“Used commands.”
“Yes.”
“Put your hand near your weapon.”
Caleb closed his eyes.
“Yes.”
Daniel leaned forward.
“My daughter had nightmares.”
Caleb’s face tightened.
“I know.”
“No, you don’t.”
“You’re right.”
“I had to explain to a seven-year-old that a police officer cannot decide her father isn’t her father because his brother said so.”
Caleb’s eyes filled.
Daniel did not stop.
“She now thinks legal papers can disappear if the wrong adult gets angry.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Your apology does not fix that.”
“I know.”
“Stop saying you know.”
Caleb nodded.
Silence.
Finally Daniel asked, “Why did you believe Luke?”
Caleb looked at him.
“He’s my brother.”
“That explains listening.”
“Yes.”
“Not everything else.”
“No.”
Caleb rubbed both hands together.
“Our father died when Luke was eighteen and I was thirteen.”
Daniel had not known.
“Luke became everything after that.”
Caleb stared toward the window.
“He taught me to drive. Came to my football games. Picked me up when Mom worked nights.”
“He also hurt Hannah.”
“I know that now.”
“You knew some of it then.”
Caleb flinched.
Daniel noticed.
“What did you know?”
Caleb took a long breath.
“Luke called me once after Hannah left.”
“When?”
“I was nineteen.”
Daniel waited.
“He said she was destroying him.”
“And?”
“I went to their apartment.”
Daniel’s expression changed.
“She was packing.”
“What happened?”
“Luke was yelling.”
“Did he touch her?”
Caleb stared at the table.
“Answer me.”
“He grabbed her arm.”
Daniel felt anger rise.
“What did you do?”
“I pulled him off.”
Daniel stopped.
That was not the answer he expected.
Caleb continued.
“Hannah told me to leave.”
“Why?”
“She said if I stayed, Luke would perform for me.”
Daniel understood immediately.
“He’d calm down because you were there.”
“Yes.”
“Then start again later.”
Caleb nodded.
“What did you do?”
“I left.”
Daniel stared.
“Did you tell anyone?”
“No.”
“Your mother?”
“No.”
“Police?”
“No.”
“Why?”
Caleb laughed bitterly.
“Family.”
The word sounded disgusting now.
Daniel leaned back.
“And you became a cop.”
“Yes.”
“Did you ever think about that night?”
“All the time.”