gathered what was up.
“Lose your badge?”
Before Sean could say a word, his uncle attempted to put his mind to rest.
“It’s no big deal, Sean. I have others.” Zed read defeat in his nephew’s eyes, and the look on his face showed that it pained his heart.
“Hey!” he said with a wink and a smile, understanding all too well the pride that Sean took in his job. With a friendly backhand to his nephew’s shoulder, he added, “It’s not the badge . . . it’s the man behind it.”
Sean had never questioned Zed’s loyalty or sincerity. His uncle cared about him. He had no doubts about that. But after the morning he was having, Zed’s words unintentionally prompted a sense of disesteem in Sean’s gut; a challenge to the faith his uncle had invested in him.
“What did Jefferson tell you on the phone?” Sean muttered, watching for a reaction in his uncle’s eyes, but finding none. Zed’s silence indicated that he had indeed been briefed. “You believe me? That I saw a man kill himself?”
Zed’s upper lip disappeared and his square chin extended. His lack of response generated an odd smugness from Sean, whose own need to self-deprecate had just been validated. Keeping his eyes trained forward on the road, Zed’s throat tightened and his toothpick swept to the opposite side of his mouth.
After what seemed like an eternity, without removing his eyes from the road, Zed stated, “I don’t think you made it up, Sean.”
With a disdainful sneer, Sean shook his head. “It was a yes or no question, Uncle Zed, but at least you’re being honest. It’s just that drunken Sean Coleman and his silly imagination. Right?”
“Sean . . .”
“Save it!” Sean snapped. “You and everyone else can go ahead and think I’m crazy. I know what I saw.”
Zed didn’t respond at first, but he felt it time to get something off his chest. “Why do you think Lumbergh doesn’t believe you, Sean?”
Sean sneered. “Don’t need another lecture.”
“Sean . . . Gary’s a good man. He’s a good husband to your sister. Now, I know the two of you don’t see eye to eye, but—”
Sean interrupted. “You know, I am so sick and tired of everyone telling me how good of a guy Gary is. I get it! Okay?” He shook his head. “The man spent twelve years down in Illinois, kissing more ass than he kicked. Did you know he’s never even fired a gun?”
Zed sighed and said, “Never fired a gun in the line of duty , Sean. Of course he’s fired a gun before. He’s a trained police officer.”
“Trained at kissing ass, maybe!” Sean barked. “Diana always talks about all the promotions he got. If he’s never even fired a gun before, how else do you think he got them? He comes into this town like a goddamned celebrity and they throw a police chief ’s badge right on him without even asking him a single question!”
“Sean . . .”
“Did you know that he voted for Al Gore?” He glared soberly at his uncle.
Zed winced at Sean’s words, as if he had just stepped on jagged glass. He shook his head. “I did hear that. And I ain’t making any excuses for that. But, Sean, we both know that this isn’t about Gary’s past or his politics . . .”
Breathing hard, Sean awaited his uncle’s explanation while already articulating a rebuttal in his mind.
Taking his eyes off of the road to meet his nephew’s glower, Zed said, “Sean . . . I’ve known you all of your life. You’ve wanted to be the police chief of Winston since you were a little boy.”
Sean wasn’t expecting those words to drop from his uncle’s mouth. He didn’t know what to say.
“Now, maybe that was a pipe dream,” Zed continued. “Maybe it’s something you outgrew. I can’t say for sure. But something tells me that you feel he’s got what should be yours. I think that’s the reason you’re always conning the police into looking into possible crimes. You think you’re the one who should be calling the shots over there—not
“Lose your badge?”
Before Sean could say a word, his uncle attempted to put his mind to rest.
“It’s no big deal, Sean. I have others.” Zed read defeat in his nephew’s eyes, and the look on his face showed that it pained his heart.
“Hey!” he said with a wink and a smile, understanding all too well the pride that Sean took in his job. With a friendly backhand to his nephew’s shoulder, he added, “It’s not the badge . . . it’s the man behind it.”
Sean had never questioned Zed’s loyalty or sincerity. His uncle cared about him. He had no doubts about that. But after the morning he was having, Zed’s words unintentionally prompted a sense of disesteem in Sean’s gut; a challenge to the faith his uncle had invested in him.
“What did Jefferson tell you on the phone?” Sean muttered, watching for a reaction in his uncle’s eyes, but finding none. Zed’s silence indicated that he had indeed been briefed. “You believe me? That I saw a man kill himself?”
Zed’s upper lip disappeared and his square chin extended. His lack of response generated an odd smugness from Sean, whose own need to self-deprecate had just been validated. Keeping his eyes trained forward on the road, Zed’s throat tightened and his toothpick swept to the opposite side of his mouth.
After what seemed like an eternity, without removing his eyes from the road, Zed stated, “I don’t think you made it up, Sean.”
With a disdainful sneer, Sean shook his head. “It was a yes or no question, Uncle Zed, but at least you’re being honest. It’s just that drunken Sean Coleman and his silly imagination. Right?”
“Sean . . .”
“Save it!” Sean snapped. “You and everyone else can go ahead and think I’m crazy. I know what I saw.”
Zed didn’t respond at first, but he felt it time to get something off his chest. “Why do you think Lumbergh doesn’t believe you, Sean?”
Sean sneered. “Don’t need another lecture.”
“Sean . . . Gary’s a good man. He’s a good husband to your sister. Now, I know the two of you don’t see eye to eye, but—”
Sean interrupted. “You know, I am so sick and tired of everyone telling me how good of a guy Gary is. I get it! Okay?” He shook his head. “The man spent twelve years down in Illinois, kissing more ass than he kicked. Did you know he’s never even fired a gun?”
Zed sighed and said, “Never fired a gun in the line of duty , Sean. Of course he’s fired a gun before. He’s a trained police officer.”
“Trained at kissing ass, maybe!” Sean barked. “Diana always talks about all the promotions he got. If he’s never even fired a gun before, how else do you think he got them? He comes into this town like a goddamned celebrity and they throw a police chief ’s badge right on him without even asking him a single question!”
“Sean . . .”
“Did you know that he voted for Al Gore?” He glared soberly at his uncle.
Zed winced at Sean’s words, as if he had just stepped on jagged glass. He shook his head. “I did hear that. And I ain’t making any excuses for that. But, Sean, we both know that this isn’t about Gary’s past or his politics . . .”
Breathing hard, Sean awaited his uncle’s explanation while already articulating a rebuttal in his mind.
Taking his eyes off of the road to meet his nephew’s glower, Zed said, “Sean . . . I’ve known you all of your life. You’ve wanted to be the police chief of Winston since you were a little boy.”
Sean wasn’t expecting those words to drop from his uncle’s mouth. He didn’t know what to say.
“Now, maybe that was a pipe dream,” Zed continued. “Maybe it’s something you outgrew. I can’t say for sure. But something tells me that you feel he’s got what should be yours. I think that’s the reason you’re always conning the police into looking into possible crimes. You think you’re the one who should be calling the shots over there—not
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