Liar • Noa Olivar

Chapter Nine: Dead and Buried

December 11th, Sunday

Mickey couldn't believe that it was here.

It was finally happening.

They were all talking to their mothers.

Their mothers were actually talking to them about everything for once.

"So, yeah. That... that about covers it." Imogen confirmed as the girls all sat in chairs across from the women on the couch, filling them in on everything as well.

"So, Karen was pushed?" Sidney asked. "And Tyler was--"

"Murdered, yes." Tabby answered her mother. "Both by A."

"And A is the train car guy?"Marjorie questioned to make sure she was following along right.

"If you're them, it is." Mickey spoke. She shrugged when the other teens shot her a look because she had been the main one who didn't believe that it was him. "Hey, you guys are the ones saying this. You all came up with the solution or conclusion or whatever." She pointed at herself and poked at her chest, "Not me."

She shook her head and Maxine had to turn her head away to keep herself from becoming unserious due to her daughter's attitude and snark.

She got the sassiness from her that was for sure.

"Crazy Joe. Joseph England." The Adams girl went on as if she wasn't interrupted before she could even speak. "You all went to school with him. He's the one who sent us those creepy texts messages and you all those 'gifts."

"Hold on." Maxine sat up, leaning forward on the arm rest. "What gifts are we talking about here? Cause I don't recall getting shit. From nobody."

"Uh, your language." Corey looked up Max who was sitting beside her. "There are children here."

"So? They're big girls." The Diaz woman scoffed with reason. They were teens. They've probably seen and heard much worse. "If they could handle all of this without any of us around to help them, then I'm sure they could handle my 'inappropriate' use of language."

She made finger quotes and that's when the Bryant woman nudged her with her elbow to move her off the couch. Max frowned but got off before she fell and remained standing instead.

"It was a classic Agatha Christie revenge plot. He was in love with Angela Waters in high school, and years later, set about punishing the people who were, in his mind, somehow a party to her death."

"The sins of the mothers visited upon their daughters."

"Oh, shit." Max muttered to herself as she racked her brain for any sign of what she could have gotten for a 'gift'. What could have possibly been used against her? "Fuck. Yup, I think I remember now..."

"Why didn't you tell us what was going on?"

Imogen answered the woman who was her guardian. "A threatened us to keep quiet."

"We were afraid of what he might do if we didn't follow his rules."

"Those are about the only other rules you have ever seemed to follow." Max told her daughter.

Faran added on again, "After we found crazy Joe's body, we placed an anonymous call to the police."

Mickey used both hands to let her mother know that it was her as she pointed to herself. Max gave her a look as if she was impressed and the girl shook her head while addressing her, "oh, don't worry. No need. I used the burner phone. But I might need a new one... cause I tossed it."

After placing the call to the authorities, anonymously, Mickey threw the flip phone her uncle got her a while back for... emergencies, her thinking that she'd never ever have to use it for any reason until now, somewhere nearby.