Exchanging Feelings (Phan)

18. I was lost, I was scared, but I had him

"Please, it won't take more than 5 minutes".

I sat down on the other couch, so I could face him.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"Do you mind if I record this interview?" He said, lifting his phone in the air.

"Yes. Please don't record it" I was calm, at least I sounded calm, because I was trying to show confidence. He put his phone back in his pocket and smiled. I knew that he was probably recording it all with some other microphone though.

"Alright then, Philip. You know why I'm here, I don't want to take your time so why don't we go straight to the point?"

"You know I'm not allowed to talk to you, so why don't you make things easier and leave?"

"You know I won't do that."

"Sorry, but do you know who you're talking to? Do you know who my father is? Do you know that I can make you lose your job, if I simply call my dad?" I remembered when I was 13, my father called me in his office and said I should never answer any question if a journalist asked. He said I should say these words if they insisted. I never thought I'd have to say something like that to anyone, but then again, I never thought my father would be so polemic one day.

"Of course I know who you are. You're Philip Lester, your father is Mr. Lester, a famous judge who's friends with the mayor, who's being accused of misappropriation of public funds... abuse of public power... subornation of perjury ..."

"Being accused of something does not make you guilty, Mr... what's your name again?"

"You can call me Lucas."

"Well, then, Lucas, as I was saying, my father is being accused, true. He's not guilty though, and he still has the power to get you fired if I call him and ask."

"My boss asked me to come here, kid. Do you really think he'd fire me for doing what I was told?"

I froze, I wasn't expecting that.

"You know I'm right" he smiled.

"First, tell me how you know where I live, and then I'll answer your questions"

"You know I can't tell you that"

"You know I can't tell you anything about my father."

"So, you know something?"

I killed myself mentally. I understood his game. He didn't want to ask anything, he wanted to get information from me.

"He's my father. I know a lot of things about him, except for his professional life, he doesn't tell me anything." I lied. I probably knew more about his work than his personal life.

"Are you sure about that? Are you sure you've never seen anything suspicious? Phone calls? Weird papers? Weird people going to your house to meet him?"

"You know, I never leave my bedroom. I never go to his office. If there were things for me to find there, I wouldn't know. My father is a normal man. He goes to work, he comes back, he watches TV with my mom, they have dinner, they go to their room and I go to mine. Sorry but can you see something suspicious in that?" My hands were shaking, so I crossed my arms. I couldn't be more nervous and tense, but I had to pretend I wasn't. I was cool, I was normal; at least he had to think I was.

"Fair enough. I have something here though... that might help you remember something. You know, that thing you're hiding from me and you know you are." He handed me the notebook he was holding. I opened it and my eyes widened as I saw pictures of my dad, in London, walking with his hands on that girl's waist, like a couple. I turned the page... and saw pictures of them going in Starbucks. I turned the page again... and then, pictures of us talking. I turned the page, and there were pictures of me with Dan. Dan and I hugging, Dan and I kissing. I turned the page once again, there were also pictures of my dad kissing the girl.