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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 scattered his parents’ ashes from their old wooden canoe on the bay where they had taught him and his brother to swim. Lyle went into treatment at Pine Hill for post-traumatic stress disorder. After six months he was released, on heavy medication, into the ostensibly normal life that Mike has been protecting ever since. That was why he transferred to Columbia. The months Lyle was in Pine Hill were the most horrifying of their lives. Even on bright days it was always the middle of the night. That was the joke they made up about how it felt, but they both walked as dead boys, even though one was still free.

Mike wonders if Lyle is hallucinating. He has been hallucinating ever since the fire. Lyle’s hallucination, continuing but hidden since his release, is a third brother. Mike grieves for this and hates the new brother. Mike can see him in his own head now, too, knows that he looks something like himself and thinks about putting a bullet through each of his eyes. Lyle accused the false brother of burning down the house, and Mike knows he is still around, even though they both pretend he isn’t. Of course Mike doesn’t tell anybody. They’d lock Lyle up again. They don’t talk about it, and they used to talk about everything. Mike takes out his cell phone and calls his brother.

“This is Lyle. Leave a message.”

Mike tells him to stay put unless the shit is right on top of him and that he’s on his way. Mike stops himself from saying to get you.

61

“My brother burned down our house and killed our parents,” Lyle repeated over and over. It was like a mantra.

And this is what Lyle was saying to the doctor when Mike arrived to visit him that first time at the Pine Hill Recovery Center, halfway between New York and Boston. Lyle was drugged.

“He was ruthless,” said Lyle.

The doctor held up a hand for Mike to wait at the edge of the room. Mike smiled at his brother from the door. He didn’t understand what Lyle was saying, and he didn’t want to stand at the bed and look into his red, shot out eyes.

“Mike,” said the doctor, “why don’t you come back in five minutes.”

Mike waved to his brother and left the room with a nurse. In the hallway, the nurse asked him to follow her. She was a small Asian woman with very narrow hips. She made Mike nervous with her small quick steps. He feared she was going to wait in the hallway with him, but instead she led him to a room that looked into his brother’s room through a two-way mirror. He could hear what Lyle was saying.