"Oops!" He said the umpteenth time since he entered this so-called hospital in China. He had bumped into another family again in the ward number he thought he would meet Annabelle Kam, Paige's sick mum. But this family was different, they were black and calm and seemed to have needed his help because they called him back.
"Please sir, can we see you for a moment?" The woman said.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I was looking for..." He blamed himself for not giving an apology first.
"No, no no. It's not a problem. We were just thinking of who to ask and God brought you. Do you know of any hotel nearby where we can lodge for the night?"
He wished he could answer their question but it was also his first time in China. If not for Kamila's (his wife's) disappearance and the hospital address he found in her diary, why should he ever think of coming to China?
"I'm so sorry. It's also my first time here. I think you should ask the nurses." She had her gaze fixed on the girl on the bed and he could not help but sympathize with them. But he wasn't sure what to say so he swallowed any form of comment and turned to leave.
"Okay, thank you." The woman's voice followed him faintly. He gave up the search and headed for the Director's office.
"I'm looking for a certain Annabel Kam. I hear she is admitted and the person who admitted her is dead."
The doctor raised his brow, then he remembered. Wasn't he supposed to introduce himself first?
"I'm Kyle, inspector of police, district IV, London. " He flashed his ID at him.
The doctor shifted in his seat. "Annabel Kam has been here for a long time. She lost her memory once and has not recovered it despite all the ways we have tried. Her husband Jude Kam had asked that we keep her here until she remembers something. But NO.." He shook his head.
"Do you know that this same woman hidden here at your hospital was publicly announced dead in her country?"
He swallowed. Kyle went on. "We have every right to sue this hospital for all that the family had gone through without her."
"Remember it was her husband who dumped her here." The doctor protested.
"Can I see her? And I would like to take her back to Albany today. Is that possible?"
"Sure." He stood up. "Let's go."
***
She was like a carbon copy of what Paige was like, just an advanced "seen-life" version. And she undoubtedly was the popular Annabelle Steele that everyone believed had died in a plane crash with her daughter. He didn't realize he had stood there, in his shock for so long until the doctor brought him back.
"Anything wrong?"
He quickly snapped out of it. "This is the same woman the whole of New York wishes to be alive. And you had her here in your all this while. Do you know the gravity of that?"
"Well, her husband brought her here and asked that we keep her a secret to the world." He defended. But right there and then, something else was happening to Kyle. First, he was marvel and grateful to God for how perfect and smart his wife's instincts were. There's more to this case and that is what Kamila has been stressed about ever since she encountered Paige Kam's story. How will a young woman just suddenly stab her father and call the police on herself? It's obvious now that Jude Kam was not a good father. What's more? Kamila gets kidnapped while investigating... They may be a living force still fighting Jude Kam's cause but for what?
"Let's get her out of here first." He booked their flight for the next day while the doctor processed her discharge. This is just the beginning. He sighed. God, my wife! Please!
***
**Kamila's POV**
"What is today's date?" I had lost count of what day or night looked like in this cell and I had only one thing on my mind amidst other things that should be more pressing. Paige Kam would be facing the court unrepresented in a few days. Why are these people keeping me here?
And Kyle, my husband, I try so much not to think about him because thinking about him alone breaks me. I blame myself for asking him not to bother about my security. One day I tried to do things on my own and I got myself hurt, but now not only do I get hurt. I get to hurt him and probably our future because I don't know what these people will do to me here. The young lad chained in front of me seemed to be counting his fingers i allowed him all the time because I couldn't think of numbers myself.
"Twenty-fifth," He said.
"Twenty-fifth?" I winced, my joint ached, and my head... Maybe I deserve all this pain, but I don't. I was just trying to seek justice for a young woman. What bad did I do in that?
"Today is her court hearing. Why are these people keeping me here?"
"Who..." he asked as if unsure whether it was right to ask or not.
"Paige Kam, my client."
"Paige Kam is your client?"
"You know her?"
"She is..." He trailed off. " Why is she facing the court? What happened?"
"You haven't told me who she is to you."
"My... girlfriend." He muttered.
"Are you sure?" I probed.
"Yeah, it's just... complicated."
"What is your name? I never asked." Though weak and hungry, I still felt that thing in my gut that told me a truth was about to be uncovered.
"Damien...Smith. We were... high school lovers."
"Damien." I smiled. "So you are her damien. How come you never mentioned it? Since I got here I've been talking about this case. Why didn't you say anything?"
"nothing would have changed. You were kidnapped by the same people that wanted her dead so..."
"Dead?"
He sighed. "I know you'll ask me to explain. But please can you help me understand first why she is in prison."
"You don't know. I thought she was your girlfriend."
"I left her. I was scared for her and myself. I was about to run when I got caught..."
"I... don't get."
"Maybe you should just tell me what happened first then I'll tell you all you need to know."
"She stabbed her father in their home and called the police on herself. She was charged with murder..."
"Jude Kam is dead?! Whoa," He seemed to be rejoicing in pain but then stopped.
"Wait, Paige killed him? Why? And are you supposed to be persecuting her? No, it must be..." He must be thinking aloud because he wasn't making sense at all to me.
"She didn't kill him. I mean it might look like she did but she needs a defending lawyer. Paige had gone through a lot with jude kam and she doesn't deserve to be persecuted for his death."
"What exactly do you know Damien?"
"And why do you want to know? So you will go use it against her in court?"
I hissed. "What are you saying? Is there any way out of here that you know?"
"Besides I also believe she wouldn't have stabbed him for nothing."
"You believe?"
"That's what got me here. I was looking for evidence to help her at the court."
"Why? What do you stand to gain? Why would want to defend a stranger who is guilty of criminal charges?"
His questions choked me. He sounded like a more reserved version of Paige. Insecure and unyielding. No doubt they must have rubbed a lot on each other.
I sighed.
"My gut. I just loved her at first sight I guess..." I wasn't making sense. "I don't know. Please I can't explain but trust me I love Paige and I want justice for her."
He was quiet for a while.
"Okay, let's make it more official," I said. " I am Kamila Dickson, Paige's lawyer. I have some questions for you."
He was quiet.
"What was Paige like? Could she have killed someone and for what reason?"
"Jude Kam told the world he was Paige's Uncle. Didn't you find that suspicious? Why is it after his death that you all get to know that he has a daughter Paige Kam."
I had never thought of it this way. Well, that's because I never studied scientists in life but it's true. News had it that he lost his wife and daughter in a plane crash so many years ago, according to my research and I still haven't been able to connect the dots between Paige and the dead daughter. I had just guessed that she was probably the sister.
"Tell me what you know please."
"They are expensive claims, Miss Kamila. I wish we had met earlier. What is going to happen to her today?"
"Let's not talk about that please"
"But that is the only real thing we know now Miss Dickson" Oh why is he calling my name now?
"She'll probably be sentenced to death or if she's lucky, life imprisonment."
He sniffed. "He's been raping her since she was six..."
Before I could think, the door to the cage flung open, and a lady was pushed in, her heels cracking against the concrete floor in an instant. She wasn't chained but she obviously was a prisoner like us too. The people who had brought her slammed the door and left. She then burst into a chuckle that only shook me the more. Damien had just dropped a bombshell on me and then this crazy woman. She reached into her tights and brought out a short object that looked like a weapon, carefully pulled off her broken shoes, and walked toward us. My heart melted.
Was she thrown in that violently to kill us? Damien was in another world, his tears flowed like a river on his cheek soaking his shirt while his eyes stayed shut.
She came near to me first and just when I thought she would have her short knife into my chest she squatted by my side and said:
"Hi," a sly smile on her decorated face.