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Back The Third Brother Save as PDF
Chapters (116)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by the Author
  3. The Third Brother
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. PART I
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. PART II
  67. 60
  68. 61
  69. 62
  70. 63
  71. 64
  72. 65
  73. 66
  74. 67
  75. 68
  76. 69
  77. 70
  78. 71
  79. 72
  80. 73
  81. 74
  82. 75
  83. 76
  84. 77
  85. 78
  86. 79
  87. 80
  88. 81
  89. 82
  90. 83
  91. 84
  92. 85
  93. 86
  94. 87
  95. 88
  96. PART III
  97. 89
  98. 90
  99. 91
  100. 92
  101. 93
  102. 94
  103. 95
  104. 96
  105. 97
  106. 98
  107. 99
  108. 100
  109. 101
  110. 102
  111. 103
  112. 104
  113. 105
  114. 106
  115. 107
  116. 108

Mike remembered that one went off in Lyle’s hand. He couldn’t tell how it happened, because Lyle was being so careful. But it looked like Lyle held it too long, like he wanted to see what would happen. The rocket shot up like a cartoon insect trying to burrow into the bottom of Lyle’s chin. And then it exploded. The bottom of Lyle’s face turned black and swelled immediately. Their father ran down to the water and grabbed his son, stroking his hair as he looked at the burn. He picked up Lyle and carried him to the car. “I’m taking him to the hospital, stay with Mike,” he said to his wife.

Lyle, through the pain, was glad to be with just his father in the car. It was better to be with just one parent than two. Mike, with his mother, was thinking the same thing. “Divide and conquer” was their joke several years later.

Years later, Mike and Lyle would be drinking in the co-op of that same friend, and the friend would be telling the bottle rocket story, and Mike would say quietly, he thought, to his brother, “You set that thing off into your chin.”

“Hey, yeah,” the friend said,” I always remembered it like you were trying to fucking blow your chin off.”

“I’m just bullshitting with my brother,” said Mike.

The friend thought, not for the first time, that the whole family was crazy.

26

The night is over. The first color of the day is rising into the sky. Mike is tired and sweated out and a little high still, and he is sitting outside with Burton. Bridget has gone into his bedroom and closed the door. Paul has fallen asleep inside, watching television. Harrison walked into the bathroom a few minutes earlier and Mike hears the shower raining behind the door.

Mike lights one last cigarette and looks out at the coming morning, much clearer up here than the day before on the street. He wants to keep talking to Burton but doesn’t know what to say, other than to ask some lame question about credentials.

“What?” Burton asks, with one eye open through the veil of blond hair. His head is nodding and weaving.

“Don’t I need credentials or something like that to talk to that cop you mentioned?”

Burton blows his hair out of his face and trains his one open eye on Mike. “Mike,” he sighs, very tired, “don’t worry about the cops.”

Burton nods out, and Mike is thinking about how exhausted he is too when Harrison appears on the terrace beside him. He is freshly scrubbed and doesn’t look tired at all.

“How about we go out,” he says. “I’m hungry. You hungry? Eat off the booze. Breakfast beer. Introduce you to the Grace.”

Burton is completely passed out now but Mike says thank you to him anyway.

27