Dark Favors

Another round of applause. I felt myself tearing up a little bit at the thought of Rebecca. It really was a pity she’d never gotten the chance to meet Paige. She would have loved her. My sadness was mixed with total confusion, though.

What was she doing?

“Now, some of you might wonder why I’m here tonight. You might be wondering why a 27-year-old college student is here to give a speech, and the reason may actually surprise you.”

Everyone was listening.

She had the attention of every single person in the room, including me.

Including Annabelle.

Including Josiah.

“At the time of her death, Rebecca Locke was conducting research. She realized that almost 30 years ago – 28, to be exact – a young woman went missing from the Weston Estate here in Ruby City. That woman, who had previously worked for Mr. Josiah Reagan, was never seen again.”

A murmur spread through the crowd. A couple of people looked in Reagan’s direction, obviously wondering what the punch line was.

What was she doing?

I paled as I realized what she was doing. She was giving my speech. The one from the flash drive. She’d kept it. That was why I hadn’t been able to find the flash drive at the post office when I’d looked. She’d never left it there to begin with. I risked a glance at Josiah, who was standing by Annabelle. He looked pissed and ready to bolt. I wasn’t sure which he was going to do.

The event was being broadcast online, though, so there was nowhere for him to go. Anything that Paige said, everyone in Ruby City would hear. There was no delay. There was no way to stop this. Anything she said, everyone was going to hear. People were going to listen. She’d chosen a good time to speak up.

“Nobody knew what happened to her, but Rebecca figured it out. She paid for her knowledge with her life. Now, I might not be able to prove who killed her, and I might not be able to point fingers at who did it, but the only person who really had anything to lose by Rebecca discovering the truth about that young woman’s disappearance is Josiah Reagan.”

Another murmur.

“Get her off the stage!” Someone called out.

“You’re right,” Paige said. “I probably should be nicer when talking about my dad.”

Silence.

The entire room went silence.

Someone dropped a glass, shattering it, but nobody looked away from Paige. She was much too confident, much too sure of herself. Annabelle Reagan looked at her father, but his eyes were locked on Paige. He was clenching his fists, unable to do anything to stop the train wreck unfolding before his eyes.

“You see, I never knew my dad, but Josiah Reagan knew all about me. He sent my mother a check every month because of it, actually. Don’t get too excited, though. These weren’t child support payments to help me have a good childhood. This was hush money. He paid her to stay silent and not to tell the world that he had a kid he didn’t want.”

“This is preposterous!” Josiah called out, suddenly. Then all eyes were on him. “I don’t know who you are or what you’re talking about!”

“My mother’s birth name was Theresa Smith,” Paige said.

Josiah went completely pale.

“And I’m sorry to say that she died six months ago, so you can stop sending those checks now, Mr. Reagan. Or, should I call you Dad? Whichever you prefer,” Paige said. “I’ve spoken with a reporter who will be publishing an article tomorrow morning that details Rebecca Locke’s search for justice for my mother, and that includes all of the juicy details about how Mr. Reagan threatened my mom’s life simply for choosing to have me. You can read all about it in Ruby City Today.”

Then she dropped the microphone, and she walked off stage. Instantly, the reporters who had attended the event simultaneously surrounded both Paige and Josiah. Security stepped I, trying to hold the reporters back from their chaotic questions. Annabelle fought her way through the crowd and came over to me, looking breathless.

Looking shocked.

“Did you know about this?” She asked. She wasn’t angry, though. She looked sad. Devastated.

“It’s true,” I told her. My stomach churned as I realized that even though Annabelle and I had basically been enemies, nobody deserved to find out about their father like this. Nobody deserved to find out they had a little sister like this.

“All of this time?”

“You have a sister,” I confirmed.