I told them about my visit to John Dunbar. Joe’s initial response was for a call to action—he wanted police, prosecutors, punishment.
“He’s an old man now,” I said. “A retired and highly regarded FBI agent. You think they’ll ever actually let him get to a trial? For a charge of tampering with a crime scene, one that can no longer be proven?”
“It can be testified to.”
“By Parker Harrison and Alexandra Cantrell. Those are the people who could testify to it. I ask you this—is it worth it?”
Joe didn’t answer. Amy said, “No. I don’t think that it is.”
“Ken Merriman’s daughter might disagree,” Joe said. “As Lincoln pointed out, Neloms should have been arrested years before he had a chance to kill Ken.”
“Should have been,” I said. “Might not have been. Anyway, however corrupt Dunbar’s actions, you can be sure he didn’t want it to play out like it did. I’ve seen that man enough to know he won’t be able to find peace with this, Joe. Alexandra and Parker Harrison have come closer, and they deserve it more. I suggest we leave them to that.”
“What about you?” Joe said. “Have you found peace with it yet?”
“Sure.”
He and Amy exchanged a look.
“You remember the conversation we had in the hospital,” I said to Joe.
“Yes.”
“You were right, of course. I was trying to make this case my life without letting it into my life. Maybe that doesn’t make sense, but I don’t know how else to phrase it.”
“It makes sense,” he said. “I’ve seen plenty of police do it.”
“I have, too. They’re the ones who eventually end up divorced and drinking and angry. You know that.”
He nodded.
“So I see your point, is what I’m trying to say. Still, you have to understand that I’ve had trouble dealing with what happened when some of these cases found their way into my home, Joe. Found their way to Amy, to you.”
“He understands,” Amy said. “As do I. Trust me, as do I.”
“What are you leading up to?” Joe said. “Are you telling us you want to go back to PI work, or that you’re ready to truly quit?”
“I’m telling you I don’t have an answer yet. I need some time. There’s a part of me that would like to move on. Maybe the largest part of me.”
“What would the other part like?” Amy said.
“There are some people who have come to us because they really needed us. I’d like to think we’ve done some good in those situations.”
“You
“Hell,” Joe said, “you don’t have to look at it like such a crossroads, Lincoln, like it’s a right turn or a left and you’ve got to make the decision now. Hang at the stop sign for a while. Keep it in idle. We still get calls for case work, you know that. Just because you take the calls doesn’t mean you have to take the cases. You can listen, and then you can decide.”
“That seems right,” I said, and it did. For now, that sounded like enough.
I would answer the phone when it rang. I would listen.
