messages as if the answer might be hidden between the lines.
The fourth woman vanished after telling him she wanted him to meet her sister.
The fifth disappeared after making weekend plans with him.
After the sixth woman vanished, I could not ignore it anymore.
Something was not right.
Six women could lose interest.
That was possible. But six women would not all disappear in the same manner after promising another date.
I asked my father whether anything unusual had happened during those evenings.
He looked confused.
“No. Why?”
“Did you argue with them?”
“Of course not.”
“Did you say anything that could have frightened them?”
His face tightened.
“What kind of man do you think I am?”
“That is not what I meant.”
He turned away from me and began rinsing a clean mug in the sink. I knew I had hurt him.
“I just want to understand,” I
