Page 99 of Twisted Lies

‘Like what?’ Penn asked, turning to give Leanne his full attention.

‘They get their back story wrong. They tell the same person something different because they can’t remember what they said the first time. They’re adult orphans with no siblings. They have few or no visitors. They look wrong, like their names don’t suit them. They have an accent that doesn’t match the back story they’ve fabricated. They have shibboleths.’

‘What now?’ Penn asked.

‘Pronunciations or colloquialisms that are unique to an area that you haven’t worked into your history. It’s like saying “Yow am” and then trying to claim you’ve spent no time in the Black Country. Mannerisms count too; city people talk faster. Other signs are job knowledge if you’ve invented a weak or inflated CV. You stand out if you’re too cautious. People’s favourite subject is normally themselves, so if you’ve known someone for a while and still divulged nothing it looks odd. No wedding photos, no albums, no social media history and that’s especially problematic with adolescents who struggle to remember the constructed history at the best of times.’

Even Stacey was listening intently now.

‘You work hard with the family to invent a history rich enough in detail but not complicated enough to trip them up.’

‘But surely once the information is in there?’ Penn said, tapping his head.

Leanne turned his way. ‘Make up a brief history in your mind. Be whoever you want to be.’

‘Okay.’

‘Which school did you go to?’

‘Edge View in Bromsgrove.’

‘Who was your best friend?’

‘Curtis Dobbs.’

‘Who was your favourite teacher?’

‘Mrs Johnson.’

‘My cousin actually went to Edge View in Bromsgrove same time as you: SamanthaFinch, did you know her?’

‘No, I don’t…’

‘Tall girl, long blonde hair, good at maths. I’m sure she was in Mrs Johnson’s class as well.’

‘Oh, hang on. Yes, I remember her now,’ Penn said, trying to keep up. ‘I think we had a couple of lessons together.’

‘Hang on, no, it wasn’t Edge View she went to, it was Valley View.’

‘Oh, I must be remembering someone else.’

‘Is there anything you told me that was true?’ Leanne asked.

‘The name of my school, as the question came quickly.’

‘Yeah, questions do that. Even innocent ones can take you by surprise, but as a witness you’ve just given me a true fact which is a starting point. I know where you went to school. In the hands of the right person that’s enough.’

‘But I didn’t have time to—’

‘Who was your best friend?’

‘Curtis Dodds.’

‘Not Curtis Dobbs like you told me a minute ago?’

Penn smiled in defeat.

‘You gave me three pieces of information, but because they weren’t all true, the false ones aren’t ingrained in your memory. Three basic pieces of info, so imagine having to remember a whole past life.’