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They’ve cut his hair military short, so he looks different. But he looks different to me anyway because now he wears the face of a murderer.
The guards nod for me to move up to the cubicle, so I do. It’s not one like in the movies where they have a telephone, so I can actually speak to him like I normally would.
Dad’s eyes search mine as I sit before him, and the two of us look at each other as if we’re strangers meeting for the first time.
“I knew you’d come to see me.” His voice sounds rusty, as if he’s been smoking a hundred cigarettes a day for the last few weeks. “If anyone was going to see me in here, it would be you.”
“This isn’t a visit like that.”
He narrows his eyes. “What is it, then?”
“It’s the last time I’ll see you, Dad.”
“Principessa.” He hangs his head. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry I?—”
“Stop it, please.”
He lifts his head. His eyes are glassy with tears.
“Stop saying you're sorry.” I swallow past the wedge that’s been tightening my throat since this relentless saga began.
“But I am.”
“You’re sorry you got caught.” My voice is firm. “That’s what you’re sorry for. Nothing more. If you were truly sorry, then all of this would be old news.”
I’m glad he doesn’t argue because he knows I’m right.
“I won’t bother to tell you how disgusted I am with you and how disappointed I am. I just want to know one thing.”
“What’s that?”
“Why did you keep the recording of Mom’s death?” I want to find out if he’s one of those sick bastards who do things like that as some sort of trophy.
“That was … the last time I saw her alive. I didn’t want to kill her. As much as you might not believe this, I loved her.”
I flinch at his confession of love as if he just hit me. “How can you say that? You killed her.”
I watched him administer the last injection into Mom’s body. That was poison. Then he held her hand as he watched her die.
“No one will understand.”
“You’re right. They won’t.”
“Melanie threatened to expose me. She was going to ruin everything I worked so hard for. I couldn’t let that happen, so I had to end her life. That doesn’t mean I didn’t love her.”
I stand. It’s time to go. It’s clear we’re done here.
I can’t listen to this anymore.
“Goodbye, Dad.” I walk away.
“At least I did one thing right for you,” he says in a loud voice, and I stop mid stride.
I turn back to face him.
“Hunter Le Blanche will give you the life I want for you. Goodbye, principessa.”
I turn away again and erase him from my mind and my life.
