Clandestine

thirty one

-diane-

Now that Marcia Quintana is taking care of my father's expenses, I have no need to invade his privacy and search through his office and his bedroom. However, I can't help but wonder what is inside. Would I be able to find a schedule for all his planned parties? I don't know when the next one is or how much I have to prepare. Does he have all the details planned out? How far ahead has he scheduled?

He normally has two or three every month or so. Does he plan a month at a time or does he have the whole year mapped out already?

I'm going to need to know if I'm going to keep up my promise to Marcia Quintana and make it seems as though my father is still alive.

I plan to call Marcia Quintana again today. I'm not sure if she will answer me. But I need to ask her what the pink haired girl, Julia, told me. Is it just some story or has Marcia Quintana been lying to me?

I know it might be better not to let on to Marcia Quintana that I know something. But I've already searched the Assembly reports and I've hacked and searched the jail reports as well. According to the records, my father was never admitted into the jail. Any record of his stay has disappeared. Did he even make it to jail?

He did call me from there. I heard the beep of the limited phone calls. He must have been there. Did they completely erase any evidence of him because of the fight? Was that event such of a big deal? Surely other prisoners get into fights all the time. It is jail, after all.

Did they erase the evidence because a guard killed him? That would give the jail a much bigger reason to hide what happened.

I need to ask. Even if she lies to my face, this is my last resort. My last safe resort. If she doesn't answer my questions, I'm going to have to act for my father. He deserves justice.

I take a deep breath and call Marcia Quintana. Maybe she made a mistake by calling her from her phone because now I have her number and can contact her whenever I want.

She answers on the second ring, her irritation clear. "Why do you keep calling me?"

"Hello, Marcia Quintana."

"What do you want? Do you want to accuse me of something again? Did you not have enough fun terrorizing me the last time and wanted to do it again?"

I say, "I just wanted to ask you another question about my father's death. You see, if I don't learn the answer, I might have to start asking other people. And in order to tell them, I must tell them what happened to my father. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I understand your threat. You do realize that what you just did was blackmail me and that's illegal."

"You do realize that when you take care of my finances it's a form of bribery and that's illegal."

"How dare you accuse me of doing something illegal?"

"I'm just accusing you of the truth. Can I ask you my question or do I have to go elsewhere?"

She huffs, "Ask."

"It's about my father's death. How exactly did you say he died?"

"He got into a fight with another prisoner. Unfortunately for your father, the other prisoner won before any guards could intervene."

"See, that's a great story. But someone else told me another story about what happened."

"What did they tell you?" She sounds bored.

"My father was murdered in the jail. But not by another prisoner."

"Who?" I catch a hint of a shake in her voice. She's trying to keep it hidden, but it shows through.

"A guard. I guess that's why they want to keep it hidden right. The guards aren't supposed to go around kill people."

She says, "Who told you this?"

"I don't know. Someone at my party last night."

"Tell me who."

"I told you, I don't know who it was." I'm not about to give away the girl who helped me. I say, "So does that mean that the story is right? He was murdered by a guard."

"No, of course it isn't true."

"You don't sound so sure."

She snaps, "Fine. I will tell you the true story and give you the name of the guard who murdered your father if you tell me the name of the person who told you."

"You're admitting to lying to me? Isn't that one of the rules of the Assembly? You are supposed to be honest and only honest."

"Don't talk to me about what is right or wrong. I'm sure you have no problem breaking the law."

"Give me one example of a law I've broken."

She laughs, "The blackmail?"

I'm silent.

She says, "My deal stands. I will tell you the truth of what happened to your father if you tell me the name of the person who told this to you."

"Tell me the story first and then I'll tell you the name." I have no intention of giving the girl away.

"I'm sorry, my dear, but I won't fall for that. Give me a name."

"Lydia." I lie.

She clucks her tongue, "I can tell you are lying. Do you never want to know the truth of your father?"

"She never gave me her name."

"So it is a girl?"

"Maybe."

She says, "Then give me a description. It can't be too difficult. You have ten seconds and then I'm hanging up and I'll never answer any of your calls again."

I panic. I'm sorry, Julia. I hope that there are a lot of pink-haired girls in the city. "She had pink hair."

"Pink hair? Bright pink?"

"Yes."

I'm sorry. So, so sorry. I need to do this for my father. I hope that Marcia Quintana never finds Julia.

The phone clicks off. I stare at the screen. She hung up on me.

I call back against and again but she doesn't answer.

I was foolish to trust her.