Page 17 of In Cold Blood

His father shook out and zipped up, joining him in front of the mirror and basin to wash his hands. “Though it could have been worse. That poor bastard could have been wrongly imprisoned for thirty years like some of the others who are only now getting out.”

Turning off the faucet, Noah tugged out a few brown paper towels and began drying his hands.

Hugh continued, “But I guess mistakes get made, right?”

“It wasn’t just on me.”

“That’s not what the news reported. In fact, I’m betting that’s why you were sent on a long vacation, am I right?”

“No, I was overdue.”

“Sure you were,” he said, grinning as he brushed past him to collect a few paper towels. “You know all that attention can’t be good for your track record, Noah. I imagine BCI will be having you take a back seat on the next few investigations from now on.” Hugh paused, meeting his gaze in the mirror, then tossed the towels in the garbage. “Pushing paper.” Hugh tutted. “Sitting behind a desk. But hey, look on the bright side, with Luke gone, it’s opened up a position at the Sheriff’s Office.” He paused, letting his words hang out there before continuing. “I can speak with Roberts if you like. What with your experience working for the Sheriff’s Office in Peekskill before you got hired by BCI, I’m sure he would be more than willing to consider hiring you. Of course… you’d have to start at the bottom. But then again, you never made it very high through the ranks, right?”

Another jab.

“I’m thirty-nine. I’m not going backward.”

“Backward?” he laughed. “This would be a step forward.”

“I’ve already made my choice.”

“Yeah, you did and look where you are.”

A smile slowly formed in front of a chuckle. “You know, Dad, would it really hurt you to acknowledge one good thing that I’ve done?”

Hugh shrugged. “I’m just saying.”

“Give it up, for goodness sake.”

“Can’t a father want the best for his kids?”

“If you haven’t noticed, I’m not a kid anymore.”

His father scoffed and then mumbled under his breath but Noah caught it. “Hard to notice when you haven’t visited in years.”

“Likewise,” Noah shot back.

The two of them exchanged a scowl.

“It’s a coveted position. I’m sure there will be others just lining up to take it.”

“Seriously. You want to do this now?” Noah asked.

“The office is highly respected.”

Noah squared off with him. “Really? Today, of all days. And you want to talk about this?”

“It was good enough for your brother.”

“Was it? Because I’m pretty sure it was Luke we buried today.”

“Don’t you dare use his name like that! That man was a hero.”

“So that makes his death acceptable in your eyes, right? Do you think that’s what he wanted? Huh? Because I know damn well the only reason he took that job was to please you. Not this community. Certainly not because he wanted to be a name on a board of fallen heroes.”

His father moved past him, heading toward the door. “What would you know about heroics?” When he couldn’t get his way, his approach was to cut off communication. With his hand on the door handle, Hugh cast back an expression of disappointment. “Thousands turned out today to honor your brother. His career. His work in this community. That’s something you’ll never experience.”

Noah was quick to fire back. “And I hope to God, I never do. But I bet it irks you that it’s him and not me in that casket.”