“A friend of mine at the station called me earlier. They found his car at Millennium Park early this morning. He… he shot himself.”
“Oh my God,” I gasp.
“I got back from identifying the body not long before you arrived.”
“It was definitely suicide? It wasn’t one of Donovan’s gang that killed him?”
“I don’t know. Obviously, there’ll be an investigation, so I guess time will tell, but right now, everything points to suicide.”
“I’m so sorry, Graham.”
“No. I’m sorry, Amy. I’m sorry for what he did to your dad. I can’t wrap my head around it… can’t understand how he could do that. He and your dad were so close, in some ways even closer than him and me... How could he kill him?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why did he think he couldn’t come to me for help?”
“We’ll never know that now, but I guess whatever demons he was battling in his head… he’s at peace now.”
“I failed him. I should have protected him.”
“It isn’t your fault, Graham. He got involved with the wrong people, you didn’t force him into anything.”
“I still feel like I failed him as a father. I didn’t do enough to protect him.”
“You did everything you could.” I stand and make my way over to him, pulling him into a hug. I feel his body shake softly against mine as he cries silently into my shoulder.
After a few minutes, he sniffs and pulls back, composing himself. “You go on home now, kiddo, you don’t need to worry about me.”
“I don’t wanna leave you like this,” I protest.
“I’m fine, honest.”
After a moment, I concede reluctantly. “Alright, but call me or my mom if you need anything or if you have more news, okay?”
“You’re a good girl, kiddo,” he says with a small smile, and after a long, drawn out hug, mostly on my part, not wanting to let him go, I leave.
My house isn’t too far away, so I decide to walk. It gives me time to reflect and come to terms with the fact that a man I’ve known all my life, a boy I grew up with, a boy who was once a friend is now dead. It’s about a twenty minute walk home, and I cry all the way there.
Chapter 31
Logan
Iclimb out of the truck, clutching my side that hurts like a bitch, though I’m grateful it’s just a bruise and nothing more serious, it’s a reminder that things could have turned out a lot worse.
The second I step into the garage, I spot Vin and Ty working on an old sixties Mustang in the corner, the sound of their voices carrying all the way across the shop.
“Fuck you, Ty. How the fuck was I supposed to know it was a dude in a dress?” Vin shakes his head, cursing under his breath as Ty doubles over with laughter, clinging to the side of the car to hold him upright.
“I think it was the huge bulgeunderthe dress that was the dead giveaway, man.”
“Shut up!” Vin snaps, growing more irritated by the second. “It was dark, cut me some slack, yeah?” Vin’s eyes flick to mine and they widen as they take me in. “Lo!”
Ty spins around and drops the wrench on the ground when he sees me. “Holy shit!”
“Fuck, dude. What the hell happened to you?” Vince asks as the two of them hurry over to me.
“I’m fine, I swear.”
