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“No, your mother did over another terse conversation. Anyway, that’s beside the point. When you arrived on my doorstep with a duffle bag full of clothes and no explanation, as you might imagine, I found it unacceptable. I might not become your best friend, but I will always be your father whether you like it or not. That’s why finding this on my own pained me greatly.”
He handed me a picture, a gruesome snapshot of the horrific murder scene. I glanced at it then dropped my head. “How did you get that?”
“You seem to forget I have powerful friends in almost every city in this country. They explained in detail what happened, including the fact they have no leads at the moment. Why didn’t you pick up the phone and call me?”
“Because…” I couldn’t bear to look into his eyes. “Because I didn’t want to worry you.”
“Look at me, Delaney.”
His voice was stern, more so than I’d heard in a long time.
“What?”
“Tell me the truth,” he demanded.
“Because I knew you’d overreact, just like you’re doing now. I’m fine.”
“Fine? From what the detective on the case told me over the phone, you walked in to find your roommate murdered afterbeing hunted and fleeing some stalker. Now, that in itself is horrible but the fact you only briefly mentioned that you’d been stalked outside of a club a couple nights before, not bothering to contact the police is unacceptable. You’re a public figure, Delaney. You were out alone without any escort or even a friend.”
“I’m twenty-four, Dad. I go out to clubs all the time.”
“Alone? To a kink club?”
He’d certainly done his investigation. Why did I think otherwise? Why did I possibly think I could slide into town, remaining under the radar? “It’s one of the hottest clubs in LA, a suggestion made by my roommate. That’s why I went.”
“Alone.”
“Yes, alone.”
“They haven’t caught the guy yet and from what the detective tells me, they’re no closer than they were at the beginning. That concerns me greatly, especially if you saw his face.”
“I didn’t see his face. We were both wearing masks and I didn’t get that close.”
He took a deep breath. “That doesn’t change anything. Monsters are real.”
“I know that, Dad. Stop worrying. It’s only been a few days. They’ll catch him.”
He tossed the file, leaning forward. “Do you have any idea who the man was?”
“No. As I said, I didn’t get to see his face and he certainly didn’t offer his name.”
“But he followed you home.”
“I don’t know. I didn’t think so. I wasn’t driving my car. I tried to warn her in case. I had a shoot the next day. When I came home…” The words caught in my throat, tears drifting into my eyes. I swallowed hard. “That’s why my roommate is dead.”
My father had aged by a couple of years in a single night. “Your roommate is dead because a very bad man made that happen. That wasn’t your fault. However, you should have gone to the police and let them know what happened immediately.”
“I assure you, Daddy, that Ginny’s death weighs heavily on my mind.”
“Not heavily enough that you could tell your father the truth.”
I wanted to retort but how could I? My father was right, the very reason for the guilt was because I hadn’t gone to the police immediately. Chills ran down my spine, but the iciness didn’t take away from the flush creeping up my cheeks or the continued discomfort I felt from my father’s heavy scrutiny. Yes, I deserved it, but that didn’t mean I had to like it.
“I’m sorry, Dad. I wanted to tell you last night, but you were busy with your… date. Barbie? Bambi maybe?” He certainly didn’t deserve my disdain but that was my usual reaction when I was backed into a corner.
“Bullshit and you know it. Her name is Alisa and she’s a very nice girl.”
“A little young for you, isn’t she?”
