Kevin became furious and shouted, “You had no right to come into my house and go through my stuff!”

Kathy said, “Billy, we’re trying to help you.”

“This is my property, and you two came in here and searched it without a warant. ”

“I’m your brother. Kathy’s your sister. We’re just trying | to—

“Evidence obtained without a search warrant wouldn’t be admitted in court.”

Jim told Kathy to wait for him in the car in case it came to blows. When Jim confronted him again, Kevin began to walk into the kitchen. “Billy, you’re buying all this stuff on the credit cards. They’d get you on that.”

“They’ll never know,” Kevin insisted. “I go buy one or two things and then I throw the card away. I only hold up queers and people who hurt other people.”

“Its a crime, Billy.”

“That’s my affair.”

“But you’re getting yourself into trouble.”

“Look, you got no right coming out here from Spokane and getting on my case about what I’m doing. I’m my own person. I’m old enough. I’m outta the house. What I do is my own business. Besides, you left the family a long time ago.”

“True, but we care about you.”

“I didn’t ask you to come over here. I want you to get the hell out of here right now. ”

“Billy, I’m not leaving until we’ve had this out.”

Kevin grabbed his leather coat. “Well, fuck you. Then I’ll leave.”

Jim, who had always been stronger than his younger brother and had been trained in the martial arts in the Air Force, stepped between Kevin and the door. He grappled with him and threw him backward. Jim hadn’t intended to be so hard or violent,but Kevin crashed into the Christmas tree, knocking it against the wall and onto the presents. Boxes were crushed. Bulbs shattered. The wire was yanked out of the outlet and the lights went out.

Kevin got up and started for the door again. He was no fighter, and he had no intention of battling Jim, but he had to get out of there. Jim grabbed him by the shirt, throwing him against the bar.

Kevin lost the spot …

As Ragen hit the bar, he saw very quickly who was attacking him, though he had no idea why. He had never liked Jim. He had never forgiven him for leaving home, for leaving the women and Billy to face Chalmer alone. Seeing that Jim was blocking the doorway, Ragen reached back, picked up a knife from the top of the bar and threw it with such force that it stuck in the wall beside Jim’s head.

Jim froze. He had never seen such cold hate in Billy’s face or seen him respond with such swift violence. He looked at the knife, still quivering in the wall inches from his head, and realized that his brother hated him enough to kill him. He stepped aside as Ragen walked silently past him, barefoot, out into the snow …