in the house, and Michael’s car fire up, and speed up the street. I came out of my room, to find Tilly sitting on the couch chewing on her nails.  I looked around, but couldn’t see Dylan.
    “Dylan go with Michael and Shelly did he?” I asked.
    Tilly looked up, as she stopped her nail biting and nodded at me. I frowned not sure what was going on.
    We were both sitting silently on the couch, watching an Easter movie on television, when Dad came in through the front door. He smiled at us both and flopped down on the chair.
    “Where’s Dylan?” he asked.
    “Gone out with Michael and Shelly” I said.
    Dad frowned as he looked from me to Tilly. Tilly kept her eyes firmly on the television, not meeting his look.
    “Ah, will do the boy good to get out away from the two hormonal women in his life” he said with a nervous laugh.
    I smiled, while Tilly continued to stare blankly at the television.
    “Well I’m only home to get a change of clothes, I’m off to stay with a friend for the night” he said with a wink. I raised my eyebrow, as he stood up and gave a little jig; he went out the room, singing “I got a woman” as he grabbed his clothes.
    I shook my head, and looked over at Tilly, who still hadn’t turned her eyes off the television. After Dad left for his friend’s house, I went and had a bath before going to bed.  I fell asleep surprisingly easily, with thoughts about the baby growing inside of me.
    Tilly’s screams pierced my sleep; the only light were the red and blue lights that shone through the window.  I could hear a man’s voice trying to soothe Tilly.  The floor was cold as my feet hit the ground and I shuffled my way out to the kitchen.  There Tilly sat, her face buried into a tea towel, her wracking sobs filled the room. In the door way was a young constable in his crisp light blue shirt, and cap in his hands, tears brimmed at his eyes.  The older policeman stood next to Tilly, with his hand on her shoulder.  As I moved into the room, the older police man looked over at me, his stern face softened as he glanced back at the young constable in the door way.  I stared at Tilly, who didn’t lift her face from the tea towel.
    “What is it Tilly? What’s happened?” I asked, as panic began to rise into my chest.
    “Dylan’s dead” she screamed into the towel.
    My head spun.  “How?” I asked.
    The older policeman cleared his throat and Tilly for the first time took her face out of the tea towel to look up at him and I noticed her eyes were completely dry; there were no tears at all.
    “He ah, has appeared to drown, we are still investigating” he squeezed Tilly’s shoulder, who let out a guttural cry, pushing the tea towel deep into her face, muffling her screams.
    I stood there staring at Tilly, trying to make sense of what was going on. None of it was making sense, Dylan, was a great swimmer, and they were only going to the river, how could he have drowned in the river? And why didn’t Michael and Shelly look after him, why didn’t they save him?  My anger began to grow, I had to get out, I had to see Michael and Shelly, and I had to know, what happened.  As I ran into my room, I threw off my pyjamas and shoved my legs into my jeans and pulled a shirt on over my pyjama top. I ran into the hallway and raced for the front door, but the young policeman caught me.
    He took hold of my shoulders, and pressed me against his chest. I felt my knees buckle as sobs shook my whole body. I heard the front door open and when I looked up over the policeman’s shoulder I could see Dad in the doorway.
    “Dad, how?” I screamed, and ran into his arms.
    He held me close, he told me it was alright, he would find out what happened. I gripped his shirt, and held him tight, and sobbed like I never cried before.
    “I want to speak to Shelly” I said.
    My dad nodded, and looked over my head at the