Eighty Seven

"She's my mum and... You don't have to believe me."She stopped and I was quiet too. Thinking.

"Can we..."She said. "I wanna be alone. I... Can you come tomorrow? I'll talk to you tomorrow. I don't feel alright anymore."She winced.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No, I'm just tired of this conversation."

"Okay...but!"I remembered something. "Do you... hurt yourself in there?"

"Do I look insane to you?"She said, then yelled. "Warder! Get me out of here!"

Time to go. I told myself.

"Okay Paige, thank you for speaking with me."

The warder appeared and unchained her. Before I was done packing up she was gone. 

That was... breathe taking. I needed some sleep. When I got into the car, my phone beeped. It was then I realized I have spent hours in there. It's noon already, past lunchtime. Little wonder, I'm so exhausted.

"Kamila."He said on the other end. Whenever he calls my name on the phone I get that he is quite serious. Actually, he rarely calls during the day.

"Hey."I yawned.

"I found something at the house."

"What?"

" A blade. Blood stained. In Paige's room. I've sent it to the forensics for lab tests."

I never thought of searching her room. How careless?

But this is great news! Today is blessed.

"Wow. Thanks Kyle. What can I do without you?"

"Nothing."He joked. "You never mentioned she was a musician. And composer."

"I didn't think it was necessary. I just got to know that too."

"I got away with some music sheets. You might find something in it."

"Great. You're the best Kyle " I winced. 

"Stop that. I'm at work." He warned. "What about you? Did you find anything at the college?"

Really, I had to think of it. I wasn't the type that kept a single thing away from my husband and it would be hard to talk about my encounter at the school hall without mentioning Paige.

"We're going to see tonight right? Or is there a night duty today?" I teased. There haven't been any night duty since forever.

"Okay then, stay safe. I love you."

"Love you more." I hung up.

Challenging? Yeah.

And frustrating. I can't do anything without Kyle.

*

I stared long at the brown leather cover book on my reading table, "Changing Destiny." by Annabelle Steele. It looks more different to me now. I've had it there for years and I pop into it from time to time whenever I'm in need of motivation or energy. I love Annabelle. She changed my life, her books. I wouldn't have been the lawyer that I am now if not for her. But I never really met her in person, when she was alive. I was one of those people who cried uncontrollably when her death was announced. She was the best thing the country has. She always got stories from the lowest place, from the heart of the earth, the heart of her soul. And Paige Kam just said she was her mom. How possible is that?

Yes, Annabelle Steele, though famous and influential got married to a more wealthy man. I must have been a little kid when they married because when I knew her she was already married and she still used her maiden name in all her works. The whole world understood that. As a journalist, it would be hard to change her widely known "Steele" to "Kam".

I owe my life to Annabelle Steele. This book... She wrote it and it changed me from that sad and depressed Kamila who wallows in self pity and hatred everyday of her life to the person that I am now.

So why her daughter?

Why, her husband?

It's just unbelievable.

I spent hours comparing the physical features of Annabelle and Paige. Paige has greyish blue eyes and Annabelle's are hazel. The same skin tone. Uhm...same lips, that lovely flattened heart shaped lips. Same hair colour, brownish and long. My hair is the opposite. It's only shoulder length and not as full as theirs. I grew up envying others with full hair.

What about their brows?

Aside the eye color is not easily detectible, it was obvious I was not deceived. 

Wow!

They're beautiful. Especially Paige. 

Even now, in the prison clothes.

But why?

Such a perfect young lady...

No one is perfect.

But why would she kill her own dad?

Why did he hide her that much?

Maybe there is something she does he isn't proud of?

No, he changed her relationship with him purposefully after her mother died. Why?

What about the announcement airforce that Annabelle Steele and her Six year old was found dead in the plane crash? It was a private plane and information can be manipulated. But why?

I remembered my dad and his abuse on my mum.

 It can't be that. I told myself. Annabelle was perfectly fine. Even when she paused at journalism, she still wrote books. She still had her presence online.

Surely, there is a bigger story.

*

He embraced me as usual and we had dinner. I could tell he was more happy now that I make dinner every night. Home made food makes one happy right? But home made pizza doesn't! The last time I tried one, it sucked.

"Your client is suicidal. Very suicidal. You don't wanna know the kind of blade I found."

"When you said blade, I thought it was razor. " I answered. When he mentioned suicidal, he proved what I had guessed. Yeah, it's her blood. Paige isn't a criminal.

Just a psycho...

Just a psycho.

"A surgical knife. She must have stolen it from an hospital because it's never sold out. She has a lot of them in her closet. I only found one with a blood stain. The forensics reported it is her blood."

"How depressing?"

"Yeah, this questions everything that I had thought about her."

"You had thought she was a criminal."

"Well, she is." He pointed out and I felt hurt. He saw it.

"Come on Kamila, you and I know that she really killed him. She said it herself."

"I know..."

The doorbell rang and I went to get it while he cleared up the dinning table. He began to talk as soon as he finished his meal and the table wasn't cleared yet.

"Movie night!" Lucy shrieked on seeing me. She had a grocery bag of obvious red wine in her hands and her gentle husband stood behind her, resting against the wall.

Lucy and Matt are our long time best friend and over we've been family friends. Matt is my Kyle's college best friend, he's an accountant and Lucy, a librarian. The first day I met her, on my second outing with Kyle, I knew straight away that we would be good friends. She has all the good vibes in this world.

The last time we had a movie night, it was at their house. Oh now it's our turn. 

And I didn't even remember.

"Oh my goodness. You don't wanna know that I forgot... "

"Hey Matt!"Kyle shrieked, walking towards us.

Okay then, movie night it is. I gave them room to come in.