Read The Lie (The Skyy Huntington Series) for Free Online Page A

Salem. The note was still on the front porch untouched. I wondered if this thing could only come out at night or in the dark. Maybe it was a vampire. That would make sense, if you followed all the hype and fiction based on vampires. I drove around the block a few times looking for a place to parallel park to no avail, so I parked in the lot and walked across the street to the newly opened pub.
    I scanned the bar, looking for the bartender from last night. They served a small variety of food and being around dinner time, there were quite a few patrons inside trying out the new spot in town. I walked up to the bar and approached the girl working there. She was in her early twenties with a pierced lip and blue streaks in her hair.
    “Hi there, I am looking for someone who works here, not sure of his name. He is about 5’ 9” I’d say, brown hair, mid-twenties. He was wearing a Red Sox baseball cap last night,” I said, hoping I didn’t sound like some psycho stalker. She nodded her head at me.
    “Yeah, that’s Shawn, he isn’t in until eight. If you want to stick around he usually comes in early.”
    “Ok, yeah, sure. Umm can I place an order here for food or do I have to get a table?” I stuttered.
    “You can eat at the bar, what can I get ya?” I glanced at the menu, which was typical bar food, with a bit of Irish flair thrown in.
    “I’ll do the shepherd’s pie please, and a bottled water to drink.” I smiled at the homely girl as I placed the menu back on the bar. She disappeared into the kitchen and I tapped my fingers nervously on the bar while I waited on my food.
    To my surprise, the food wasn’t bad at all, in fact it was quite tasty. I glanced at my watch as I was finishing up my meal. Ten minutes until it was eight o’ clock. Just as I looked up I saw Shawn walk out from the kitchen with a confused look. “My co-worker told me you were looking for me?” he asked.
    I nodded at him, “Yes, I was in here last night, not sure if you remember me? You gave me an envelope from someone, and I was hoping you could tell me a little bit more about whoever it was that left it with you.”
    He paused for a moment, looking dazed. Almost like he was somewhere else for a moment. “I was working last night, yeah. But I don’t remember anyone giving me an envelope, and I don’t remember you. I’d remember something like that.”
    Crap. Either I was nuts and imagining all of this, or my pen pal was erasing people's memories. It looked to me like this guy knew something but just couldn’t quite remember it. I leaned into the bar closer to him. “Are you sure? I’m certain it was you who handed me the envelope. You were my bartender all last night. I tipped you very well too,” I tried to coax him.
    “Ma’am I’m very sorry, I really have no idea what you’re talking about, I’ve never seen you before. I serve a lot of people every night, been a bartender for about five years now, but I remember faces and I am telling you, I have not seen you before.”
    I was beginning to feel stupid, so I decided to wrap it up. “Ok, I’m sorry to bother you, thanks for your time. The food is great here by the way, I’ll be sure to tell my friends.” I smiled a fake smile, left the tab and my money on the bar and hot footed it out of there.
    My phone rang on the way home. I looked down at the screen and saw it was Christian calling. Since I still wasn’t sure how to handle that situation I didn’t pick up and he left a voicemail that I didn’t check. But I didn’t care at the moment because all I could think about was getting home to see if there was a new letter. A light snow started to fall on the way home. It was almost March, I was so ready for the spring.
    A newly lit tea light was on the porch, and under it was a letter. My heart skipped a beat as I scanned my front yard, knowing that I probably wouldn’t see anything. The snow was starting to fall a little bit harder now. I walked inside shaking the snow