BooksBarbecue
Back Murder Past Due Save as PDF
Chapters (36)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Acknowledgements
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE

Justin frowned. “He won’t listen when I try to tell him things. He just preaches at me and tells me what I ought to do, instead of trying to understand me. I’m not him.”

“No, you aren’t. But sometimes fathers have a hard time letting their sons be their own men. I think some fathers feel their sons have to be just like them in order to justify their own choices in life. Does that make sense?”

Justin’s eyes had grown big. “I never thought about it like that. That’s why he wants me to be a preacher too, huh?” He turned to gaze out the window again, his head against the glass.

I had given him enough to think about. I backed the car out of the parking space and headed for home. Justin stayed silent the whole way.

When I turned onto my street, I glanced ahead and swore under my breath. A strange car, a late model Jaguar, sat on the street in front of my house. It could only be Godfrey.

SIX

SIX

I was tempted to drive right by. Justin needed some time to himself, I thought. But this meeting with Godfrey was inevitable. Maybe it was better to get it over with.

As I passed the car I looked inside. Sure enough, Godfrey waved as I turned into the driveway. I clicked the garage door opener. Justin stirred as I drove inside.

I turned off the car and clicked the opener again. The door came down behind us.

In the dim light provided by two windows high in the wall in front of us, I examined Justin’s face. He still bore signs of strain from his time with Ezra.

“That’s him in the car out there, isn’t it?” Justin unbuckled his seat belt.

“If you’re not ready to talk to him, you don’t have to.”

Justin blinked a couple of times. “No, I want to talk to him.” He paused. “But what do I call him?”

“Only what you feel comfortable with. He’ll understand if you call him Mr. Priest. You both need to know each other better before you decide anything else.” I smiled at him.

Justin nodded. He opened his door and got out.

I followed him into the house, and sure enough, Diesel was waiting near the kitchen door. Justin knelt on the floor beside the cat and rubbed Diesel’s head.

“You talk to Diesel for a few minutes,” I said. “I’ll let Godfrey in. I want to have a word with him first if you don’t mind.”

“Yes, sir,” Justin said. Diesel climbed into his lap and was butting the boy’s chin with his head.

For a moment Justin looked much younger than eighteen, and I worried about the burdens piling up on those boyish shoulders.

Godfrey was waiting on the doorstep. I motioned him inside.