28 Days(22)

He nodded. “Yes...To me that explained all the blood in the shack, he also told us what he remembered touching and everything came back positive to his prints. There wasn’t anything else with prints on though. However, the DA moved to press charges and that was that. The thing is, which I argued at the time, Quinten had stated he’d cut his arm breaking into the shack. The evidence from him breaking in was there for us to see exactly like he said. Once he’d been charged and the case was being built against him, no one wanted to know. I even mentioned it on the stand, which is why I think some of the jury voted not guilty. I’d put the same doubt in their minds.”

They sat silently for a few minutes and drank their coffee. Saige really didn’t see how everyone would think him guilty. She knew her statement hadn’t helped him, but, “Why didn’t anyone question my relationship with Quinten? I couldn’t find any reference to it.”

Coulter stilled, and leaned closer still. “What relationship?”

She couldn’t hide her surprise at his question. “Alex hinted that Quinten and I had something going on. The memory of Quinten’s hands was of them on my body.” She blushed slightly but carried on, “When my stepmother asked if I knew anyone in those photographs, of course I’d have picked Quinten. Not only that, why wasn’t it revealed that both Alex and Quinten worked at my family home? They did the wood carving on the stairs and some of the molds around the light fittings. I might have lost my memory but back then I knew them, and apparently I knew Quinten really well.”

“Shit!” Coulter cursed and sat back in his chair, shock written all over his face. “Your father swore that you had no relationship with him and that you’d never met him. I even asked him that specific question. I never even got the vibe that he lied.”

Saige frowned, wondering why he’d lied. “But, what if we kept it from my father?”

He dropped his head into his hands as he leaned over the table. “Maybe you did keep it a secret.”

“Did you ask anyone else about us?”

“I asked both Alex and Quinten and they said no. I was surprised that Alex didn’t jump on that because he was desperate to save his brother, and with how Quinten was found wrapped around you, it would have shed new light on that scene. What I don’t understand is why Alex and Quinten lied to me about you?”

Saige felt a trill of hope somewhere deep inside of her. A part of her had known that Quinten was innocent, but she couldn’t understand why they both lied about her relationship with him.

“I should have listened to my gut instead of the evidence. Something has always niggled at me about the case. It’s the only case I’ve worked on since I became a cop that I couldn’t stop thinking about. Why didn’t I listen?”

“Like you said, all the evidence pointed to him being guilty, plus, if my father and Christina lied, then you had a closed case.”

Saige felt tired and now knew that she had been right to start asking questions, which she would continue with soon. “I’m heading home with Alex. I’m not going to leave until I have answers.”

“I wish I could be there when you ask questions, but I have a case that needs my attention right now. I want you to have this though.” He pulled a white card from his pocket and a pen. After scrawling something on the back, he passed it to her. “That’s my private cell number. If you need help with anything, or if I can answer anything else, call me.”

Sage absentmindedly took the card from his hand, and asked, “If I wanted to visit the prison, would you be able to arrange it?”

“That’s not a good idea, Saige.” He shook his head.

“I know it isn’t, but I’m serious. Alex has told me that it could take months for approval for me to visit through the official channel. Couldn’t you get me in faster?”

He sighed. “If I had to, then yes...what are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking that if I’m with him and can talk to him, then maybe my memory will come back.” She lifted tormented filled eyes to Coulter. “I want to remember him, Detective. I want to remember our time together, and I want to remember why I ended up in a private hospital for two years, when I can only remember the last two weeks of my stay there. Why does the scent of antiseptic make me physically sick? There’s a lot that I want to know and I have a feeling that it all starts with Quinten.”

“Your father lied for a reason, Saige. Maybe everything starts with him and his wife. Just be careful, and promise to call me if you need help.”

“I will.” She shrugged. “I have so many questions and I know the answers are locked away inside me. I just want to remember.”

“Hmm. I once had a case where a young woman lost her memory after being the only survivor when her sister and parents were found dead. Her memory came back in the middle of the funeral. She launched herself at her mother’s father...I’m basically trying to tell you that your memory might come back when you least expect it to. Something will trigger the whole lot and you’ll be swamped with nothing but memories.”

“As much as I don’t want to remember those five days, I want to remember everything else. I need to.”

“I understand.” He stood after glancing at his phone. “I need to get back, and I know I’ll be seeing you again.” He smiled. “Take care of yourself.”