Web of Lies

Chapter 4

ALAN MATHEWS's black Audi A5 estate car pulled into his driveway. As soon as the nose of the car entered their property he saw that Lisa's car was in the driveway already. She was home. She had gotten home sooner than he expected. His mind was instantly taken back to the email from this morning. Had Lisa still been at home when she had called? Was she here, in his house, seeing another man?

He slaps his face.

Stop it, Alan. It was just a stupid email. It meant nothing, stop worrying and stressing over something that is nothing.

He turned the car ignition off, the engine fizzled out. All he needed to think about now was his son, Luke. He needed to find out why he had skipped school. Why he thought it was something he could do? Alan and Lisa hadn't raised Luke like this. Alan hoped it was just Luke's age. That it was a thing to do with growing up, being a rebel. You know, all that youthful stuff.

The car door slammed shut as he strode across the pebbled driveway. It released a short, high-pitched beep as he pressed the lock button on the wireless keyfob.

"Luke!" Alan shouts. "Luke, are you here?" His voice echoed through the entire home.

"He's here." Came his wife's voice from the doorway of the living room. "Luke is upstairs in his room." Lisa's arms were folded and Alan could tell that she was pissed off. He could never tell, even now, if she was annoyed with him or Luke or even both of them together.

"Have you asked him why he skipped school today? I wouldn't have expected this from him." Alan said, resting his hand against the hallway wall.

"No. Just told him to wait in his room until you got home."

"Great. Thanks."

"Hey! We need to sort this together. This is the first time he has skipped school. I don't want this to become something more regular." She switched the weight of her body onto her left leg. Her arms were still tightly crossed.

"I guess I'll go and speak with him then." Alan slowly made his way up the staircase and walked across the landing to the door of Luke's bedroom.

He knocked. "Luke, it's Dad." He said as he opened the door, peering his head inside the room. "You decent? No naked ladies in here with you?"

Luke let out a quick laugh. "No!"

"Then how come you're skipping school, if not to bring one of your girlfriends back home?"

Luke's face went bright red. Just like his mother. "Dad!"

"What?"

"I don't have a girlfriend. I don't know anyone here still!"

Alan walked himself over to Luke's bed. He sat down on the corner turning his body to look in his direction. "So what is going on?"

Luke kept his head down, refraining from making any kind of eye contact with his father. "I don't want to talk about it. Can we just forget it? I'll go to school tomorrow."

Alan's face sported a huge grin. "Oh, you are definitely going to school tomorrow. I'm making sure of it." He grabbed the sides of Luke's knee and squeezed.

Luke fought himself out of his dad's grip. "Stop it!"

"Don't do this again, alright? I don't want to have to look after you forever you know. You need to get some knowledge so you can get a job and bugger off when you are old enough. Give me and your mother some peace and quiet."

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