swear that you and Mum would know, so here I am, telling you.”
Paul collapsed in his chair. “I don’t believe it. I mean, she was convicted.”
“She pled guilty, so it never went to trial. And the cops at the time decided it was easier to believe her confession then actually test the evidence.”
“Holy fuck,” Paul said again. Then he smiled. “Damn, I never could get my head around Sia being a crim.”
“Whereas I believed too readily.”
“Yes, you did. And I hope she’s making you pay for it.”
Todd considered the uneasy time he was going to have waiting for Sia to decide whether they could be together or not and thought that karma was certainly making him pay. “I thought we’d probably wait to tell Mum.”
“Absolutely. She’s not ready to hear it yet. Sia still trying to convince the town that her father didn’t know what he was talking about on Friday?”
“She’s still trying to protect him.”
“Damn, that girl is loyal. Tell you what, the man that wins her heart is going to be one lucky bastard.”
Todd agreed.
Chapter 8
Wednesday morning, her father’s lawyer called Sia with wonderful news.
“We’ve got bail,” the lawyer said. “Very stringent conditions, but you can come pick your father up later today.”
It required taking time off work — and she felt badly, considering she’d be taking Friday off work as well to go to Sydney. But luckily her prior good record gave her some leeway.
When she got to the remand centre, she was astonished by the man that came into the lobby. Frank was showered, shaved and his hair had been trimmed. The tremors and sweats she’d seen in the courtroom had passed and he looked tired but for the first time in years, clear-eyed.
“Sia.” He smiled and it was a real smile. Like he was glad to see her. “My good girl. Thank you.”
“Ms Collins.” The young man with Frank was very officious. “Here are the conditions of his bail. The bracelet must be kept on at all times. The first thing you must do is go directly to Oberon police station so he can be processed to report there morning, afternoon and evening. Mr Collins.” The man frowned at Frank. “You understand that you are not to leave the town of Oberon until your trial.”
“Yeah, yeah, I understand.”
Sia waited until they were in the car and driving before she posed the question. “What bracelet?”
“Alcohol monitoring. I can’t have a single bloody drink.” Some of the old bitterness crept into his voice.
“I’m sorry this has happened to you,” Sia said. “We’ll find a way to make it work, don’t worry.”
“I know you will. You always do.”
Sia waited for the bite, but it didn’t come. It seemed that the time in jail, sobering up, had changed Frank Collins. Just as Todd had suggested it would.
Did that mean that after all this time, she would finally get her dad back?
They sat in silence for a while before her father said with studied casualness, “So what’s the story with the Lansing bloke?”
Too studied, Sia thought. Would this be where he turned on her? “I don’t know. I really like him, but I don’t want to upset you.”
“Good. Never see him again and you won’t.”
Despite the harshness of the words, his tone was mellow and so Sia thought it worth trying to find out more. “Why are you so against him?”
His body stiffened and she felt the stab of a glare. “That’s none of your business.”
Sia sighed. She remembered a time when she would have asked a question like that and her father would have sat her down and answered her with soft patience.
He’d been such a wonderful father and husband. Early in her life, it had been about his adoration of both her and her mother. When Patricia had died giving birth to Sienna, there had been some hard times but by Sienna’s first birthday, Frank had become a perfect single parent.
He was there for every school recital, every sporting match. He helped with homework. He played with
Paul collapsed in his chair. “I don’t believe it. I mean, she was convicted.”
“She pled guilty, so it never went to trial. And the cops at the time decided it was easier to believe her confession then actually test the evidence.”
“Holy fuck,” Paul said again. Then he smiled. “Damn, I never could get my head around Sia being a crim.”
“Whereas I believed too readily.”
“Yes, you did. And I hope she’s making you pay for it.”
Todd considered the uneasy time he was going to have waiting for Sia to decide whether they could be together or not and thought that karma was certainly making him pay. “I thought we’d probably wait to tell Mum.”
“Absolutely. She’s not ready to hear it yet. Sia still trying to convince the town that her father didn’t know what he was talking about on Friday?”
“She’s still trying to protect him.”
“Damn, that girl is loyal. Tell you what, the man that wins her heart is going to be one lucky bastard.”
Todd agreed.
Chapter 8
Wednesday morning, her father’s lawyer called Sia with wonderful news.
“We’ve got bail,” the lawyer said. “Very stringent conditions, but you can come pick your father up later today.”
It required taking time off work — and she felt badly, considering she’d be taking Friday off work as well to go to Sydney. But luckily her prior good record gave her some leeway.
When she got to the remand centre, she was astonished by the man that came into the lobby. Frank was showered, shaved and his hair had been trimmed. The tremors and sweats she’d seen in the courtroom had passed and he looked tired but for the first time in years, clear-eyed.
“Sia.” He smiled and it was a real smile. Like he was glad to see her. “My good girl. Thank you.”
“Ms Collins.” The young man with Frank was very officious. “Here are the conditions of his bail. The bracelet must be kept on at all times. The first thing you must do is go directly to Oberon police station so he can be processed to report there morning, afternoon and evening. Mr Collins.” The man frowned at Frank. “You understand that you are not to leave the town of Oberon until your trial.”
“Yeah, yeah, I understand.”
Sia waited until they were in the car and driving before she posed the question. “What bracelet?”
“Alcohol monitoring. I can’t have a single bloody drink.” Some of the old bitterness crept into his voice.
“I’m sorry this has happened to you,” Sia said. “We’ll find a way to make it work, don’t worry.”
“I know you will. You always do.”
Sia waited for the bite, but it didn’t come. It seemed that the time in jail, sobering up, had changed Frank Collins. Just as Todd had suggested it would.
Did that mean that after all this time, she would finally get her dad back?
They sat in silence for a while before her father said with studied casualness, “So what’s the story with the Lansing bloke?”
Too studied, Sia thought. Would this be where he turned on her? “I don’t know. I really like him, but I don’t want to upset you.”
“Good. Never see him again and you won’t.”
Despite the harshness of the words, his tone was mellow and so Sia thought it worth trying to find out more. “Why are you so against him?”
His body stiffened and she felt the stab of a glare. “That’s none of your business.”
Sia sighed. She remembered a time when she would have asked a question like that and her father would have sat her down and answered her with soft patience.
He’d been such a wonderful father and husband. Early in her life, it had been about his adoration of both her and her mother. When Patricia had died giving birth to Sienna, there had been some hard times but by Sienna’s first birthday, Frank had become a perfect single parent.
He was there for every school recital, every sporting match. He helped with homework. He played with
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