Read Online Tell the Truth by Katherine Howell - Free Book Online

neatly to the floor.
    Murray leapt to his feet. ‘I’ll call an ambulance.’
    â€˜Hold your horses.’ Ella had seen people collapse in similar fashion and knew the real ones were never so cautious. She knelt by Marie and saw she was breathing fine. She squeezed her arm. ‘Marie.’
    Marie didn’t respond.
    â€˜Now will I call?’
    Ella shot him a look. She brushed Marie’s hair off her face and saw her flinch. ‘Faking,’ she mouthed at Murray.
    â€˜What?’ he said.
    She rolled her eyes and looked back at Marie, thinking she was either trying to get away from the questions or hoping to garner sympathy. Ella plumped for the second. She said to Murray, ‘Pass me that cushion. She’s obviously fainted from the stress, poor thing. I can’t imagine how difficult it must be, having lost your husband and now with your sister missing.’
    Murray handed her the cushion, looking confused. Ella tucked it gently under Marie’s head. She saw Marie’s eyes flicker, and laid it on thick. ‘The poor, poor thing. Murray, doesn’t this job sometimes break your heart? It’s just so terrible, what people have to go through.’
    Marie whimpered and reached weakly for Ella’s hand.
    â€˜So sad,’ Ella said, thinking Bingo!
    Marie blinked and looked around. ‘Did I pass out?’
    â€˜Just for a second,’ Ella said. ‘Are you feeling better?’
    â€˜A little.’
    They helped her sit up on the chair. Murray still looked puzzled. ‘You’re sure you’re all right?’
    â€˜I’m fine,’ Marie said. ‘It happens sometimes. I have hypotension. Low blood pressure. At times of great stress it drops even lower and down I go. Could I have a glass of water, please, and perhaps a damp cloth for my forehead?’
    Ella fetched them from the kitchen, and Marie smiled weakly as Ella put the glass on the coffee table. ‘On the coaster, please. Save the timber.’
    Ella lifted the glass and slid the tile coaster underneath without a word, and handed her the tea towel. Marie leaned back and placed it over her forehead and eyes. Covering up ? Ella thought. Because she doesn’t want to see us? Perhaps the ‘faint’ wasn’t only about attention after all.
    Murray seemed sucked in. ‘Would you prefer to do this later?’
    â€˜No, no. I can go on. She’s my sister.’
    Ella re-opened her notebook and got stuck in. ‘Stacey’s younger than you, correct?’
    â€˜Four years. I’m her big sister. Always looked out for her when we were kids.’ She pressed the tea towel to her face with one hand.
    â€˜There are no other siblings?’ Murray asked.
    â€˜No.’
    â€˜Any cousins or such that she’s close to?’ Ella said.
    â€˜We only have four, and they all live in Hobart. We haven’t seen or spoken to them for years.’ Marie put down the towel. ‘I feel much better now. Thank you.’
    â€˜What about her friends?’ Ella said. ‘Have you met any of them? Do you know who she’s closest to?’
    â€˜The three she talks about most are Aimee, Claire and Vicky. They’re either nurses or paramedics – I can’t keep track. I’ve met them all at one time or another. They’re all lovely.’ She took a sip of water.
    â€˜Do you happen to have their phone numbers or addresses?’ Murray asked.
    â€˜I don’t, I’m sorry. They’d all be in her phone.’
    Ella nodded. ‘Did Stacey confide in you about any problems she was having?’
    â€˜We talked about work issues sometimes,’ Marie said. ‘Sometimes she’d have an upsetting case, or a bystander would cause problems. She can be easily frustrated and sometimes she stews on these things. A few times she had to work with paramedics she didn’t get on with, and that annoys her as well. But she’s been pretty happy