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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

“If our parents hadn’t been such heavy sleepers—it was Ambien and whiskey—then they might have caught him. But they couldn’t. Brother arsonist, he torched the piano.”

The doctor asked Lyle how it had been earlier that night between their mother and father, but Lyle ignored him and kept talking about the brother. He couldn’t really be talking about me, Mike thought, but then he didn’t know. These were the moments that became most frightening to Mike. The strange things Lyle said didn’t scare him. It was the way he ignored people, the way he didn’t listen, didn’t acknowledge questions. The way he could make you think that what was wrong with him was wrong with you.

Lyle spoke to the doctor in an even voice, but Mike could tell that he was becoming agitated. The doctor was asking Lyle about the third brother again. Mike watched Lyle gesticulate. That must hurt his arms, Mike thought, as Lyle made great sweeping points.

“He danced around the piano after he set it on fire. Sang around it,” said Lyle. And then, confiding in the doctor, sotto voce, “He is not joyless.”

“You think he sang a song, as he burned down the house?” asked the doctor.

“Not some war song,” said Lyle, “something melancholy.”

Lyle began to gesture violently with his bandaged arms, like he was conducting a choir. The doctor asked him to calm down but Lyle would not listen. Mike could see what was going to happen and felt ashamed that he was relieved: Lyle would be too agitated for the visit.

“He’s brilliant, of course he’s brilliant,” said Lyle. “He sings ‘Amazing Grace’ instead of some war song and you all think he’s OK but he’s not, and if he could kill our parents he could kill all of us. He could kill you.”

“Lyle, if you don’t calm down I’m leaving,” said the doctor.

“There has to be a manhunt,” Lyle insisted.

“Lyle, you’ll hurt your arms.”

“He burned down the house without hesitation, without shame, like he was righteously commissioned.”

Again the doctor told Lyle to calm down but Lyle kept waving his arms and the IV pole was swinging. An orderly hurried into the room and Lyle strained against him in his hospital gown as the doctor injected something into the IV.

Through the glass, Mike watched his brother lose consciousness.

The doctor appeared next to Mike and together they watched the nurses rebandage where Lyle had ripped off his dressings. Lyle’s arms and part of his upper back were burned from the fire. His hair, too. The burns still glistened red and wet and raw. He looks like a baby, thought Mike, with his hair all gone.

“He insists you have another brother,” said the doctor.