He shook his head. “The news station displayed your photograph. They’re your friends, Alex. Don’t lock them out, especially not now when you’re going to need their support.”
Alex didn’t know what to think or say as he sat and listened. They may still accept him as one of their own, but they presumed his brother was guilty. He needed to be away from the station house—he couldn’t be here and listen to them all talking.
Alex finally found his voice. “I’m going to need some time off. Until after...”
His lieutenant nodded. “After the display I just saw, I have to agree with you. Your leave can start after tonight’s shift, and you call when you’re ready to come back.” He paused giving him a searching look. “I mean that, Alex.”
Alex nodded and looked around his boss’s office. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. No matter what he’s been convicted of, he’s still your brother.” His boss stood and held his hand out to him.
He took the offered hand and shook it.
Moving down to the shower room, Alex didn’t see anyone else, which was just fine because he wasn’t sure he wanted to know what they truly believed about him and his brother. He rubbed his chest where his heart felt heavy with sorrow.
After his shift, he’d sleep and then make a plan of action. He now had time on his hands and he wasn’t going to just sit back and let them execute his brother.
He needed to make one last effort, even if it meant finally coming face-to-face with his past.
Day 2
7:00pm
* * *
As she raced along the sidewalk toward her father, Saige wanted to close her eyes as tiredness overwhelmed her.
She’d drifted back to sleep the night before with the memory repeating itself and the image of the man in his prison garb flashing in her mind. She needed to know more about him. She was terrified of what she’d remember, but that didn’t outweigh the need burning through her to know.
Spending most of the day curled up in the brown chair with her laptop, she’d found court documents for appeals that had been filed by the man’s defense attorney, Daniel Sterling, but she hadn’t been able to find any quotes from her statement. She’d found quotes from newspaper archives and couldn’t believe what Jocelyn Peterson, the man’s ex-wife, had said.
He’s a violent man…
He loved to use his fists on me…
He was cruel and unrelenting…
I’m glad he’s finally somewhere he can’t get to me.
It had certainly contradicted the comment from his brother, Alexander Peterson.
He is an amazing and loyal brother. I’ll never believe that he’s guilty of the charges he’s facing.
His brother loved him and believed in his innocence, and when Saige looked at photographs of the brothers, she could feel a memory teasing her senses.
But of what?
Saige felt more confused than ever as she stepped into the foyer of the Renaissance Hotel, her thoughts distracted with how to gather more information and from where. She’d start with her father. She’d ask him if he could get her a copy of the statement she gave, and maybe a copy of the trial itself. Because her reaction to the man she saw on the television bothered her—it bothered her a lot.
So with those thoughts heavily on her mind, she entered the restaurant, and found her father pacing five feet in front of her.
When he lifted his head, his eyes softened with relief as he tugged her against him. “Princess,” he whispered against the top of her head, “I was worried.”
“I’m sorry.” She returned his embrace and pulled away when a server appeared in her peripheral vision. “I got lost in some research.”
She winced when her father raised a brow in question. “Research?”
“We’ll talk about it over coffee.”
Saige turned and followed after her father who was being led by the waitress. They were well known here since it was her father’s favorite place and he had a reserved table whenever he stayed at the hotel. It was outside, in the shade, and set a bit away from the other tables. She had to be around people, usually when she was out alone, but she loved this time with her father and loved that he was concerned enough to make small concessions for her. He hated eating outdoors.
“So,” he said, as they were seated. “I’m not sure I can wait until coffee to discover what research you’ve been doing.”
She squirmed under her father’s scrutiny. Sometimes she thought he’d have done well as a lawyer with the way he’d look at her. It was the, I love you, but you better start talking, look.
“I don’t want to ruin dinner. We only get a chance to see each other a few times a month.”
He raised a brow and waited for her to answer his original question. He wouldn’t be ignored.
Saige took a sip of water from the crystal wine glass, wondering how to answer without giving her father a heart attack, because he needed some sort of answer. “If I ask you something, will you be honest with me? And promise not to mention anything to Christina. I really don’t want to deal with her right now.”