Clausen touches my shoulder, and I shift away. “I’m sorry. I wish with all my heart there were something we could do, but the only person who can give your memories back is Daniel.”
“So, make him!”
His eyes soften with concern. “Are you sure that’s what you want? There may be other ways. We could try hypnosis, cognitive therapy, memory rest—”
“No! I don’t want to waste time with that. If they’re truly gone, none of that would work anyway. I want them back now.”
He leans into his chair. “Very well. You deserve an opportunity to confront him. We’ve drugged him enough that hecan’t hurt you, but he’ll still try to manipulate you. Are you sure you want to do this? He’s good at what he does.”
I charge toward the door. “When this is over, you better come up with a plan to make sure it never happens again.”
“We’re already working on that. We only ask that you keep all of this between us. We will protect the other students, but who knows what would happen if people knew the truth.”
I glare at them. “Let’s see how this goes, and then we’ll talk about what I say to whom.”
Clausen leads me through a locked door and down a long flight of stairs. The corridor at the bottom seems to emanate a chill that separates it from the rest of the mansion, but I stalk forward, eager for the confrontation with my abuser. A bright light escapes through cracks in a door at the end of the hall, and I push through without hesitation.
“Rebecca?” a voice gasps when we enter, and I approach my roommate who’s been attached to a chair. “What are—”
I slap him as hard as I can, relishing his wince from the blow. My own hand stings, but I only want to smack him again for his manipulative display of pain and confusion.
“We told her everything,” Clausen says, and Daniel’s face sinks into a new horror.
“No,” he says, shaking his head. “No, don’t listen to them! They’re lying to you!” And I hit him again.
“Give me my memories back, you bastard! Give them back and maybe I won’t try to convince them to lock you up for the rest of your pathetic life.”
Tears fill his eyes as he stares at us. “What have they told you?”
A brief twinge of doubt stabs at me, and I look to Clausen.
“I told you he’d try to manipulate you. You have to fight it, Rebecca. Fight him this time.”
“Manipulate her?” Daniel cries, pulling against the restraints. “Don’t listen to him, Rebecca! He’s the liar, not me. Please, you know me. You know me!”
I shut my eyes and clench my fists. “No, I don’t. I don’t remember anything because of you.”
“Because of them. They made me do it. I didn’t have a choice.”
“So you admit it! You admit you erased my memories to control me.”
“Control you? I never controlled you. I did everything I could to protect you. They had you locked in here with me.”
But because of him I have no memory of his useless evidence.
“Don’t listen to him, Rebecca,” Clausen urges behind me. “Don’t let him win this time.”
A cold object slides into my hand, and I glance down. My heart skips at the knife.
“You have our permission to use whatever means necessary to learn about your father.”
I stare at Clausen in shock, then back at the weapon. My hand shakes when I face Daniel and see the fear wash over his face. I can’t let it affect me, and force away any instinctive emotion. He’s a monster. Now, he’s a scared monster who will get his due. But… that small screaming ember of conscience won’t leave me alone.
“Rebecca, please. They’re manipulating you,” he says, eyes pleading.
“Tell me what you know about my father. Give me my memories of Claude Albertson!”
The alarm on his face is a problem. Fear was easier. That made sense. But alarm? His gaze shoots to Clausen. “What is this? What have you done?”
