BEING HALSEY

CHAPTER 55

I step behind the glass and push my ID through the small opening.

" I'm his son."

The officer inspects my ID and pushes it back to me.

" He's in Booth Two."

I put my ID back in my back pocket and step through the security checkpoint, taking out my car keys and cash. It's been long, a very long time since the last time I visited him. A lot of things have happen and not many of them good.

I walk down to the visiting room and ease myself into a chair in the small booth, staring at my reflection in the glass. Dad is brought out in an orange jumpsuit, hands cuffed. His hair is shaggy and unkempt.

He sits down.

" How you doing Dad?"

He nods back. " Tray."

Silence.

" You got me a lawyer?"

" I tried but your case is different. You killed a whole family dad, manslaughter. That's second degree murder."

" I never meant to hurt anyone and you know that. I was angry and I lost control." He says and looks at his cuffed hands lying in front of him.

" And they found drugs in our house dad. i
It's because of you that we got foster parents. It's been ten whole years now, I miss you."

" Tiffany got married to that skunk?"

" Yea," I nod.

" And Wayne? You taking fresh flowers for him?"

" I'll drop by later today."

" Time's over!" The guard standing besides the door shouts and grabs dad by his right hand. He stands.

" Dad," I whisper. " I love you."

He smiles and we pound our fists on the glass.

***

*flashback*

I remember it like it was yesterday.

" Police. Will you let us in?"

I unlatch the door but don't release the chain. Two men in suits stand outside the door. The man who had spoken earlier is heavily built and aged about forty. He has Sandy hair thinning on top and going grey.

His companion is younger, lean and looks more like a soldier.

" Detective Chief Inspector Lawrence," The first man says. " This is my deputy Sam." He points his colleague.

" Is something wrong?" I ask

They flip open their IDs. " Can we talk inside?"

I lead the cops inside and they sit on the armchairs. They both look around the room taking in the mess of books and papers, clothes draped over the arm of a chair and the leftover pizza lying on the table.

" I believe you know a guy named Wayne." Lawrence leans forward.

I nod.

" I'm afraid I have some bad news." He says and the front door opens. My sister walks in silently and sits next to me.

" What's going on here?"

" They have something they want to tell us."

After a short pause, Lawrence coughs and speaks again.

" I'm sorry to tell you this but your brother Wayne died last night."

I stare, first at one man then the other. They watch us, seconds, minutes, hours.

" I'm sorry." Lawrence's deputy says.

My shoulders twitch.

" His body was found last night. He was bruised and his bones broken."

" We suspect he was setup." He adds.

Tiffany is silently sobbing next to me. I feel as if every muscle in my body is melting. This is the exact same room we played 2k and ate pizza yesterday. He sat next to me, on this couch...And now...now he's dead? my brother Wayne is dead?

***

HAL

" Did we get everything?" Dad asks as I push the trolley towards the cashier.

" Yea, I guess so." I look down at the groceries and the list on my hand.

Everything check.

Dad pays for the groceries and helps me carry them towards the car. We head over to the animal store and buy dog feed for Pip and her ten puppies. Having ten puppies in a small house is stressful.

At least now things aren't awkward between me and dad. We talk through the drive mostly about my admission to the different University I applied for and how I'm supposed to focus on my life blah blah blah.

I'm so engrossed in my phone that I don't notice the tall curvy shape brunette standing at out front door.

" Marissa?" Dad whispers.

" You know her?" I ask as the woman smiles and waves at us.

" She's your mother."

WHAT?!!!!!

****