Page 10 of 28 Days: a Romantic Suspense
He motioned to the waiter to continue filling his glass.
She tried not to fidget under his gaze and succeeded.
âAsk me your questions, Saige?â Although he sat back looking relaxed, she could tell by the twitching of his fingers that he wasnât.
âOkay, Iâll get it over with and hopefully we can enjoy our dinner afterward.â
âThe best idea.â He smiled.
Inhaling, she met her fatherâs gaze, and said, âThe warrant of execution has been issued.â
Her fatherâs eyes darkened, and with a silent breath he closed them while she watched him get his anger under control. âI know,â he admitted, his voice full of weariness before he averted his gaze.
Saige frowned at her father. âWhy didnât you tell me?â
âI saw the governorâs press conference last night and planned on telling you today.â He took a long drink of his wine. âIâm sorry, Princess. I should have called. I just know that you donât watch television, so I figured I had time. Guess I was wrong.â
; âItâs okay, Dad,â she reassured him. âReally it is. It was a shock. But thatâs what I want to talk to you about.â
He frowned into his wine before nodding his head, and waited for her to get her thoughts in order.
âI need to know what happened.â She took a quick drink of water. âIâm not sure whether I want to remember what happened to me or not, but I need to know about the trial. I need to know what evidence was taken from me, and if I gave a statement. I also need to know what the convicted man said.â She reached out and took her fatherâs hand into hers. âI need to know why, after all this time, even with his death close, heâs never admitted to killing those girls, or what was done to me. Everything I could find online said heâs never once admitted his guilt.â
Silence descended following her rambling, and her father looked to have aged before her eyes.
âDaddy, please.â She gripped his hand. âPlease help meâ¦Iâve put it off for years. I need to know.â
Her father took a few more gulps of his wine until his second glass was empty. âThink very carefully, Saige, because once you start reading about the past, your memory may start to return and Iâm not sure how wise that is.â
âOh, Dad!â Saige moved to sit beside him. âI donât want those memories back but there has always been a chance theyâd return on their own and it might not be when I want them to. Regardless of howâ¦or whenâ¦if they do return, Iâll have to deal with them. Since I saw the man on TV yesterday, I canât get him out of my head.â
Her father shook his head. âThat canât be healthy after what he did to youââhis voice brokeââor those other girls.â
She swallowed her hesitation and took a deep breath, she couldnât put it off any longer, and asked, âBut what if he really is innocent?â
She let that sink in, and when her father snapped his head back as though heâd been hit, she continued, âWhen I saw him on television, I didnât fear him. Shouldnât I have felt something like that? Fear, hate, anger? The truth is I didnât feel anything like that. I had a sense of security. Why did I feel like that if heâs the one? I have questions and Iâve finally woken up and want answers.â
Saige leaned back in her chair and stared at her father. Anger flared in her chest and she couldnât help but feel irritated with her father and his laid back attitude. While sheâd been talking, all heâd done was shake his head as though he didnât want to hear what sheâd said.
âYou canât remember what happened, Saige. Perhaps you saw his photograph and felt sorry for him. If you canât remember what happened, why would you have felt fear?â
âI donât remember anything, but deep inside me the memories are there and my subconscious obviously feels safe with him. I need to know why.â
Their usual meal was placed before them, and Saige picked up her fork and started stabbing at the rice. âDid I know the man before I disappeared?â
It was barely noticeable, but her father paused before he carried on eating. She knew he wasnât hungry and only ate to distract her. It wasnât going to work on this occasion.
Sheâd let her family control her knowledge but not for any longer.
âDefine know.â
In her confusion, sheâd given up on the pretense of eating and glared at her father, wondering where the evasive man beside her had come from. Heâd seemed defensive since the moment sheâd started asking questions.
âWhy are you doing this? I asked a simple question. Did I know Quinten Peterson before I disappeared? Itâs a question that requires either a yes or a no. Itâs not difficult,â she snapped, realizing she raised her voice in anger. She shook her head. âI donât understand why youâre reluctant to talk to me about it.â
âDammit, Saige. Why canât you leave it alone?â