Chapter Text
A family is a risky venture, because the greater the love, the greater the loss...That's the trade-off. But I'll take it all.
—Brad Pitt
The sandwich was awful. The pork was cold at the centre with soggy lettuce and a dry roll that got stuck when I tried to swallow. The fact that my boss—aptly named Dick—kept me back for a bullshit meeting that went on for way too long and was the reason this waste of money and food was the last remaining sandwich in the convenience store close to where I worked, made me even more angry. I was so hungry I had simply paid for it and a ridiculous grape juice-box to swallow it down. It had taken seven minutes of me power walking to get back to my workplace and sit down in the break room.
I was eating quickly, taking large bites to finish off the food. I needed to get back to work and finish some boat repairs before the hour ended so I could get the weekend off uninterrupted. Bea had travelled with Donut for another pageant, leaving me alone at home with a newly released video game waiting for me. Sam would be joining me online tomorrow so we could experience the multi-player game for the first time together and I was looking forward to spending time with my friend. Nothing was going to ruin my plans.
That was, of course, when my phone rang.
Thinking it was Dick calling me for more information he should already know as my supervisor, I answered the phone without checking caller ID. “What, Dick?”
There was a pause on the line before a gruff, deep voice spoke. “Is this Carl—” The man paused and I could hear him ruffle some papers before completing the sentence with my last name. I quickly checked the number calling me and saw it was from out of state. “Yes. Who is this?”
“This is Detective Harry Dresden and I’m calling in regards to your father.”
I paused, putting my sandwich down on the wrapping paper placed on the metal table in front of me. My father? I hadn’t seen the man since I was fifteen. Twelve years had passed and I’d assumed the old bastard had done the world a favour and died. The previous officer had said my father would be tracked down and arrested for abandoning his child but seeing as no one had called me to testify in any way, I’d assumed they hadn’t cared enough to even find him.
“Don’t tell me you caught the old bastard and want to charge him with child abandonment now. It’s twelve years too late for that,” I couldn’t help but snark, waiting for the typical ‘don’t get smart with me’ that most cops responded with.
Detective Dresden didn’t take the bait. “No. I’m calling to tell you that your father is dead.”
I leaned back against the chair and looked up to the ceiling. I expected to feel something. Some relief or maybe vindication that he was dead but I felt nothing. I groaned and rubbed my face. “That’s one less piece of shit in the world but why call me? I haven’t had contact with him in years and I doubt he left anything for me in his will.”
Detective Dresden’s professional voice remained the same. “My calling was in regards to your father’s death but is not the main reason why I called. With him dead and his wife in jail for murdering him, she asked us to call you concerning their son. She requested that we contact you to take your half-brother into your custody.”
“MY WHAT?!”
My scream was loud and several people turned to me in annoyance at having their lunch interrupted but I couldn't give a shit about other people’s sensibilities at the moment. Not when life-altering information had just been shared.
“You’re not aware that your father remarried and had a son?” Dresden’s voice had dropped the monotone and was coloured with surprise.
“No! I was not aware!” I bellowed into the phone. I stood up and started running out of the room, out of the building and towards the road. I had pulled my phone off my ear and put the call on loudspeaker as I ordered an Uber.
“I see,” Dresden intoned. “This might or might not complicate things. How fast can you get to Iowa?”
Luckily, there was a ride down the street and it pulled in front of me in less than a minute.
“I’m on my way to the airport now.”