Second Chance

Chapter 91

MY FATHER AVERTED HIS EYES. I'd seen the shamed and guilty look before - too many times - when I was just a little girl.

He started to explain. Here we go again, huh, Daddy?

"Six of us got to the crime scene, Lindsay. I was only there by chance. I was subbing for this guy, Ed Dooley. We were last on the scene. I didn't see shit. We got there after everything had been played out. But he's been badgering us, all of us, ever since.

“I never knew he was Chimera, Lindsay,” my father said.

“That you have to believe. I never heard of this cop Chipman until you told me the other day. I thought he was just threatening me.”

“Threatening you, Dad?” I blinked in disbelief. My heart was breaking a little. “Threatening you with what? Please make me understand. I really want to understand.” “He said he was going to make me feel the way he did all these years. Watching himself lose everything. He said he was going after you.”

“That's why you came back,” I said with a sigh, "wasn't it?

“All that stuff about wanting to set things right. Make amends with me. That wasn't it at all.”

“No.” He shook his head. “I'd already pissed away so much. I couldn't let him take the rest, the part that was good. That's why I'm here, Lindsay I swear it. I'm not lying this time.”

My head was ringing. I had a murder suspect loose. Shots had been fired. I didn't know what to make of this. What to do about my father? How much did he really know? How to deal with Coombs now? With Chimera?

“You're telling me the truth? For once? This is my case, my big, important case. I have to know the truth. Please don't lie to me, Dad.” “I swear,” he said, his eyes hooded with shame. “What're you going to do?”

I glared at him. “About what? About Coombs, or us...?”

“About this whole mess. What happened tonight.”

“I don't know.” I swallowed. “But I do know one thing... If I can, I'm bringing Coombs in.”