chance of my own engraved watch. As often happens new
memories take the place of the old but they are never erased, only buried
deeper in the mind waiting to be pulled out.
Then the implications began to hit. My father had lied to
me. We never set foot near Tobermory. We had gone to Algonquin… and something
had happened, something so horrible my father had lied to me to protect himself
and to protect me. It had been my father fighting with the other man in my
dream and he had emerged victorious—he ran his hand through my hair to comfort
me.
And we were digging the other man up now.
The truth struck hard and made me feel faint again. I was like
a child seeing their own blood for the first time, and I was on the verge of
passing out. The ceramic tile floor was cold as I lay down upon it. My heart
wouldn’t have to work so hard to get the blood to my brain this way, perhaps it
would be enough to keep me conscious.
The accident on the camping trip, falling down an embankment
and breaking my arm—it never happened. Something else happened to cause those
injuries, something that led me to suffer blackouts at the same time my father
was embroiled in a fight to the death. I needed to know more but I had no idea
how to dig deeper.
The only person who knew the answers no longer existed. His
body was still here but his mind was gone. Still, I had to try, I had to see if
he remembered what had happened.
It only took a few minutes to pack my clothes and
necessities. I closed the hotel room door behind me and knocked on Chen’s door
to say my goodbyes.
After a moment I heard footsteps approach and the deadbolt
unlocked. The door opened and Chen stood inside in his boxers, his lean and
muscular body inspiring a hint of jealousy. The years had been better to Chen,
or perhaps he had been better to his body.
“I was just about to get in the shower. You leaving
already?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a flight out soon. There’s been nothing new
happening back home but it won’t be much longer until the proverbial excrement
hits the fan.”
“Understood,” Chen said. “And Link?”
“Yeah?” The tone of his voice unnerved me.
“I’m your friend, Link. Never hide things from me again.”
The fainting feeling came rushing back and it took
everything in my power to hold on. “What are you talking about?”
“Your arm, Link. That old injury acting up again?”
I sighed. “Yeah, damn football injury.” The old injury was
true, a torn rotator cuff during a high school football game. Of course that
injury had been to my right arm, not my left. I praised Chen’s faulty memory.
“No need to hide that shit from me, Link.”
“I know, Chen. Sorry.”
“No worries.” He slapped me on what he thought to be my good
shoulder. “Now go catch a murderer.”
“You too,” I said. “And keep me posted on this one. I’m
curious to see how it’ll turn out and you know you’ll need my expert crime
solving skills.”
“Whatever, Link. I’ll keep you posted. Fifty says I solve
mine before you do.”
A hundred says I solve them both.
“A cold case versus a serial killer? I wish I were a betting
man, Chen-Chen.”
We hugged as men do, a quick embrace and a slap on the back
to cancel it out. I walked out to the waiting cruiser, my limousine to take me
to the airfield.
—14—
I was greeted by two very happy children and a very tired
wife upon my return home that night. It was late, nearly nine, and past Link
and Kasia’s bedtimes. Kat had kept them up after I called her and told her I’d be
home soon. There’s nothing like coming home and having your children sprint to
the door and leap into your arms. That alone is reason enough to be a parent.
I had missed them so much and it didn’t take a detective to
notice that the feeling was mutual. I fought back tears and picked them both
up—a much harder task than it had been a few years prior—then carried them
upstairs. They dressed themselves in their
memories take the place of the old but they are never erased, only buried
deeper in the mind waiting to be pulled out.
Then the implications began to hit. My father had lied to
me. We never set foot near Tobermory. We had gone to Algonquin… and something
had happened, something so horrible my father had lied to me to protect himself
and to protect me. It had been my father fighting with the other man in my
dream and he had emerged victorious—he ran his hand through my hair to comfort
me.
And we were digging the other man up now.
The truth struck hard and made me feel faint again. I was like
a child seeing their own blood for the first time, and I was on the verge of
passing out. The ceramic tile floor was cold as I lay down upon it. My heart
wouldn’t have to work so hard to get the blood to my brain this way, perhaps it
would be enough to keep me conscious.
The accident on the camping trip, falling down an embankment
and breaking my arm—it never happened. Something else happened to cause those
injuries, something that led me to suffer blackouts at the same time my father
was embroiled in a fight to the death. I needed to know more but I had no idea
how to dig deeper.
The only person who knew the answers no longer existed. His
body was still here but his mind was gone. Still, I had to try, I had to see if
he remembered what had happened.
It only took a few minutes to pack my clothes and
necessities. I closed the hotel room door behind me and knocked on Chen’s door
to say my goodbyes.
After a moment I heard footsteps approach and the deadbolt
unlocked. The door opened and Chen stood inside in his boxers, his lean and
muscular body inspiring a hint of jealousy. The years had been better to Chen,
or perhaps he had been better to his body.
“I was just about to get in the shower. You leaving
already?”
“Yeah, I’ve got a flight out soon. There’s been nothing new
happening back home but it won’t be much longer until the proverbial excrement
hits the fan.”
“Understood,” Chen said. “And Link?”
“Yeah?” The tone of his voice unnerved me.
“I’m your friend, Link. Never hide things from me again.”
The fainting feeling came rushing back and it took
everything in my power to hold on. “What are you talking about?”
“Your arm, Link. That old injury acting up again?”
I sighed. “Yeah, damn football injury.” The old injury was
true, a torn rotator cuff during a high school football game. Of course that
injury had been to my right arm, not my left. I praised Chen’s faulty memory.
“No need to hide that shit from me, Link.”
“I know, Chen. Sorry.”
“No worries.” He slapped me on what he thought to be my good
shoulder. “Now go catch a murderer.”
“You too,” I said. “And keep me posted on this one. I’m
curious to see how it’ll turn out and you know you’ll need my expert crime
solving skills.”
“Whatever, Link. I’ll keep you posted. Fifty says I solve
mine before you do.”
A hundred says I solve them both.
“A cold case versus a serial killer? I wish I were a betting
man, Chen-Chen.”
We hugged as men do, a quick embrace and a slap on the back
to cancel it out. I walked out to the waiting cruiser, my limousine to take me
to the airfield.
—14—
I was greeted by two very happy children and a very tired
wife upon my return home that night. It was late, nearly nine, and past Link
and Kasia’s bedtimes. Kat had kept them up after I called her and told her I’d be
home soon. There’s nothing like coming home and having your children sprint to
the door and leap into your arms. That alone is reason enough to be a parent.
I had missed them so much and it didn’t take a detective to
notice that the feeling was mutual. I fought back tears and picked them both
up—a much harder task than it had been a few years prior—then carried them
upstairs. They dressed themselves in their
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