As promised in last week’s edition, it is with pleasure the Sunday Observer Youth Magazine starts off in this issue, the four part weekly series of excerpts from the crime thriller novel ‘The Truth in their Lies’ by Amanda Wickremarachchi.
Prepare your senses for a taste of crime thriller fiction with this first set of excerpts that gives a glimpse into, The Truth in Their Lies…
Officer Raymond cleared his throat, “Can you tell me your full name, please?”
Amber narrowed her eyes at him. “Didn't I already tell you my name?”
The detective was busy scribbling something on his notebook. “No, you didn’t,” he said without raising his eyes.”
“But I told that other cop like ten times! The cops who brought me here know my name as well. You can ask them!” she snapped.
Officer Raymond stopped writing and stared at Amber. He didn't even blink. “Well, since Singh went for lunch, and it would take me a while to track down the officers who brought you in, would you mind simply answering the question?”
She bit her lip. “Amber… Amber Eve Chapman.” She hated to say it again, but she had to. Officer Raymond stared at her for few more seconds and then started to write something down.
“Date of birth?”
“February 5th, 1995,” she had to say this before too.
“Occupation?”
“Ugh,” she groaned. “I'm doing a Psychology course at the University of Wyoming and I have a part-time job at Burger Inn, where I am supposed to be right now!”
The officer glanced at her file and then back at her. “You’re twenty-three. I guess you are doing your second academic degree?”
Amber pursed her lips. It upset her when someone assumed that. Just because she was older than the average university student didn't mean she held multiple degrees. But she kept her emotions in check. It would be best to comply, answer the questions and then maybe she could get out of this horrible room.
“No, it’s my first degree.”
The detective nodded. “So... I guess you took some time off university?”
“Yes.”
“Would you like to tell me why?” he leaned forward his elbows resting firmly on the desk.
“No, I don’t!” Amber snapped. Then she saw the stern look on the detective’s face.
“I wasn’t asking,” he said, his voice almost menacing. He tilted his head. “I don’t ask questions, Ms. Chapman, I demand answers. Now tell me, why did you take years off university?”
Amber looked at the blue-eyed officer. He was easy on the eyes, and outside of the fact that he on the verge of threatening her, he looked like he could actually be a nice guy. He had brown hair and stubble on a square jaw line. Good body too. But she couldn’t deny the fact that he was so full of himself. She couldn’t take it anymore. She groaned, almost begging, “Look I will tell you every little detail you need to know, but please, tell me why I’m here. All I know is that someone died and Town Hall… some lawyer guy called Lawrence.”
“Lorenzo,” he corrected her as he slouched back in his chair. “Mr. Lorenzo was one of the more popular lawyers in town. He was found shot dead in his office. The time of death was approximately between ten and eleven a.m.” The detective showed her a picture. “This is him. Have you ever seen him before?”
Amber looked at the picture and recoiled slightly, “No.” She didn't want to look at someone’s dead body. But she had to. The photograph showed a body lying on a floor, blood flowing from a hole in his right of his temple. She looked again before quickly looking away. “Maybe he shot himself?”
“That was what we first believed, but a witness saw someone enter the office before the sound of a gunshot. We believe someone intending to make it look like suicide,” he leaned forward again, “and this was written on his wall when we arrived on the scene,” he said, showing her another photograph Amber looked at the photo, and in a split second it hit her. She couldn't believe her eyes. “Oh my god...” she gasped. She stared at the photo in her hands, hoping what she was seeing was some sort of illusion, but the more she looked at it, the more it vivid it appeared.
The photo showed the wall of a typical office but scrawled across the wall in crimson red blood was… her name!
AMBER EVE CHAPMAN
The author of The Truth in their Lies, kindly invites readers of the Sunday Observer Youth Magazine to share feedback about these excerpts. She can be reached via email: [email protected] and also Instagram: @amanda_wickz and Facebook : Amanda Wickremarachchi
Await another exciting glimpse into Amanda’s thriller fiction novel next week as Sunday Observer Youth Magazine continues this weekly series with another installment of excerpts from The Truth in their Lies.