BooksBarbecue
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’s mother had broken up with Dorr by Christmas. He was too wild, and she thought that maybe she had made the worst mistake of her life. Mike’s father would not take her back. She asked Analect to act as an emissary on her behalf. He said he would do what he could but then made a pass at her. He failed, of course.

Dorr moved to another house and he and his sister dropped out of the others’ lives. The first news Mike’s father got of them, about a month after graduation, was that the sister was back in New Orleans and pregnant. Mike’s father wondered what she was going to do with the baby but didn’t try to find out, though he was sure it was his.

42

Mike would not remember how Tweety came quietly back into Burton’s apartment or her undressing. He would only remember her appearing over him, naked, as he awoke on Burton’s couch. Mike was still drunk and high from the hash when she began to undress him, and then he was naked from the waist down. He would remember images, fragments. The slope of her back as she put a condom on him. The veil of her long black hair against his face, and the only thing she said: “You paid for me, now I want to pay you.” After that, Mike did not think about anything but her and her body and trying to please her, though he could tell he was like a child to her.

He would not remember her leaving.

43

Mike wakes up sweating in a slant of sunshine on Burton’s couch. He sits up, grabs a piece of paper, and starts a note to Burton, but as he is writing it Burton emerges from the bedroom. Through the door, Mike sees Bridget lying in a tangle of sheets. She is beautiful but very distant, like a good oil painting of a nude at the wrong end of a telescope. Burton looks washed and clean in his fresh silk shirt, his blond hair up in the sprouting knot.

“Do you want to stay for breakfast?” Burton asks. “I think I’ll make some eggs and things.”

Mike explains he has to get back to his hotel. Check messages, find Bishop, do some more reporting for his story. He wants to go to a club or two and ask some more questions and score some drugs to see what deals are like for the backpackers. He’s going to walk into the slums on his own.

“Well, good then. Call us later for a drink, yeah?”

“I definitely will.”

“Whenever you like. Really.”

In fact, Mike has no plans to go anywhere until the next day, when Harrison has promised to introduce him to Christopher Dorr.

Outside, the bright sky presses down on him and he wonders where Tweety is.

44