You'd Better Not Lie

When she was five years old, Margaret asked her friend, Nichole, if she took her barrettes.  Nicole lived next door and they played together almost every day. The day before, Margaret had been showing Nicole her beautiful new hair clips. They were pink with sparkling stones; Margaret loved them.

           "I haven't seen your barrettes since you showed them to me!" Nichole sounded angry.

 Margaret's vision became blurry just before she saw a bright flashing red circle. She blinked a few times before her vision returned to normal. The experience left her troubled because she wasn't sure if she was sick. She felt fine. Margaret forgot about the episode when Nicole's mother came to visit later that day.

           "I found these in Nichole's room when I was cleaning. I'm sure they belong to Margaret." Nichole's mom handed the lost barrettes to Margaret's mother. 

           "You need to be more careful with your belongings." Margaret's mom scolded when they were alone. "Don't expect me to buy you anything new if you lose your things." Margaret wanted to defend herself because she knew she hadn't taken the barrettes out of her room. Her mother wasn't in the mood to listen and said, "just be more careful."

           That was the first time that Margaret saw the flashing red circle.

That wasn't the last time that Margaret saw that vision. Experience taught her that someone was lying whenever she saw the flashing red circle. She was sixteen when she watched a murder trial on television. The defendant was a popular celebrity. None of her classmates thought he was guilty. The fact that he was young, handsome and eloquent caused her friends to believe in his innocence.

 The star witness took the stand. He was also young and handsome. He just happened to be the defendant's best friend. "My friend is innocent," the witness explained. "He wouldn't hurt a fly. He was with me all night."

           "What were you doing all night?" The prosecution asked.

           "We were swimming and sitting on the beach talking," the witness answered.

 Margaret's vision blurred and the large red circle started flashing.

 The verdict was not guilty and the accused was released. Six months went by before a similar murder made the headlines. This time, both the star witness and the accused were found guilty.

Margaret started shopping for her first car when she turned eighteen.

           "This car was owned by my elderly grandmother. She wouldn't let anyone else drive it, and she only drove it on Sundays. She drove it to church and back," said the man selling the car.

           The familiar red circle started flashing. Margaret told the man goodbye and bought a used car from a certified dealer.

The epiphany happened when Margaret was nineteen. She was watching Murder on the Orient Express with her friend, Jennifer. Detective Hercule Poirot questioned passengers about the death of a ruthless tycoon and it soon became apparent that everyone was deceitful. Eventually, detective Poirot solved the murder.

           "I could use my talent if I became a detective." Margaret didn't realize that she spoke out loud until Jennifer replied.

           "What talent are you talking about? Do you have a talent that no one else has?"

           "I can tell when people are lying." Margaret hoped Jennifer wouldn't ask how she could tell.

           "Really!" Jennifer was dubious. "Let me test this talent. I inherited one million dollars yesterday."

           "That is not true," Margaret laughed. " I don't need a special talent to know that is a fib."

           "Okay, your right. I dreamed about that cute guy from the grocery store last night."

           No flashing red circle filled Margaret's vision. "You are telling the truth." Margaret thought about the guy they both liked before replying. "That guy is pretty cute; I'm not surprised that you had a dream about him."

           "I guess that wasn't a good test either." Jennifer added, "I bought hamburger and buns when I was shopping at the grocery store earlier today."

 The flashing red circle told Margaret that Jennifer was dishonest. "That's not true. Did you even go to the grocery store today?"

           "You're right! How did you know?" Jennifer asked.

 Margaret wasn't going to share her secret, even with her best friend, so she told a lie of her own. "I'm very good at reading body language. Most people have different behaviors when they aren't completely honest. My subconscious notices these subtle signs."

           "Tell me how my behavior is different," Jennifer responded.

 "There isn't just one thing that gives you away. It's more a combination of subtle signs, like blinking more often or taking more shallow breaths." Margaret hoped Jennifer would accept her explanation.

 Fortunately, Jennifer wasn't interested in becoming a better liar. She asked Margaret, "Do you think you can use this ability to solve murders? Are you going to become a policeman?"

           Margaret applied to the police academy the next day.

After six months, Margaret graduated at the top of her class. Her hands-on training started with the traffic division. Charlie, a twenty-five-year veteran, was her mentor.

           "I'm going to pull over that white Cadillac." Margaret and Charlie were cruising around an affluent neighborhood with a low crime rate. The police chief liked to give the new graduates and easy first day.

 "Why? That caddy is only going three miles over the speed limit. I know it's your first day, but you should relax a little." Margaret wasn't the first rookie that Charlie mentored.  

 Margaret wasn't going to tell Charlie that she saw her magic red circle on the Cadillac's door, so she made up an excuse. "I think one of its front headlights is out."

           "How can you tell?" Charlie was dumbfounded. "It's broad daylight; no one is driving with their headlights on."

           "Trust me!" Margaret turned on the cruiser lights and motioned for the Cadillac to pull over.

           "I'm going to have to explain this to the chief when he gets a complaint." Charlie made one last attempt to change Margaret's mind.

           "Why did you stop me? I haven't done anything wrong!" The driver of the Cadillac shouted. She was an attractive woman in her early thirties.

           The red circle in Margaret's mind was flashing furiously. "I need to see your license and registration please," Margaret asked politely. An unpleasant odor drifted out of the car window. Margaret thought she smelled blood. "Please pop the trunk."

 "You can't make me do that! I told you, I haven't done anything wrong" The driver was getting angrier.

 Charlie joined Margaret by the window. "If you haven't done anything wrong, then you don't have no reason to worry. Just open the trunk, then we'll be on our way."

           The Caddy owner reached inside her purse. "I'm getting my driver's license."

           The red circle flashed. Margaret had just enough time to pull Charlie to the ground as she landed beside him.  

           Shots rang out. Margaret and Charlie bounced to their feet with their weapons drawn.

 "Put down your gun and step out of the car right now!" Charlie was no longer a laid back teacher. "Don't try it!" He shouted as the Caddy driver aimed.

 The gun was empty. All of the shots were used when she attempted to kill Margaret and Charlie.

           Margaret opened the car door and pulled the driver out. Charlie had her in handcuffs before Margaret could get the trunk open.

"There is a dead body in here!" Margaret told Charlie as soon as she looked in the trunk.

           "That's not my husband! I didn't kill him!' Caddy driver shouted.

           Margaret saw a flashing red circle as she called for backup.

"How was your first day on the job?" Jennifer asked Margaret when they met later that evening. They were going to watch Independence Day, one of Jennifer's favorite movies.

 "I think being a police officer will be a rewarding career," Margaret said. She starting popping the popcorn.